1. Richmond Spiders (49) 3-1 2,389
2. James Madison Dukes (37) 3-1 2,387
3. Appalachian State Mountaineers 1-2 2,122
4. Montana Grizzlies (12) 3-0 2,095
5. Northern Iowa Panthers (2) 2-1 1,979
6. McNeese State Cowboys 1-1 1,760
7. New Hampshire Wildcats (1) 3-0 1,528
8. Elon Phoenix 3-1 1,306
9. Cal Poly Mustangs 2-1 1,272
10. North Dakota State Bison 2-2 1,257
11. Eastern Washington Eagles 1-2 1,197
12. Central Arkansas Bears 4-0 1,184
13. The Citadel Bulldogs 2-1 1,155
14. Wofford Terriers 2-1 1,137
15. Southern Illinois Salukis 1-1 1,115
16. Furman Paladins 3-1 970
17. Delaware Blue Hens 1-2 880
18. Massachusetts Minutemen 2-2 870
19. Villanova Wildcats 2-1 863
20. South Dakota State Jackrabbits 2-2 773
21. Eastern Illinois Panthers 2-2 754
22. Western Illinois Leathernecks 2-2 743
23. Tennessee State Tigers (1) 4-0 576
24. Georgia Southern Eagles 2-2 544
25. Liberty Flames 3-0 431


Others receiving votes: Harvard 331, Youngstown State 276, Northern Arizona 273, Yale 251, Jacksonville State 224, Hampton 106, San Diego 71, Prairie View 59, William & Mary 50, Brown 44, Florida A&M 43, Holy Cross 38, Penn 30, Weber State 28, Sam Houston State 22, Eastern Kentucky 14, Southeastern Louisiana 13, Lafayette 10, Sacred Heart 9, Delaware State 8, South Carolina State 8, Norfolk State 5, Princeton 4, Tennessee-Martin 4, Montana State 1, North Dakota 1,.


9/22/08


1. Appalachian State Mountaineers (96) 1-1 2,668
2. Richmond Spiders (1) 2-1 2,452
3. North Dakota State Bison (5) 2-1 2,417
4. Montana Grizzlies (7) 2-0 2,355
5. James Madison Dukes (2) 2-1 2,294
6. Delaware Blue Hens (1) 1-1 2,027
7. McNeese State Cowboys 1-1 1,920
8. Northern Iowa Panthers 1-1 1,905
9. Massachusetts Minutemen 2-1 1,677
10. New Hampshire Wildcats (1) 2-0 1,535
11. Wofford Terriers 2-0 1,458
12. South Dakota State Jackrabbits 2-1 1,448
13. Cal Poly Mustangs 1-1 1,337
14. Eastern Washington Eagles 0-2 1,271
15. Southern Illinois Salukis 1-1 1,201
16. Georgia Southern Eagles 2-1 1,030
17. Elon Phoenix 2-1 962
18. Central Arkansas Bears 3-0 945
19. Villanova Wildcats 1-1 740
20. Western Illinois Leathernecks 1-2 618
21. The Citadel Bulldogs 1-1 445
22. Eastern Illinois Panthers 1-2 415
23. Liberty Flames 3-0 248
24. Furman Paladins 2-1 244
25. Tennessee State Tigers 3-0 194



Others receiving votes: Harvard 185, Youngstown State 170, Northern Arizona 146, Delaware State 96, Yale 87, Holy Cross 86, South Carolina State 56, Jacksonville State 49, Sam Houston State 44, Prairie View 29, Norfolk State 27, Northwestern State 26, UC Davis 23, Sacramento State 22, Hampton 21, Weber State 20, Eastern Kentucky 18, San Diego 16, Dayton 15, Albany 12, Lafayette 11, Brown 10, Montana State 9, North Dakota 5, Sacred Heart 4, Florida A&M 3, Southeastern Louisiana 2, Maine 1, Nicholls State 1, William & Mary 1.


