College Football FCS PRS Rankings: Week 12

Sunday, November 19, 2017
Rank	Points	Team	Record	Opponent
1	2509	North Carolina A&T	11-0	Def. North Carolina Central 24-10
2	2499	James Madison	11-0	Def. Elon 31-3
3	2179	Central Arkansas	10-1	Def. Abilene Christian 34-0
4	2093	Jacksonville State	10-1	Def. Tennessee State 36-6
5	2087	North Dakota State	10-1	Def. Illinois State 20-7
6	2054	Sam Houston State	10-1	Def. Houston Baptist 53-33
7	1763	Western Illinois	8-3	Def. Southern Illinois 28-14
8	1744	Yale	9-1	Def. Harvard 24-3
9	1689	McNeese State	9-2	Def. Lamar 13-3
10	1669	Southern Utah	9-2	Def. Northern Arizona 48-20
11	1645	Kennesaw State	10-1	Def. Monmouth 52-21
12	1610	Grambling State	9-1	Bye
13	1573	Austin Peay State	8-4	Def. Eastern Illinois 28-13
14	1565	Weber State	9-2	Def. Idaho State 35-7
15	1532	Stony Brook	9-2	Def. Maine 20-19
16	1529	Dartmouth	8-2	Def. Princeton 54-44
17	1526	Wofford	9-2	Lost to South Carolina 31-10
18	1514	Columbia	8-2	Def. Brown 24-6
19	1513	Monmouth	9-2	Lost to Kennesaw State 52-21
20	1496	South Dakota State	9-2	Def. South Dakota 31-28
21	1456	San Diego	9-2	Def. Marist 35-7
22	1419	Western Carolina	7-5	Lost to North Carolina 65-10
23	1393	Samford	8-3	Def. Furman 26-20
24	1320	Sacramento State	7-4	Def. California-Davis 52-47
25	1287	Montana	7-4	Lost to Montana State 31-23
26	1234	Central Connecticut State	8-3	Def. Robert Morris 42-14
27	1211	Northern Iowa	7-4	Def. Indiana State 41-3
28	1153	Nicholls State	8-3	Lost to Southeastern Louisiana 21-17
29	1127	Eastern Washington	7-4	Def. Portland State 59-33
30	1111	New Hampshire	7-4	Lost to Albany 15-0
31	1092	Delaware	7-4	Lost to Villanova 28-7
32	1035	Elon	8-3	Lost to James Madison 31-3
33	989	South Dakota	7-4	Lost to South Dakota State 31-28
34	983	Furman	7-4	Lost to Samford 26-20
35	976	Bethune-Cookman	7-4	Def. Florida A&M 29-24
36	976	Southeastern Louisiana	6-5	Def. Nicholls State 21-17
37	965	Youngstown State	6-5	Def. Missouri State 38-10
38	962	Southern	7-3	Bye
39	938	Howard	7-4	Lost to Hampton 20-17
40	926	Alcorn State	7-4	Lost to Jackson State 7-3
41	890	Colgate	7-4	Def. Georgetown 35-10
42	848	Northern Arizona	7-4	Lost to Southern Utah 48-20
43	825	Charleston Southern	6-5	Def. Liberty 20-19
44	687	Richmond	6-5	Def. William & Mary 27-20
45	672	Princeton	5-5	Lost to Dartmouth 54-44
46	627	Eastern Illinois	6-5	Lost to Austin Peay State 28-13
47	605	Duquesne	7-4	Lost to Bryant 38-29
48	590	Campbell	6-5	Regular Season Over
49	586	Tennessee State	6-5	Lost to Jacksonville State 36-6
50	546	North Carolina Central	7-4	Lost to North Carolina A&T 24-10
51	511	Hampton	6-5	Def. Howard 20-17
52	490	Mercer	5-6	Lost to Alabama 56-0
53	466	Villanova	5-6	Def. Delaware 28-7
54	434	Drake	7-4	Def. Jacksonville 52-7
55	383	Liberty	6-5	Lost to Charleston Southern 20-19
56	294	Lehigh	5-6	Def. Lafayette 38-31
57	291	Illinois State	6-5	Lost to North Dakota State 20-7
58	270	Pennsylvania	6-4	Def. Cornell 29-22
59	243	Tennessee-Martin	6-5	Def. Tennessee Tech 24-0
60	226	Butler	6-5	Regular Season Over
61	206	California-Davis	5-6	Lost to Sacramento State 52-47
62	141	Prairie View A&M	5-5	Def. Incarnate Word 42-28
63	124	Southern Illinois	4-7	Lost to Western Illinois 28-14
64	123	Alabama A&M	4-7	Def. Kentucky State 21-13
65	105	Bucknell	5-6	Lost to Fordham 20-9
66	98	Jacksonville	7-4	Lost to Drake 52-7
67	70	Montana State	5-6	Def. Montana 31-23
68	59	Valparaiso	6-5	Def. Dayton 8-7
69	53	Harvard	5-5	Lost to Yale 24-3
70	39	Bryant	6-5	Def. Duquesne 38-29
71	37	Albany	4-7	Def. New Hampshire 15-0
72	-19	Towson	5-6	Def. Rhode Island 29-10
73	-35	Idaho State	4-7	Lost to Weber State 35-7
74	-46	Sacred Heart	4-7	Lost to Wagner 28-15
75	-123	Dayton	5-6	Lost to Valparaiso 8-7
76	-140	Citadel	5-6	Lost to Clemson 61-3
77	-149	Maine	4-6	Lost to Stony Brook 20-19
78	-263	St. Francis (PA)	5-6	Lost to Eastern Kentucky 14-10
79	-283	Eastern Kentucky	4-7	Def. St. Francis (PA) 14-10
80	-322	Holy Cross	4-7	Regular Season Over
81	-324	Wagner	4-7	Def. Sacred Heart 28-15
82	-325	Southeast Missouri State	3-8	Def. Murray State 21-10
83	-326	Norfolk State	4-7	Def. Morgan State 45-32
84	-328	Northern Colorado	3-7	Def. California Poly 42-0
85	-370	Marist	4-7	Lost to San Diego 35-7
86	-373	Presbyterian	4-7	Def. Gardner-Webb 31-21
87	-405	Northwestern State	4-7	Def. Stephen F. Austin State 38-21
88	-409	Fordham	4-7	Def. Bucknell 20-9
89	-439	East Tennessee State	4-7	Lost to Tennessee-Chattanooga 10-3
90	-467	Alabama State	4-6	Def. Mississippi Valley State 16-10
91	-473	Morehead State	4-7	Def. Davidson 21-14
92	-474	Stephen F. Austin State	4-7	Lost to Northwestern State 38-21
93	-481	South Carolina State	3-7	Lost to Savannah State 34-10
94	-590	Murray State	3-8	Lost to Southeast Missouri State 21-10
95	-677	Florida A&M	3-8	Lost to Bethune-Cookman 29-24
96	-698	Delaware State	2-9	Lost to Florida State 77-6
97	-775	Abilene Christian	2-9	Lost to Central Arkansas 34-0
98	-778	Savannah State	3-8	Def. South Carolina State 34-10
99	-794	Tennessee-Chattanooga	3-8	Def. East Tennessee State 10-3
100	-797	North Dakota	3-8	Regular Season Over
101	-808	Texas Southern	2-8	Def. Arkansas-Pine Bluff 24-10
102	-814	William & Mary	2-9	Lost to Richmond 27-20
103	-827	Cornell	3-7	Lost to Pennsylvania 29-22
104	-828	Rhode Island	3-8	Lost to Towson 29-10
105	-835	Arkansas-Pine Bluff	2-9	Lost to Texas Southern 24-10
106	-838	Brown	2-8	Lost to Columbia 24-6
107	-851	Missouri State	3-8	Lost to Youngstown State 38-10
108	-881	Lafayette	3-8	Lost to Lehigh 38-31
109	-918	Lamar	2-9	Lost to McNeese State 13-3
110	-934	Jackson State	3-8	Def. Alcorn State 7-3
111	-1021	Stetson	2-9	Regular Season Over
112T	-1140	Morgan State	1-10	Lost to Norfolk State 45-32
112T	-1140	Robert Morris	2-9	Lost to Central Connecticut State 42-14
114	-1163	Houston Baptist	1-10	Lost to Sam Houston State 53-33
115	-1213	California Poly	1-10	Lost to Northern Colorado 42-0
116	-1219	Incarnate Word	1-10	Lost to Prairie View A&M 42-28
117	-1305	Mississippi Valley State	2-9	Lost to Alabama State 16-10
118	-1341	Gardner-Webb	1-10	Lost to Presbyterian 31-21
119	-1369	Georgetown	1-10	Lost to Colgate 35-10
120	-1376	Portland State	0-11	Lost to Eastern Washington 59-33
121	-1415	Davidson	2-9	Lost to Morehead State 21-14
122	-1559	Tennessee Tech	1-10	Lost to Tennessee-Martin 24-0
123	-1731	Indiana State	0-11	Lost to Northern Iowa 41-3
124	-1855	Virginia Military Institute	0-11	Regular Season Over

