College Sports Journal Spring Top 25 Week of 4/6/2021
It was pretty calm at the top of the Top 25 last week. Most teams didn’t play. But the middle, throw it in a blender. We have two weeks left before selection Sunday.
In 6-0 Spring Loss to Bucknell, Some Surprising Optimism As Focus Shifts to Lafayette
When you look at it in terms of the development of this team – and how this leads into next fall – there’s a lot more positives to draw than a normal fall season when the team is 0-2.
Big Sky Conference Football: April 3rd Review
Another close week made waves across the Big Sky as Weber State holds on late in the fourth quarter, Eastern Washington improves their resume for an at-large playoff spot, and Idaho crumbles in the Battle of the Domes. How long can we make excuses for Weber State’s close games? EWU took another step towards playoffs,.
College Sports Journal Sagarin 2021 Spring Division I FCS Playoff Predictions–Apr. 5
Using the Sagarin ratings from this week to project the 2021 Spring Division I 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 16 for the 16 teams that make the FCS playoffs for this spring season..
QUICK RECAP: Bucknell Wins The Patriot League South With a 6-0 Slugfest Victory over Lehigh
Two Ethan Torres FGs, one 26 yards, and one 24 yards, were enough to put the Bucknell Bison atop the Patriot League South Division, shutting out Lehigh at Murray Goodman Stadium 6-0.
College Sports Journal OVC Preview, Week of 4/3/2021
As the calendar turns to April with the promise of flowers blooming soon, plenty must first be settled on the football field as the contenders for the FCS playoffs begin to rise to the top.
College Sports Journal Patriot League Preview, 4/3/2021: More Shuffling As COVID-19 Continues To Scramble Schedules
An already-crazy Patriot League season still had some craziness left to reveal this week, as the 156th meeting between Lafayette and Lehigh was postponed due to a Tier 1 exposure in the Lafayette program.
College Sports Journal SoCon Preview Week of 4/3/2021
VMI is now in the drivers seat for the Southern Conference title. With a win this week against East Tennessee State, they would clinch that berth – and avoid a boatload of potential tiebreaker headaches for the SoCon League office in terms of autobid determination.
College Sports Journal Missouri Valley Football Conference Football Preview Week of 4/3/2021
Last week was a lost week for over half the MVFC squads and this week looks to be same. Two games last week were postponed or cancelled due to COVID-19 reasons with the North Dakota at Youngstown State and North Dakota State at South Dakota games both called off last week. The UND-YSU game will.
College Sports Journal CAA Preview Week of 4/3/2021
James Madison/Richmond was postponed this week “due to CoVID protocols at Richmond”, according to James Madision’s official release, and Delaware/Albany was cancelled due to Albany suspending their spring season due to a very large number of injuries. This leaves two games on the CAA schedule this weekend.
Big Sky Football Review and Preview: Week of April 3rd, 2021
This week was full of surprises and highlights in the Big Sky, including a Sports Center Top Play of Weber State winning by a 50-yard Hail Mary throw to Justin Malone. In a week that should have been “blowout week” all but one contest was way closer than it should have been. In fact, those.
College Sports Journal Southland Conference Football Preview Week of 4/3/2021
Sam Houston head coach K.C. Keeler feels like this could be his best team yet; Northwestern State head coach Brad Laird is in a rebuilding year and knows his team must start games better.
CSJ Roundtable, Week of 4/3/21: Limping, Or Soaring, To The End of the Regular Season?
North Dakota State cancellation, Chattanooga opting out – lots happened this past week, and CSJ’s staff writers mulled over the impacts as the dust settled.
College Sports Journal Spring Top 25, Week of 3/28/2021
Another week, another round of upsets in the FCS. Jacksonville State and Chattanooga were both top 10 teams last week. Both lost. We nearly had a second straight week where our number one team lost, but Weber State got a 50 yard hail mary on the last play of the game to preserve the win. VMI has moved within one win of the Southern Conference title. Our eyes will be on them this weekend.
College Sports Journal Sagarin 2021 Spring Division I FCS Playoff Predictions–Mar. 29
Using the Sagarin ratings from this week alone to project the 2021 Spring Division I 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 16 for the 16 teams that make the FCS playoffs for this spring.
College Sports Journal OVC Preview, Week of 3/28/2021
A full Sunday of OVC action is going on today.
College Sports Journal Southern Conference Football Preview Week of 3/27/2021
The race for the SoCon title looks to be down to three teams, Chattanooga, VMI and East Tennessee State. ETSU only has one loss and still plays both of the unbeatens. As of now, VMI and Chattanooga do not play.
