FCS Football Talk

Sam reacts to the FCS playoff bracket, how it’s set up, and discusses the gripes he and some folks have before going through his bracket predictions for the later rounds.

Sam goes through the conferences and tries to break down the different playoff scenarios in each one as the final week of the regular season is here. The podcast is presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM. Visit https://herosports.com/ for FCS coverage and https://sports.betmgm.com/en/sports for online betting odds.

Sam is joined by the Division I Football Championship Committee chair Jermaine Truax to talk FCS playoffs. They discuss the selection process, including what committee members look at on resumes, how ranked wins are viewed, how FBS wins are evaluated, and how the seeds are ordered. They also discuss strength of schedule, losses, regionalization, why the committee is not doing an in-season rankings...

Sam plays back his Nuanez Now interview on ESPN Missoula talking about the FCS landscape. Colter Nuanez and Sam discuss some FCS storylines, including if the FCS championship race is as wide open as it currently seems. Based out of Montana, does Colter feel the Big Sky has a true title contender? Is this the best year to knock off NDSU? We discuss! The podcast is presented by HERO Sports and BetMG...

Sam breaks down the big wins by Chattanooga, Montana State, and Sac State. He also talks about the fallout of those games for the winners and losers. Plus, ESPN’s College GameDay is heading to Jackson State as part of an anticipated Week 9 of the season. The podcast is presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM. Visit https://herosports.com/ for FCS coverage and https://sports.betmgm.com/en/sports for on...

Sam discusses the big wins from Idaho, SDSU, and Rhode Island. He also talks about where Montana and NDSU go from here after suffering losses. Plus, how are the playoff races shaping up in the CAA and the SoCon? How did Sam order his Top 5? And what are the biggest games this upcoming week? The podcast is presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM. Visit https://herosports.com/ for FCS coverage and https...

Sam looks back at Week 6 with the 3 Game Balls and a Flag segment. He also highlights Weber State’s great start. Plus, Kennesaw State appears set to join the FBS. Is this another big blow to the FCS? And October has a number of high-profile matchups that will shake up the subdivision’s top tier. The podcast is presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM. Visit https://herosports.com/ for FCS coverage and...

Sam looks back at Week 5 with the 3 Game Balls and a Flag segment. He then dives into the national title picture. Who are the teams that are legitimately good enough to win a national title this season? And who is just outside of the top tier? The podcast is presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM. Visit https://herosports.com/ for FCS coverage and https://sports.betmgm.com/en/sports for online bettin...

Sam looks at some narratives and conclusions formed from Week 3 results and discusses what we actually learned and what we didn’t learn yet. Is Missouri State a legit title contender? Is Montana State overrated? Is NDSU vulnerable? Will the head coaching change result in ETSU struggles? Plus more. The podcast is presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM. Visit https://herosports.com/ for FCS coverage an...

Sam highlights the four FCS over FBS wins from Week 2, plus some other great victories. He then brings on BetMGM sports betting analyst Chase Kiddy to talk about the FCS betting market, including why FCS odds drop so late. The podcast ends with a look ahead to the top games in Week 3. The podcast is presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM. Visit https://herosports.com/ for FCS coverage and https://spo...

Week 1 featured a couple of FCS over FBS wins, several near wins, and some big FCS vs. FCS upsets. Sam recaps the weekend with the 3 Game Balls and a Flag segment, plus some additional thoughts, including strong showings from HBCU teams, and EWU and Montana possibly answering its QB questions. We end with some top games to watch in Week 2. The podcast is presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM. Visit...

Sam reacts to Week 0 with a couple of segments. He then discusses six teams that made the 2021 playoffs who will not make the 2022 bracket, and which six teams take those spots. And finally, what are the three most intriguing Week 1 games? The podcast is presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM. Visit https://herosports.com/ for FCS coverage and https://sports.betmgm.com/en/sports for online betting od...

Joe DeLeone and Sean Anderson, co-hosts of the Bleav in FCS Football podcast, join the show to talk FCS storylines. The former Rhode Island players discuss the CAA's strength with the loss of James Madison and the additions of Hampton, Monmouth, NC A&T, and Campbell. We also dive into preseason rankings, draft prospects, FCS over FBS wins, and the national title picture. The podcast is presented b...