2017 All-Bilo FBS Quarterback of the Year: Quarterfinalists

It's that time of year once again, and the All-Bilo position award quarter finalists are being announced this week, starting with our candidates for QB of the Year in FBS Football. Here are the 10 quarter finalists for the QB position, in no certain order:

Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State
Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
JT Barrett, Ohio State
Will Grier, West Virginia
Khalil Tate, Arizona
Nic Shimonek, Texas Tech
Logan Woodside, Toledo
Riley Ferguson, Memphis
McKenzie Milton, UCF
Lamar Jackson, Louisville
Trace McSorley, Penn State
Kurt Benkert, Virginia
John Wolford, Wake Forest

As the Coaching Carousel Turns: 2018/18 Volume 2

We are now just six days away from what I refer to as "Sunday, Bloody Sunday", the day after most of the regular season finales have taken place. We have already had a fairly active early portion of the 2017/18 coaching carousel, so let us take a look at what has transpired, and what will likely transpire this coming Thanksgiving weekend...

UCLA
We start with the biggest bombshell of this past weekend, with UCLA firing Jim Mora, which was likely the result of immense external pressure, according to several sources. What is shocking is not the firing itself, but that Dan Guerrero, the embattled AD at the school, was not let go as well, and was left in charge to pull the trigger. It is my understanding that he will not be flying solo to hire Mora's replacement, as that would be completely foolish, and that he is not really the decision maker this time around. Guerrero has sold his soul to get the cash necessary to fire Mora (north of $12 million), and those same money people will really be making the hire here. Chip Kelly met with Florida reps in New Hampshire yesterday, but he held off from deeper talks, as he wanted to invest some time into speaking with UCLA reps today. There appears to be strong mutual interest, and my understanding is that Kelly is not overly enamored with the Florida job short of a guarantee of massive improvements to the football facilities. Stay tuned to this one, as it is fresh on the hook. Other names, if negotiations with Kelly should go south, could be Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, Washington DC Pete Kwiatkowski, Jedd Fisch, and another host of names that I have seen that really make zero sense whatsoever. One name that does make some sense, and has been floated as well, is Memphis head coach Mike Norvell. Stay tuned.