9/15/08


1. Appalachian State (85) 1-1 2,976
2. North Dakota State (22) 2-0 2,775
3. Massachusetts (1) 2-0 2,647
4. Richmond 1-1 2,606
5. Montana (1) 1-0 2,572
6. Delaware Blue (1) 0-1 2,561
7. James Madison 1-1 2,470
8. McNeese State 1-1 2,218
9. Northern Iowa 1-1 1,504
10. New Hampshire 1-0 1,400
11. Southern Illinois 1-0 1,343
12. Wofford 2-0 1,293
13. South Dakota State 1-1 994
14. Cal Poly 1-1 962
15. Western Illinois 1-1 918
16. Eastern Washington 0-2 866
17. Georgia Southern 1-1 833
18. Elon 1-1 820
19. Central Arkansas 2-0 597
20. Eastern Illinois 0-2 517
21. Villanova 0-1 470
22. The Citadel 1-1 411
23. Youngstown State 0-2 228
24. Harvard 0-0 191
25. Liberty 2-0 147


Others receiving votes: Northern Arizona 125, Furman 113, Delaware State 95, Sam Houston State 89, Fordham 65, Eastern Kentucky 54, Jacksonville State 51, Hampton 46, Tennessee State 43, Yale 42, Holy Cross 41, South Carolina State 21, San Diego 18, Norfolk State 17, UC Davis 16, Montana State 15, Sacramento State 15, Grambling 13, North Dakota 12, South Dakota 12, Prairie View 10, Dayton 8, Coastal Carolina 8, Albany 7, Colgate 5, Hofstra 5, Stony Brook 5, Nicholls State 3, Northwestern State 2, Lafayette 1, Texas State 1.



1. Appalachian State Mountaineers (62) 0-1 2,625
2. North Dakota State Bison (42) 1-0 2,555
3. Richmond Spiders (4) 1-0 2,406
4. Massachusetts Minutemen 1-0 2,226
5. Montana Grizzlies (1) 0-0 1,919
6. Delaware Blue Hens 0-1 1,870
7. Eastern Washington Eagles 0-1 1,856
8. James Madison Dukes 0-1 1,821
9. Northern Iowa Panthers 0-1 1,781
10. McNeese State Cowboys 0-1 1,761
11. Cal Poly Mustangs 1-0 1,664
12. Southern Illinois Salukis 0-0 1,451
13. Wofford Terriers 1-0 1,407
14. Youngstown State Penguins 0-1 1,148
15. New Hampshire Wildcats 0-0 918
16. Georgia Southern Eagles 0-1 868
17. Elon Phoenix 0-1 747
18. Western Illinois Leathernecks 0-1 659
19. Eastern Illinois Panthers 0-1 600
20. The Citadel Bulldogs 1-0 521
21. South Dakota State Jackrabbits 0-1 515
22. Central Arkansas Bears 1-0 507
23. Villanova Wildcats 0-1 491
24. Eastern Kentucky Colonels 0-1 378
25. Harvard Crimson 0-0 259



Others receiving votes: Furman 149, Sam Houston State 128, UC Davis 125, Montana State 113, Liberty 103, Northern Arizona 91, Delaware State 87, Fordham 76, Hampton 66, Yale 57, Norfolk State 48, Jacksonville State 47, Holy Cross 40, Weber State 38, Northwestern State 32, South Carolina State 30, Southern 28, Tennessee State 24, Colgate 20, North Dakota 19, Brown 15, Grambling 14, Lafayette 14, Florida A&M 13, San Diego 10, Coastal Carolina 7, Prairie View 7, Stony Brook 4, Tennessee-Martin 3, Tennessee Tech 3, Dayton 3, Albany 2, Morehead State 2, Alabama State 1, Hofstra 1, Jackson State 1.



1. Appalachian State (97)
2. North Dakota State (1)
3. Northern Iowa
4. Richmond
5. Massachusetts
6. James Madison (3)
7. Eastern Washington
8. Montana
9. Delaware
10. McNeese State
11. Southern Illinois
12. Youngstown State
13. Wofford
14. Cal Poly
15. Elon
16. New Hampshire
17. Georgia Southern
18. Eastern Illinois
19. South Dakota State
20. Eastern Kentucky
21. Villanova
22. Central Arkansas
23. The Citadel
24. Harvard
25. Western Illinois



Others receiving votes: Northern Arizona 249, Fordham 212, Delaware State 198, Jacksonville State 195, Yale 170, Sam Houston State 166, Montana State 146, Furman 120, Liberty 115, Jackson State 79, South Carolina State 76, Holy Cross 74, Hofstra 61, Colgate 56, Grambling 55, Norfolk State 48, Coastal Carolina 44, Hampton 41, Southern 32, Northwestern State 30, Tennessee-Martin 30, UC Davis 22, Weber State 17, Lafayette 16, Alabama A&M 10, Texas Southern 9, Brown 9, Nicholls State 9, Dayton 6, Tennessee State 5, San Diego 4, Albany 4, Maine 1, Prairie View 1.


