CSJ Sagarin 2018 NCAA FCS Playoff Projection – Oct. 14

On By Kent Schmidt

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. 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

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:

1 North Dakota State MVFC
2 James Madison At-Large 1
3 South Dakota State At-Large 2
4 Illinois State At-Large 3
5 Northern Iowa At-Large 4
6 Eastern Washington At-Large 5
7 Kennesaw State Big South
8 Jacksonville State OVC
9 Elon At-Large 6
10 Weber State At-Large 7
11 Delaware At-Large 8
12 Colgate Patriot
13 UC Davis Big Sky
14 South Dakota At-Large 9
15 Missouri State At-Large 10
16 Samford At-Large 11
17 Towson CAA
18 Wofford SoCon
19 Idaho State At-Large 12
20 Stony Brook At-Large 13
21 North Dakota At-Large 14
22 Sam Houston State Southland
23 Central Connecticut St NEC
24 San Diego Pioneer
Note that Central Connecticut State and San Diego are currently leading NEC and Pioneer League and would be the last two schools into the field as those conference champions.
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.

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