Every 2024 FCS Team Ranked | S8E1 FCS Fans Nation Podcast

Intro [Applause] [Music] welcome to the official podcast of FCS fans Nation with your hosts Kyler Neil Matthew frzy and Jamie Williams [Music] FCS fans Nation I cannot believe I'm about to say what I'm gonna say season8 of the FCS fans Nation Podcast holy moly season 8 Jamie Williams Matthew frzy a long Slumber for us grizzly bears as we are back on the FCS fans Nation Podcast coming through your Airwaves YouTube Spotify Apple patreon ah coming through a few different formats Jamie Williams decked out in Montana Grizz gear so happy to be back on the airwaves Mr Williams how have you been my man we're back yeah I'm back I was I was okay and then all of a sudden so itchy burning I don't understand but whatever yeah it's been a long off seon but um got a lot of vac ation time in working hard but just been kind of doing the research and ready for this kickoff here because it's it's about time we're we're inside of three weeks for week zero yeah this is truly insane it always everyone always says this I cannot believe how fast summer went by but it really did we're right on the cust football season the the Montana Grizz gear that you've got that you're rocking tonight was just sent to you by some loyal fan there there's no way you bought that with your own money oh of course not I would never spend money on anything for Montana but I do want to appreciate uh one of our fine listeners Mike olssen who did reach out and uh sent this nice shirt and this this hat is actually a badass hat nice trucker hat got the it is really cool yeah really cool hat um so appreciate Mike for sending that uh like I said you know itchy burning but you know that's what you get from Montana product you're going into that year two of the FBS you the Dukes you you'll be just fine you're three we're finally eligible to you're three yep that's right yeah got the uh Nathan Anderson he's a cooworker of mine out at the Guard base uh he despises NDSU and everyone that works around him loves NDSU and he put this Montana Grizz flag up in his office to kind of throw shade at us and those guys brought it to me he doesn't know that I have this he hasn't known for like four months so uh I have stolen goods behind me Nate Anderson would never listen to this podcast so until he does he's just not going to know that that flag his flag is sitting in my podcast room but chrisz fans ain't going to be upset that's just more gear for them so that's right Jamie this episode is special it almost has become an annual tradition it's not the regular format where we have the fan questions that are in there we love our fans questions but we really like to start our year off Strong by bringing in yourself to literally rank 127 FCS football teams which is absolutely Bonkers when you think about it who puts in the time and effort to I mean people put in time and effort to do a top 25 you are the only stats top 25 voter who is going to put it in to actually put in that effort to rank all 127 teams we have a special treat that we're going to unveil to the entire FCS fans Nation here in a minute before we do though tell me a little bit about your mindset on how you even go about ranking that many teams how do how do you do it well it's not easy by any stretch but you got to consider So Many Factors you got to look at what did last year how did last year end and then people will look and say oh this team was 10 and two last year yeah but did they end 0 and two because if you're looking and think about this for any football this is the way I've I've always thought when I'm drafting fantasy football doing my FCS rankings look at anything look in football look at the last four games how did they finish that makes a whole lot more sense than the whole year I mean look at the the shirt I'm wearing if IID have told you after week three four or five that this team was going to play for the national title I would have been flamed more than the fact that I dropped him out of my top 25 after week four so you know that that's one of the big ones you you got to look at who's left who left now it's which makes it even more difficult because there's a transfer portal so who's left the transfer portal who graduated who came in in the transfer portal how does that player mesh with the coaching style and does the coaching style change all that turnover I talked to so many people there have been so many people that have been more than gracious to give me their input on the slice of the world that they that they know in the FCS so it's not just me just doing like this like I've done more research this year than any other year just by being able to talk to so many people and that's you know a credit to you know being able to be on this podcast and and have a the ability to talk to people that cover nationally conferences specific teams regions just to be able to lean on all of those resources has made it made a difficult process a little easier I mean I've talked to probably 20 or 30 people coaches players former players beat writers you name it so I I've taken the time so it's never going to be perfect but uh it's what I came up with the start of the Year slowly becoming like the the uh the Mal hyper the atom shifter the just these subject matter experts I mean there is just nobody out there you know maybe your Sam herders your Craig Haley's it is hard to find someone who does that much research and puts in that much passion and care it's really inspiring dude and I'm excited to do this this is a fun episode so buckle up FCS fans Nation we're going to get right into it before we do though okay if you are a loyal follower of FCS fans Nation on Facebook on Twitter or the social media platforms if that's kind of your thing you have noticed we've done something weird we have dropped new cover photos profile photos and some weird videos a little bit of uh sneak peeks for something and this is what we're about to reveal um ladies and gentlemen I'm going to pop it up on the screen if you're watching on YouTube or FCS Gold Reveal not what has just populated up on the screen is something we want to call FCS fans gold the gold standard for college football fans now before you think this is an evil money grab I just want to give a little bit of explanation we're going on like almost we're pushing about to be a decade almost of running the FCS fans Nation Facebook page the Twitter pages and all the platforms right we've kind of come up against a problem the main problem we're having is that we have a lot of Outreach from fans who are looking for the original old school kind of first couple years FCS fans experience they're like man you know the page it's so overwhelming there's a lot of post I can't find the game threads I'm trying to keep up with the pick them challenges we got to be honest with you guys we couldn't find a way based off how Facebook allows us to manage groups and do things we couldn't find a way to make things a One-Stop smaller shop for the the OG fans or the really passionate fans without attaching it to a small monthly subscription fee with a lot of benefits so what is FCS fans gold very simply it is a 99 cent a month subscription and if you pay that and you only have to pay it for the four or five months if you want during the season we don't care we are going to give you some pretty incredible access to things that normally operate on the page but now we can operate better with so if you're watching on YouTube FCS gold and more information is going to come out on this uh it runs through patreon so we have subscribers already that are signing up on there right now but this is exactly what you get access to if you jump on to FCS gold 99 cents a month you get a private gold page access so there is now a separate Facebook page separate from the one that has like 25,000 people and if you're paying the 99 cents a month you are on that gold page on that page is going to be elite gamethread chat so we have the ability to use Discord and some of our other features where we can literally communicate with you as the admins as the podcasters in instant messaging because we can't really put game threads up like we used to on the big page this podcast which is typically filled with unfortunately YouTube ads and such it'll be ad free literally free for you to listen to it without any ads um the playoff bracket Challenge and weekly pick them challenge this is probably the number one thing that makes this stuff worth your money again the more subscribers we get the more we're going to increase the the prizes but no matter what even if one person subscribes to this this year the playoff bracket challenge you got to be an FCS gold member to do the weekly pick them you got to be an FCS gold member and the winner right now will receive a $50 Visa gift card so basically if you pay five bucks throughout the season you have a chance to win $50 for the playoff bracket Challenge and $50 for the weekly pick them Challenge on top of that you get early access to ask podcast questions through the private gold Facebook page and the main reason why you have people subscribing so early before this thing was even revealed is that the NCAA football 2025 video game right now Mr Hammond is running the FCS Dynasty and we have players participating in that right now and you can participate Xbox or Playstation players if you're an FCS gold member so long story short what this is is it's a way for people who are looking for the the old school experience of FCS fans Nation on Facebook a place for you to yes contribute 99 cents a month but in return get sort of that small in-depth commenting and interaction you used to get be part of those huge prize pools for the weekly play pick them Challenge Playoff Challenge adree podcast early questions lots of benefits here so Jamie any thoughts on FCS gold as we're going to be promoting that all season for for our loyal listeners here no I think it's a it's a good logical next step and obviously as we've always said this is never ever going to be and never has been a money grab for us yeah is going back out we've been happy to put in our our own money to support these challenges before we'll still do it this just helps supplement that make the prizes a little bit bigger gives a little bit more access in a less messy way I guess I was trying to find a way good way to say but in a less messy way that allows you know allows people to join us um in a in a way that they they used to to back in 2018 where it wasn't so much on the page with all of these algorithms and I thing where you can't find anything so hey feel free to join us feel free to not you're not going to upset us one way or the other uh anybody that that joins all it does is is help us give back to the FCS as a as a whole yeah absolutely and I think that's the biggest takeaway Jamie is some there we got probably 40 to 50 messages last year of people who wanted easier ways to access these things find this stuff have that more one-on-one in-depth conversation instead of the kind of algorithmic crapshoot that Facebook has turned our page into and this allows us to do it in the much more