Florida
Gators reps met with Kelly in New Hampshire yesterday, but left without a deal once UCLA got involved in things. It now appears that there is a solid chance that Florida will have to look in other directions as to not get left behind when all the chips start to fall. Dan Mullen is back in play here, as is Mike Gundy, Charlie Strong, and of course, Scott Frost. We should be getting a ton of news on this front over the next 48 hours.

Tennessee
All you need to know to sop the Gruden rumors is one thing...if other candidate names are floating, Gruden is not in play. Of course there is also the fact that he keeps saying no, every source that we have talked to states that he has zero interest (and this includes a lot of sources), and there is zero evidence that any discussions got beyond a single phone call. So, that leaves in play a host of more realistic candidates. Greg Schiano is now in play for the Vols, as is Dan Mullen of Mississippi State. Mike Gundy finds his name being floated one more time, and there could be legitimate interest, as Oklahoma State loses their core star players after this season to the NFL. Charlie Strong's name is attached to this search, as is Scott Frost, but Frost is more deeply connected to discussions at both Nebraska and Florida. David Cutcliffe of Duke, and Dave Clawson of Wake Forest are also gaining some steam as well.

Ole Miss
There was more news on this front over the weekend, as it was confirmed that the Rebels took a big swing at Willie Taggart, and whiffed. A move from Oregon, where the Ducks could be primed to be making runs at PAC-12 and national titles again in the next 24 months, to Oxford, would be full of derision and confusion. Ole Miss is an afterthought in the SEC West these days, and that does not appear to be close to changing anytime soon. The Rebels will now sit back and re-calibrate, but, it appears for now that all of their eggs were in the Taggart basket, for this week anyway.

Oregon State
Beau Baldwin still appears to be a front runner here, as Bronco Mendenhall has stated that he was never a candidate for this job, as he has zero desire to leave Virginia. Mendenhall is an Oregon State alum, and was the runner up to Gary Anderson last time around, but those were the only reasons he was attached by name this job. Mendenhall has the needle pointing way up at Virginia, and it would not be sane to leave there for another massive rebuild. Another name that has popped up is former OSU QB and current Washington OC Jonathon Smith.

UTEP
There has literally been zero buzz in recent days/weeks over the UTEP job. That does not mean that names are not floating, but there appears to be limited movement towards getting anything done. KC Keeler is a name that I have mentioned, but as the head coach at Sam Houston State, he is prepping for a playoff run, and would not be available until the Bearkats end that run. He has been a long time FCS coach at Delaware and Sam Houston State. North Texas OC Graham Harrell is being foated, as UNT has shown massive upswing under coach Seth Littrell and the current staff. Phil Longo is the OC at Ole Miss currently, and was on the staff at Sam Houston State under Keeler for a time. Ty Detmer, former BYU QB and current OC, has strong ties to the Texas High School community, and is from the state. Colby Carthel is the current head coach at Texas A&M Commerce, and has built an offensive power house there with the Lions. He had formerly worked on the staff of Don Carthel, his Father, at West Texas A&M. Don is a D2 coaching legend in the state. Utah WR Coach Guy Holliday is the Utes recruiter for the Southwest region, and was an assistant at UTEP prior to heading of to BYU, and then Utah. Former Southern Utah head coach Ed Lamb is also a name, but probably the least likely name on the list. He is a current staffer at BYU. Another name to consider is PRairie View head coach Willie Simmons, who has done great things with the Panthers. Hunter Hughes is another name. The current head coach at West Texas A&M, he ran one of the best defenses in the nation on the D2 level while DC at Colorado State-Pueblo. Stay tuned for more news in the coming weeks.

Georgia Southern
Two major names have been floated for this job, with one making more sense than another. Brent Price seems to be the leader here, as the current Army OC has the triple option experience needed for the current personnel. Georgia Southern has historically been a wishbone/triple option offensive football team, and that has been so for decades. If they want to stay in that mold, then Price is their guy. If they are looking to break from tradition and culture, then Tee Martin, current USC coach, is the other name being floated, and it was said during the UCLA/USC broadcast that he has strong interest in being a head coach, and in the GSU job in particular. I don't see this as being much of a good fit for either side at this time, but it has also been stated that Martin, a national title winning QB at Tennessee, would be strongly interested in returning to the Southeast. If the school prefers to stick with the triple option style of play, than another candidate to consider would be Navy OC Ivin Jasper.

Nebraska
The Huskers will be releasing the current staff after the season finale this week. Scott Frost is still the top target, but any talk of a done deal is premature, at best. If they lose out on Frost, look for them to turn their attention to Mike Leach, among others. Stay tuned.

Texas A&M
Kevin Sumlin will be released this coming weekend after the season finale at Texas A&M. There is a list of unrealistic candidates, but that has all been largely media and website driven. We will get more down to reality news sometime after the announcement has been made, but we are still probably 5-7 days away from that information coming down.

