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FCS teams are involved 63 games this week with 60 of those being head-to-head FCS matchups. Three schools go outside the Championship Subdivision with Idaho State (BYU) and Rhode Island (UMass) visiting FBS schools, while Central Arkansas (Texas Wesleyan) entertains a NAIA program.
A look at the rankings this week shows the Congrove Computer Rankings with a top ten that looks like this:
1) North Dakota State
2) Sam Houston State
3) James Madison
4) Montana State
5) Eastern Washington
6) SE Louisiana
7) Princeton
8) Kennesaw State
9) South Dakota State
10) UC Davis
The FCS Stats Perform Poll from the voters stacks up this way:
1) Sam Houston State
2) North Dakota State
3) James Madison
4) Montana State
5) Eastern Washington
6) SE Louisiana
7) Southern Illinois
8) UC Davis
9) South Dakota State
10) Villanova
The biggest differences between the two polls is that Kennesaw State ranks outside the top ten of the voter poll at No. 12, and Princeton is in a tie for 20th with the voters. Southern Illinois sits outside the computer's top ten at No. 13.
One of this week's marquee showdowns sends the computer's top-ranked team, North Dakota State, to No. 9 South Dakota State with the Bison favored by a mere 0.28 points. The rivalry dates to 1903 when North Dakota Agricultural won the first meeting 85-0 over Dakota Agricultural. The two schools have played annually since 2004 in what's become known as the Battle for the Dakota Marker. NDSU leads the all-time series 63-43-5.
In a top five battle, No. 4 Montana State visits No. 5 Eastern Washington as a 0.90-point underdog. The teams haven't met since 2018 when EWU prevailed 34-17 in Bozeman, and the Eagles lead the series 8-2 with 7 victories in-a-row over the Bobcats. Interestingly enough, Montana State is taking a 7-game winning streak to Cheney where the Bobcats have only emerged victorious one time (2011). Overall, Eastern Washington leads the series 12-2.
No. 6 SE Louisiana has to travel to No. 19 Incarnate Word where the computer likes the Lions by just 3.87 points. SELA is 7-0 overall and 5-0 in the Southland while IWU is 6-2 overall and 4-1 in the Southland.
Friday night features another battle of highly-ranked teams when No. 7 Princeton visits No. 14 Dartmouth as a 1.75-point computer underdog, but a 1.5-point favorite in the sportsbooks.
In the SoCon, ETSU hosts VMI. The Bucs were the only team to defeat the Keydets in the regular season this past spring and are favored by 3.91 in this week's battle. The conference has a logjam at the top with Mercer 5-1, while ETSU, VMI and Chattanooga are each 4-1. Mercer is idle this week while the Mocs visit Wofford.
SEE: Weekly Picks
2 teams will play 2 FCS teams this fall (UConn and UMass), and 115 teams will play 1 FCS school for a total of 117 such matchups. 107 of those 117 games have been played.
There are 2 such games this week with BYU hosting Idaho State and UMass hosting Rhode Island. Another FCS school, Central Arkansas, takes on NAIA member Texas Wesleyan.
The FBS is 97-10 vs. the FCS this season. Since we began tracking this in 2003, the FBS teams are now 1,566-138 (.919).
Last year, 30 FBS teams played a total of just 34 games against FCS schools and the FCS won just 1 game (1-33). That honor went to Jacksonville State with its 19-10 victory over Florida International. This year, the Gamecocks knocked off a bigger Florida school with a 20-17 win at Florida State on 9/11.
Here are the FCS wins in 2021:
September 2: UC Davis 19, Tulsa 17
September 2: Eastern Washington 35, UNLV 33 (2 OT)
September 3: South Dakota State 42, Colorado State 23
September 4: Holy Cross 38, UConn 28
September 4: Montana 13, Washington 7
September 4: ETSU 23, Vanderbilt 3
September 11: Duquesne 28, Ohio 26
September 11: Jacksonville State 20, Florida State 17.
September 18: Incarnate Word 42, Texas State 34.
September 18: Northern Arizona 21, Arizona 19
This was the only FCS win vs. the FBS in 2020:
October 23: Jacksonville State 19, FIU 10
In 2019, FBS teams were 111-3 (.974) in such games. These were the only FCS wins that season:
August 29: Central Arkansas 35, Western Kentucky 28
September 7: Southern Illinois 45, Massachusetts 20
September 14: The Citadel 27, Georgia Tech 24 (OT)
SAM HOUSTON STATE - Won 18 straight games overall (FCS longest).
Last: Won 45-27 at Tarleton State on Saturday, Oct. 30.
Next: Hosts Dixie State on Saturday, Nov. 6.
ALCORN STATE - Won 12 straight home games (FCS longest).
Last: Lost 38-35 at Southern on Saturday, Oct. 30.
Next: Visits Bethune-Cookman on Saturday, Nov. 6.
MONMOUTH - Won 14 straight conference games (FCS longest).
Last: Won 35-16 at North Carolina A&T on Saturday, Oct. 30.
Next: Hosts North Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 6.
PRINCETON - Won 12 straight road games (FCS longest).
Last: Won 34-16 at Cornell on Friday, Oct. 29.
Next: Visits Dartmouth on Friday, Nov. 5.
TEXAS SOUTHERN - Lost 16 straight road games (tied FCS longest).
Last: Won 59-17 over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday, Oct. 30.
Next: Visits Jackson State on Saturday, Nov. 6.
YOUNGSTOWN STATE - Lost 16 straight road games (tied FCS longest).
Last: Lost 47-16 at home to South Dakota State on Saturday, Oct. 30.
Next: Visits North Dakota on Saturday, Nov. 6.
BUTLER - Lost 13 straight conference games (FCS longest).
Last: Lost 38-31 at Dayton on Saturday, Oct. 30.
Next: Hosts Valparaiso on Saturday, Nov. 13.
WAGNER - Lost 17 straight overall (FCS longest).
LAST: Lost 28-14 at LIU on Saturday, Oct. 30.
Next: Hosts Merrimack on Saturday, Nov. 6.