private setting so even if there's only 2030 of you who sign up we look forward to us admins and all the podcasters who are on this private page we look forward to talking to you and then being in those challenges with you guys even though we're not eligible to win that being said you'll learn a lot more about FCS gold moving forward so yeah and we're not getting rid of the main page We're Not Gon to nope ignore it we'll still be there it's still going to run the same way just a little bit more uh laser focused here that's all it is absolutely so have your experience whether you want the big page for free or if you want to come be part of the 99 Cents for FCS gold on the other side we'd love to have you and that Link's going to be below this on everywhere where it's posted so that being said nobody cares about uh the benefits and all those things they care about Jamie Williams So Jamie why don't we get this sucker going uh Kyler New FCS/FBS Teams Neil surviving work and a hurricane right now he's trying to hook up the hotel Wi-Fi I think from the last message I saw we'll see if he pulls it off if not you're stuck with these two G's and this is the 2024 season preview FCS rankings 1 through 127 Jamie Williams baby and Jamie you ready to kick this sucker off let's get her going all right man I'll just let you flow with it we'll click right into it starting with our teams transitioning into the FBS yep and just before we even go into the rankings so that you don't have to ask at the end and somebody's still G to be a smart ass and do it that's okay you're not going to see the Delaware Blu hands you're not going to see the Missouri State Bears why they're transitioning to the FBS they're still playing mostly an FCS schedule maybe an all full FCS schedule I would imagine and then they're going to go to to um the FBS light and go to Conference USA next year um you know they've got their footprint and you know good luck to to them I think Delaware will have a modum of success similar to Jacksonville State who's looking really good so you know our friends from JSU cocky Nation the Gamecocks you know they've done a great job so far um Delaware should be more like that and Missouri State we'll see I mean they're not in a bad area so but they will not be in the ring Rings past this notification year um but you know enjoy watching those teams and see how they stack up this year but um like we said we won't see them any rankings they won't be in the the national poll either the stats perform top 25 they will not be in that either quick question before we get out of these FBS transitioners um would you at I I know not Missouri State but Delaware would we have had them near the top 25 or in there if they had they would have they would have probably been somewhere in the 13 to 18 range okay still a decent team yeah there's there's Talent there they got Marcus jars who's a stud running back just to name one guy and you know they're always going to play good defense out out there awesome heck yeah well best of luck to Delaware and Missouri State uh definitely we'll miss those blue hens for sure no offense Missouri State but that's a that's a legendary FCS program so hate to see him going oh boy welcome to the FCS Jamie who do we have here yeah on the uh complete opposite into that spectum we got two new teams joining so as always any new team they unfortunately to start they go right to the bottom of the rankings at 127 we'll have the mercy har Lakers um really small school um when they say Lakers it's over on Lake eie they're going to play a very hybrid D2 FCS type schedule uh probably going to be underdogs to some D2 teams I would expect they wind up 127 at the end of the year uh West Georgia they're BOS Mercy Hurst is going to join the Northeast conference I've got that down there and at 126 we're G have the West Georgia wolves out of the UAC this is a team that's going to be really intriguing obviously they're going to go through their transition time but they're going to give people problems this is a solid program I think we're g to see them move up the rankings some they they got a chance to win three to five games uh but we'll see how they they wind up they they might scare some people in the UAC this year uh otherwise you know that these are our two new teams before we really get into ranking the teams that are coming back and we're g to we're going to start just like this from the bottom until we get to the top Teams 125 to 101 so if you want to go on to the next and see the bottom from 101 to 125 these are kind of teams I don't expect a whole lot from uh these were teams that were in the bottom last year you'll see unfortunately at number 125 you got the Citadel I'm sorry Kevin oh okay just not very good um we hopefully they'll turn it around one of these days I'm hoping for it for you bud um the one intriguing team and I'm not even I guess I shouldn't say intriguing couple of interesting teams here is Western Illinois they're no longer in the Missouri Valley okay so moving down to the OBC Big South will they compete it will be very interesting to see if they just were just mired in the Missouri Valley or if they're just really bad I think they're probably still really bad but but we'll see and then Northwestern State got a they had the tragedy last year cut cut their season short uh coach resigned they've got a solid coach but there's a lot of rebuilding to do there so we'll see if they can climb out of that that doldrum uh so those are the couple of teams that in the bottom 25 of the returning teams that I kind of have my my eye on to see what they can do but other than that most of these teams are going to probably languish down here that might be one that moves into the top 75 60 that surprises us that has a nice season but you know if your team's on here yeah I'm sorry but somebody when you go one to 127 somebody's got to be 121 to 125 and these are some of those teams yeah it's kind of disappointing to see some of the names in here I mean you just look at San Diego for sure I mean wasn't that a team that and I know we talked about them last year about their drop off a little bit uh but yeah it's just disappointing to see a team like that which just was doing so well called them the Big Sky playoff killer for those few years in a row you know it's s to see them drop so down below and Indiana State's never been something special to to write home about but they had a year or two where they kind of popped off the screen a little bit um I don't know these seem to be like the normal cast of characters though if you ask me doesn't seem like there's a lot of uh seems like these are almost on repeat mode Northern Colorado any hope for Ben and the crew there none I mean maybe I mean the new coach is Ed lamb who took Southern Utah to the playoffs in 2017 kind of w wipe off the stink of the Ed mcaffrey years we'll see I mean sake of our good buddy Ben schlager I'd love to see them uh not be 124 but that's been a team that's just been not very good for a quite a while um we'll see I I don't see much from them but I've been surprised before yeah um this is a ridiculous question maybe this close in the podcast but are you more confident that this slide would be more accurate than your top 10 or are you more confident that your top 10's gonna look better than this one I'm probably more confident that this slide is the more accurate than the top 10 oh man they're G team that are bad we know they're going to be bad this is full of non-s scholarship team and other you know bottom feeder so it makes it a little easier there's no St Thomas or or una none of those but maybe when we move on to the next one so Jamie here we go we're we're into the top 100 81 through 100 introduce me to some of these quality teams for you're getting here into the to the spot where one of these Teams 100 to 81 teams is gonna move way up at some point I I don't know who it is I mean people will talk about their recruiting and they're transfering all this Houston Christian has really brought in some guys but they've really got to show it on the field I I I've been here oh they're going to be really good they' be really good the best team they've had was a few years ago they still only won like four games with bayy zappy and the twin receivers what about the recruiting the recruiting yeah I know you know the recruiting the recruiting if that if recruiting mattered Notre Dame would have won 25 straight national titles so no no don't get me wrong recruiting does matter it's very important but recruiting rankings mean Jack crap to me um but you know I don't I don't know who's going to come out of this this Bunch but we did have's I believe we had a top 10 team last year or two come from this Bunch let's see from last year um let's see where we at we had South Dakota was number 81 last year really okay start of the Year yep that was probably the biggest that would no probably that was the biggest jump I had last year so that was the biggest start of the Season Miss so you know South Dakota South Carolina state you know buddy po po left is no longer the coach there he retired but they've always had some some good teams so hey we'll see maybe maybe that's a team that can uh that can jump up and be this year South Dakota and maybe make a celebration Bowl again like they did a couple years ago yeah absolutely you so wford no love for him they the team that they beat Ferman they took Ferman down in that last week they caused the chaos they did and I mean that was without Dominic Ruto that was without Tyler Hof that was that was just a rivalry game where Ferman was licking wounds and wford just got him but I don't see much from wford I you know somebody in the socon always jumps that you don't expect could it be wford sure but I don't think it's going to be them all right very very well well okay I'm I'm going to be intrigued by the next one here we're you know 61 to 80 this is where my confidence starts to Teams 80 to 61 rise I feel like you can start to pick things apart a little bit in terms of having some Faith some pretty successful Seasons from last year dig into this one a little bit my man yeah there's there's going to be teams in here that they're going to make some some people nervous um when old dominions started their football program back in theate SS their coach was Bobby Wilder and he did a great job he developed a a solid quarterback that uh made his way to the NFL and I'm sitting here rambling because I've he just his name just left me I played for the Washington football team um probably because it was Old Dominion and screw them but um he did a great job there he's now the head coach at Tennessee Tech uh so gonna rebuild that that program there um and see what see they can make some Headway up the ranking this year in a OBC Big South East Tennessee State uh I hir try lamb great coach away from uh Gardner Webb who's been a playoff team the last couple years with a strong running offense you might as well just call that e that team East Tennessee State Gardner web Tre lambro 24 transfers he brought more transfers with from Gardner web to East State than Kurt cetti