Arkansas
Sources are confirming that the reality is coming down to Bret Bielema being out at Arkansas after their season finale this week. With Jeff Long out, his protection umbrella is out as well. Everyone from the top down is calling for Gus Malzahn coming back, but again, that is a huge reach. Malzahn does, however, have some concerns at Auburn, as the fan base may have soured the realtionship with Malzahn. The AD change in recent days has nothing to do with football, and everything to do with the Chuck Person/basketball scandal. With a new AD coming to town, Malzahn will have to decide if it is in his best interest to wait it out, or jump before anything else happens. If Arkansas whiffs on Malzahn, they do have the resources to go big after anyone else they would want to attract, but all eyes are on Gus currently.

Kansas
Indications are pointing to David Beaty being relieved of duty this week as well. There was a ton of on-field nastiness during their 41-3 loss to Oklahoma this week, and it was not nearly all coming from Baker Mayfield, and there was an incident where Beaty mistreated Lincoln Riley as well that has caused some major ruffles from his superiors. With the program still very much in spiral mode, it makes no sense to stay in the current direction, and sources are saying that discussions are ongoing as to how to go about things.

Texas Tech
If the Red Raiders fail to qualify for a bowl, look for some discussion here as well. Kliff Kingsbury has lost a great deal of support, and there are concerns that he will not be the guy to turn anything around in Lubbock.

Rice
All indications are that the mistake that was made in keeping David Bailiff last year will not be repeated in 2017. The Owls are 1-10 heading into their season finale. Prairie View's Willie Simmons has already been attached to this job conversation, as others likely will be in the coming days.

FCS NEWS

Alabama A&M
James Spady has been shown the door for the Bulldogs as of today. No current candidates have been released at this time.

Alabama State
Brian Jenkins, the former successful coach at Bethune-Cookman, was let go as well. Although this job has been open for a few weeks, there are no names being publicly attached at this time.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Monte Coleman is out with the Golden Lions. He was wildly successful at UAPB a short time ago, but has fallen on hard times, with three straight losing seasons.

Delaware State
Kenneth Carter was fired along with the AD yesterday. Again, more news as it becomes available.

Florida A&M
Alex Wood found a solid landing spot after he resigned at Buffalo a few years ago, but that spot turned out to be not so soft, as he was forced to resign after three seasons with the Rattlers.

Holy Cross
No new news in Worcester, as Tom Gilmore resigned weeks ago. Expect the coaching search to begin in earnest as the FCS playoffs play out.

Northern Arizona
Jerome Sauers announced that he would not be returning very early in the season after this, his 18th season as head coach of the Lumberjacks. Expect this to be one of the more sought after jobs in FCS football.

Tennessee Tech
Marcus Satterfield, the former OC at Temple, as been let go with a losing record for the Purple Eagles. Tech has long been a lower tier team in the Ohio Valley Conference, and it is possible that they will try to emulate what Austin Peay, a long struggling program, has done.

D2 NEWS

There are currently openings at the following: East Central, Lenoir-Rhyne, Lincoln (PA), and Virginia Union. The best spot open in that group is Lenoir-Rhyne, where the Bears have been able to win in recent years.
In other news, Missouri Western OC Chet Pobolish was named as the new head football coach at SW Oklahoma today. Missouri Western made major strides in 2017 as a team, specifically on offense, and were making a push for a D2 playoff spot well into the last third of the season.

More news as it becomes available!

Final 2017 FCS Playoff Projections

The 2017 FCS football season has wrapped up the regular season run, and brackets for the playoffs will be announced tomorrow. With the regular season finally in the books completely, here are my final projections before brackets are announced tomorrow. These teams are in no certain order:

1. James Madison: Finished the season undefeated, and should be a top overall seed.
2. Southern Utah: Tied with Weber State for Big Sky title, and will be a lock.
3. Weber State: Wildcats are a lock as co-champs of the Big Sky.
4. Kennesaw State: Owls locked down the Big South title with win over Monmouth in finale.
5. Stony Brook: Sea Wolves are in as the number 2 team in CAA and 9-2 record.
6. Elon: Phoenix should be in at 8-3 as number 3 team from CAA.
7. North Carolina A&T: Aggies finish 11-0, won the MEAC, will take playoff bid over bowl game.
8. North Dakota State: At 10-1, Bison ready to make another run as MVC champs.
9. South Dakota State: 9-2 Jackrabbits should be a lock as #3 team in MVC.
10. Northern Iowa: UNI should be a last 4 in with 7-4 record in MVC.
11. Western Illinois: Leathernecks are my 4th team in from powerful MVC.
12. Central Connecticut: Blue Devils locked down NEC by 2 games.
13. Jacksonville State: Gamecocks are a final 4 candidate after rolling through OVC.
14. Austin Peay: One of the feel good stories of 2017, won 8 games in major turnaround season.
15. Lehigh: Mountain Hawks will be bottom seed after winning tie breaker in Patriot at 5-6.
16. San Diego: Toreros are scary and sneaky out of the PFL.
17. Wofford: Terriers won SoCon with nine wins on the season.
18. Samford: Bulldogs, as the second seed in SoCon, should and will be a lock.
19. Furman: Paladins should be 3rd team in out of SoCon.
20. Central Arkansas: Bears have huge run in 2017, finish 9-0 in SLC play.
21. Sam Houston State: Bearkats only loss in SLC play was to UCA.
22. Nicholls: Another major feel good story, the Colonels finished with 8 wins.
23. McNeese State: Cowboys should be solid lock with 9 wins on season.
24. South Dakota or Colgate: Both finished 7-4 in 2017, but USD likely gets the edge for final spot.