Erin Andrews is excited for the season to start

By today most if not all of the college football fall preseason camps will be open and in business. Since rules do not allow full pads until after the first 3 practices, we most likely won’t hear the the cracking of the pads in the distance for a few more days. But never the less, we are one more day closer to the start of the 2008 college football season.

If you haven’t already, head on over to College Football News and check out what they have going on there. One of ITB’s very own, Adam Nettina, has been blogging over there about Navy. Adam was lucky enough to attended Navy’s media day last Thursday and got to sit down with their new coach Ken Niumatalolo and talk about the upcoming season.

Another ITB writer, Eric, has been working hard over at Saturday Sound Offs doing his two-a-days for every team in the FBS and FCS, well maybe not ever FCS team, but all the important ones. His latest two are Rutgers and Delaware, head on over and see what he predicts for those two teams.

All systems are go for TCU, SMU, and North Texas to begin practice. College Football Top 10 has all the information you need for those teams and more. He has more information about Texas football on his blog than most people I know.

When our friend Big Head isn’t fawning over Missouri Tigers on myspace, he’s at Tigers’ practice trying to Chase around the cheerleaders. Practice for the Tigers opens at 7:30 AM CST, and Big Head is up early like a kid at Christmas time!

Kate is flashing her bling

Another great part about preseason practice is how there is so much optimism for every team in the country. All of the teams start out undefeated, and they all have dreams of BCS titles dancing in their heads. Out in Lincoln, the big boss man Tom Osborne is no different. Over at Corn Nation, they found a quote from Osborne where he says they will be better. Does better mean not giving up 70 points in a game, or does it mean making a bowl game? Head over to Corn Nation and vote!

If you thought your team made it through last season without getting made fun of by John Radcliff’s College Football Songbook, check out the one he has this year. John is a good friend, good song writer, and burns one heck of a coach. I’m not sure we’ll be friends too much longer if he keeps ripping on the Big Ten though. Check out his lastest College Football Songbook over at the AOL Fanhouse.

In case you weren’t aware, the LSU Tigers will be host to the Appalachian State Mountaineers, the first game of the season. It would be pretty surprising if the Tigers don’t take this game seriously because of what ASU did to Michigan in the Big House last year. However, I do like the fact that this game will have the BCS Champion playing against the FCS Champion from last year. That should sell some tee-shirts. To read more about Appalachian State, head over to AppFan.

The Georgia Bulldogs were recently ranked #1 by the USA Today Coaches poll. They have no time to rest with the schedule they have out in front of them. To get a full rundown on the Bulldogs this year, head over to the Georgia Sports Blog.

The conclusion to our countdown doesn’t feature a stunner like Georgia Southern over Georgia or Northern Iowa over BYU, but you can take my word that when Cal Poly travels to San Diego State in week one the Mustangs will be in perfect position to upset the Aztecs. Check the links below to recap the last three parts of our countdown.

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3]

#1: Cal Poly at San Diego State (August 28^th)

Chuck Long has had a tough time getting San Diego State going in his two years here and despite having a fairly veteran offense in 2007 the Aztecs still stumbled their way to a 4-8 record. The Aztecs finished 115^th out of 119 FBS teams in total defense last season, allowing a staggering 498 yards per contest, including a “just shoot us now” 241 yards per game on the ground. Offensively San Diego State has quite a bit of retooling to do as they lose eight players off of last year’s offense including NFL bound quarterback Kevin O’Connell and wide receivers Brett Swain and Chaz Schilens. Even more pressing however may be the questions at offensive line, as the Aztecs return zero experience at the tackle position and only two starters on the offensive line. This is not a good storyboard for a team which averaged “only” 25 points per game on offense last year while benefiting from a +6 turnover margin. I use the word “only” because San Diego State will need to score points in order to even be competitive in the MWC. Considering how many teams need 2-3 games to establish an identity on offense it certainly seems more than conceivable that San Diego State would come sluggish in their opener with Cal Poly.

Cal Poly on the other hand is coming off of a successful 7-4 campaign which saw the Mustangs finish 24^th in the final Sports Network FCS media poll. Coach Rich Ellerson’s bunch led the nation in total offense during the regular season last year, falling just short of the 500 yard per game mark. They posted impressive wins over UC Davis (63-28), Idaho State (48-28) and Weber State (47-19) in 2007, while losing close matchups to WAC member Idaho (20-13) and North Dakota State (31-28.) The Mustangs return ten starters from their record setting offense in 2008, with the lone graduation loss being offensive lineman Daniel Bradley. Defensively they return seven starters, and while they weren’t lights out last year Cal Poly did have a dominating defense in 2006.