did from JMU to try to build his Indiana team so that tells you lot took a lot of players there um oh my gosh I'm waiting for North alab abama to pop forom yeah that's a team to kind of make like keep an eye on they do have an excellent quarterback to CJ montz that's who that's that's one of the guys you're G to really want to GNA watch he was last year he was on my watch list for the pton reward early in the season because he was playing great um rest of the team wasn't that good but you know this is a team that you know playing in the in a patriot League they you know Colgate they pop every few years is this time for Colgate to pop South Eastern Louisiana so you're seeing teams kind of to the point you started make it when you flipped it that are a little intriguing and then the last one that I want to mention that's intriguing from from this one is at 76 MCN State I was going to ask about those cowboys yeah so their quarterback uh has a little experience now uh if you looking at my shirt they have Clifton mcdal who was the national championship runner-up quarterback solid player the little cocky for my liking but he's he's there to to guide that MCN State program we'll see if they can make some some noise in a suddenly more intriguing South Lane conference I um our good buddy rev had the opportunity to go to Media day and got some good Intel talked to a lot of people uh looked like had a great time they're commissioner Chris Grant um if you ever watch hockey I swear he's pkub Ban's twin brother um but just I love the energy on that guy I I think he's got the right ideas to take the Southland Conference to The Next Step hopefully he can execute that and that's going to start with you know teams like MCN and others that you'll you'll see along here like Southeast Louisiana yeah what a rebound for the Southland they're really they're kind of that's the most tight-knit group of teams they they could walk to each other's games it's going to be incredible y um I gota ask about St Thomas though they were all over the page they were kind of the bell of the ball of the talk everybody knew that you know they were basically forced out of their division up into the FCS and obviously they're in the non-s scholarship league but you know last year losing to South Dakota 24 to nothing on the road I mean that's not the worst thing in the world they they lost bad to Drake but overall they finished 8 and three um unless I'm crazy they uh they know Drake Drake was 8-0 in the conference they went seven and one so still fresh team should be lower competition but this is a this is a school and a university that knows how to win and put money and resources into it I don't know if they're there yet but 67 do you see them Rising being right there I know it's your rankings and it's like hey I'm basically asking you to be wrong in some way but where is St Thomas's capabilities based off what we saw from last season I mean they they've got the ability to be eight and three again nine and two and but most of that's going to be against the Pioneer League teams so that strength of that schedule is not going to allow them to get into the top 25 really I mean even at you know S80 they'll they'll climb up there just because when you win games you deserve to rise up because you're playing well but at some point the competition you're playing has to matter and I do have them a couple spots higher than Drake I I think and I had this is the one um preseason poll that had come out that I hadn't um seen yet before then I think Drake did get the coach's preseason nod in in that conference but I do think St is probably on par with Drake and I've kind of ranked them that way here um we'll see they they might they could become a 40 to 50 team potentially if they win a bunch of games and do it convincingly because sometimes if you're playing a crappy schedule and you're beating everybody by 30 you're doing what you're supposed to do and that that deserves um consideration th% I think Murray State that would be the surprise of the Year I'll give you that if they are if they are 78th and not a bottom 100 team I I'll give you that one they were not very good last year but maybe year two in the valley yeah we'll see people are talking a little bit about Utah Tech I don't see it from them either yep it's also ridiculous if anybody on planet Earth comes back to this podcast and goes Jamie I told you we weren't going to be 78th we we finished 52nd I'd be like I don't know what you're talking about he'll be very surprised yeah you'll be surprised I guess you probably wouldn't be surprised the comments you get from stuff like that true based off what we've seen all right Jamie here we go uh Teams 60 to 41 top 60 teams in fact I noticed a little national championship trophy sitting next to number 47 uh the Idaho State Bengals it was a while ago but hey they still claim it they can um we're looking at some teams here with some history and we've got some teams that could possibly jump up who we looking at here in 41 to 60 yeah there's going to be some teams in here that that do some things and yes you'll notice as we go along there's a little uh national championship trophy or multiple next to teams just so you can see who's who has won FCS national championships that's still here and much like Idaho State a lot of them were one Matthew before you were even born and Idaho State comes in on as as part of that now I was alive when they did but I didn't know anything about football yet so there's a lot of teams in here that are really intriguing to me and I'm just going to I'll go from the right side to the left and just hit a few of these teams um I want to see what SFA does moving back from the US UAC to the Southland personally I think the UAC is a little stronger league but I think the Southland has a chance to be a decent league and you're going to hear hear that as I talk about a few teams here um you'll I mean we could we've been talking to rev he knows he they want to figure out the quarterback position Kobe caral said that and you look at him say you have no crap to try to figure out the quarterback position but that's really a position that they that they're not sure of yet they've got a couple of guys down there including Montana transfer Sam vidlak uh rev a lot of us don't including myself don't have a ton of confidence that he would be the guy um but we'll see what where they land I I'm interested to see their season Monmouth can they start making some noise in the ca I'm not sure quite yet I think the CAA is gonna be one of those leagues that's going to be very topheavy with a lot of really good teams and then everybody else is going to be pretty bad unlike the CIA of the pass where there's a lot of depth I don't think as much depth in the ca anymore U but you got a couple teams like MTH and Campbell here that uh that you know they want to make a mark their newer teams we talking about um HBCU Alabama state was one of those teams that I got a real shock when the preseason pull came out and they were picked as the top team in their division of the the swack because I initially had Alabama State I want to say somewhere in the 80s and this is one of those rankings where the connections that I've been bble to build and people that are willing to talk to me have been able to give me some information to force me or allow me to be able to change things and make a little bit more sense Alabama State insider trading huh to a certain degree is Alabama state from what I've been told and what I understand now that I've gone back and you know that's part of you know when you say you do research maybe not you know looking specifically at teams and you know talking to people and I talked to somebody who's really heavily involved in HBC said defense defense defense and then they've got a transfer quarterback coming in that uh they're really high on so this might be a team that limits uh the opponents while at the same time uh scoring enough to really choke some people out so Alabama state's a team that I'm going to keep my eye on it's going to rise now talking again earlier about this the South Lan conference there number 52 is Lamar we haven't seen much from Lamar but Pete Ross Amando did a nice job last year there's a lot there's a lot of people that are Whispering a little bit about Lamar being a little bit better team might they wind up and this would be respect a top 40 team this year push a couple teams make you know scare Incarnate Word scare you know somebody else you know scare Nicholls I don't know that they're a playoff worthy team but this might be a team that I look back in November and say okay well I was I was way low on them so I'm I'm interested to see what Ros Amo can continue to build there at Lamar I think uh there's some potential there um moving over Eddie George Tennessee State at 49 they might we one of they might surprise some teams in that OBC Big South you'll see the defending champ of that conference Garder web is just a few ticks ahead of them a little further up as Southeast Missouri State so there's a lot of those teams kind of clustered in there could be a very very good season from from that conference interesting to watch so keep your eye on Eddie George he's really building something he knows obviously he knows football he knows what he's doing sometimes those Great Hall of Fame level players don't make great coaches Dion but it seems like Eddie's building a nice program he's doing a good job there um I'm interested and happy to see we'll be happy to see him raise up look one tick above Holy Cross Dan Curran's a new coach there because you know Bob chzn did a great job there uh so great that he changed one purple for another I am very excited that Bob chzn is the coach of James Madison but I believe he's left Holy Cross in a very very good place I I think they're going to take a little bit of a step back I mean how could you not when Matthew slcas moved on to unlb and Jacob dos on the other side of the ball all World linebacker from from in the FCS that was a semi-finalist for the Bucky Ken Wars moved on to to James madon following his coach but there's still a lot of talent at Holy Cross I host State that's another team I had in the 60s at my initial research and they've been moved into the top 50 because I a lot of people can say that's a top 50 team that's a top 50 team Cody Hawkins I think this is his second year they just hired another coach here a few weeks ago his dad Dan Hawkins who had stepped down from uh UC Davis to uh retire I guess his son was able to talk him out of out of it to come help him out a little bit so we'll I'm interested to see how Ido Idaho State performs there the the Big Sky can they take us step forward it's a very intriguing team the last one I'm really going to highlight here our friend coach Fred who we got to spend some time with him Frisco now the wide receiver coach assistant head coach of the Alcorn State Braves that team has a very very good chance to wind up in the celebration Bowl I think that's a very talented team uh from a personal standpoint I hope they do really well because coach Fred uh and you can see