Sporting News 2009 Preview: FCS edition

[wkuhillhound]

Sporting News predicts what will be a Richmond Spiders repeat national championship season. Here are their Top 25:

1) Richmond
2) Appalachian State
3) Villanova
4) Northern Iowa
5) Montana
6) Southern Illinois
7) Weber State
8) New Hampshire
9) Elon
10) James Madison
11) Central Arkansas
12) William & Mary
13) Eastern Washington
14) Maine
15) Cal Poly
16) Massachusetts
17) Montana State
18) Wofford
19) McNeese State
20) Georgia Southern
21) Northern Arizona
22) Colgate
23) Samford
24) Jacksonville State
25) South Carolina State

Conference Predictions:
Big Sky
1) Montana
2) Weber State
3) Eastern Washington
4) Montana State
5) Northern Arizona
6) Portland State
7) Northern Colorado
8) Sacramento State
9) Idaho State

Big South
1) Liberty
2) Coastal Carolina
3) Gardner-Webb
4) Stony Brook
5) VMI
6) Charleston Southern
7) Presbyterian

Colonial/North
1) New Hampshire
2) Maine
3) Massachusetts
4) Hofstra
5) Rhode Island
6) Northeastern
South
1) Richmond
2) Villanova
3) James Madison
4) William & Mary
5) Delaware
6) Towson

Great West
1) Cal Poly
2) UC Davis
3) North Dakota
4) South Dakota
5) Southern Utah

Ivy League
1) Harvard
2) Penn
3) Yale
4) Brown
5) Princeton
6) Columbia
7) Cornell
8) Dartmouth

MEAC
1) South Carolina State
2) Florida A&M
3) Bethune-Cookman
4) Hampton
5) Norfolk State
6) Morgan State
7) Delaware State
8) North Carolina A&T
9) Howard

Missouri Valley
1) Northern Iowa
2) Southern Illinois
3) Western Illinois
4) South Dakota State
5) North Dakota State
6) Youngstown State
7) Missouri State
8) Illinois State
9) Indiana State

Northeast
1) Albany
2) Monmouth
3) Sacred Heart
4) Central Connecticut State
5) Robert Morris
6) Wagner
7) Duquesne
8) St. Francis (PA)

Ohio Valley
1) Jacksonville State
2) Tennessee-Martin
3) Eastern Kentucky
4) Murray State
5) Eastern Illinois
6) Tennessee State
7) Austin Peay
8) Southeast Missouri State
9) Tennessee Tech

Patriot League
1) Colgate
2) Holy Cross
3) Lafayette
4) Lehigh
5) Fordham
6) Bucknell
7) Georgetown

Pioneer
1) Jacksonville
2) Dayton
3) San Diego
4) Drake
5) Butler
6) Morehead State
7) Davidson
8) Valparaiso
9) Campbell
10) Marist

SoCon
1) Appalachian State
2) Elon
3) Wofford
4) Georgia Southern
5) Samford
6) Furman
7) The Citadel
8) Western Carolina
9) Chattanooga

Southland
1) Central Arkansas
2) McNeese State
3) Texas State
4) Northwestern State
5) Nicholls State
6) Southeastern Louisiana
7) Stephen F. Austin
8) Sam Houston State

SWAC/East
1) Jackson State
2) Alabama A&M
3) Alabama State
4) Mississippi Valley State
5) Alcorn State
West
1) Grambling State
2) Prairie View A&M
3) Southern
4) Arkansas-Pine Bluff
5) Texas Southern

[andy7171]

Delaware fans aren't going to like this one bit!



...Oh wait wrong site! Nothing to see here!

[JALMOND]

For as improved as the Big Sky is this year compounded with the retirement of Mouse Davis at Portland State, I cannot see the Vikings being any higher than eighth in the Big Sky. I am hoping to be "pleasantly" surprised but right now I cannot place the Vikings higher than eighth.

[grizzaholic]

It is just amazing that Montana is 5th every year in every preseason poll.

[slycat]

UCA too high again. Texas St needs to be ranked.

[Ursus A. Horribilis]

Looks pretty good to me. It's mostly guessing at this point and those don't look too bad. Losing a few key parts of our offense like we did I think that 5 is about right and maybe a little high even by a spot or two.