I like Cal Poly in this matchup for a number of reasons, not the least of which is their recent success against FBS programs as well as their established offensive dominance. Cal Poly actually beat San Diego State 16-14 in 2006 and would have beaten Idaho last year had it not been for seven fumbles which gave the Vandals a decided edge in the turnover department. While San Diego State does bring back eight starters on the defensive side of the ball I really question whether or not they’ll be improved enough in the first week of 2008 to stop Jonathan Dally and the Mustang offense. Keep in mind Cal Poly runs a triple option offense not totally dissimilar to what Air Force runs, and that the Falcons totaled more than 650 offensive yards (!!!) against San Diego State last season. Even with a comparatively average defense by FCS standards Cal Poly remains much more experienced than San Diego State’s offense, which will likely struggle controlling the ball as they break in a new quarterback, two new starting receivers, and an overhauled offensive line. It’s a good thing they don’t put lines out on inter-subdivision games because if they did I’d put money down on Cal Poly, which is exactly why this is my most likely FCS over FBS upset in 2008.

I hope everyone enjoyed the first few picks of my most likely FCS over FBS upsets for 2008. In an effort to prolong the suspense and incur more complaints from ACC fans I’ve decided to get to games seven through five tomorrow morning. Today however we are taking a look at a hodgepodge of FCS (I-AA for you purists) related links to include blogs, websites, and You Tube videos.

If you’re not familiar with FCS football I’d suggest checking some of these out, as by now you’ve probably had just about as much USC, Florida, and Texas news and notes as a sane person could possibly stand. Not so much? Well, at least I have.

First things first, let’s get to the blogs. While there isn’t as big of a market for FCS coverage from the college football blogosphere as there is for FBS teams, there are still several great places to read up on some of the best teams and leagues from around the country. One of my favorites is Frank Smith’s UMass Football Blog. Frank is about as immersed in the football program at the University of Massachusetts as a fan can get, and provides daily updates on the happenings of FCS teams from around the country. He’s extremely knowledgeable when it comes to teams from the Colonial Athletic Conference, and has keen eye for what it takes for FCS teams to upset FBS teams.

Another solid option for FCS reading is Chuck Burton’s Lehigh Football Nation, which contrary to its title is not exclusively about Lehigh or football. Consider it a one stop shop for commentary and analysis from around the Patriot league, and a very good one at that.

Moving right along, the New Hampshire Football Report does a great job on keeping tabs on not only University of New Hampshire football program, but all levels of football throughout the state to include high school. If you’re looking for Big Sky conference coverage you’re in luck, as no FCS conference is more represented than the one many people believe is among the best in the country.

The place to check out all the happenings in Big Sky football is BigSkyFans.com, which recently did an expert analysis on the OOC schedule for Big Sky conference teams.

Another great place to read up on Big Sky Football is Steve Bergum’s Eastern Washington Sports Blog. Also notable is Kellis Robinett’s Idaho State sports Blog, which tells you everything you ever wanted to know and more about Pocatello’s Bengals.

And don’t forget The Grizzoulian, which is the place to catch up on University of Montana athletics and football. Colin O’Keefe does an awesome job covering the Griz, while at the same time providing meaningful commentary and analysis from across the Big Sky conference.

Outside of blogs, there are also a number of traditional websites and web forums that provide great coverage and updated news on all the FCS teams from around the country. Perhaps the best place to start out is CollegeSportingNews.com, which could rightly be called the foremost authority on small school football on the web.

Another favorite of mine is the massive FCS message forum AnyGivenSaturday.com. AGS is full of knowledgably, dedicated fans from every FCS school in the country, and if you’re looking for the latest scoop this is the place to check out.

If you’re in to weekly previews I definitely suggest checking out the FCS Weekly Preview, where Eric Gemunder does a fantastic job breaking down all the week’s FCS games each week during the season. And don’t forget the FCS Launchpad, where you can find even more links to polls, rankings, and commentary from around the Championship Subdivision.

Now, on to the really fun stuff. You Tube has become an essential tool for today’s college football fan, and not just for the fans of top FBS teams for that matter. Many FCS teams have highlights posted on You Tube, while many more have features and interviews with players and coaches. For starters, you can actually watch entire football games from! one of the universities to later be featured on our upset countdown. McNeese State went undefeated in the regular season last year, and if you’ve got two and a half hours to kill you can see them upset the likes of Louisiana Lafayette or obliterate Southern Utah.