FCS Playoff Projections

With this being the final weekend of the FCS college football season, here are my projections on who I believe will be in and who will be out of the playoff picture come Sunday...

Should Be In
1. James Madison
2. North Carolina A&T
3. Southern Utah
4. Weber State
5. Northern Arizona
6. Kennesaw State or Monmouth
7. Elon
8. Stony Brook
9. Delaware
10. New Hampshire
11. North Dakota State
12. South Dakota State
13. Western Illinois
14. South Dakota
15. Central Connecticut or Duquesne
16. Jacksonville State
17. Lehigh or Colgate
18. San Diego
19. Wofford
20. Furman
21. Central Arkansas
22. Sam Houston State
23. Nicholls
24. McNeese State

This should be your list on Sunday. There could be some changes, however, and here are teams who could sneak in and steal one, or more, of these spots:

Big Sky: Montana, Eastern Washington, Sacramento State
Missouri Valley: Northern Iowa, Illinois State
Ohio Valley: Austin Peay, Eastern Illinois
Southern: Samford, Western Carolina

Let's open the debate up today! Leave your comments, or hit me up @BiloFootball on Twitter to discuss!

As the Coaching Carousel Turns: 2017/18 Episode One

It's not even Thanksgiving yet, but the carousel is already turning. Here is the latest on the open jobs, and which jobs may be opening up...

Florida Gators
Pay no mind to all of the Chip Kelly to Florida talk. It may yet happen, but as of now, he is purely a conjecture candidate that people are going crazy over on social media. Kelly is not nearly a lock for this job, and will likely not get it according to Steve Spurrier's comments on ESPN U radio today. Spurrier stated that the candidate that Florida wants is currently "with his team, and will be through the rest of the season and maybe even the bowl game". That leaves Chip Kelly out of the equation. Scott Forst would be the primary candidate that the school is seeking, and if not him, they could turn to the old guard in either Dan Mullen of Mississippi State, or Charlie Strong at USF.

Tennessee
Now that we are finally done with Butch Jones (I reported his demise two weeks ago, as the decision was official at that time), it's time for Tennessee to get serious about a real coaching candidate, and not a clown holding a coaching whistle. Derek Dooley was a failure. Lane Kiffin was a failure. Jones was a failure. Not one of those coaches was a seriously strong candidate when they were hired in the first place. Tennessee has to go big. They have the cash and the facilities to sell a top tier coach on. That candidate will not be Jon Gruden. Gruden has zero interest in the Tennessee job, much like what the case was last time this job opened with his name pinned to it. One candidate to keep in mind is Mike Leach at Washington State. He is a perfect focus for the job, as long as they are willing to hire him and leave him alone to do his job. No real names are attached to this job as of yet, but stay tuned, as I am certain that names will begin to bubble up next week. The goal is to have a new coach in place by December 20.

Ole Miss
There is very little buzz around the Rebels at this point, but I will tell you that the new permanent head coach will likely not be Matt Luke. That ship has sailed on. One name that is floating in orbit around this job is Troy coach Neal Brown, who has some experience in the SEC as OC at Kentucky. This will not be one of the more sought after jobs in the SEC or nationally based on the issues left behind by the former coaching staff.

Oregon State
The Beavers have been a different kind of football team since the departure of Gary Anderson. Anderson had this program uptight, and both players and assistants felt the strain. Corey Hall will not be the final candidate after serving as interim. One name I am hearing over and again around this job is Cal OC Beau Baldwin, who was the head coach at Eastern Washington, where he competed for Big Sky and national titles every single season. Jeff Tedford could also attract attention after raising Fresno State from the dead in one year. Another interesting name could be current UC Davis head coach Dan Hawkins, and Washington DC Pete Kwiatkowski could find his way into this one as well after being a candidate for the Nevada job last year.

UTEP
This is a job that is going to be one of the last filled. It's not exactly a job that sells itself. The Miners are in the bottom tier of recruiting in the state, facilities are average to bad, and this program has suffered losing for a very long time. There are probably some coordinators or FCS head coaches that will look at this as a major opportunity. KC Keeler of Sam Houston State should be reached out to, but has been a career FCS/1-AA head coach. It could be an opportunity for someone like Dusty Meacham if the Kansas situation falls apart as well. If Kansas moves on from David Beaty, he could get closer to his Texas roots by looking at this post as well. UTEP needs someone who understands the state, and understands the high school system, and understands where the diamonds in the rough are in the state for the program to flourish. A bad hire could set this program back for years once again.

Georgia Southern
Tyson Summers was always in over his head when he was hired to replace Willie Fritz, who left after a successful run for Tulane. Brent Davis, the OC at Army, is a leading candidate based on his expertise in triple option offenses.

Jobs That May Open Up

UCF: Scott Frost seems destined to leave for either Florida or Nebraska. He has set the table well for a successor, but his leaving will likely set the program back again.

USF: Charlie Strong could be on a short stop in Tampa, with Florida calling, among others. This is a fluid situation, but it is an attractive job as it stands now.

