Playoffs ‘Til I Die: Playoff Projections, 10/25/2016

It’s that time of year again!
This year, we are picking a consensus bracket based on staff picks, Sagarin Ratings, and the FCS Coaches’ Poll to determine who we think will be in the playoff field, who is seeded, who is in, who is out.
In the FCS playoffs, there are 10 conferences that get autobids, the Big Sky, Big South, CAA, Northeast, Missouri Valley, Ohio Valley, Patriot League, Pioneer Football League, Southern, and Southland Conferences.
Two conferences, the SWAC and MEAC, choose to send their champions to a different non-sanctioned postseason separate from the NCAA’s official playoffs. A third, the Ivy League, chooses to not send its members.
Per Sagarin, the Coaches’ Poll, and our expert picks, the possible playoff participants are below:
Sagarin | Coaches | Chuck | Kent |
---|---|---|---|
North Dakota State * | Sam Houston State * | Eastern Washington * | Eastern Washington * |
Northern Iowa | Jacksonville State * | Sam Houston State * | Sam Houston State * |
South Dakota State | Eastern Washington * | Jacksonville State * | Jacksonville State * |
Eastern Washington * | North Dakota State * | The Citadel * | South Dakota State * |
Youngstown State | James Madison * | James Madison * | North Dakota State |
Jacksonville State * | Richmond | Richmond | James Madison * |
Chattanooga * | The Citadel * | North Dakota State * | Richmond |
Montana | Chattanooga | Chattanooga | The Citadel * |
Richmond * | Charleston Southern * | Charleston Southern * | Chattanooga |
James Madison | South Dakota State | South Dakota State | Charleston Southern * |
Sam Houston State * | North Dakota | Villanova | Montana |
Central Arkansas | Villanova | Samford | Villanova |
Charleston Southern * | Youngstown State | Central Arkansas | Samford |
The Citadel | Western Illinois | Cal Poly | Central Arkansas |
Western Illinois | Montana | Western Illinois | Cal Poly |
Villanova | Cal Poly | Lehigh * | Western Illinois |
Cal Poly | Central Arkansas | Stony Brook | Lehigh * |
Samford | Samford | North Dakota | Stony Brook |
Lehigh * | Stony Brook | Tennessee State | North Dakota |
Northern Arizona | Eastern Illinois | Montana | Youngstown State |
Illinois State | Lehigh * | Youngstown State | Liberty |
Liberty | South Dakota | Sacred Heart * | Sacred Heart * |
San Diego * | Sacred Heart * | Fordham | Tennessee State |
St. Francis (PA) * | San Diego * | San Diego * | San Diego * |
The CSJ Consensus Bracket:
Conference Champions:
- Big Sky: Eastern Washington
- Big South: Charleston Southern
- CAA: James Madison
- Northeast: Sacred Heart
- Missouri Valley: South Dakota State
- Ohio Valley: Jacksonville State
- Patriot League: Lehigh
- Pioneer: San Diego
- Southern: The Citadel
- Southland: Sam Houston State
Seeds:
- Eastern Washington
- Jacksonville State
- Sam Houston State
- North Dakota State
- James Madison
- South Dakota State
- Richmond
- Chattanooga
Rest of the field: The Citadel, Charleston Southern, Villanova, Montana, Central Arkansas, Youngstown State, Western Illinois, Samford, Cal Poly, Lehigh, North Dakota, UNI, Stony Brook, Tennessee State, Sacred Heart, San Diego
I hope Sterrett puts in a bid for home game first round!