But wait; let’s say you’re the kind of person who needs your Sportscenter highlights. Not to worry, as you can watch, rewatch, and watch Tyler Roehl run all over Minnesota again and again. If Montana football is your thing, or you just like watching high quality abridged versions of Big Sky football domination, you can also check out all of Montana’s regular season wins in 2007. And of course, no discussion about FCS teams on You Tube could be complete without the many versions and highlights of Appalachian State’s victory over Michigan last season. You can relive highlights here, over here, and my personal favorite here.

Click away my friends, a whole new college football experience awaits!

Note: This is part of our ongoing “FCS Week” feature here at ITB. Continue to check back this week for more news and analysis from around the Football Championship Subdivision (I-AA.)

For fans of college football’s top teams, this is usually the time of year when we obsess about preseason rankings, compulsively assess the situation of our teams’ conference rivals, and often completely forget to worry about that small state or private school down the road that was given a half million dollar check to essentially be blown out in a warm-up performance. Yet for the fans of those schools, and for the fans of Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA) schools everywhere across the country, the prospect of such a game presents the challenge of the lifetime, and a chance to rise from relative obscurity to national prominence for at least one Saturday afternoon. Last year we were given a crash course in just what an inter-subdivision upset could mean, with Corey Lynch’s blocked field goal against Michigan serving as the iconic image of the season. While this year’s matchups may not present the kind of earth-shattering implications as Appalachian State’s upset of Michigan did, beginning on August 28th dozens of these FCS teams will be chasing that same dream, and trying to play the role of David against their respective Goliath’s. Over the next week we’ll be counting down the Top 10 most likely FCS over FBS upsets of 2008, as well as discussing the trends of these upsets and just what it takes for these smaller programs to take down even proven FBS winners. Keep in mind this list is just an assessment of the FCS teams with the best chances to take down certain FBS teams; meaning, among other things, that there could be more or less upsets than the ten I have listed here. Today we’re looking at my tenth through eighth most likely upsets for 2008, and starting at a very familiar place…

#10: Appalachian State at LSU (August 30^th)

Louisiana State University is fresh off of a National Championship in which the Tigers won the SEC and pounded Ohio State 38-24 to take the title of the number one team in America. Surely such a team would be unstoppable against a lowly FCS team, wouldn’t it? The answer is probably a very solid “of course,” but when discussing Appalachian State one almost needs to throw all of last season’s accolades out the window. So let’s start with what we know. LSU has a quarterback “situation” after Les Miles finally booted oft-troubled quarterback Ryan Perrilloux from the team this spring, with redshirt freshmen Jarrett Lee and former Harvard transfer Andrew Hatch in the mix for the starting job come August 30^th. The Tigers return thirteen starters overall but do lose some key players to the NFL, most notably Outland trophy winner Glenn Dorsey at DT, leading rusher Jacob Hester at RB, and top tacklers Craig Steltz and Ali Highsmith on the defense. Starting quarterback Matt Flynn also departs, as does wide receiver Early Doucet and both starting cornerbacks. While LSU certainly has the talent to eventually replace these players (with the possible exception of Dorsey) it won’t be easy, and despite a fairly light slate in September it’s not unreasonable to expect the Tigers to go through some growing pains, especially on defense.  It’ll be interesting to see if this lack of championship experience at critical positions like quarterback and safety effects the way Les Miles runs his team. We all know he’s a gambler in every sense of the word, but without his most trusted offensive and defensive tools the Tigers may not find the kind of returns they expected on their early season gambles.