him on the Blue Bloods with Zach mckennell will'll plug our friends because guess what we're just here to promote the FCS coach Fred uh and Zach listen to their show that they do great stuff um lot very well researched you'll see U but alorn state I'm looking for a big year from them um I'd love to see rhod Island finally make the playoffs for the first time in forever but yeah again they're they're right there in that middle of the of the ca right before you get to the good teams and above the teams that are really not as good so they're going to be in that middle they'll have to surprise some people um anybody that stuck out to you in here that you're surprised about you wanted to talk about what do you think Matt I feel this is like when I look at this slide and I think about 2023 first off if I think of the historical context of the FCS there are names here that have done things that for really good Seasons maybe not on a continuous level but like holy cross obviously has had some great seasons in the last few years just been in the playoffs Mammoth had a few really good popping years and Lamar was one of those teams last year going six and five right you're one game above 500 Portland State five- six right below 500 and I think this 41 to 60 has teams that are either going to pop or drop when I just go right up and down the board that's kind of what I see you know Campbell we were expecting a lot from them just in ter recruiting and other yeah recruiting recruiting and that did not turn out well last season so keeping them at 53 don't think it's a bad call because maybe it's going to turn around but I I I just wish I was a fly in the wall with some of your Insider information and I love the alorn state pick up there at 43 you know Jackson State you Bell the ball just a few years ago I'm just always amazed by these I am not as in the no as you nobody is Jamie I'm just amazed at the team that will drop and fall but the thing I will identify from this page is ABN Christian and some of these others they were talked about last season these teams were making a little bit of noise but are they going to elevate up and take the next step to at least be in that top 25 I think there's a lot of factors there yeah I I think at least somewhere between three and six of these teams will appear in the top 25 at least once and there'll be one or two that go to the top 25 and don't leave and there'll be playoff teams that's just the nature of the FCS and I'm I'm looking forward to see who who who that is yeah maybe they can be a top 16 seed you know you never know that's right 2024 new playoff format um okay now now Teams 40 to 26 we're going to have some fun because this is number 26 through 40 of course if you're watching on YouTube click subscribe and like we'd love that uh now you're talking about teams that could fight to be in the preseason top 25 receiving votes from that stats top 25 that just dropped out okay Jamie break this one down for me and I'm noticing some championship trophies on this slide too yeah yeah we've got four championship trophies including the very first one uh ever won in the FCS up there at number 30 well you know we're getting to the point where we want to say a little bit about each of these teams Howard uh jumped up had a nice nice season last year uh L Up played in the celebration Bowl U still think that's a solid team uh look out for for their sa to Kenny Gallop their defensive back going to see him all year Eastern Washington I'm so sad that Kyler is not here I'd love to hear what he thinks about me putting them at 39 too high too low just right I'm sure he'll let let us know uh there's there's Talent there there always is Fon Chisum we got to meet him in in Frisco uh excellent wide receiver um yeah we smoked him at everything poor college kid um yeah but looking forward to seeing something out Austin P at 38 they're either going to be really good or really bad no in the middle not sure which way it is right now they they're coached uh energetic Scotty Walden's on to utap we'll see how how bare he left that covered New Hampshire their their quarterback is Seth Morgan uh a few years ago he was at VMI and really did a nice job there um for you know for playing VMI was a voted freshman of the year in that conference so he's at New Hampshire now to play for Ricky Santos who was a great college quarterback and has done a great job coaching quarterbacks at New Hampshire and is now the head coach I I'd like to see if New Hampshire can can make some noise in the ca again and be a playoff team wouldn't surprise me at all talson um second year under their coach uh we'll see what they've got again right there at that that middle of the CAA which could go up or down North Carolina Central uh Darius Richard's not there anymore I don't know who the quarterback is unfortunately um I'll have to figure that out but this this is kind of like a a a Fair ranking for them they've ended the season in the top 25 last year but you know with the turnover and the way things sit there Tre Oliver is still a good coach they'll be fine Eastern Kentucky has a chance pack um Parker McKenna not there uh they have two titles back in the Roy kid area so it's way back uh but Eastern Kentucky has a chance to be really good if they could settle in on some of their their players and and you'll see there's a lot of teams in this here in the middle here from that UAC which is going to be a really competitive conference this year Northern Iowa I'm off of that Northern Iowa put him in the top 25 to start train you finally did it yep it's not there anymore it took me took me a while to now they're still in a spot here at 33 where if they can prove it they can get back in pretty quick sco me real quick get some water yeah Northern Iowa is all over that last year I'm like I'm just not a believer in that team yeah I mean it's one of those almost had a shot yeah yeah they had a shot they're one of those teams that's always going to be right there at 32 I've got Southern Utah I think everybody knows that's that's that's a team that's just close to me U good my buddy delaye Fel that go into his third year there they were one play away from winning the UAC last year they had Austin P beat the game went to overtime all they have to do is make a field goal in the first overtime and they win that game they win that game they're the USC Champions I expect a better season from them this year they play UTEP their second game now they're going to go to Utah we know what's gonna happen against the top 15 team they're gonna go play utap their second game they've got a shot they play UC Davis so they start they start tough and the cool thing for me for southern Utah and I think there's a lot of talent there Bronson Baron is one of the three competing for the quarterback positions former Weber State I will be out in Cedar City to Utah to see southern Utah play number 29 Tarlton my preseason 29 tlon who I'll talk about here in a minute so I'm really really excited about that trip get to spend some time with Coach Fitzgerald and uh that's so cool go to a different por of country yeah so looking forward to that at 31 we've got Mercer um made the playoffs for the first time last year then of course Drew con left and they've got the coach who was at I believe Lenor Ryan which has always been a factory to send coaches from D2 up to the FCS if you remember the name Mike Houston he was a coach at Lenor Ryan that went and if this tells you anything he took the Citadel to a a nine- two season in the playoffs that's insane and we know what he did in his first year James Madison he's now at East Carolina so Lenor Ryan's gonna move had some coaches go through the ranks I would love to see Mercer make the playoffs again it's just a team that I've enjoyed Florida A&M I believe yes Florida is my highest ranked HBCU team I still believe in them in the swack uh we'll see how that winds up there in swack East it's going to be it's going to be um that's gonna be a fun convers to watch I know you know those teams will make the playoffs and then sometimes they'll get popped although NC Central did go down and and play Richmond well so the 29 is Charlton if you look at the top 25 that came out tarlton's in there a lot of people are high on Tarlton and I get it they would have had had they're finally eligible of the playoffs this year and they had what would have been the 13th ranked offense and they bring just about everyone back including a stud running back who's gonna uh You're Gonna Hear His Name all year Kon Britain but they and then what people say is they returned everybody well guess what they returned a defense that was outside the top 50 good for them so yes they're eligible they're going to give a lot of people fits I have them at 29 I am not ready to put them in the top 25 and I'm on an island so if we're going to talk FCS hot takes everybody saying this is charlton's Year my hot take is charlton's not gonna not a top 25 team yet I think do you think there do you think their schedule I mean they had big wins last year you know they beat Central Arkansas they they finished the season you know on that hot streak do you think that there schedule favors in this year like you know versus MCN to start but Houston Christian North Alabama sou Eastern Louisiana Souther Utah tough game but Utah Tech Austin P Eastern Kentucky West Georgia like that's you know are they just going to rack up games because of the schedule or or what you know what are we looking at there yeah I I think they're definitely gonna have to earn it I mean there's going to be teams that they just run over y but you you just mentioned one of the most interesting games of week zero that I haven't heard a lot of people talk about and that's MCN against Carlton state that game is going to be played in Stevenville which is at Tarlton both of these teams have aspirations to be better this year one of them's going to start out one and0 and I'm really intrigued to see that game um it'll tell me a lot about how right or wrong I am I think I'll get a a good thought process right off the the jump and then like I said I will see that team in person uh in early October so it'll be about five six weeks into the season actually more than that around around that way so we'll see um maybe everybody else is right and I'm wrong that could very well be the case um coach Fel did tell me that that he understands them being ranked ahead of him right now but uh you know we'll see what happens on the field keeping the sources quiet I love it well the rivals of NDSU at 28 North Dakota the fighting Hawks yeah um they wound up at 24 in the in the preseason poll and I'm completely okay with that you see that's I mean that's not far off the 28 just I want to see who's going to play quarterback there I don't know what they've got I really don't I want to see it I think they did just enough last year I don't know if they're just enough as good enough anymore so they're outside for me we were state another another team like that Mickey mental coming on be first uh second year I believe there again show me something Weber State this is this is kind