Memphis: Mike Norvell could very well be an attractive candidate in-state at Tennessee, and so expect some kind of charge for him. He could also be back at Memphis in 2018, but if the market opens up like many expect it to, this job could be open as well. Norvell should also likely attract attention from Ole Miss, and possibly Arkansas.

SMU: Chad Morris will be targeted by at least a few, including Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Arkansas. Look for this situation to be fluid in the next 30 days, as Morris spurned Baylor last year to remain in Dallas.

NC State: Not much being talked about here, but Doeren could be a huge target for a school that does not get their primary candidate after pushing Clemson for the their divisional title all year long.

Louisville: The Cardinals are not going to fire Bobby Petrino, but he could very well leave if he feels something better comes along, and remember, he is getting a new boss who may not be too happy with the way that the Cardinals performed when expectations were high this year.

Florida State: I find the percentages to be incredibly low, but you cannot explain away how badly things went at FSU this year. Jimbo Fisher is also being attached to other jobs right now, including Tennessee and Texas A&<, but I just don't see that happening.

Duke: Again, I find it a low percentage chance, but David Cutcliffe may very well at least speak with Tennessee about their open job. If he is swayed enough, all bets are off.

Iowa State: Matt Campbell is a target for almost anyone with an open job, but word is that his buyout is huge at ISU, and he may not want to leave. Stay tuned here, but I can see him back in Ames in 2018, when the league may be wide open.

Kansas State: I fully expect Bill Snyder to retire at this point. He is having health issues, and he is pushing 80. He has done enough for K State at this point.

Texas Tech: If the Red Raiders fail to make it to a bowl game, Kliff Kingsbury will be gone. His Big 12 record is abysmal, and the powers that be are sick of being an also ran in Big 12 play.

Kansas: Despite the words of support from the chancellor this week, there is a very real possibility that the AD and coach David Beaty are shown the door, if not just Beaty by himself. This hire has not worked at all.

Nebraska: This job is opening up, it's just not "official" yet> Mike Leach and his staff will finish the season, and sometime on Thanksgiving weekend will be officially let go. Scott Frost is the primary target here, and Nebraska has the cash to do whatever they want with the hire. I can tell you that it will not be something as stupid as the Mike Riley hire was.

Minnesota: Teams are already shopping for PJ Fleck (Tennessee, as well as others), and his buyout is supremely affordable. I am not saying that Fleck is leaving, but if he can get a better offer...

Illinois: There is zero reason to keep Lovie Smith here for one more season. He has done nothing but take the oney he has been given, and the program may actually be worse now than when he was hired. I fully expect some change here.

Charlotte: Brad Lambert has not been able to turn the corner with this infant program, and may have actually taken a step backwards in 2017. There has been some grumbling around this job. Stay tuned.

UAB: Bill Clark, one of the best coaches in college football, just signed a nice extension to stay on at UAB, but that does not mean that others will not be coming to kick the tires and gauge interest. They'd be stupid not to.

Rice: I think that we have finally seen all we need to see of David Bailiff to know that he is not getting it done at Rice. He was nearly fired last year. There is no reason to keep him beyond this awful season, as his record is now well under .500.

Miami (Ohio): Everyone thought that Chuck Martin had turned a corner last season, but that was not to be the case in 2017. He has gone backwards again this season.

Kent State: Paul Haynes mysteriously survived last season when everyone thought he would be gone. He won't make it another year.

New Mexico: Scandals and bad football combine to formulate a bad plan. Bob Davie could be on his way out.

Arizona State: The loss to UCLA last weekend certainly did Todd Graham few favors. He needs to go to a bowl, or be on his way.

UCLA: Again, I don't see this opening up this year, but Mora has lost the fan base in a huge way, and Dan Guerrero cannot be trusted to fire his fourth football coach, and hire his fifth. This could be an AD/Football Coach combo if it opens up. It certainly should.

Utah: Kyle Whittingham has had a very contentious relationship with Utah, and this may be his big chance to move on, especially if, say, the UCLA job opened up. He could also be connected to some of the open SEC jobs as well. He's a great coach having a really down year, so that may stunt things to a degree.

Vanderbilt: Derek Mason is on the ropes, as this season continues to unravel. The recruiting classes have worsened every year under his watch, and quite frankly, he is out of his league.

Mississippi State: I would find it terrible if Dan Mullen leaves. He does not have to win the SEC at all to keep people happy in Starkville. He just has to go bowling and compete every season. It's not much to ask/do. Bigger jobs mean bigger pressures.

Texas A&M: Kevin Sumlin will be out at the end of the season. How about UTEP as a landing spot? Names being floated around boarder on the ridiculous. Jimbo Fisher, Chip Kelly, and others are all seemingly smoke screen candidates being floated by the media. There is a much different reality in all likelihood.

Arkansas: Jeff Long was fired as AD today. Bret Bielema, short of a miracle, will likely follow him out the door sometime next week.

Conference Title Chase Updates Week 12: Sun Belt

Contenders: Troy, Georgia State, Appalachian State, Arkansas State
Troy: The Trojans are probably in the best shape right now in the Sun Belt, and have the biggest win in the league outside of conference play against LSU. They have a tie breaker with Georgia State, and play Arkansas State next week. They did not play Appalachian State this season.

Georgia State: The Panthers still need a little help, as they have lost to Troy. The Panthers have a huge elimination game with Appalachian State this week. Either way, what Coach Elliott and his staff have done this season is nothing short of amazing.

