Monday links, New FCS top 25

OK, a couple of explanations of where I have a few of the teams.

* Richmond. I completely understand how good the Spiders’ losses are. But at some point, you have to reward wins. Otherwise Albany would be in the Top 25. The Great Danes have a lot of “great losses,” but you’ve got to win some of those games. Same goes with Georgia Southern. Richmond’s loss to Villanova looks better than it was because the Spiders scored a touchdown with less than two minutes left to cut the lead to 26-20. The loss to JMU was a heartbreaker, but it was a home loss. A team with three losses in seven games is not one of the top 10 teams in the country.

* The San Diego/Sacred Heart problem. Both teams are unbeaten. Both teams have played no one. I realize some people say the same thing about Liberty, but the Flames have at least played four unranked teams that offer the full allotment of scholarships. Non-scholarship football is just a different level than the rest of FCS. And I’m convinced Western Carolina, the eighth-best team in the SoCon, would go at least 10-2 against San Diego’s schedule. Dayton and UC Davis of course would give WCU some problems. I’m not sure you could say the same thing about Western Carolina in regards to Liberty’s schedule, which looks a little worse for the wear because Youngstown State continues to struggle. It hasn’t helped that the Penguins have lost about a third of their team to injury or defection this year, including two quarterbacks, an All-American defensive end and two standout defensive backs.

* Texas State. The Bobcats were the last team out. The win at McNeese was the shocker of the week, but I’m not ready to forgive Texas State for the home loss to Southern Utah yet.

Anyway, on the rankings:

1. JAMES MADISON (6-1)
Last week: beat No. 7 Richmond, 38-31
The scoop: Dukes beat Richmond on Scotty McGee’s walk-off punt return. Wow.
Next up: Oct. 25 at No. 3 Villanova (4-1).

2. APPALACHIAN STATE (4-2)
Last week: beat Samford, 35-24
The scoop: Armanti Edwards - 370 total yards, 3 pass TDs, 1 run TD at Samford.
Next up: Oct. 18 at Georgia Southern (3-3).

3. VILLANOVA (4-1)
Last week: Idle
The scoop: Wildcats best not be looking ahead to Oct. 25 clash with No. 1 JMU.
Next up: Oct. 18 at Rhode Island (2-5).

4. CAL POLY (3-1)
Last week: Idle
The scoop: Could a top-5 team be eliminated from the playoff race this week? Mustangs must beat SDSU, or getting to seven DI wins will be very difficult.
Next up: Oct. 18 at No. 20 South Dakota State (3-3).

5. ELON (6-1)
Last week: beat The Citadel, 27-23
The scoop: Pete Lembo’s crew battles from behind to beat mentor Kevin Higgins and the Bulldogs.
Next up: Oct. 18 at Chattanooga (1-6).

6. MONTANA (5-1)
Last week: beat Eastern Washington, 19-3
The scoop: Just when everyone had counted Montana out, the Griz hold the Eagles to three points and eliminate Eastern from contention for an at-large playoff bid.
Next up: Oct. 18 vs. Sacramento State (3-3).

7. NORTHERN IOWA (4-2)
Last week: beat Illinois State, 31-17
The scoop: Only one tough road game left for Panthers—Nov. 1 at Western Illinois.
Next up: Oct. 18 vs. North Dakota State (3-3).

8. WOFFORD (4-1)
Last week: beat Chattanooga, 56-7
The scoop: Terriers rolled up 417 rushing yards against Chattanooga.
Next up: Oct. 18 vs. Western Carolina (2-5).

9. NEW HAMPSHIRE (4-1)
Last week: lost to William & Mary, 38-34
The scoop: Tribe outscored UNH 31-13 in second half.
Next up: Oct. 18 at Northeastern (2-4).

10. MASSACHUSETTS (4-2)
Last week: beat Northeastern, 28-24
The scoop: Minutemen could deal Spiders’ playoff hopes a devastating blow with a home win.
Next up: Oct. 18 vs. No. 12 Richmond (4-3).

11. CENTRAL ARKANSAS (5-1)
Last week: beat No. 23 Sam Houston State, 48-46
The scoop: Bears survive at home when Sam Houston’s late two-point conversion fails.
Next up: Oct. 18 at Texas State (4-2).

12. RICHMOND (4-3)
Last week: lost to No. 1 James Madison, 38-31
The scoop: Spiders still have UMass, William & Mary on road. Spiders may need to win out to secure a playoff bid.
Next up: Oct. 18 at No. 10 Massachusetts (4-2).

