Automatic Bids

Montana St. (Big Sky)

Liberty (Big South)

Maine (CAA)

Norfolk St. (MEAC)

North Dakota St. (MVFC)

Albany (NEC)

Tennessee Tech (OVC)

Lehigh (Patriot)

Georgia Southern (Southern)

Sam Houston St. (Southland)

At-Large Bids

Appalachian St. (6-2)

Furman (5-3)

Illinois St. (6-3)

James Madison (5-3)

Montana (7-2)

New Hampshire (6-2)

Northern Iowa (6-2)

Old Dominion (7-2)

Towson (6-2)

Wofford (6-2)

Bubble Burst

Indiana St. (5-3)

Youngstown St. (5-3)

Jacksonville St. (5-3)

Samford (5-3)

Next Four Out

Cal Poly (5-3)

Central Arkansas (6-3)

The Citadel (4-4)

Eastern Kentucky (5-3)

Past Brackets

Week 8

Week 7

Week 6

Week 5

About

Since its inception in 2008, NoBowls has correctly predicted 51 of the 52 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 October 30, 2011 11:13 PM EST

Breaking It Down

Selecting the Field
Every week's bracket is based on an "If the season ended today" mindset. The ten automatic bids are just that: automatic. Whichever team is atop the standings of each of the ten 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 ten 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 20 teams while adhering to these rules:

• Seeding the top five teams and spacing them accordingly across the bracket
• Avoiding first round match-ups with teams from the same conference (Note: The round of 16 is now the "second round")
• 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.