of still a respect ranking for me I'm not very high on Weber State but they've been good so maybe I keep them a little higher than I otherwise would have the first team just outside the top 25 a lot of people are really high on Illinois state I'm pretty high on them yeah are talking them up they I think it's very very well warranted I just wasn't ready to put them in the top 25 yet they were really close and they were clearly have consideration I think everybody on this page could have an argument to be ranked a lot of them got votes in the top 25 pole like you mentioned earlier uh so we'll see a lot of these teams are going to be there for a long time this year there's a lot of playoff teams probably in this in this list um and we'll see at the end of the season where they wind up but I like I like where I wound up from 26 to 40 it was a long rad to get there it was really hard but I I'm very comfortable with this yeah it's a solid list I love the Rattlers respect still in there I loved my pick on them last year to end so well like they did I'm with you Weber State um I know they returned some guys and things like that but you know they lost Eastern Washington last year you know they barely beat Northern Colorado Montana State wiped them off the face of the Earth so I don't know I understand they were one of the teams that beat Idaho so everybody was like they beat Idaho in the near the end with the two-point Victory but I don't know if they're going to be they're probably in this range I don't know if they're going to be on the cusp of the top 25 but we'll we'll see where it goes yeah and I don't want to get out of here without just uh and I should have said it when we talked about Florida and that's your defending celebration Bowl champion yep absolutely okay my man well right outside the top 10 some of these teams if you nail this could be seated playoff Teams 25 to 11 teams that's very exciting number 11 through 25 and boy we've got some blue bloods in here we've got some exciting teams and some familiar faces yeah yeah and these there's a lot of these teams have had some varied uh opinions a lot of people have some of these teams in their top 10 a lot of people have a lot of these teams way out of their top 25 Elon I'm not going to let Elon sneak up on me anymore they're the opposite of Northern Iowa that they've got they're gonna be no fly zone in the secondary this year it's always going to be a good defense so Elon will contend there in the in the CAA this year um excuse me real quick Eastern Illinois too East at 24 look at this this this to me there's people who if you're listening to this podcast myself included I'm about to learn here about Eastern Illinois I know they they did okay last year but here we go yeah I I think that's the program that's building they're on the rise they're right behind number 23 UT Martin so it's going to be a good race between those two teams and a few that were just outside the top 40 in that OBC Big South um Southeast Missouri State I I think Illinois state was one of those teams and I Carlton closed late so I'm talking out both sides of my mouth EAS was one of those teams that closed really well last year and I I think there's momentum building there so I'm I'm moderately bullish on them UT Martin they we'll see we'll see I I had a hard time with UT Martin I didn't know where to put them I had him at 18 I had him at 28 I had him at 20 I settled in on 23 I I think after being pretty good the last couple years I'm going to show them a little respect to say that they've got a nice program building and we'll where they go they could drop like a rock Incarnate Word really intriguing 9 and2 team last year but a very tough nine- two Talon is there GJ Kenny is not there and that showed last year Zach kada is a good good player inward has a chance I have them a couple spots behind Nicholls whoever wins that game I think wins the Southland which is going to be a fun like we said before it's going to be a fun conference to watch inar got a a little bit better defense than you think um they've got to put it together a little bit better because nine- two looks great but then they didn't have a very great schedule they Eed out some of those wins they got popped pretty good by Nicholls so I'm waiting to see on them there's G to be people I there was a time I had them at 11 or 12 yeah and I just kept talking to myself out of it and a lot of people are a lot lower on them and I just couldn't put them ahead of Nicholls yeah I was at that game sideline because of Andrew and uh Mr Markham and Zach and all them yeah that was that was an intriguing game Nicholls really physicality wise they took it to him yeah uh Sanford at 21 socon I expect it to be very good this year you see this this area here is littered with a few socon teams and there's still one we haven't talked about Sanford's been pretty good they gave India all they could handle uh in their last time they bashed up a couple years ago if if they're they had the right quarterback in zackers they might have beaten you guys and but that's how they that that's why they play the game but sord still a decent team Nicholls with Jaylen Spears and Colin gugenheim Colin gugenheim man I feel like that guy's been in college forever but he yep there's a there's a guy I'm GNA talk about a little bit that I feel like he's been there longer than that but Nicholls is is a solid team uh had a couple down years after being pretty good I think they're going to be decent again uh have a definite chance at the playoffs if you're in the top 25 you got a chance at the playoffs obviously I mean there's 24 teams in the playoffs so you know if you're in there you got a real shot and there's solid expectation Lafayette uh I can't I just like uh Taylor Hani was the Old Dominion quarterback by the way um I and I blanked on lafayette's running back who's uh really really good and I hate when I I blank on on names of people that I should know but I don't have any notes in front of me there should be some there but that's how I roll it's insane that you don't have notes in front of you and we're 50 minutes into this thing you're just rattling I that's just what I do um so yeah I'm looking for Lafayette to be the the class of the Patriot League again and and potentially give somebody fits in the playoffs we'll see I mean you can see if you're at 19 you got to shot it at being seated now so you know we could talk about that here just a little bit UC Davis I mean Hastings is the quarterback they' got one of the best runningbacks Lan larrison Rex Conor is in the secondary those are the three names you'll hear over and over when you talk about UC Davis he got a new head coach but was guy that was there after Dan Hawkins has moved on I struggle with this you'll hear over and over I struggle with where to put this team they could be a top 10 team they could be 30 but we'll see I mean I think there's a lot Talent there so I think they deserve this this ranking 17 might have the best quarterback in the FCS not named Mark granowski Cole Gonzalez is phenomenal who that's yeah that's a big marks on a on a at a level by himself whether he's that guy or not I think he's that guy I think he's that guy excuse me again yeah Co Gonzalez even with the you know lost the Desmond Reed the running back did the backup played well when Reed was out he's back this year that's G to be a really good offense and Western Carolina you've hear you've heard me for a couple years talk about them talk about them I swore that was the team I was think was goingon to make the playoffs last year and they just fell off at the end this team has a chance I think they're going to be really good but I still have them third in the socon but soan has has the ability to get three or four teams in the playoffs this year now in the past when we talked about seeds we weren't there yet um this year we're seeding 16 and I love it yeah now 16 teams being seated the other eight teams aren't and they'll they'll be regionally placed but you're not going to get North Dakota State against Montana state in the second round if when it doesn't when it doesn't matter like that was just that I hated that but you know that's how that's how it goes yep here at 16 now I mentioned K Colin has been in college for effort bronen yod I swear that dude's been there since 2012 he might be my age but he's back again for way Mar he's had a couple of injuries so plus the co year so that's why he's back but that's a good thing foram Mary that he ficia they have probably I'm gonna get Flack for saying this but Charles GRE is the best offensive lineman in the FCS he's at will I get Gus Miller's really good North coota state has excellent guys Grant's a stud he's going to play at the next level he's going to lead that run game William Mary's got just they've got to stay healthy now I do want to see what their defense has Mike London has always coached good defenses so I expect it to be good but Nate Lynn's not there John Pas has moved on so who fills those voids I still think William Mary has a chance to be really good now 15 Central Arkansas by Talent alone deserves to be number 15 will Syler love you buddy but your team has done less with more than anybody over the last few years with the talent that is throughout that roster there is no reason that team should have finished where where they did last year this team should win the UAC easily they've got multiple guys that that have the ability to play at the next level can they put it together as a team I've said for years I'm I'm not a big will mlan fan I wanted to prove he had a nice year last year he's got to play better this year Darius hail from Derk pal that that's probably probably your best one-two punch of running backs in the FCS U no disrespect to Nicholls um in this on this list Central Arkansas if they put it together they're that's a top 10 Talent team they dropped a 15 because their results haven't matched the talent if that doesn't happen again they got some thinking to do Youngtown State they returned to the playoffs last last year uh you can see there they have four national titles all you know way back but still that's that's a blue blood program they got beat pretty bad by Villanova in the playoffs last year but they work themselves into the playoffs that's a really good team and a obviously a good conference I I expect good things out of them Sacramento State Kade Bennett good quarterback I I don't even think they're third the 13 if I revised this they would drop if if you say you got to move everybody around now nobody can stay where they are Sacramento State be a team that would drop wow but they've been good for the last few years I mean they' had you know Troy Taylor's moved on to Stanford so they get some respect because there's some Talent there the talent's not gone it's a good team tough conference Albany uh they put the fear of God into a lot of people last year they had an awesome season but they've got a great great running back coming back Griffin something I think I see I'm losing the names now it's getting late and I'm ridiculous you can't remember all of this terrible