Appalachian State: The Mountaineers have not played anyone in the 4 way race for the title this season, and will only end up playing Georgia State when everything irons out. That game is this week. For a lock down shot at the title, they must win this game.

Arkansas State: They sure would love to get back last weekend's loss to South Alabama. That lone loss caused this mess of teams tied for first in the conference. They have not earned a single tie breaker thus far in conference play in head to head match ups, and the only member of this four way tie they will face will be Troy on 12/2. In the meantime, they cannot lose a single game from here out to stay in the race without needing help to reclaim the top spot.

Bowl eligible: Troy, Georgia State, Appalachian State

Can become bowl eligible this week: Arkansas State

Conference Title Chase Updates Week 12: SEC

East Champion: Georgia
Georgia already had the SEC East locked down before laying an egg against Auburn last weekend. The Bulldogs can still play their way back into a playoff spot by winning out against Kentucky this week, against Georgia Tech next week, and then against Alabama or Auburn in the SEC title game.

West Contenders: Alabama, Auburn
Alabama: The Tide has a weak non con game this week against Mercer, and then it all comes down to the Iron Bowl next week against Auburn for the SEC West title. Auburn is red hot, and will be a massive challenge for the Tide, the biggest they have faced yet this season, but more on that next week.

Auburn: The Tigers are streaking now and are playing at full throttle after a massive message game against Georgia last week. Auburn, too, has a fairly weak non con game this week with ULM on the table, so it all comes down to next week with Alabama on the slate for the regular season finale.

Bowl Eligible: Georgia, South Carolina, Kentucky, Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State, Texas A&M