College Sports Journal Southland Conference Football Preview Week of 3/27/2021
Scoreboards may break as one of the biggest games of the week features two of the best spring offenses squaring off.
College Sports Journal Missouri Valley Football Conference Football Preview Week of 3/27/2021
This week with just four games, the biggest appears to be Southern Illinois at Missouri State with the winner staying in the MVFC title and FCS playoff race and the loser likely will be on the outside. Here are all the previews and my predictions for the MVFC games this week.
College Sports Journal Patriot League Preview, 3/27/2021: Bucknell and Fordham Finally Get Their Spring Seasons Started
In a way it’s fitting during this strange season that two of the teams playing this weekend are in their season openers, while their opponents are coming off of two weeks off after winning their openers. It is a byproduct of this crazy Patriot League spring, and results in two fascinating games that are basically playoff games. And with no game film on Bucknell or Fordham, it feels like anything can happen.
College Sports Journal CAA Preview Week of 3/28/2021
James Madison returns to action after a two week pause of their own, while a huge clash looms between Delaware and Rhode Island for first place in the CAA North.
College Sports Journal Spring Top 25 Week of 3/21/2021
Our number one team from last week went down. North Dakota State dominated both sides of the trenches to beat North Dakota. Sam Houston continue to roll in the Southland. VMI and Chattanooga kept their unbeaten starts going by a combined 3 points. And in the CAA Rhode Island is 2-0 with two ranked wins, as everyone predicted (not exactly).
CSJ Roundtable, Week of 3/28/21: Halfway, Sort Of, Through the Spring Season
We’re about at about the midpoint of the spring season, and the writers at CSJ get together to take stock of the season so far.
College Sports Journal Sagarin 2021 Spring Division I FCS Playoff Predictions–Mar. 22
Using the Sagarin ratings from this week alone to project the 2021 Spring Division I 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 16 for the 16 teams that make the FCS playoffs for this spring.
College Sports Journal CAA Preview Week of 3/21/2021
This week was shaping up to be a good week for the CAA. But both games between two ranked teams have been postponed due to Covid protocols: #23 Richmond at #1 James Madison and #12 Delaware at #20 New Hampshire.
College Sports Journal Southern Conference Preview Week of 3/2/2021
VMI and Chattanooga are the two remaining teams without a conference loss. Furman is waiting in the wings if they falter.
College Sports Journal Missouri Valley Football Conference Football Preview Week of 3/21/2021
SIU now gets South Dakota State at home this week. The Jackrabbits had a nail bitter against winless Youngstown State at home last week. The Jacks led the Penguins 16-7 through three quarters of play but YSU came back with 10 straight points to take the lead. SDSU though managed to drive in the wanning seconds of the game to get into field goal position where K Cole Frahm kicked a 29-yard field goal with 31 seconds remaining to lift the Jacks to the victory.
College Sports Journal Spring Top 25 Week of 3/14/2021
It was another topsy turvy week in the FCS. 2 of our top five from last week lost. Things have been changing week by week and this week is no different. We have a new #1 team at College Sports Journal this week but only by one single vote..
New-Look Lehigh Shows Inexperience In 20-3 Defeat to Holy Cross
In a way, the opening drive which ended with zero Lehigh points summed up the entire afternoon.
College Sports Journal Sagarin 2021 Spring Division I FCS Playoff Predictions–Mar. 15
Using the Sagarin ratings from this week alone to project the 2021 Spring Division I 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 16 for the 16 teams that make the FCS playoffs for this spring.
QUICK RECAP: Defensive Slugfest Sees Holy Cross Over Lehigh 20-3
BETHLEHEM, PA – The Holy Cross Crusaders beat the Lehigh Mountain Hawks 20-3 at Murray Goodman Stadium in the first college football game contested by both schools in over 450 days.
College Sports Journal OVC Football Preview Week of 3/14/2021
Depending on what happens there could be as many as five teams with one loss by the end of the day and making the second half of the spring schedule even more critical with a smaller playoff field this spring.
GAME PREVIEW: Holy Cross at Lehigh, 3/13/2021
It is uncharted waters for both teams, with plenty of questions to answer playing an unprecedented Patriot League spring football season. But many of the principal contributors in that 24-17 game more than a year ago in Bethlehem will be suiting up tomorrow.
College Sports Journal CAA Football Preview Week of 3/14/2021
William & Mary at James Madison is postponed this weekend, but there are still five games on the schedule to enjoy.