Reese p and they're quarterbacks they got to have a new quarterback they they did pick up one in the transfer portal but and I believe it might be zi eous I I don't remember but pen Barger went to Miami to play down there with CM Ward so there's a lot of questions to Greg Gus's team but guso is one of those really underrated coaches that despite the fact that you don't think he might have the the most talented roster he always makes more out of it than he than he can if Greg Tu was the coach of Central Arkansas they'd be a top five team but yeah you Albany they had a lot of losses on their defense just transfer graduations so they ended the year last year at number five and I don't see them as a top 10 team but they could be um 11 Ferman another team Tyler Huff's not there um we'll see again I I think there's still a lot of Talent on Ferman they're still going to have a solid defense um so I think they deserve the number 11 ranking uh you can see we still haven't gotten to every U socon school but uh they'll compete they'll be solid socon is gonna be really really fun to watch Ferman is gonna be one of those teams to keep your eye on just because I don't know what to expect from them and there's your 1988 Champion there now before we get to the top 10 yeah hit the music I think we should because I'm feeling a little hungry buddy I'm hungry Taco King coming TACO BET to you from bright and sunny Fargo North Dakota it's time time for taco B and time for you losers to pay up oh Brian Thompson who by the way we've already booked Frisco with which is incredible and that brings us to our first Taco bet of the Year all right Jamie I haven't read this I did not read this all right do the honor here all right so last year you go out of the top 25 in my initial ranking my preseason rankings 15 of them W up finishing the top 25 it's pretty good 60% not bad five of my initial top 10 finish in the top 10 so I've got two Taco B over unders here okay over under 15 and a half of the initial top 25 that we're talking through here we end the season there over or under 15 and a half of the teams in the top 25 and the season in the top 25 oh man your top 10 is is pretty solid I bet you hit at least here's the problem you're going to hit seven of those for sure and then I have to B off of can I go back to slide yeah let's see okay go back to slide here Jeepers Youngstown Sacramento like I like Ferman Incarnate Word there's going to be two or three of these teams right here that are going to stink yeah Absol absolutely I I'm going to go I'm going to go under there I'm going to go under I think and I'm going to go barely I think you'll have 13 or 14 of these teams but I don't know if you're going to get six yeah I'm gonna bet on myself I'm gonna go over on that one not by much but I'm going go over dog on it yeah that's that's a good line by the way 15 and a half is tough because the top 10 you feel really confident in and then you hit the next 15 and you're like boy this could go anywhere the problem is is you're 26 through 30 26 to 40 was so good was so good yeah then that's the problem there's so many teams that are rankable now so that Gap is closed like the top teams are the top teams right but from like I don't know seven or eight to 45 good luck absolutely the other portion of this so last year five of my top 10 finish in the top 10 yep over under four and a half of the 10 teams that we haven't talked about will be there still can I can I give my answer at the end of the podcast can we cover yeah we'll wait till we go through and then we come back to that one and you see there's a little note at the bottom yep out of my initial top 25 23 of those teams finished in my top 40 so it wasn't that far off yeah now I don't know if that's a credit to me is it my bias is it the teams I don't know and then three of the teams from the initial top 25 actually started outside the top 70 one of those being Lafayette including the final number four South Dakota who started 81 and Albany finished five started 74 wow so there's C of the stats that I looked at from last year just to I like to you know revisit how did I do you know 60% of the initial 25 finish there and with a lot of variables I'm I'm happy with that I'm proud of that yeah you should be man that's incredible most people can't predict the top 10 correctly and get like three teams right so this is insanely impressive and moving into that top 10 Jamie are you ready here we go let's go the big moment number 10 SI you Southern Illinois and they they do have a championship you'll see down Top 10 Teams there I'm not I this team's got a lot of talent it's it stays it's been talented for years the coach is is very good nick Hill they did lose a lot so I'm nervous about this one I I don't know if if we're talking Taco bed of how many teams stay in the top 10 this is one that probably winds up falling out but maybe not they got a tough schedule they but they'll they'll be there um but I I think the top 10 might be a little high but I I'll stand behind it at behind them at 10 right now yeah Southern Illinois is going to be a team that they they have some favorable matchups I'll give them that I'm not convinced Missouri State because they're going up the FPS is any good but Indiana state Missouri State Murray State um you know they got Simo coming to down Illinois State they get to host at home cardinet W they get to host at home so you know Austin P they've got enough there I don't know what's going to happen when they run into South Dakota State North Dakota State like the same Boogeyman that they always run into right and then yeah yeah but none of those teams you you haven't seen those yet so they might be a little that's that's part of the justification here is you look at that schedule and they've got the ability to win the number of games that keep them right there true yeah that's a good point it's just they seem to have the same thing every year can they get over the big dogs on their schedule I guess pun intended okay number 10 southern Illinois coming in there number nine oh Jamie look away the Richmond Spiders I know it burns to even have that red piercing your eyes it hurts and I'm so mad at Sam because I he made me defend him cuz he's got him a lot lower he said he wasn't you know he wasn't as high on them it's a good team they always have a good defense they've got good receivers I know they don't have a settled quarterback right now but either choice they have is good I think the quarterback's gonna be Kyle Wickersham and if he doesn't win the job that's not a bad thing because the guy's better than Kyle Rickers sham and Kyle's pretty damn good so I think Richmond is going to give a lot of people problems in the CA and it it pains me to talk good about Richmond they're going to be very good this year in my opinion I I last year I was down on them and they W up making the playoffs they're one of those teams that finish strong and you have confidence confidence right now it's not far off but you know they go to Albany last year and get demolished in the playoffs yeah you have Albany taking a little step back youve got Richmond a little bit higher is that because of returning class here yep yep I think ALB just lost too much I think Richmond's a little bit got a little bit more continuity um a little bit more of a track record always has a better defense and and with me defense matters more when I'm thinking about forward projecting what I think a team will do y because you can keep off if you can keep points off the board you don't have to score as many absolutely yep there we go that's math ladies and gentlemen ma maths yep all right Chattanooga the mocks coming in here at number eight this is I love Chattanooga this year okay another team that finished well Chase s artop transferred and played very well last year I expect him to take a huge step forward this year I think Chattanooga is supped to be really good I think they win the socon they were pretty darn close last year they made the playoffs I believe they made the playoffs or maybe they're the teams that got left out I don't remember damn it no no they were they were playoff team last year okay I thought so yep and I I just I really I really like what Chattanooga brings back I I know they lost but they've got if you read Sam herder's article um that he posted the other day about Anonymous responses when they asked which player not on your team would you want every sing darn near every single coach pick their defensive lineman and good defensive lineman are hard to come by Chattanooga they got a stud on each side I think arpus will take a a step forward and if I'm saying your name wrong Chase I apologize but you'll make me say it right this year I'm pretty sure yeah for sure Georgia state they're going to travel there it's an FBS mat match up they're they're going to go lose to Tennessee but then at Georgia State they can they win that game we'll see Georgia State uh typically not a great team uh they do have a good new coach they've pulled in a lot of good transfers I I still don't think they're going to be all that good but Chattanooga will give them a game kind of like Rhode Island did last year yeah if Chattanooga is going to win they're going to earn it they're going at ETSU at Ferman at Western Carolina and they're playing Samford at home but that is not going to be an easy schedule them for them by any stretch of the imagination so should be fun to see what the mocks do oh boy Mr Hammond the vandals with playing for that new potato Trophy and everything else uh are these individuals going to vandalize the opponents which is what their name came from what do you think Jamie there's some portal losses here there's some big names off the roster yeah what do you think Jack Lane will be just fine at quarterback I I don't know that you know he'll be to the level of quarterback play that they've had the last couple years javanni McCoy and know the running back transferred Hayden hatton's not there I you got have fa in coaching here though right I do I do and that and Jason EG is the reason they're number seven he he really is I think this might be their High Watermark I know a lot of people aren't nearly as high on Idaho this year uh but again coaching matters they've got an excellent one they even had a special guest out at practice a few days ago I had a national champ Championship coach show up with a visor and it wasn't Steve sper no uh so Idaho there's still Talent there so I I think they deserve to be ranked here with a lot of wait and see yeah they're going to earn it if they're going to they're going to start with Oregon so we'll see how that goes they're going to go to Wyoming we'll see how that goes Alban is going to come to town in their third opponent and then throughout the season going to travel to Montana state they're going to travel to UC Davis that is a brutal brutal slate for Idaho so that probably a playoff team but if they're going to earn seed and high respect boy they it's going to be tough right off the bat so we'll see how it goes um not number eight oh go ahead go ahead Jamie yep nope I was said I said other