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The 59-game slate this week features nothing but head-to-head matchups of FCS teams, but only two 25 matchups.
12 teams have a bye week, including four that are ranked in the top 25 of the Congrove Computer Rankings - No. 11 Mercer, No. 15 Furman, No. 16 Jacksonville State, and No. 19 Sam Houston State.
Jackson State (8-0, 5-0 SWAC) will have an opportunity to solidify its No. 1 ranking by the computer as the Tigers head to No. 64 Texas Southern (4-4, 3-2 SWAC) as a 17.65-point computer favorite.
Meanwhile, No. 2 Sacramento State (8-0, 5-0 Big Sky) is a 3.01-point computer underdog at No. 8 Weber State (7-1, 4-1 Big Sky) in the week's only Top 25 matchup.
After an easy 49-7 win at home over Indiana State on Saturday, No. 3 South Dakota State goes on the road again. But this time, the Jackrabbits (8-1, 6-0 MVFC) are going up against a 48th-ranked Northern Iowa team that is 5-4 overall but 4-2 in the conference and more than capable of pulling off an upset. The computer has SDSU by 10.90 points.
A game to watch in the CAA this week is No. 13 Richmond (6-2, 4-1) hosting No. 39 New Hampshire (6-2, 5-0). New Hampshire is ranked 17th in the FCS Stats Perform Poll where Richmond is ranked 14th. Still, the Spiders opened as 10.5-point betting favorites and get an even wider edge from the computer at 13.52.
Princeton (7-0, 4-0 Ivy) and Dartmouth (2-5, 1-3) will lace them up and go toe-to-toe on Saturday with the 5th-ranked Tigers getting a 14.43-point edge from the computer. The 74th-ranked Big Green are having a surprisingly woeful season after being co-champs with Princeton a year ago, and Yale in 2019 (the 2020 season was canceled by the Covid pandemic). Dartmouth was also one of three preseason favorites, along with Princeton and Harvard, for the 2022 crown. Still, these teams have had a penchant for the upset in recent years.
In another Ivy League contest, No. 20 Penn (6-1, 3-1) is a 5.78-point favorite at Cornell to bounce back from last week's 34-31 loss at Brown.
No. 21 Delaware (6-2, 3-2 CAA) is a 5.62-point pick at home over No. 67 Monmouth (4-5, 1-4 CAA). The Blue Hens have dropped two of their last three with a 27-21 setback at William & Mary three games ago and a 27-7 loss at Elon this past Saturday. Monmouth has performed far below expectations after being preseason ranked No. 12 by the computer and receiving votes in the Stats Perform Poll.
St. Thomas (7-1, 5-0), which leads the Pioneer League, puts its perfect conference mark on the line when the Tommies pay a visit to No. 69 Valparaiso (4-4, 3-2). The homestanding Beacons are a computer underdog by only 1.40 points.
SEE: Complete Schedule and Picks
No. 4 Incarnate Word (8-1, 3-1 Southland) catches a breather with No, 112 Houston Christian (formerly Baptist) coming to town. The Cardinals are favored by 37.03.
No. 6 Montana State (7-1, 5-0 Big Sky) goes to No. 73 Northern Arizona (3-5, 2-3 Big Sky) with a 17.13-point favored status from the computer. The Bobcats are looking for their first conference title since 2012, despite making the FCS playoffs four times since then.
Holy Cross pulled out the last-second win at home over Fordham this past Saturday in a wild 53-52 affair in overtime. This week, the No. 7 Crusaders (8-0, 4-0 Patriot) host No. 115 Lehigh (1-7, 1-5 Patriot) as a 25.13-point pick.
9th-ranked North Dakota State (6-2, 4-1 MVFC) is a 28.28-point favorite at No. 126 Western Illinois (0-8. 0-5).
To round the top ten, Samford (7-1, 5-0 SoCon) hosts No. 113 VMI (1-7, 0-5 SoCon). The Keydets have fallen mightily since winning the SoCon title in the Spring of 2020, and finishing 6-5 a year ago. VMI was preseason projected to go 7-4 this year.
There will be 119 FBS vs. FCS matchups this season with App State, Army and Marshall each playing two such games, and 116 other FBS schools playing one apiece.
No such games take place this week. Lamar visits New Mexico State on November 12, and the final FBS-FCS matchups occur on November 19 with Austin Peay at Alabama, Utah Tech at BYU, ETSU at Mississippi State, and North Alabama at Memphis.
The FBS is 106-8 (.930) vs. the FCS this year, and 1,680-148 (.919) since we began tracking this in 2003.
Here are the FCS wins in 2022:
September 2: William & Mary 41, Charlotte 24
September 3: Delaware14, Navy 7
September 10: Weber State 35, Utah State 7
September 10: Incarnate Word 55, Nevada 41
September 10: Holy Cross 37, Buffalo 31
September 10: Eastern Kentucky 59, Bowling Green 57 (7 OT's)
September 17: Southern Illinois 31, Northwestern 24
September 24: Sacramento State 41, Colorado State 10
PRINCETON - won 9 straight over-all
Last: Won 35-9 at home over Cornell on Saturday, October 29.
Next: Hosts Dartmouth on Saturday, November 5.
MONTANA STATE - Won 17 straight home games.
Last: 43-38 home win over then-No. 3 Weber State on Saturday, October 22.
Next: Visits Northern Arizona on Saturday, November 5.
SACRAMENTO STATE - Won 16 straight conference games, won 8 straight road games.
Last: Won 31-28 at home over Idaho.
Next: Visits Weber State on Saturday, November 5.
LAMAR - Ended 15-game losing streak.
Last: Won 24-17 at home over Nicholls State on Saturday, October 29.
Next: Hosts SE Louisiana on Saturday, November 5.
WESTERN ILLINOIS - Lost 10 straight over-all.
Last: Lost 64-14 at Missouri State on Saturday, October 29.
Next: Hosts North Dakota State on Saturday, November 5.
WAGNER - Lost 18 straight road games.
Last: Lost 34-7 at Central Connecticut State on Saturday, October 29.
Next: Visits Stonehill on Saturday, November 5.
PRESBYTERIAN - Lost 14 straight conference games.
Last: Lost 37-7 at Marist on Saturday, October 29.
Next: Hosts Dayton on Saturday, November 5.
HOUSTON CHRISTIAN - Lost 9 straight home games.
Last: Lost 52-28 at home to UT-Martin on Saturday, October 29.
Next: Visits Incarnate Word on Saturday, November 5.