In the FCS Huddle: The best FCS races

Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - "The more, the merrier" works well at this time of the college football season.

With three weeks left in the FCS regular season, the best conference title races are the ones with the most competitive teams.

Not surprisingly, this year's better races are in conferences with a larger number of teams.

Only the Ivy League and Southwestern Athletic Conference don't send their champion to the FCS playoffs, so an automatic bid to the postseason is at stake in 11 of the 13 conferences. There also are 13 at-large teams in the 24-team playoff field.

Here's a breakdown of where the races stand:

Ho-Hum Races

Big South - As expected, both the title and automatic bid figure to come down to Coastal Carolina and Liberty when they meet Nov. 22 at Coastal. Both powers are two losses ahead of the next-best team.

CAA Football - New Hampshire and Villanova aren't facing each other in the unbalanced scheduling, which hurts the title race. UNH is 5-0 and in good shape to win its final three games. Richmond and Villanova are one game back at 4-1. UNH has handed Richmond its lone CAA loss and Richmond has done the same to Villanova.

Ivy - Harvard is 4-0 and about to play Columbia and Penn squads that are a combined 1-13. So the Crimson could clinch a tie for the title before Yale provides a challenge to them on Nov. 22. Yale as well as Princeton and Dartmouth, which have both lost to Harvard, are 3-1 each. Princeton still has to play both Yale and Dartmouth.

Pioneer - Jacksonville has been in first place from the first day of the league schedule, but with a loss this past Saturday, it fell back into a tie with San Diego at 5-1 each. Still, JU owns a win in the head-to-head meeting with the Toreros. Dayton, at 4-1, is in the mix, having lost to San Diego but not playing JU. The PFL received its first automatic bid just a year ago. If there is a tie for the title and head-to-head is not the tie-breaker, the league would determine its automatic bid on strength of victory criteria followed by a league strength of schedule criteria.

SWAC - In the two-division setup that leads to the only conference championship game on the FCS level, Alcorn State, which is 5-1, would win the East title with a win over second-place Alabama A&M, which is 3-3, on Saturday. If A&M wins, then the Bulldogs would have two more weeks to pull back even with Alcorn, and even that might not happen. In the West Division, Grambling State, at 6-0, would have to be two games ahead of defending conference champ Southern, which is 5-1, for their meeting in the Bayou Classic on Nov. 29 not to decide the berth in the SWAC title game.

Maybe, Just Maybe ...

Northeast - The NEC had last year's best race. This season, Bryant sits in first place at 3-0 but has a difficult stretch, including a Nov. 15 visit to Sacred Heart, which is 3-1. That game likely will decide the conference's automatic bid. Wagner, at 2-1, is more pretender than contender, but it wraps up the season by playing Bryant.

Missouri Valley - The conference is so strong that the threat of the top teams losing - North Dakota State is 5-0, and Youngstown State and Illinois State, which square off this weekend, are both 4-1 - improves the race. Of course, it's going to take somebody to beat NDSU (Northern Iowa on Saturday?). The Bison finish the regular season on Nov. 22 by hosting Youngstown State.

Ohio Valley - It's a three-team race. Jacksonville State takes its 5-0 conference mark to Eastern Kentucky, which is 5-1, on Saturday. EKU already has a win over Eastern Illinois, the two-time defending champion which is 4-1, so the driver's seat awaits the Colonels with a win. If Jacksonville State survives EKU, the Gamecocks still have to go to EIU on Nov. 15.

Patriot - Fordham is 4-0 and just ahead of Bucknell at 3-0. They face off at Bucknell on Friday night. Fordham will clinch the automatic bid with a win. If Bucknell wins and takes over first place, it would still have to travel to Holy Cross and host third-place Colgate, which is 2-1 but also facing a tough schedule.

Southern - The automatic bid would go to Chattanooga, which is 5-0, if it beats Wofford, which is 3-1, on Saturday. A Wofford win would open up a lot. Second- place Western Carolina, at 4-1, beat Wofford but lost to Chattanooga.

