Automatic Bids
Sam Houston (ASUN-WAC)
Montana St. (Big Sky)
Kennesaw St. (Big South)
James Madison (CAA)
N. Dakota St. (MVFC)
Bryant (NEC)
UT-Martin (OVC)
Holy Cross (Patriot)
Davidson (Pioneer)
Mercer (Southern)
SE Louisiana (Southland)
At-Large Bids
ETSU (7-1)
E. Washington (7-1)
Incarnate Word (7-1)
Missouri St. (5-3)
Montana (6-2)
N. Iowa (5-3)
Sacramento St. (6-2)
South Dakota (5-3)
South Dakota St. (6-2)
S. Illinois (6-2)
UC Davis (7-1)
Villanova (6-2)
William & Mary (6-2)
Bubble Burst
VMI (6-2)
E. Kentucky (6-2)
Chattanooga (5-3)
Monmouth (5-3)
Next Four Out
Fordham (5-3)
Weber St. (4-4)
Elon (4-4)
C. Arkansas (4-4)
At-Large Breakdown
MVFC (5)
Big Sky (4)
Colonial (2)
Southern (1)
Southland (1)
About
Since its inception in 2008, NoBowls has correctly predicted 226 of the 240 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: Week 9
Posted Monday, November 1, 2021 9:12 PM ET
Week 9: Better Late Than Never!
*taps mic* This thing on?
Quick Notes
- Sam Houston has stregth of schedule working against them, but I have them holding onto the top spot for now. NDSU lurking.
- The top of the bubble is super tight. VMI was very tough to leave out. EKU is right there, too.
- Many key games to watch this weekend: Missouri State at Southern Illinois, VMI at ETSU, North Dakota State at South Dakota State, SE Louisiana at Incarnate Word, Montana State at Eastern Washington
Breaking It Down
Selecting the Field
Every week's bracket is based on an "If the season ended today" mindset. The 10 automatic bids are just that: automatic. Whichever team is atop the standings of each of the 10 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 6 bids, the at-large selections, are simply the teams I believe to be the best remaining in the country.
The Pairings
All match-ups in these brackets are my best attempts at mimicking what the committee would do with the chosen 16 teams while adhering to these rules:
- Seeding the top four teams and spacing them accordingly across the bracket
- Avoiding first round match-ups with teams from the same conference that have played each other in the regular season
- Creating geographically-friendly match-ups using the announced approved host institutions
"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.