way yeah we'll start we'll go to number six all right number six Villanova very high on Villanova very high again starts at the quarterback position Conor Watkins he's awesome that team always is always solid they're really good you can talk about the elements all you want both teams had to play with them they gave South Dakota State one hell of a game the way the Jacks were running through everybody Villanova gave them one hell of a game and they open the season against Youngstown State ah you stole it from me I was gonna say it during Youngstown I'm like talk about a game to start the year yeah yep it's a Thursday night week one so that's gonna be really cool because both of these teams expect to be very good I expect Villanova outside of their game against Maryland which is their FBS game yep they could very well win every other game and that includes playing Delaware at the end of the year but if you look at their AC AC CAA schedule my Lord Kevin Marshall's gonna have a field day with this schedule and he's right it is charman soft it is so bad they don't play Richmond they don't play William and Mary they don't even play they don't even play Rhode Island I mean they get all like a lot of the bottom teams there's no reason this team shouldn't run through the CAA this is a top five seed so they're going to need that Youngstown win though that's going to be essential if be not only are they going to have to beat young sound they're going to probably have to do it by 20 points for people to give them respect after that moving forward because they're say oh who have they played and they'll be right mostly most likely that's a really good team so they're going to need to go in there and beat those teams by 20 and 30 points and show we're stepping on people's throat doing what we're supposed to do they did that with Youngtown last year in the playoffs so we'll see if they can repeat that sort of thing so well over number six top five okay South Dakota this is probably the most common spot for them I think five or six but people love South Dakota here I've seen people like the Rev and others talk some major smack about this team's capabilities why are people so high on them why are some people not I'm curious about Celtic Co it's it's track record they've been a team knocking the mic been been a team like this but they return a lot they return a lot they got a tight end they got a good quarterback uh Bowman played really well last year and I think what people are looking at is how how many games were were pretty close last year and the problem was they got their butt kicked in the playoffs by a team that they had beaten in the regular season I think you remember those games um yes I remember them quite fondly well the second one you remember finally I mean they wound up 10 and three but when you get down into there were a lot of games that like they only beat yeah only beat Indiana State 73 but they beat about 14 they didn't score a lot of points they only beat Southern only 14 to7 North Dakota 14 to10 so when you're looking at teams like this you look at that say eventually that luck goes the other way and that's what a lot of people are seeing while they're putting them 10 to 15 I I think they're a top five Talent team and I think they deserve to be here I think they're going to earn it if they're going to get what uh people are talking about because you know they're going to go to Wisconsin they're going to lose that game doesn't matter but you look at the valley schedule they're going to play Southern Illinois which you know is a tough team one of your top 10 they're going to play un and I who's always Scrappy they have to go to Youngstown they have to go to South Dakota State they have to go up to UND and UND for some reason is a monster at home and terrible anytime they're outside of that gross stadium and then uh they play NDSU at the end that it's the valley so it's not surprising but how it lines up for him that's a brutal sling so and the going hurt them is they start the season against Northern State right off the bat of non- counter right and that's going to work against him absolutely it is well here we go the top four I have seen from Sean Anderson the Sam herders to revs the top four is always intriguing so I'm I I did not dig into these so here we go Montana State okay some people have them one some have two you've got him at four why so Jamie they got a first place vote in the Top 25 Poll courtesy of Mr Sean Anderson unbelievable and Sean had a wonderful Sean's defense and their video cut off but he put he tweeted it out Sean had a solid reasoning why he put them at number one I'm not with him but I understand I am I don't like Tommy mot to the level he does I think Tommy's fine he's he's going to run most of the time I don't like the passing game right there there's no Shawn Chambers Tommy gets hurt a lot but this is one of the top few offensive lines in the FCS I believe there were two all Americans one first team one second team I believe uh they led the country in rushing last year they'll probably do it again they've got a good enough defense I can see why some people might rank them a little high I can't put them any higher than four because I was all poised to say I think this is a team that's going to take a step back the more research I did that offensive line is not going to let them take much of a step back they're going to Maul people didn't they lose some to the portal didn't they lose some offensive lineman there a couple but the guys that that that are still there played a lot uh Conor Moore the left tackle was a freshman last year yep he didn't leave and he's going to do nothing but get bigger and better and under BR vegan it's going to happen yeah yeah I mean you you've seen that vegan's a hell of a coach um B Coach Josh Allen so that says a lot right there that's true especially as a Bills fan well let's get to the Grizz so then we can get NDS Jamie Williams yep North Dakota State at number three that's a lot of trophies on that bottom left that's a lot of trophies on the bottom did you intentionally upload this as like a a 10 a 108p a little little less quality here just to throw some shade this intentional to be honest I could not find the right logo to come in like I could for everybody else IND DSU in South Dakota State I could not find a good logo to put in so I had to do the best I could and this is the best I could find um I I don't know why uh they're just they didn't have the opaque logos the transparent logo that I could use so I can send you an SDSU logo it's it's like an Aztec looking thing I'll send it to oh that's yeah yeah yeah that's right okay so you are probably on an island here you've got nor go to state number three I actually think you have a lot of good reasons I'm sure I've thought about them as well but let's have it what do you got yeah a lot of people have them too I mean they got a couple of first place votes I think they got three and that's fine I mean Cen Miller's gotten better every year he's still pretty good I mean but you it's it's kind of like Josh Allen light you've either got really good cam or really bad cam there's hardly never in the middle uh you're leading rusher last year he's back right no you were leading receiver last year he's back right no that was a huge loss yeah I think Joe stle is gonna see a lot of lot of H volume this year yeah absolutely will so I mean the offensive line is always going to be good the defense returns a lot um I might go ahead and say you know the buck Buchanan award isn't often won by defensive backs and it might gosh has it been since Rasheed matthys way back nor go has a guy that has a very good chance Co wineski is is a stud he's gonna he's gonna make a lot of passing games look bad um a lot of running games look bad too so I think the defense is still there I I just have questions about the offense I I didn't see they took a little step back last year they had flashes I just I want to see it I I just I think they're the number three team coming in people have them one two I've seen a couple of fours I'm okay with wherever you put them as long as you put them in the top four they're still North Dakota State they still deserve the respect they've earned the respect my question to you is what do you think going from n to POC is going to do yeah I think you are undoubtedly G to see a a a rise back to the old school discipline of North Dakota State I think of anything else I I would I do not an an hater by any means but an was a more of that Progressive modernized guy he let things go more laxed and I think POC brings back that Craig bull mentality I think kind of what Montana got back with Bobby I think you're going to get that back with North Dakota State um poek always always and he's just preaching it like a psycho is physicality you're going to get that NDSU physicality back on the field now will that match what they currently have at the cornerback position you know will the linebackers hold up as much as some of those head hunters in the past I don't know um but I do think that they is going to be I think coaching and mentality is going to change a lot for what you'll see from North Dakota State this year the problem is is that what you're going to say about Montana I think is legitimate to keep them at number two at this point and uh I think North Dakota state is going to face things that Montana is not in the regular season so seeding can matter um I think this is completely fine NDSU anywhere on two or three I couldn't see anybody I I don't understand a Montana State or others above them for this upcoming year but I can see Montana and you'd be crazy to put them above South Dakota state so I don't mind it at all I'm not upset at that they they kind of have to prove it in a few ways and they will they either will or they won't I think they will I think there's a there's a chance they take the marker back I mean for sure so yeah there's Eli green I I'd be way more confident if Eli green had not transferred the day before the portal closed that is a gamechanging player that you probably needed to beat Colorado that you probably need to make those big plays in some of those moments um they still got some good receivers but that is a big loss and I think that within itself actually hurts NDSU a lot so and the defense being you know I think you'll return nine starters is that right eight or nine starters on defense yeah it's it's it's pretty M they they return a NDSU brings back a lot and a lot of those sixe senior decided to come back so start will that put them up by SDSU to to be seen so well let's get on number two this is South Dakota of course it's not Montana Grizzlies two titles okay here's your chance why are they above NDSU we all know why they're below SDSU yeah and the first thing people are going to point at as like well we don't know who their quarterback's going to be and I get it I don't either and it it matters but everybody else just about everybody else is back from a skill position standpoint the defense is still good they they played about as well defensively as they could have in the national title