Automatic Bids

E. Washington (Big Sky)

Liberty (Big South)

New Hampshire (CAA)

Morgan St. (MEAC)

North Dakota St. (MVFC)

Sacred Heart (NEC)

Jacksonville St. (OVC)

Fordham (Patriot)

San Diego (Pioneer)

Chattanooga (Southern)

Sam Houston St. (Southland)

At-Large Bids

Coastal Carolina (11-1)

E. Kentucky (9-3)

Illinois St. (10-1)

Indiana St. (7-5)

James Madison (9-3)

Montana (8-4)

Montana St. (8-4)

Northern Iowa (8-4)

SE Louisiana (9-3)

South Dakota St. (8-4)

Stephen F. Austin (8-4)

Villanova (10-2)

UR/W&M Winner (8-4)

Bubble Burst

Youngstown St. (7-5)

Idaho St. (8-4)

Cal Poly (7-5)

Bethune-Cookman (9-3)

Next Four Out

Bryant (8-3)

North Carolina A&T (8-3)

UR/W&M Loser (7-5)

Central Arkansas (6-6)

At-Large Breakdown

Missouri Valley (4)

Colonial (3)

Big Sky (2)

Southland (2)

Big South (1)

Ohio Valley (1)

Past Brackets

Week 12

Week 11

Week 10

Week 9

Week 8

Week 7

Week 6

About

Since its inception in 2008, NoBowls has correctly predicted 129 of the 136 teams selected to participate in the FCS postseason. Resident bracketologist Erik Pitzer strives to provide weekly bias-free predictions heavily rooted in the same criteria set forth by the NCAA selection guidelines.

The Bracket: Final Bracket

Posted November 22, 2014 9:07 PM EST

Week 13: The Final Bracket

That's all, folks. Tune in to ESPNU at 11:00 AM EST Sunday morning to see the unveiling of the real thing!

Quick Notes

• Montana finished a shaky season with a statement win over rival Montana State to earn an at-large bid.
• A blocked field goal in the final seconds gave Liberty the Big South auto-bid and their first ever FCS postseason appearance.
• Editor's note: At the time of publish, Richmond leads William & Mary 20-17 at halftime.

Breaking It Down

Selecting the Field
Every week's bracket is based on an "If the season ended today" mindset. The 11 automatic bids are just that: automatic. Whichever team is atop the standings of each of the 11 auto-bid conferences at the end of the week receives a bid. Expectedly, teams on top of conference standings early in the season often are not in the same spot come Selection Sunday. The other 13 bids, the at-large selections, are simply the teams I believe to be the best remaining in the country. Keep in mind again this is not a prediction of what I think the brackets will look like in late November, but rather a collection of deserving teams week to week.

The Pairings
All first and second round match-ups in these brackets are my best attempts at mimicking what the committee would do with the chosen 24 teams while adhering to these rules:

• Seeding the top eight teams and spacing them accordingly across the bracket
• Avoiding first round match-ups with teams from the same conference
• Creating geographically-friendly match-ups that follow the NCAA's 400-mile limitations when possible
• Giving home field advantage to schools that historically have made winning bids

"This is garbage..."

Comments? I'm itching to hear your praise/raging hatred. Sound off to erik@nobowls.com and let me know what's on your mind.