We have gotten through the second round of the FCS Playoffs and are now at the Elite 8. I ended the first round of predictions with a 5-3 record, which you can see on the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sportscognition. The second round saw me finish with a record of 6-2. So now my record through this playoff is 11-5, which isn't too bad I guess. I really thought Fordham would beat New Hampshire, but I was proven wrong. I'm not afraid to admit when I'm wrong and it won't be the last time I'm wrong. If I was right all the time, I'd be placing bets instead of this. But, I really enjoy doing this and I love to watch the games. I've rambled on enough, so let's get to the predictions.
Tonight we start off the Elite 8 with Chattanooga vs New Hampshire.Chattanooga came off a good performance against Indiana State beating them 35-14, and are looking to keep that momentum going against New Hampshire. The Wildcats have other plans. New Hampshire had a dominating performance against Fordham beating them 44-19. This should be a game where both defenses will be put to the test. Key players to watch for both teams are Nico Steriti (RB-New Hampshire) and Jacob Huesman (QB-Chattanooga). Both guys are coming off great performances last week and should be the key factors for their teams. Chattanooga has the 5th best overall defense in the FCS and will look to take down New Hampshire. It will be a close one, but I think New Hampshire wins by a score of 32-31.
The rest of the games will be played on Saturday with the first game being Coastal Carolina vs North Dakota State. North Dakota State has been the king of the FCs for the last three years and don't show any signs of slowing down. Both of these teams have great offenses and stifling defenses. Coastal Carolina have a couple of running backs that the Bison will have to stop in order to win this game. The Bison however have been in this position before and have a great quarterback and receiver combination with Carson Wentz and RJ Urzendowski. This will be another close game with the North Dakota State Bison coming away with the win with a score of 27-26.
The second game of the day will be Sam Houston State vs Villanova. Sam Houston State will look to take to the sky against Villanova like they did last week against Jacksonville State. The Bearkats have a very good quarterback (Jared Johnson) and wide receiver (LaDarius Brown) combination. They both scored all of the team's 6 touchdowns last week. Villanova's defense is going to have to step up and stop the pass in order to win this game. I think the key to winning this game for the Wildcats is their quarterback, John Robertson, who scored three of Villanova's touchdowns against Liberty last week. I was surprised that Villanova had a hard time with Liberty, and I was also surprised that Sam Houston State beat Jacksonville State. Even though both teams had unexpected games last week, I still think Villanova will play better and get the win against the Bearkatz. Villanova wins by a score of 32-24.
The last game of the Elite 8 will be Illinois State vs Eastern Washington. Illinois State The Redbirds are coming off a 20 point victory against conference foe Northern Iowa last week. Tre Roberson (quarterback) went 22/33 for 382 yards, with 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. If the Eagles can't contain Roberson then it's going to be a long night for them. Eastern Washington had a very good game against a very tough Montana team. Vernon Adams Jr. had three touchdowns (2 passing, 1 rushing) with 1 interception. This will be a very fun game to watch, but I think that Illinois State's defense will be too much for Eastern Washington to handle. I think Illinois State wins by a score of 33-28.
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