Big Sky Conference Deputy Commissioner Dan Satter joins the podcast for an episode recorded in Spokane to discuss a big weekend for the conference, including football media day and the inaugural Big Sky Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Sam and Dan also talk about the different initiatives the conference has done recently involving players and coaches, plus its focus on growing the conference's bra...

Chris Grant joins the show to discuss his first months as Southland Conference Commissioner. What were the conversations like with UIW and McNeese when they were considering leaving the conference? What went into Lamar coming back to the Southland this summer? And is the Southland looking to add more members? Sam and Chris also discuss how the conference can improve on a national FCS scale, and wh...

John Liddle, a play-by-play broadcaster for Tarleton State and the Southland Conference, joins the show. Sam and John discuss Tarleton's move to D1, their level of commitment to D1 success, and their desire to be an FBS program. They also talk about the WAC, the Southland finding stability, and future realignment. The podcast is presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM. Visit https://herosports.com/ fo...

Zach McKinnell of The Bluebloods joins the pod to discuss a range of FCS topics, including: -New top-tier QBs -Strongest FCS position group -NDSU's top challenger -Jackson State's preseason rankings -Realignment -Potential G5/FCS merger -Pros and cons of the transfer portal The podcast is presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM. Visit https://herosports.com/ for FCS coverage and https://sports.betmgm....

The news of USC and UCLA leaving for the Big Ten in 2024 sent shockwaves around college football. From an FCS perspective, the trickle-down effect could be massive. Just like last fall when Texas and Oklahoma announced they are leaving for the SEC, the dominos eventually led to three FCS teams leaving for the FBS. Will the same happen this time? Could the Mountain West lose teams and then have ope...

Craig Haley, the FCS Senior Editor for Stats Perform and The Analyst, joins the show to talk about top storylines in the FCS. Sam and Craig discuss: -voting panel for the Top 25 media poll and national awards -Early favorites for the Walter Payton and Buck Buchanan Award -Will Sam Houston and Jacksonville State be eligible for Top 25 votes this season? -FCS-to-FBS realignment concern -FCS playoff...

Chris Hammond, an Idaho fan and an admin for FCS Fans Nation, joins the show to talk about Idaho’s move from the FBS to the FCS. What led to that decision, how did fans feel then, and how do they feel now about the FCS? Chris and Sam also talk about what Moscow is like as a football town, what kind of resources the football program has, the level of expectation from the fan base, and the new excit...

On this episode, Sam is joined by Nathan McCreary, a co-host of the AQ10 podcast who also spent time as the play-by-play voice for Kennesaw State football. The two discuss the ASUN-WAC Challenge being extended into 2022 and beyond. How good will this joint league be, and how many playoff teams could it have this season? They also talk about potential future FBS teams out of the ASUN-WAC, what does...

Sam is joined by Dom Izzo, the Sports Director at WDAY in Fargo, the TV play-by-play voice for NDSU, and an FCS Top 25 voter. They discuss several topics, including: -How the 2022 Bison team compares to past teams -Cam Miller at QB -FBS interest in Matt Entz -How Fargo is feeling about the FCS -Is there a realistic path for NDSU to go FBS, or is it a long shot The podcast is presented by HERO Spor...

Sam is joined by South Dakota State beat writer Matt Zimmer. They discuss the season outlook for the 2022 Jackrabbits and if this is the year we finally see an NDSU-SDSU matchup in the national championship. They also take a big-picture look at the program: how its expectations have grown, the next steps it needs to take to become elite, the fan base, John Stiegelmeier’s time as HC, and where SDSU...

On this episode, Sam is joined by Kevin Marshall of FCS Nation Radio to talk SoCon and FCS football. They discuss where the SoCon is at right now after taking a step back as a premier conference. Is the top-to-bottom competitiveness of the SoCon better than having a top-heavy league with multiple quarterfinalists? And what does it need to do to gain more national respect? They also talk about nati...

Colter Nuanez of Skyline Sports and ESPN Missoula joins the show to discuss the Montana and Montana State football programs. Sam and Colter talk about: -the passion for the Griz and the Bobcats in the state -Troy Andersen -Montana and Montana State's dip in national relevancy in the mid-2010s and their rise back up -Jeff Choate, Brent Vigen, and Bobby Hauck -How close Montana and Montana State are...