CSJ Sagarin 2018 NCAA FCS Playoff Projection – Nov. 11

Using the Sagarin ratings alone to project the FCS playoffs, along with the automatic bid for the conferences that receive a bid, the following would be the playoff teams this week. These teams are seeded 1 through 24 for the 24 teams that make the FCS playoffs.

As a reminder, the following conferences receive an automatic bid, while 14 teams are selected as at-large picks.

Big Sky Conference
Big South Conference
Colonial Athletic Conference (CAA)
Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC)
Northeast Conference (NEC)
Ohio Valley Conference (OVC)
Patriot League
Pioneer Football League 
Southern Conference
Southland Conference

So far, only North Dakota State (MVFC), Colgate (Patriot), Jacksonville State (OVC), Kennesaw State (Big South), and San Diego (Pioneer) have secured automatic bids going into the final week of the regular season.

Top 25 Rankings with playoff spot with the conference name indicating the automatic spot for its conference and then the 14 at-large spots also listed. See the full Top 25 with the hyperlink.

The number to the left of the school is the overall Sagarin rating.

1 31 North Dakota State MVFC
2 58 South Dakota State At-Large1
3 80 James Madison CAA
4 83 Northern Iowa At-Large2
5 85 Illinois State At-Large3
86 Princeton Ivy
6 89 Eastern Washington Big Sky
7 99 Kennesaw State Big South
8 103 UC Davis At-Large4
9 107 Colgate Patriot
10 110 Samford At-Large5
112 Dartmouth Ivy
11 114 Weber State At-Large6
12 118 Jacksonville State OVC
13 119 Delaware At-Large7
14 120 Western Illinois At-Large8
15 122 Stony Brook At-Large9
16 123 Elon At-Large10
17 128 Wofford SoCon
18 131 Idaho State At-Large11
19 133 Towson At-Large12
20 135 North Dakota At-Large13
21 138 Montana At-Large14
22 141 Nicholls State Southland
23 201 Central Connecticut NEC
24 204 San Diego Pioneer
Note that Nicholls State and Central Connecticut State, and San Diego are currently leading the Southland and NEC and would be the last two schools into the field as those conference champions. As mentioned, San Diego has already secured the Pioneer Football League.
As is the case, there are a number of automatic bid possibilities as we projected with the week in review.
Also note that the Ivy League, MEAC, and SWAC do not have autobids. The MEAC and SWAC champions play in the Celebration Bowl. The SWAC also plays a championship game so both division champions would not be able to participate but any second place or lower team in either conference would be eligible.
For this week, no MEAC or SWAC schools are in the Top 22 of the standings. But Princeton and Dartmouth from the Ivy League, who are in the this Top 22 are not eligible for the playoffs due to the Ivy League rule of no postseason play so these two were left off.