Week 11 FCS Football Game Breakdowns

The season is coming to an end and that means the playoff races are heating up. Teams like Appalachian State are on the fence right now and are playing their last game of the regular season this week. A win against Furman would be huge for the Mountaineers. Out west the Big Sky title is still up for grabs. Northern Arizona can win the title if they win out. This week they host Southern Utah. Eastern ...

Can Football Sanctions Affect UNC Basketball?

I wish there was a study done on what affect NCAA sanctions and penalties have on a college’s athletic department. I don’t mean directly; obviously Penn State football is having trouble recruiting. But, for example, what about Penn State’s other sports, the ones not even involved with the infractions?

This past season, North ...

Oh to be One Again at NC State

North Carolina State has not finished first in the ACC since 1989. They have not won the conference tournament since 1987. In those years, the immortal Jim Valvano was head coach. Since Valvano’s departure, the Wolfpack have gone through three more coaches before landing on Mark Gottfried to start the 2011 season. Last season’s team made it all the way to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. No NC State team had ...

UCLA's Great Recruiting Class

Ben Howland came to UCLA nine years ago to bring the Bruins back to prominence. It took him just two seasons to get the team back to the NCAA Tournament. In his third year, Howland started a streak of three consecutive Final Four appearances:  quite a remarkable feat for the coach of any school not named UCLA. Since then, results have been a little spottier, either making the tournament but not advancing very ...

Week 10 FCS Football Game Breakdowns

It is another big week for teams hoping to reach the FCS Playoffs. With three weeks left in the regular season, some teams are in desperation mode. There are huge games all over the country with Appalachian State needing a win at Georgia Southern highlighting the bunch. Illinois State and Indiana State are both precariously hanging onto projected playoff spots right now, but the loser of that contest may be ...

Playoffs versus Polls - Week Nine

Thanks to the performances of South Carolina and West Virginia this past weekend, we have our final five pretty well set with roughly a month remaining in the regular season. A loss by anyone at this point would be cataclysmic. If a four-team playoff were pending, Florida would be in the worst shape with a (probable) upcoming matchup against Alabama in the SEC Championship. People have made their ...

Week 9 FCS Football Game Breakdowns

As the playoffs grow near, the picture appears to get murkier. But the games get even more exciting. This week the MVFC has a couple very interesting games. North Dakota State faces off against a red hot Southern Illinois squad, while Illinois State heads to UNI. The Panthers are out of the playoff picture, but they can help spoil Illinois State’s shot at a playoff berth. Out in Big Sky country, Cal Poly ...

P.J.’s Men’s Soccer Picks – Week 9

My pick for the game of the week is an obvious one, the battle between #1 Maryland and #2 North Carolina.  Not only are these two teams on top of the chart, they are both in the ACC. People have already claimed this to be the game of the season and I agree.

Maryland will stand undefeated with a ...

Week 8 FCS Football Game Breakdowns

Last weekend saw many top teams fall. Squads like Youngstown State, Montana State, Old Dominion and North Dakota State are all looking to rebound from week seven disappointment. The Penguins host a suddenly hot Southern Illinois team and they may take an epic fall down the rankings with another loss. Old Dominion will be tested again with a trip to Towson in one of many quality CAA matchups. The game of the ...

Week 7 FCS Football Game Breakdowns

The focus moves out West this week as Eastern Washington heads to Montana State in a top five battle. The winner will have an early leg up on the Big Sky title, but Cal Poly and Northern Arizona will not go away quietly either. Wofford and Georgia Southern square off in a top ten battle as well. The Terriers are the only undefeated team in Southern Conference play at 3-0, but a trip to Georgia Southern could ...