By now every college football fan in America is acquainted with the Appalachian State Mountaineers, and thankfully no longer on account of the Boone, North Carolina school’s reputation for being “hot, hot, hot.” I could go on documenting the 2007 Mountaineer season in detail but frankly it boils down to this; upset Michigan, make it to the playoffs, win a third straight FCS National Championship game. The fact that ASU lost conference games to Wofford and Georgia Southern almost seems irrelevant, but it does prove one thing, and that is that the Mountaineers are by no means invincible. While the offense was the top ranked in the country last season (averaging 488 yards per game) the Mountaineers only return five starters for ‘08 and must find a way to replace a 1000-yard rusher in Kevin Richardson, their three top reeivers (including second round draft choice Dextor Jackson), as well as three All-American offensive lineman. This is an extremely tall order and although Appalachian State remains one of the most talented teams in the FCS it is unlikely that they’ll be able to come out with the same explosiveness that they did against Michigan last season. Things look a little clearer on the defensive side of the ball as Appalachian State returns seven starters including all three linebackers in Jacque Roman, DJ Smith, and Pierre Banks. Nevertheless, there are still questions surrounding the defense, which finished the year a ho-hum 70^th in the country while allowing 380 yards per game. ASU loses all four starting members of the secondary including All-American and NFL-bound safety Corey Lynch, who was the cornerstone upon which ASU’s championship defenses had been built. The fact that three of those starters were three-year starters cannot be overlooked, and despite an infusion of young talent this group looks impossible to replace and likely will struggle against a very good LSU receiving corps. Even with the secondary concerns this is still a talented team led by what some are calling a legitimate Heisman trophy contender in QB Armanti Edwards, and as always they are very well coached and well schemed in the spread offense which gave Michigan’s supposedly more talented defense fits last year. With the entire front seven back on the defensive side of the football they should improve against the run, which will be critical if they’re to stifle an LSU running game which could lean heavily on Keiland Williams and Trindon Holliday. Jerry Moore refuses to let this team get complacent and while they’re not going to sneak up on LSU like they did Michigan, they certainly have no shortage of self-confidence.

I know what you’re thinking; lightning couldn’t possibly strike twice, could it? In all honesty it likely won’t, as even a quarterback depleted LSU presents considerable problems for an Appalachian State team which figures to compete for a fourth consecutive National Championship. Nevermind this SEC speed fallacy everyone keeps talking about, the real difference between LSU and Michigan will be attitude and outlook. Simply put nobody is going to underestimate the Mountaineers after last year, and playing under the lights in a nationally televised contest like this could be a much bigger issue for a more inexperienced ASU team. Despite the fact that LSU’s quarterback position remains uncertain, the Tiger’s have talent and depth at all the skill positions and matchup considerably well against the Mountaineer secondary. Armanti Edwards is going to look good against virtually anyone, but it will be interesting to see how he does without the majority of his supporting cast from last year’s upset, particularly his top-three pass catchers. By the same token it will be interesting to see how the LSU quarterback, whether it be Lee or Hatch, comes out against ASU’s defense, and whether or not LSU plays a more conservative brand of offense. This should be a competitive game and although this LSU team is not nearly as vulnerable as Michigan was last year the Mountaineers have proven they don’t back down to anyone and that’s why I give Coach Moore and his squad at least a fighting chance against the defending FBS National Champions.

#9: Wofford at South Carolina (September 6^th)

Is this the year Steve Spurrier finally gets the Gamecocks to the top of the SEC East standings? Upon first inspection it very may well be, as South Carolina returns seventeen total starters including ten on the defensive side of the ball from a team that went 6-6. But it seems like you never can tell with Spurrier and SC and despite an infusion of talent in the program they’ve still had their ups and downs during his tenure. Case in point the offense, which has failed to eclipse 24 points per game during Spurrier’s three years here, largely due to inconsistent quarterback play. While the good news for 2008 is that presumed starter Chris Smelley has experience (six starts in two years) the bad news is that he’s been inconsistent and doesn’t have the mobility Spurrier would prefer. SC’s other options may be limited however, as highly touted redshirt freshmen Stephen Garcia’s legal troubles have continued and he was suspended for the spring, while last year’s third string QB Tommy Beecher has struggled with accuracy and interceptions in limited duty. The fact that Smelley and Beecher combined for a mind-boggling eight picks in the spring game is cause for concern, especially considering the team lost its top offensive playmaker (RB Corey Boyd) to the NFL. Fortunately the defense returns virtually intact, but questionable performances against Louisiana-Lafayette (252 rush yards), LSU (290 rush yards), and Arkansas (541 rush yards) last year underscore potential matchup difficulties against run-based offenses. South Carolina has been a streaky team over the past few seasons and while they haven’t lost to an FCS school under Spurrier they did barely survive a 27-20 scare against Wofford in a 2006 season which was Spurrier’s best here.