[Wildcat Ryan]

Hmmmm, yeah this is pretty accurate, and I can see the logic behind putting UM ahead of Weber, I mean UM does get Weber, Eastern And Portland at home, and Weber has to play at UM, Eastern and Portland. Its going to be tough for the Wildcats to pull those games off.

But Weber can do it go Wildcats.

[CSUBUCDAD]

I hope the "experts" keep overlooking the Bucs. Maybe we can sneak up on Liberty this year and surprise a few folks. I am telling you the Bucs will be very very much improved this season. Just wait folks. No more pass happy offense if Mills goes the direction he appeared to be going during spring training.

[Cap'n Cat]

In 2008, UNI overperformed. In 2009, they win it all, finally. Fuck you if you disagree.

[skinny_uncle]

In 2008, UNI overperformed. In 2009, they win it all, finally. **** you if you disagree.

[frinq]

Jalmond, I asume you have a tongue in cheek when you pick PSU for 8th. We win only one conference game? We win at least three - Idaho State, Sac State, Easten Washington (gulp) and have a good chance at two more - Northern Col. and Montana State. I'm comfortable with 5th or 6th. But I may have to eat my words - Glanville is taking a helluva long time to appoint an offensive coordinator.

[Ursus A. Horribilis]

Jalmond, I asume you have a tongue in cheek when you pick PSU for 8th. We win only one conference game? We win at least three - Idaho State, Sac State, Easten Washington (gulp) and have a good chance at two more - Northern Col. and Montana State. I'm comfortable with 5th or 6th. But I may have to eat my words - Glanville is taking a helluva long time to appoint an offensive coordinator.

It could happen that way but Eastern, and Sac. State are not givens this year in my mind unless Sac's defense really falls off. MSU may be pretty tough one and NC may be on the rise but they will probably struggle with the good offensive teams in the conference.

[SDHornet]

Jalmond, I asume you have a tongue in cheek when you pick PSU for 8th. We win only one conference game? We win at least three - Idaho State, Sac State, Easten Washington (gulp) and have a good chance at two more - Northern Col. and Montana State. I'm comfortable with 5th or 6th. But I may have to eat my words - Glanville is taking a helluva long time to appoint an offensive coordinator.

It could happen that way but Eastern, and Sac. State are not givens this year in my mind unless Sac's defense really falls off. MSU may be pretty tough one and NC may be on the rise but they will probably struggle with the good offensive teams in the conference.

We graduated all of our LB's and I am not sure who we have to fill the void. I know we landed a top LB recruit from a JC but I'm not so sure about the other LB spots. Our secondary was weak defending the pass last year but we return most if not all of the starters so I hope they will improve with experience gained from last year. The D-line returns quite a bit of starters as well so we will need good solid play from them to steady the defense.
We knocked off Portland State at home last year and I am hoping that we can do it on the road this year. It will almost be a must win seeing as Sac State will have to play @Weber State and vs Montana shortly after the PSU game.

[Ursus A. Horribilis]

It could happen that way but Eastern, and Sac. State are not givens this year in my mind unless Sac's defense really falls off. MSU may be pretty tough one and NC may be on the rise but they will probably struggle with the good offensive teams in the conference.

We graduated all of our LB's and I am not sure who we have to fill the void. I know we landed a top LB recruit from a JC but I'm not so sure about the other LB spots. Our secondary was weak defending the pass last year but we return most if not all of the starters so I hope they will improve with experience gained from last year. The D-line returns quite a bit of starters as well so we will need good solid play from them to steady the defense.
We knocked off Portland State at home last year and I am hoping that we can do it on the road this year. It will almost be a must win seeing as Sac State will have to play @Weber State and vs Montana shortly after the PSU game.

I've noticed Sac's D getting consistently better but if they take a step back this year then that's not gonna bode well for them.

[SDHornet]

We graduated all of our LB's and I am not sure who we have to fill the void. I know we landed a top LB recruit from a JC but I'm not so sure about the other LB spots. Our secondary was weak defending the pass last year but we return most if not all of the starters so I hope they will improve with experience gained from last year. The D-line returns quite a bit of starters as well so we will need good solid play from them to steady the defense.
We knocked off Portland State at home last year and I am hoping that we can do it on the road this year. It will almost be a must win seeing as Sac State will have to play @Weber State and vs Montana shortly after the PSU game.

I've noticed Sac's D getting consistently better but if they take a step back this year then that's not gonna bode well for them.

I agree.