College Sports Journal Southland Conference Football Preview Week of 3/14/2021
Nicholls at Sam Houston is a must-see game – it could decide the Southland. If you like offense, this game is a must-see. The winner has the inside track to the autobid to the FCS Playoffs, and potentially even a seed. The loser isn’t done, but there will be nervous weeks ahead. Is Sam Houston back among the top FCS teams? Is Nicholls ready for that next step?
College Sports Journal Missouri Valley Football Conference Football Preview Week of 3/14/2021
This week the most intriguing match-up appears to the Northern Iowa at Southern Illinois as we have all MVFC games this week played on Saturday, March 13. The two schools both have a loss and getting their second loss as we will enter the mid-point of the spring schedule will likely result in the loser having to win out the rest of the season to get a playoff berth.
College Sports Journal SoCon Football Preview Week of 3/14/21
Last week was an excellent week of Southern Conference football with two games going to overtime and VMI continuing its hot start. Chattanooga was able to survive against The Citadel with a gutsy 2-point conversion shovel pass in over time. Furman fell behind 24-7 and 34-20 before saving their season with a touchdown and fumble recovery in overtime. With the games on tap this week, don’t be surprised to see more games come down to the final play.
For Lehigh, The Sacrifices Are All Worth It For the Chance to Play Spring Football
For this Lehigh team, who has gone through this unique journey back to playing games that count, it feels like this weekend is almost as much a celebration of what football means to them as much as it is a Patriot League conference game against Holy Cross at Murray Goodman Stadium at noon this Saturday.
College Sports Journal Spring Top 25 Week of 3/7/2021
As chaotic as last week was, this week was as docile. The highest ranked team from last week’s College Sports Journal top 25 that lost was #13. We do have a new #1 team here at College Sports Journal this week.
Big Sky Football Review and Preview: Week of March 13th
In one of the more normal weeks of college football the Big Sky saw a trio of close contests at four, five, and ten point differences. Weber State outlasted a gutsy performance from UC Davis. Southern Utah pulled far enough away from Cal Poly before they started to awaken. And Eastern Washington stormed back from.
CSJ Roundtable, Week of 3/7/21: FCS March Madness Actually Starts With March Mildness
Compared to the chaos of the final week of February, where we saw half the top 25 lose, the results of the first week in March could instead be called “March Mildness”.
2021 CSJ Patriot League Spring Football Preview
It’s been a very, very long wait, but this weekend, finally, we have a weekend of Patriot League football to look forward to.
College Sports Journal OVC Football Preview Week of 3/7/21
Three games that were scheduled for the opening weekend were postponed because of a massive winter storm that hit much of the nation. Now, two weeks later those three contests are set to be played.
2021 CSJ NEC Spring Football Preview
On February 1st, Northeast Conference Commissioner Noreen Morris announced revised regular season competition and NEC Championship formats for fall-to-spring, winter and spring sports, which included football.
College Sports Journal Southern Conference Football Preview Week of 3/6/21
Raise your hand if you had Chattanooga, VMI or East Tennessee State as the team that will be the last unbeaten remaining in the Southern Conference. Now put your hand down because you are lying.
College Sports Journal CAA Football Preview Week of 3/6/21
As we enter the third week of the Spring season, the full CAA will join the fun with five games this weekend.
College Sports Journal Southland Football Preview Week of 3/6/21
Northwestern State’s first game of the spring season, Southeastern Louisiana playing for its playoff lives, and surprising Incarnate Word headline Southland Conference action this weekend.
LEHIGH FOOTBALL: Excitement Is In The Air for an Historic Spring Football Season
“I’ve been very impressed with the enthusiasm and attitude across the board,” Lehigh head coach Tom Gilmore told me. “Getting the opportunity to be on the field and to be working towards competitive opportunities has really motivated everyone. It just feels different out there this semester. There’s an excitement in the air whenever we’re on the field.”
College Sports Journal Missouri Valley Football Conference Football Preview Week of 3/4–3/6 2021
This week we get a Thursday game that matches two of the three undefeated teams left in league play when South Dakota visits North Dakota as one of the highlight games of the week in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. All other games this week in the MVFC will be on Saturday, March 6. Last.
College Sports Journal FCS National Players of the Week-Feb. 26-28th
Five players including QB Nic Baker from Southern Illinois, QB Eric Schmid from Sam Houston State, RB Brian Snead from Austin Peay, LB Connor Riddle from VMI, and PK James Baird from Dixie State have been selected as the College Sports Journal FCS All-Stars for the week ending February 21st, 2021.
