With one DI-A game this weekend various sorts of playoffs, I figured I would go ahead and write up a post for this weekend.
As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.
Friday
8:00: William & Mary @ Villanova (ESPN2): I’ll still refrain from making predictions about the DI-AA playoffs because, again, I don’t really know enough. At any rate, this semi-final is a rematch of two CAA divisional foes. Villanova won the first meeting in October 18-17, and both teams sport DI-A victories this season. And, hey, it’s Friday night – it’s not like anything else is on.
Saturday
1:00: Grand Valley State vs. Northwest Missouri State (@Florence, AL; ESPN2): This is for all the Division II marbles, folks. NW Missouri State is, from what I can tell, the Buffalo Bills of Division II – they’ve reached the title game four straight years and lost each time. This game is also a rematch of the 2005 and 2006 games.
2:00: Alabama A&M vs. Priarie View A&M (@Birmingham, AL; ESPN Classic): It’s the SWAC title game! Why the SWAC has a title game, I have no idea, but there you go!
2:30: Navy vs. Army (@Philadelphia, PA; CBS): Before the start of the UGA game a few weeks ago, my Dad said to my brother and I, “I guess I should be as nervous about Army-Navy as you guys are about this game,” or something to that effect. And indeed, Army fans haven’t had a whole to to cheer about lately. This is the first year they’ve even sniffed .500 since 1996, and they haven’t beaten Navy since 2001. And it’s not just to the losing to Navy over that span – the games haven’t really even been competitive, with an average score of Navy 39.14 and Army 10.14. Even though Navy is in a relative “down year” by their recently lofty standards, it’s difficult to pick against them.
4:00: Appalachian State @ Montana (ESPN): It’s the last game of the day, and it’s more DI-AA semi-final action. Montana is the number one overall seed and hasn’t lost since last year’s DI-AA title game, while Appy State has won three of the last four championships. This should be a good one.
Coming up next week, bowl predictions!
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