We’ve got more FCS teams playing this weekend, including a good SWAC showdown on Friday night.
Also I know you have questions about why Dixie State is in Utah. It probably won’t be Dixie State for long.
Games That Might Happen
Friday
Southern at Alabama State, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN3
Southern is the preseason favorite to win the division but they’ll start against Ezra Gray, a solid running back for Alabama State. Southern’s Ladarius Skelton was picked as second-team preseason All-SWAC after passing for 1,642 yards and 12 touchdowns and leading the team with 870 on the ground and 14 touchdowns last year.
Saturday
Wofford at Chattanooga, noon ET
Howard at Delaware State, noon ET
Robert Morris at James Madison, noon ET
How about our Old Man Football Game of the Week. Is it because these two teams are named after (dead) old men? Sure. It’s also because JMU put up like 369 yards on the ground last week and held Morehead to less than 0. Can Robert Morris do better?
Northern Iowa at Youngstown State, noon ET
This game is basically the Dakota State Losers Bracket Game. That doesn’t mean either is bad. It’s like being the teams that lose to Clemson and Alabama. Not all losses are equal, and in the case of Northern Iowa, that was a pretty damn good loss.
Texas Southern at Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 1 p.m. ET
South Dakota at Illinois State, 1 p.m. ET
Shorter at Kennesaw State, 1 p.m. ET
Incarnate Word at McNeese, 1 p.m. ET
South Dakota State at North Dakota, 1 p.m. ET
Here are two Dakota teams that are coming off big wins. North Dakota’s victory last week was huge for a team in its first season of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. We’ll be keeping an eye on the Dakota Four, which could be a huge four-way rivalry in the FCS.
Western Carolina at Samford, 1 p.m. ET
North Dakota State at Southern Illinois, 1 p.m. ET
Missouri State at Western Illinois, 1 p.m. ET
Furman at VMI, 1 :30 p.m. ET
Mississippi Valley at Jackson State, 3 p.m. ET
Southern Utah at Northern Arizona, 3 p.m. ET
Dixie State at Tarleton, 3 p.m. ET
Dixie State is in that noted bastion of the Old South, Utah. That’s right. Seems Brigham Young wanted to create a place for Utah to grow its own cotton and whatnot, people started calling it Dixie, and the name stuck, and with that came all the Lost Cause baggage and nicknames related to treasonous rebellion. In the late ‘80s the region had Secession events, including and Old South-style ball, a huge Confederate flag, etc., etc., you get the picture. The college eliminated the nickname Rebels in 2007. They talked off and on about changing the name because maybe, just maybe, naming a college something that connotes a connection with a breakaway rebellion devoted to preserving racist chattel slavery -- which Utah didn’t even have any connection to -- isn’t the best way to recruit students these days. Well, earlier this month, the Utah House of Representatives passed a bill to start the process of renaming it. It’s still got to go through the Senate. Surely there’s a better name.
Seriously, it’s called Dixie in tribute to the Confederacy. It’s Confederate fan fiction. Do the right thing.
Citadel at Mercer, 3:30 p.m. ET
Elon at Gardner-Webb, 4 p.m. ET
Lamar at Nicholls State, 4 p.m. ET
Eastern Washington at Idaho, 6 p.m. ET
Weber State at Idaho State, 6 p.m. ET
Southeast Louisiana at Sam Houston, 7 p.m. ET
Sunday
Tennessee State at Austin Peay, 3 p.m. ET
The governors are 0-4 counting three losses in the fall but the two of those wins not against FBS teams were both really close, within a touchdown. Fifth time’s the charm? Let’s go, Peay.
Southeast Missouri at Eastern Illinois, 3 p.m. ET
UT-Martin at Murray State, 3 p.m. ET
Tennessee Tech at Jacksonville State, 4 p.m. ET
Rankings
Here’s what the STATS FCS Top 25 looks like:
No. 1: North Dakota State
Until further notice.
No. 2: James Madison
No. 3: South Dakota State
A late comeback win will do this for you. The Jackrabbits hopped up from 5 after that victory over Northern Iowa, who ended up...
No. 4: Weber State
No. 5: Northern Iowa
… oh, yeah, at 5, where SDSU was last week. A close loss to a good team will keep you in the Top Five.
No. 6: Villanova
No. 7: Illinois State
No. 8: Kennesaw State
No. 9: Nicholls
No. 10: Furman
No. 11: Wofford
No. 12: Eastern Washington
No. 13: Albany
No. 14: North Dakota
They looked tremendous in the first game and, what do you know, go from unranked to 14 pretty quickly
No. 15: New Hampshire
No. 16: Jacksonville State
You may remember they played Florida State close for a half in the fall. That’s not to say they’re good. It’s more a measure of baseline competence these days. But there you have it. Baseline competence.
No. 17: Sam Houston
No. 18: Southeastern Louisiana
No. 19: McNeese
Play a close game with a good Tarleton team and end up ranked.
No. 20: Monmouth
No. 21: SEMO
No. 22: Tarleton
Lose a close game to a good McNeese team and end up ranked.
No. 23: Tennessee Tech
No. 24: Elon
No. 25: Delaware