13. MCNEESE STATE (3-2)
Last week:lost to Texas State, 45-42
The scoop: Texas State led 45-20 with 12 minutes left. McNeese allowed 580 yards. Loser of McNeese-SHSU game likely eliminated from postseason talk.
Next up: Oct. 18 at No. 25 Sam Houston State (2-2).

14. WEBER STATE (4-2)
Last week: beat Montana State, 35-12
The scoop: Rare sweep of the Montana schools for Wildcats.
Next up: Oct. 18 vs. Northern Colorado (1-4).

15. LIBERTY (6-0)
Last week: beat Stony Brook, 33-0
The scoop: Seawolves never drove inside Liberty 23.
Next up: Oct. 18 vs. No. 23 Lafayette (4-1).

16. NORTHERN ARIZONA (5-1)
Last week: beat Portland State, 37-17
The scoop: Teams aren’t even trying to run on NAU. Of Portland State’s 20 carries for minus-14 yards, 14 were by quarterbacks.
Next up: Oct. 18 at Idaho State (0-6).

17. FURMAN (5-2)
Last week: beat Western Carolina, 28-21
The scoop: No freebies left on the slate for Furple—vs. The Citadel, at App, at Samford, vs. Georgia Southern, at Wofford.
Next up: Oct. 18 vs. The Citadel (3-3).

18. SOUTHERN ILLINOIS (3-2)
Last week: beat Indiana State, 60-7
The scoop: SIU led Sycamores 50-0 at halftime.
Next up: Oct. 18 at Youngstown State (2-5).

19. WESTERN ILLINOIS (4-2)
Last week: beat North Dakota State, 27-22
The scoop: WIU might have ended North Dakota State’s playoff hopes.
Next week: Oct. 18 vs. Indiana State (0-6).

20. SOUTH DAKOTA STATE (3-3)
Last week: Idle
The scoop: SDSU probably needs to win out to earn a playoff bid. It can essentially knock Cal Poly out of contention with a win this week.
Next up: Oct. 18 vs. No. 4 Cal Poly (3-1).

21. TENNESSEE STATE (5-1)
Last week: Idle
The scoop: Tigers’ season will likely be decided in two-game stretch—Nov. 8 vs. Eastern Illinois, Nov. 15 at Jacksonville State.
Next up: Oct. 18 vs. Austin Peay (0-6).

22. HARVARD (4-1)
Last week: beat Cornell, 38-17
The scoop: QB Chris Pizzotti efficient as Crimson knock off unbeaten Cornell (16 for 23, 281 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT)
Next up: Oct. 18 vs. Lehigh (2-3).

23. WILLIAM & MARY (3-2)
Last week: beat No. 4 New Hampshire, 38-34
The scoop: Comeback win at UNH has to count for something. Tribe proving to be a second-half team.
Next week: Oct. 18 at Delaware (2-4).

24. HAMPTON (4-1)
Last week: Idle
The scoop: QB Herbert Bynes solid in 2008 (60.8 completion percentage, 1,217 yards, 8 TD)
Next week: Oct. 18 vs. Norfolk State (2-4).

25. SAM HOUSTON STATE (2-2)
Last week: lost to No. 17 Central Arkansas, 48-46
The scoop: Bearkats racked up 575 yards of offense but lost to UCA.
Next up: Oct. 18 vs. No. 13 McNeese State (3-2).

DROPPED OUT: No. 15 North Dakota State, No. 21 Delaware, No. 24 Jacksonville State, No. 25 The Citadel.

ON THE RADAR (in no particular order): Prairie View A&M, Grambling, South Carolina State, Texas State, Yale, Lafayette.

***

Some Big South links:

Coastal Carolina’s loss at VMI was “a humbling deal,“ CCU coach David Bennett told the Sun News’ Travis Sawchik. The defeat was a total team effort, Sawchik writes. How bad would it have been had Howard Abegesah been able to play, Sawchik wonders.

VMI’s defense showed up Saturday, the Roanoke Times’ Katrina Waugh writes.

Charleston Southern survived five turnovers to win at Savannah State, the Post & Courier reports.

One funny headline—not on this story—read “Georgia Tech nearly chokes on its cupcake.“ That would be Gardner-Webb, of course, which was a missed field goal away from forcing overtime against the Rambling Wreck a week after losing to Charleston Southern. Hmm. Anyway, GT coach Paul Johnson didn’t know what to say after the game, the Gwinnett Daily Post reports. It was “a magical day“ GWU punter Michael Hanna told the Post. Bulldogs coach Steve Patton told the Atlanta Journal Constitution that GT probably didn’t take the Bulldogs as serious as they should have. Well, yeah.