Wofford is actually the fourth smallest school in Division I but you wouldn’t have known it by the way their football team played last year. The Terriers, who won the Southern Conference championship in 2007, have been something of a minor power in the FCS under head coach Mike Ayers, who has been named conference coach of the year four times since 2000.  Wofford runs an old-school meets new-school wingbone offense along the lines of what Paul Johnson ran at Navy, with the South Carolina school typically among the FCS leader’s in rushing yard per game (second in the country at 309 ypg in 2007.) Last season was a landmark year for the Terriers, who went 9-4 with wins over FCS heavyweights Appalachian State and Montana before losing in the quarterfinals of the playoffs to Richmond. While they don’t return a majority of starters from offense or defense from last year’s team (10 full time returning starters) they do get back 43 letterwinners and six “nonstaters” who started at least two games. While Wofford loses its top rusher from last year there is a precedence of plugging in pieces to the offense as the team has had to replace its top rusher four of the last five seasons. Likewise, even though Wofford will have to break in a new quarterback in 2008 they won’t exactly be going with a bright-eyed freshmen, as senior Ben Widmyer, who actually started against NC State last season, will have the inside track to win the job in the fall. He’ll be pushed by a talented group of young players, including Navy transfer and option protégée Robby Davis. Even with the losses to graduation this remains a potent and well coached offense, and because of the uniqueness of its scheme and ability to “plug and chug” it has the potential to give South Carolina problems.

I admit this pick may be going out on a limb (especially when you consider Wofford’s last win against the Gamecocks came in 1917) but I swear that until South Carolina and Spurrier can establish some constancy at the quarterback position this team is going to be schizophrenic. Yes South Carolina is an SEC program which returns 17 starters and yes they managed wins against Kentucky and Georgia last season, but the reality of the situation is that they’ve been slow starters under Spurrier and their run defense has been mediocre. Spurrier and his team barely survived a Wofford upset bid in 2006 where Wofford came within a 4^th and five conversion of tying the game at 27. Instead the Terriers fell 27-20 but they proved they could compete with South Carolina. This year Wofford gets two weeks to prepare for this game and because of their unique offense and the fact that South Carolina will be coming off a tough home game against Georgia I give the Terriers and their 1,350 student enrollment a fighting chance against Spurrier’s Gamecocks, making this my ninth most likely upset of 2008.

#8 Delaware at Maryland (August 30^th)

Maryland is one of those teams that is tough to get a read on. Ralph Friedgen did an absolutely amazing job here between 2001-2003 as he lead the Terps to three consecutive 10-win seasons including an ACC championship in 2001 and two impressive bowl wins in 2002 and 2003. Yet they’ve been streaky the past four seasons, finishing 5-6 in 2004 and 2005, 9-4 in 2006, and 6-7 last season. Much of this has been due to offensive inconsistency and mediocre quarterback play, which seems ironic considering both the legacy of Maryland quarterbacks of the past and the offensive background of Friedgen (hmm, remind you of another Maryland football team?) The starter on opening day is anyone’s guess, as three quarterbacks once again will take the battle into camp to see who will lead the Terps for at least the start of 2008. Remember that this was a team which was up and down in 2007, finishing the regular season off 6-6 before losing a tight game in the Emerald Bowl to Oregon State. They had their moments of dominance in wins over then 8^th ranked Boston College and 10^th ranked Rutgers, but they also lost to a mediocre North Carolina team and looked just o.k. against Villanova and Florida International. This year the Terps return eight starters on offense including four on the line, which to be fair dealt with a number of injuries last season. In addition to this they get five starters back on defense including middle linebacker Dave Philistin, an absolute beast who should be on track for all-conference honors. Nevertheless, the Terps have questions in the secondary with the loss of three starters, and will have to answer them in a hurry against what is traditionally one of the best passing attacks in the FCS. Talent wise the Terps are better than people give them credit for, but just like South Carolina their offense will only go so far as their up-to-now inconsistent quarterback play will take them, especially with the loss of their top two running backs from last season.

Delaware is coming off yet another successful season under head coach KC Keeler in which the Blue Hens went 11-4 and made it all the way to the National Title game before falling to Appalachian State. Offensively UD was among the Nation’s very best in 2007, finishing sixth in the country at 460 yards per contest. They do lose an outstanding quarterback in Joe Flacco to the NFL but they get another potential NFL prospect via transfer Rob Schoenhoft, who spent last year as the backup for Ohio State. Schoenhoft is a former four-star quarterback out of high school who happens to be a perfect fit for Coach Keeler’s offense with his 6’6 frame and strong arm, and should adapt well with a veteran cast of pass catchers around him (including former Pitt transfer and NFL prospect Robbie Agnone at TE.) While UD does have to replace three offensive lineman there is a tradition of developing solid O-lines here and I don’t see any reason for that not to continue in 2008. A talented group of running backs waits in the wings; including Wisconsin transfer Jerry Butler, who sat out 2007 with a leg injury. Defensively Delaware should be much improved, as nine starters return to a defense which ranked 50^th in the nation last year, including former Notre Dame DE Ronald Talley. In case you haven’t gotten the picture by now, this is a team and a program which thrives off of getting FBS transfers.  