game offense just scuffled I I know Clifton McDow being hurt did hurt them now if he would healthy like like you said I don't think they win still but they might have moved the ball a little bit better Junior Bergen dude's a problem Eli Gilman's back and the wild card for me that I think a lot of people forget about they have tight and Cole grman coming back and he missed the entire year last year that's just another weon to help whoever wins that quarterback battle ease in and when you look at their schedule there's a chance this team just floats to 12 and0 there's going to be tough games they got to play the Brawl Of course that they got to go through the Big Sky they'll probably drop one but they have the ability to win every game there's a really talented team there I I don't know if there's a there's a chance they could be back in Frisco again I I think they deserve to be number two if somebody has them three I'm okay with that but I I think they deserve the number two ranking coming in the season I think the question is going to be if they're undefeated they're undefeated that's fine I think the question at the end of the year is going to be pretty simple when we're going to the playoff seeds this is crazy in the preseason but it is what it is I think the question will be do you take a one loss Montana team and do you put them above a two loss SDSU or NDSU and one of those two losses is to col you know it's either Colorado or Oklahoma State so it's an FBS loss based off that who is the one NDSU or SDSU could be the one right yeah those they was I think that in that instance I think they'd still be the one at Montana would be the two so that's the thing is like do you have to travel to Grizz or do you have to travel to the Fargo dorm or to brookens which when these teams are this close and you go to two overtimes it might just be the home environment impacts so yeah it's going to be fun number one of course here is South Dakota right South no South Dakota State the Jacko State yep and uh an incredible cast of crew still coming back and that guy correct yeah I mean Mark Mark granowski is back I mean you could go full stop right there but they got Gus biller they got Amar Johnson they got Griffin wild they got Adam B they got Tucker large they got Dallas Beaman so you know here's my hot take that just because I feel like ring people up so back in the Co in 2020 a lot of people are saying Sam Houston State gets an astris because not everybody played it was a weird season right yep so should South Dakota State have an astris for last year because all of those guys should have already graduated oh yeah wait just saying yeah I know just settle down guys I mean it's it's that's not against SDSU it's against the mentality only partially true but you know it's it's tongue and cheek I I got a rout people up yep but yes but to that point a lot of guys have moved on a lot of guys have moved on to the NFL they still got a lot of seniors they still got a lot of talent they still and they're so happy they still have Mark granowski they should be I I think he made the right decision because he's going to be better off excelling at South Dakota State than playing at Northwestern which he could have still gone somewhere like that and I say Northwestern because that's where he's from where everybody thought he was GNA go he would have been fine but he's Gonna Shine he's got a chance to win back-to-back Walter Payton Awards uh he's got some more zip on the ball he's hit the weight weight room apparently he's he's you know working on his accuracy which has always been a thing he was pretty good threw a really bad interception in the national championship game that soon as it left his hand I think all of us sitting where we were it was yep but he persevered through that he played great he was the most outstanding player of that game as he should be he's the best player in the FCS they're the best team in the FCS Rogers is an excellent coach there's no nowhere else to put them they're the number one team in the country and I don't always adhere to the the team that ws number one until they lose but that's got to be the case here and even if they lose to Oklahoma State unless India U beats Colorado I don't see how you move them off of this line for that game yeah no not for the FBS loss and stealing Sam herder's words from hero Sports uh eight of their top 13 tacklers are returning on this team um I know they're losing people but just read there you're like holy moly um they're gonna have a great running back my exactor running back two years ago NDSU SDSU in the natti Omar Johnson he's going to be a freak um and then of course you got Mark gronowski he's going to make the other guys there and they've been building the offensive line the depth just like NDSU does they'll turn those hogs out so South Dakota State's going to be just as vicious as they were before the question is really going to be the LA the finale episode for us for season seven in January was a bisen bunny bout in 20124 uh I think they're both going to walk into Fargo with an FBS loss personally and I think that game is going to determine an absolute ton so uh not going to make that prediction now but that's going to be a big deal so yeah it's going to be big SDSU will be in the top 10 ASO the Grizz asell NDSU this is the end of the year I like your V NOA pick yeah oh you did four and a half four and a half yeah I mean I think I think Montana state with the new seating and everything I'm gonna go I'll go oh man I want to Jeepers I'm gonna go over just because I like you I'm gonna go over that's hard I I wish I could pick it feels like it's gonna be four or five it feels like it's gonna be four or five that's a really good line and and and that's okay because number eight might wind up number 11 or 12 and you're still okay yeah that's that's good dude that's that's that's high quality stuff okay well I'll mark those Taco bets down for the Taco King and we'll get those rolling yeah Jamie Williams I just again I it's just so impressive to me that somebody would take this time for any league in anywhere and do this kind of research if you made it through this Finale/Outro whole podcast which you're crazy if you did um just the knowledge that you've given me tonight and anybody who listened to this they're going to walk in their tailgate circles and someone will say something stupid or just like uneducated and you have given them ammo to just come in hot about a player or a reason and uh I'm excited to see how this plays out for you so uh I mean what do you think how how how do you feel like the season's going to go for you with with your 127 R Kids uh obviously uh the way they started is exactly how they're going to finish I I think I I'm I'm comfortable with where everybody's starting yeah and it's based off of what we know right now things happen players you know had gotten better than you realized people underperform people that did great last year aren't as good and the opposite injuries there's so many variables it it's going to change you got to start somewhere and this is where I'm starting uh I'm happy with any of the feedback of course I know I'm going to get a lot of I can't believe you have this team ranked here guess what it's their team every time it's their team that I'm I'm sleeping on and that's okay you're supposed to support your team I'll give you my reasonings you can give me yours that's fine you you convince me I can be convinced and we'll see the games are going to matter I I don't just you know that just because I've got them here doesn't mean I'm right I'm more than happy to take a team from 70 to to five at the end of the year absolutely yeah that's what they'll be yeah nobody's going to be perfect with this stuff predictions are there's no way and the person people come out at you at the end of the year they're like I told you this okay you told me in week 11 when we knew everything about everything that was happening but congratulations on going out uh no man very impressive work you've just made it so much more educated for the FCS Kyler will listen to this and he'll actually maybe know what he's talking about just a little bit facts are hard for him he'll uh he'll talk his trash like he does and that's okay that's what I want him to do we we love him for it that's why that's why we like them yep I agree everybody needs to heal well if you want to hang out with the admins more you want to hang out more on our podcast get your questions in early don't forget to look for the uh links for FCS gold more information coming on that but the patreon is up so if you're ready to be part of the uh the elite group for FCS fans we'd love to have you there besides that Jamie that will end our season one pilot EP I'm sorry Season 8 Episode One the pilot episode and do you have any final words before we we are off this weekend but next weekend after that we're going to return into normal format about top 25 and preseason questions for all the fans to ask yeah do you have any parted words here as we let people bask in this baby yeah next week we'll take the week off because you know I'm a redneck and I'm going to the Nascar race week after we like you said we'll we'll start with the questions and end of that week we've got football we got football baby that week There's of intriguing games I'm looking forward to it I'm I'm really looking forward to my trip to Utah I'm really looking forward to that uh it's going to be a lot of fun um but I'm just looking forward to seeing a lot of FCS football F FBS football I've still got my season tickets to JMU but I'll juggle it all we'll get it done we'll release a top 25 every week this whole ranking will be posted tomorrow some at some point I would needed to get through this episode so people could listen then we'll put it out top 25 is out that for the uh poll so we'll see what mine looks like versus it I'd love to hear all the feedback good bad and different I I'm a big boy I'll argue with you I'll tell you why I think what I what I think but just make sure you have a reason absolutely make sure you have a reason and we can understand anything so appreciate everybody for listening to the FCS fans Nation Podcast we cannot do this without you we look forward to another incredible year of football of all the fun things that are coming down the line you know all those Traditions are going to happen just like you expect them from the last seven seasons season 8 is underway Jamie take us out my man you earn the title hey you know there's only one word left to say boom thank you for listening to the FCS fans Nation Podcast make sure to like And subscribe to this podcast on your preferred listening platform whether it's Apple Spotify Google or even YouTube and make sure to follow our FCS fans Nation social media pages on Facebook Twitter and Instagram thank you for listening to the premier podcast for FCS football Bo Allison literally texts me this are you telling us are you telling us to be quiet when I was banging the hammer for the Montana flag I said' I am not she said oh we heard knocking and I thought it was you saying to be quiet