FCS Playoffs in Spring 2021

[gofurman]

We are both open on April 10 so make your plans for Chucktown that weekend. That gives us three SoCon road games in a row late in the season and we lose our open date before Woffy.

I realize that we always want to beat the Citadel, but this year in particular I'd love to stomp a mudhole in them.

say what you will, I wanted that open date before Woffy. I did the digging once and we did have a better than average run after open dates - sure, we lost some and won some.. but the average was definitely in favor of wanting it. Guys heal up, you can throw in a new play or two... look at 2018. We got whooped by Elon, lost the next game to ETSU, edged out Western (we were not playing well).. took an off week and killed Wofford ! I realize we can all find data to support a given point but one time a year or two ago I looked at a 5 or 10 year sample and in FCS we played well after off weeks

I fully admit that in 2019 the off-week sucked as we returned to play that horrible Citadel game

But 2018 was the great Woffy killing above. 2017 was the way easier than expected killin' of Citadel after the bye week - 56-20 !!! So in the last 3 years that's an "upset" of #4 Wofford (we were the underdog). A 36 point destruction of Citadel (we were not supposed to win that easy) .. and last years loss to Citadel.

So in CCH tenure we are basically 2 "outperforms" and 1 "underperform" off a bye week.

Anyway, I ain't skeered but Citadel should have not gotten that waiver.

[dornb]

We are both open on April 10 so make your plans for Chucktown that weekend. That gives us three SoCon road games in a row late in the season and we lose our open date before Woffy.

I thought we originally had the Citadel game scheduled for February 27th. Wouldn't the game be put back on that date?

[gofurman]

We are both open on April 10 so make your plans for Chucktown that weekend. That gives us three SoCon road games in a row late in the season and we lose our open date before Woffy.

I thought we originally had the Citadel game scheduled for February 27th. Wouldn't the game be put back on that date?

maybe someone know more than me (that's for sure) but the sched now has Citadel v Mercer on Feb 27-

https://soconsports.com/calendar.aspx?path=football

I hope you are right as I would rather the open week later

[FUBeAR]

Close enough to the title/topic of this thread...since B-C is still in the MEAC & the MEAC is taking an Auto-Bid this year.

https://hbcugameday.com/2020/10/26/bet ... 21-sports/

https://hbcugameday.com/2020/10/26/bet ... usel-49920 - link to President’s letter...I think

Bethune-Cookman will not compete in 2020-21 sports

Bethune-Cookman University has decided it will not compete in sports this spring. That includes men and women’s basketball as well as football.

Bethune-Cookman University will not compete in any athletics activity during the 2020-21 school year.

The school announced on Monday that it is forgoing all spring athletic competition, including football as well as men’s and women’s basketball.

A letter from the office of President, Dr. E. LeBrent Chrite, cited COVID-19 concerns as his reason for shutting down athletics through the spring.

“The recent spike in COVID-19 positivity rates in the state, across Volusia County and on our campus provides clear and unambiguous evidence, in our view, that now is simply not the time to resume athletic competition,” he wrote in a statement.

Bethune-Cookman made news earlier this year when it decided to move to the SWAC on July 1, 2021. It was scheduled to compete in its final year as a member of the MEAC during the 2020-21 season.

Just last week the MEAC released its 2021 spring football schedule. BCU was scheduled to play North Carolina Central and South Carolina State as well as double-dipping against North Carolina A&T and Florida A&M.

Add Hampton to the list of schools bailing out on a Spring Football season...

[apaladin]

Certainly no big loss.

[Roundball]

Certainly no big loss.

Say that to the young men that love to play the game of college football. It’s a huge loss to them and the coaching staff. It’s also a huge loss to the community.

[apaladin]

Certainly no big loss.

Say that to the young men that love to play the game of college football. It’s a huge loss to them and the coaching staff. It’s also a huge loss to the community.

Apparently their administration doesn’t care about all that. If I were a HU player I’d be in the transfer portal NOW.

[The Jackal]

With at large spots available for the spring, I assume they are going to do a top 25 ranking. It will probably look a bit like the FBS rankings - a constantly changing hodgepodge of teams with unbalanced schedules.

As it relates to Furman, we were going to start this fall ranked somewhere in the mid-teens, which seemed fair.

Looking at the top 25, though:
#1 NDSU will play without a number of their key players from last year due to draft and transfers
#2 UNI same
#11 Central Arkansas won't play in the spring
#12 Sacramento State won't play in the spring
#21 Citadel already has four losses - I doubt they'll be ranked.
#25 Towson won't be playing

[AstroDin]

With at large spots available for the spring, I assume they are going to do a top 25 ranking. It will probably look a bit like the FBS rankings - a constantly changing hodgepodge of teams with unbalanced schedules.

As it relates to Furman, we were going to start this fall ranked somewhere in the mid-teens, which seemed fair.

Looking at the top 25, though:
#1 NDSU will play without a number of their key players from last year due to draft and transfers
#2 UNI same
#11 Central Arkansas won't play in the spring
#12 Sacramento State won't play in the spring
#21 Citadel already has four losses - I doubt they'll be ranked.
#25 Towson won't be playing

Jackal, I was wondering the same thing > my guess is #12

[The Jackal]

We will need to win the SoCon auto. There just aren't going to be enough ranked teams for us to beat to recover from a dud game.

There's some chance we could get a sneak in at large bid, but the odds are high those bids will go to the CAA/MVFC/Big Sky teams.

We may need to win a beauty contest with some BCS-era shelackings.

[The Jackal]

Has anyone read anything about how this may impact the 2021 fall season?

I do not know what has been stated, but it would seem likely that the NCAA will put in some restrictions for FCS teams given the number of games that may be played in a calendar year (8+ in the spring plus x in the fall). As constructed, the FCS season will, for some teams, run into May.

In theory, the NCAA permits FCS teams to play a maximum of 17 games in some seasons. That would include a 12 game season plus 5 potential playoff games. Furman could play a maximum of 12 this spring (8 games + 4 playoff). Would they allow another 11 in the fall? Will it be a modified "conference only" schedule? Do we need "money games"?

[apaladin]

Not sure but I think it is an academic calendar year not a calendar year. Thus Citadel would not have needed a waiver. Only 4 teams will play past May 1st. Yes by all means Furman needs the money games.

[The Jackal]

Interesting writeup on the cancellation of Clemson's game against Florida State.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/s ... g-pandemic

I realize there are differing opinions about the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic or whether Furman and the SoCon were correct in their decisions this fall. Regardless of one's personal feelings, it is clear that those in charge of sports at the highest levels take this seriously.

Reading this, though, underscores to me why so many FCS programs opted out this fall. I'm not sure many programs, Furman included, could have endured a similar situation from a financial perspective - to essentially eat the cost of taking an entire football team and staff on the road to see the game canceled at the 11th hour would be incredibly difficult to bounce back from.

[Davemeister]

Next time these two programs meet, I feel sorry for the 'Noles.

[apaladin]

Next time these two programs meet, I feel sorry for the 'Noles.

I agree. The cancellation was ridiculous! Two hours before kickoff? No evidence of transmission in a game, player had been sent home. Did not follow ACC protocol. How did they get away with it? Games have proceeded with much worse. If everyone did like FSU there would be/will be very few games. Not a CU fan but I would not let up and beat them as bad as I could.