I think the perception out there right now is that Delaware will be in a rebuilding year with the loss of a quarterback like Flacco and a runner like Omar Cuff. I don’t totally disagree with that notion but you have to remember that KC Keeler is very good at getting his teams fired up to play FBS opponents and that the Blue Hens remain one of the most talented squads in the FCS. Delaware put up 581 yards of total offense in a win at bowl-bound Navy last year and typically bring a large number of fans to mid-Atlantic contests (Maryland, in contrast, does not usually draw well for OOC games.) While Maryland does return eight starters on offense they have been a traditional slow-starter under Friedgen and haven’t shown great offensive production early in the year. I’m not sold on any of the quarterbacks here and even though they do get Josh Portis back he hasn’t taken a “live-fire” snap since 2005 and he’ll have to do against a Delaware defense which returns nine starters. Maryland’s heavy losses in the secondary are the most concerning aspects of this game as the Blue Hens return three starting wide receivers and a legitimate NFL prospect in the tight end Robbie Agnone. If the Blue Hens can protect Shoenhoft up front then he may very well be the next Flacco as he has the size, arm strength, and accuracy to play on the next level. Because of Keeler’s track record and the overall talent on Delaware’s roster I give them a good chance against the Terrapins, who will likely struggle out of the blocks offensively with continued questions at the quarterback and running back positions.

Check back tomorrow for my seventh through fifth most likely upsets!

It’s Football Championship Subdivision Week here at ITB (at least from my end, not sure what Brian has cooking for you this week) and to start us out I thought we could take a quick look at the official AnyGivenSaturday.com Fan Poll. The fan poll, which is determined by voters on the popular FCS themed web community of AnyGivenSaturday.com, has been in operation since 2004 and is considered the first “officially” released preseason poll for FCS teams each year. This isn’t just a bunch of homer fans voting for their favorite teams though, as the website has established strict guidelines for voter fairness and accuracy.

The top teams on this year’s preseason poll should come as no surprise to those who have followed the FCS in recent years, as three-time defending National Champion Appalachian State comes in at the top with 76 first-place votes. Colonial Athletic Conference heavyweights James Madison and Richmond come in second and third, respectively, with the Dukes receiving two first place votes and the Spiders receiving one. North Dakota State and Northern Iowa round out the top five, with the Bison, who defeated two FBS programs last season, receiving two first place vote.

Other notable features to the poll see Montana at #7, Delaware at #11, and Cal Poly at #13. The Cal Poly Mustangs were also named the Poll’s “Team on the Rise” while the Delaware Blue Hens were named the “Team Falling the Most” after losing star quarterback Joe Flacco and running back Omar Cuff to the NFL. The full Top 25, including a section on “Others Receiving Votes” can be viewed below:

1. Appalachian St. (76)
2. James Madison (2)
3. Richmond (1)
4. North Dakota St. (2)
5. Northern Iowa
6. Massachusetts
7. Montana
8. McNeese St.
9. Eastern Washington
10. Wofford
11. Delaware
12. Southern Illinois
13. Cal Poly (1)
14. Youngstown St.
15. Elon
16. Georgia Southern
17. Villanova
18. South Dakota St.
19. Eastern Illinois
20. New Hampshire
21. The Citadel
22. Eastern Kentucky
23. Fordham
24. Yale
25. Furman

Others receiving votes: Harvard (33), Sam Houston St. (31), Delaware St. (29), Northern Arizona (27), Central Arkansas (24), Montana St. (24), Jackson St. (23), South Carolina St. (22), Jacksonville St. (18), Grambling St. (16), Liberty (16), Holy Cross (14), Western Illinois (13), Albany (12), Hofstra (12), Dayton (10), Hampton (10), Nicholls St. (7), Coastal Carolina (5), Colgate (5), Norfolk St. (5)

Poll courtesy of AnyGivenSaturday.com.

Stay tuned to Inthebleachers.net this week as we continue our FCS coverage, including a week long special devoted to breaking down my Top 10 most likely FCS over FBS upsets for the upcoming 2008 season.