OTHER CONFERENCES WEEK 12 PREVIEW
We have reached the end of the Football Championship Series regular season. Following the Saturday games, 20 teams will find out on Sunday if their seasons will last at least one more week. Conference champions already know the answer to this, but for other teams it will be win, bite your nails and pray time. On an unrelated note: The Ivy League does not take part in the FCS playoffs, but thanks to Harvard’s shocking loss to Penn the chance exists for either a regular-season championship for Penn, its third in four seasons, or for a tri-championship involving Penn, Harvard and Princeton. If Penn loses and the other two win, it will be a three-way tie.
Drake at Jacksonville, Saturday, 12:00
With Butler (8-3, 7-1) having completed its Pioneer League season, Drake (7-3, 6-1) knows a win will give the team a share of the league championship. Butler hasn’t won the league since 2009. Drake defeated Jacksonville 31-24 in last year’s game and is a favorite to win once again. By the way, San Diego is in third place in the Pioneer League and has two games remaining, and San Diego can tie Drake and Butler for the title if it wins next week and on Dec. 1 against Marist. That last game, originally set for Nov. 3, was postponed due to the effects of Hurricane Sandy. San Diego would be 7-1 in the league and 8-3 overall with two wins, so could we see three playoff teams from the Pioneer? Not likely… the Pioneer is one conference that does not award an automatic FCS bid, so Butler and Drake will be battling for at-large spots.
Projected score: Drake 38, Jacksonville 20
Duquesne at Wagner, Saturday, 12:00
Central Connecticut State at Albany, Saturday, 1:00
On paper these games don’t appear to be tough, but put the two together and the possibility exists for Northeast Conference co-champions. Wagner (7-3, 6-1) and Albany (8-2, 6-1) sport identical league records and should both make the playoffs if they win on Saturday. Duquesne (5-5, 3-4) and Central Connecticut State (2-7, 2-4) don’t figure to be too much competition, but you never know what might happen in the finale. A co-championship tie-breaker would go to Albany for the NEC playoff spot, thanks to Wagner’s 30-0 shutout win. Wagner has won seven games in a row, including last week’s 31-30 squeaker over Holy Cross. Albany has won six of seven, including a 38-31 win over Duquesne. That’s partially why I can’t say these games will be one-sided.
Projected scores:
Wagner 32, Duquesne 30
Albany 37, Central Connecticut State 14
Colgate at Fordham, Saturday, 1:00
#13 Lehigh at Lafayette, Saturday, 1:00
The ground may still be shaking in New York following Colgate’s shocking 35-24 win over Lehigh in Patriot League play last weekend. The win gave Colgate (7-3, 5-0) its first Patriot League title since 2008 and the automatic berth into the postseason. Fordham (6-4) does not count in the Patriot standings since it offers scholarships while the other league schools do not. Still, Fordham poses a formidable challenge to Colgate as it attempts to brush through to a perfect league season. Lehigh (9-1, 4-1) may be an at-large team already… the FCS would be hard-pressed to skip a 9-2 school, even if Lehigh lost, but it has happened. Lehigh figures to have the easier road, this week anyway.
Projected scores:
Colgate 27, Fordham 7
Lehigh 40, Lafayette 17
Charleston Southern at Coastal Carolina, Saturday, 3:30
We already know Stony Brook is in the postseason as the Big South Conference champion. While Stony Brook gets a week off to prepare for the playoffs, Coastal Carolina (6-4, 4-1) has an outside shot at a playoff berth if it wins this game. With a 7-4 record an FCS playoff spot is still a longshot, but Coastal Carolina has to give it a try. Quarterback Aramis Hillary is certainly red-hot, thanks to 261 passing yards and five touchdowns in a 65-7 victory over Presbyterian last week. Charleston Southern (5-5, 3-2) defeated Gardner-Webb 28-10 last week, but it might have hands full against a Coastal Carolina squad determined to do more. Thanks to Liberty’s 28-14 shocker last week over Stony Brook, Liberty can finish in a tri-championship with Stony Brook and Coastal Carolina. Liberty plays VMI this week, and considering VMI (2-8, 1-4) is down in the dumps a tri-title could easily happen.
Projected score: Coastal Carolina 34, Charleston Southern 20
See All FCS Games of the Week Breakdowns
