FCS football playoffs

Quarterfinals are here.

Friday: Sam Houston State at Montana State, 8 pm ET, ESPN2

Saturday: Georgia Southern at Old Dominion, 12 pm ET, ESPN2

Wofford at North Dakota State, 3 pm ET, ESPN3

Illinois State at Eastern Washington, 6 pm ET, ESPN 3

 

I'm taking Montana State, Old Dominion, North Dakota State and Illinois State to advance.

 

Sam Houston's speed giving Montana State a lot of problems. Up 20-3 at half.

 

I don't know the semifinal pairings but if they aren't on the same side of the bracket I expect Sam & NDSU will meet in the championship game again.

 

SHSU is the first semifinalist. I will take Eastern Washington (2010 champ) over Illinois State.

Other side, I'll take Georgia Southern over Old Dominion and North Dakota St. over Wofford.

 

Old Dominion's Taylor Heinecke is pretty impressive.

 

I like the playoff format. This was what I suggested for I-A years ago.

Now, the idea of expanding to 24 teams is a little troubling. Only eight teams will have byes, meaning for plenty of teams, getting to the championship game would mean 16 games. That's far too many. Either cut a regular-season game or limit the playoffs to four rounds.

 

Took 'em a while, but ODU is starting to figure out the Georgia Southern option attack.

 

I'll be rooting for the Terriers.

 

Old Dominion giving this away. Up 35-21, fumble in the red zone and GS goes 80-something yards to score.

Tied at 35, ODU goes on 4th-and-6 at its own 39 and doesn't get it. Defense is gassed by this time (GS has over 550 rushing yards) and GS scores in four plays to take a 42-35 lead with 2:36 left.