Can become bowl eligible this week: Missouri

Ineligible for a bowl: Ole Miss

College Football FCS PRS Rankings: Week 11

Sunday, November 12, 2017
Rank	Points	Team	Record	Opponent
1	2321	North Carolina A&T	10-0	Def. Savannah State 36-17
2	2240	James Madison	10-0	Def. Richmond 20-13
3	1961	Central Arkansas	9-1	Def. Incarnate Word 56-10
4	1877	Jacksonville State	9-1	Def. Tennessee-Martin 14-7
5	1844	North Dakota State	9-1	Def. South Dakota 49-14
6	1831	Sam Houston State	9-1	Def. Abilene Christian 44-35
7	1673	Monmouth	9-1	Def. Gardner-Webb 41-14
8	1610	Grambling State	9-1	Def. Alabama State 24-7
9	1599	Western Illinois	7-3	Def. Indiana State 45-0
10	1549	Yale	8-1	Def. Princeton 35-31
11	1526	Wofford	9-1	Def. Virginia Military Institute 45-14
12	1466	McNeese State	8-2	Def. Northwestern State 44-24
13	1443	Southern Utah	8-2	Def. California-Davis 47-27
14	1422	Montana	7-3	Def. Northern Colorado 44-14
15	1419	Western Carolina	7-4	Lost to Mercer 35-33
16	1412	Kennesaw State	9-1	Def. Charleston Southern 38-0
17	1380	Austin Peay State	7-4	Def. Eastern Kentucky 31-24
18	1352	Weber State	8-2	Def. Portland State 63-17
19	1322	Columbia	7-2	Def. Cornell 18-8
20	1315	Dartmouth	7-2	Def. Brown 33-10
21	1290	Nicholls State	8-2	Def. Stephen F. Austin State 34-13
22	1276	New Hampshire	7-3	Def. Elon 16-6
23	1262	South Dakota State	8-2	Def. Illinois State 27-24 OT
24	1260	Elon	8-2	Lost to New Hamsphire 16-6
25	1256	Delaware	7-3	Def. Albany 22-3
26	1243	San Diego	8-2	Def. Davidson 63-7
27	1211	Samford	7-3	Def. East Tennessee State 42-7
28	1164	South Dakota	7-3	Lost to North Dakota State 49-14
29	1119	Furman	7-3	Def. Citadel 56-20
30	1113	Sacramento State	6-4	Def. California Poly 49-14
31	1077	Alcorn State	7-3	Def. Mississippi Valley State 59-0
32	1074	Howard	7-3	Def. Norfolk State 28-24
33	1014	Central Connecticut State	7-3	Def. Duquesne 28-27
34	1006	Northern Arizona	7-3	Def. Montana State 37-36
35	982	Northern Iowa	6-4	Def. Missouri State 25-10
36	962	Southern	7-3	Def. Texas Southern 33-7
37	892	Eastern Washington	6-4	Def. North Dakota 21-14
38	801	Southeastern Louisiana	5-5	Bye
39	788	Princeton	5-4	Lost to Yale 35-31
40	779	Eastern Illinois	6-4	Bye
41	760	Tennessee State	6-4	Def. Southeast Missouri State 23-20
42	749	Youngstown State	5-5	Def. Southern Illinois 28-20
43	742	Bethune-Cookman	6-4	Def. North Carolina Central 13-10
44	735	Duquesne	7-3	Lost to Central Connecticut State 28-27
45	700	North Carolina Central	7-3	Lost to Bethune-Cookman 13-10
46	654	Charleston Southern	5-5	Lost to Kennesaw State 38-0
47	630	Colgate	6-4	Def. Lafayette 27-0
48	590	Campbell	6-5	Lost to Drake 45-10
49	515	Liberty	6-4	Def. Presbyterian 47-28
50	503	Richmond	5-5	Lost to James Madison 20-13
51	497	Illinois State	6-4	Lost to South Dakota Sate 27-24 OT
52	490	Mercer	5-5	Def. Western Carolina 35-33
53	411	Stony Brook	8-2	Def. Wagner 38-10
54	338	Hampton	5-5	Lost to South Carolina State 33-15
55	314	California-Davis	5-5	Lost to Southern Utah 47-27
56	286	Jacksonville	7-3	Def. Stetson 13-10
57	274	Southern Illinois	4-6	Lost to Youngstown State 28-20
58	267	Villanova	4-6	Lost to Rhode Island 20-6
59	257	Bucknell	5-5	Def. Georgetown 12-0
60	226	Butler	6-5	Lost to Valparaiso 36-28
61	221	Harvard	5-4	Lost to Pennsylvania 23-6
62	187	Drake	6-4	Def. Campbell 45-10
63	152	Sacred Heart	4-6	Def. St. Francis (PA) 16-7
64	136	Idaho State	4-6	Bye
65	115	Alabama A&M	3-7	Lost to Jackson State 10-7
66	99	Lehigh	4-6	Def. Holy Cross 34-21
67	84	Pennsylvania	5-4	Def. Harvard 23-6
68	33	Maine	4-5	Lost to Massachusetts 44-31
69	21	Dayton	5-5	Bye
70	-5	Tennessee-Martin	5-5	Lost to Jacksonville State 14-7
71	-100	Valparaiso	5-5	Def. Butler 36-28
72	-115	Prairie View A&M	4-5	Def. Arkansas-Pine Bluff 35-12
73T	-119	Montana State	4-6	Lost to Northern Arizona 37-36
73T	-119	St. Francis (PA)	5-5	Lost to Sacred Heart 16-7
75	-140	Citadel	5-5	Lost to Furman 56-20
76	-143	Albany	3-7	Lost to Delaware 22-3
77	-158	Bryant	5-5	Def. Robert Morris 42-17
78	-199	Marist	4-6	Def. Morehead State 38-31
79	-217	Towson	4-6	Def. William & Mary 26-14
80	-285	East Tennessee State	4-6	Lost to Samford 42-7
81	-317	South Carolina State	3-6	Def. Hampton 33-15
82	-322	Holy Cross	4-7	Lost to Lehigh 34-21
83	-328	Stephen F. Austin State	4-6	Lost to Nicholls State 34-13
84	-439	Murray State	3-7	Def. Tennessee Tech 31-21
85	-451	Eastern Kentucky	3-7	Lost to Austin Peay State 31-24
86	-507	Southeast Missouri State	2-8	Lost to Tennessee State 23-20
87	-546	Florida A&M	3-7	Bye
88	-562	Northern Colorado	2-7	Lost to Montana 44-14
89	-564	Presbyterian	3-7	Lost to Liberty 47-28
90	-565	Wagner	3-7	Lost to Stony Brook 38-10
91	-584	Norfolk State	3-7	Lost to Howard 28-24
92	-590	Fordham	3-7	Bye
93	-591	Abilene Christian	2-8	Lost to Sam Houston State 44-35
94	-610	Northwestern State	3-7	Lost to McNeese State 44-24
95	-651	Morehead State	3-7	Lost to Marist 38-31
96	-669	Rhode Island	3-7	Def. Villanova 20-6
97	-676	Brown	2-7	Lost to Dartmouth 33-10
98	-677	William & Mary	2-8	Lost to Towson 26-14
99	-681	Arkansas-Pine Bluff	2-8	Lost to Prairie View A&M 35-12
100	-683	Missouri State	3-7	Lost to Northern Iowa 25-10
101	-689	Alabama State	3-6	Lost to Grambling State 24-7
102	-692	Cornell	3-6	Lost to Columbus 18-8
103	-698	Delaware State	2-8	Def. Morgan State 33-30
104	-711	Lamar	2-8	Def. Houston Baptist 23-16
105	-755	Lafayette	3-7	Lost to Colgate 27-0
106	-797	North Dakota	3-8	Lost to Eastern Washington 21-14
107	-959	Morgan State	1-9	Lost to Delaware State 33-30
108	-961	Tennessee-Chattanooga	2-8	Bye
109	-976	Robert Morris	2-8	Lost to Bryant 42-17
110	-986	Savannah State	2-8	Lost to North Carolina A&T 36-17
111T	-1021	California Poly	1-9	Lost to Sacramento State 49-14
111T	-1021	Stetson	2-9	Lost to Jacksonville 13-10
113	-1026	Houston Baptist	1-9	Lost to Lamar 23-16
114	-1033	Incarnate Word	1-9	Lost to Central Arkansas 56-10
115	-1046	Texas Southern	1-8	Lost to Southern 33-7
116	-1095	Jackson State	2-8	Def. Alabama A&M 10-7
117	-1109	Mississippi Valley State	2-8	Lost to Alcorn State 59-0
118	-1154	Georgetown	1-9	Lost to Bucknell 12-0
119	-1202	Gardner-Webb	1-9	Lost to Monmouth 41-14
120	-1233	Portland State	0-10	Lost to Weber State 63-17
121	-1272	Davidson	2-8	Lost to San Diego 63-7
122	-1335	Tennessee Tech	1-9	Lost to Murray State 31-21
123	-1546	Indiana State	0-10	Lost to Western Illinois 45-0
124	-1855	Virginia Military Institute	0-11	Lost to Wofford 45-14