The Best Races

MEAC - Five teams - Bethune-Cookman, Morgan State, Norfolk State, North Carolina A&T and South Carolina State - are 5-1 each. There are four remaining matchups between these teams, including two this weekend. Morgan State has to go through North Carolina A&T and South Carolina State, while Norfolk State, which stopped the Bethune-Cookman and South Carolina State domination in 2011, has to still play those two powers. There are so many scenarios.

Southland - McNeese State, Sam Houston State and Southeastern Louisiana are 4-1 each, with Central Arkansas just off the pace at 4-2 but having lost to Southeastern already. The big game is McNeese State at Southeastern Louisiana on Nov. 15. It's conceivable that Sam Houston State and Southeastern could win out while not playing each other this season. Sam Houston won its head-to-head meeting with McNeese.

Big Sky - This is the Rolls Royce of conference races. Cal Poly and Eastern Washington lead the way at 5-1 each, but there are four other one-loss teams with Idaho State, Montana, Montana State and Northern Arizona at 4-1 each. Four matchups remain between the six, including two this weekend, and none involving Northern Arizona. All but Idaho State is nationally ranked, and even fifth- ranked Eastern Washington could be in trouble for a playoff bid without one more win (they host Montana and then visit rival Portland State). Now that's saying something.

TOP 25-TESTED

Three-time reigning FCS champion North Dakota State is getting tested by playing in the Missouri Valley Conference, which is top-rated in the FCS.

The Bison have the most wins against Top 25 FCS opponents this season. Their four includes one outside the conference against Montana.

Teams with two or more FCS Top 25 wins:

Four - North Dakota State (4-0)

Three- New Hampshire (3-0), Illinois State (3-1) and Indiana State (3-2)

Two - Eastern Washington (2-0), Jacksonville State (2-0), Youngstown State (2-0), Cal Poly (2-1), Presbyterian (2-1), Sam Houston State (2-1), South Carolina State (2-1), Villanova (2-1), James Madison (2-2) and Southeast Missouri State (2-2)

ADAMS WORKS TOWARD RETURN

Eastern Washington junior quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. will continue to practice this week with a goal of returning to action in Saturday's key Big Sky Conference game against Montana.

Coach Beau Baldwin of the fifth-ranked Eagles (8-2) said Adams practiced Tuesday for the first time since he broke two metatarsal bones in his right foot in an Oct. 4 game. He has missed four games leading up to the visit by 11th-ranked Montana (6-3).

"He went through some stuff yesterday, maybe not to the level where he was going through it before the injury," Baldwin said Wednesday on a conference call. "We're going to just evaluate the week, similar to how we've done with (running back) Quincy Forte or (wide receiver) Cooper Kupp in Week 1, whoever it might be."

Redshirt sophomore Jordan West has gone 3-1 as the starting quarterback. He is coming off perhaps his best game, throwing for 314 yards and two touchdowns in a 54-3 win over North Dakota.

In EWU's first six games, Adams threw for 2,157 yards and 24 touchdowns with four interceptions, with a passing efficiency rating of 176.8. Last season against Montana, he threw for 457 yards and six touchdowns in the Eagles' 42-37 win in Missoula.

"You have to assess to what percentage he can play the game at," Baldwin said. "Then you've got to assess, is Vernon at 60 or 70 percent better than Jordan West at 100 percent? So that's what I'm getting at, who's going ultimately by the end of the week give us the best chance to win."

FCS TOP 25 AND AWARDS

The Sports Network FCS Top 25 can be found at http://tinyurl.com/88q2k7t.

The FCS Awards package can be found at http://tinyurl.com/n5ysh8x.

WEEK 11 PREDICTIONS

Last Week's Record: 37-18 (.673)

This Season's Record: 496-138 (.782)

X-Predicted Winner

Top 25

This is arguably the season's best weekend of Top 25 games to date. North Dakota State's FCS-record 33-game winning streak is in jeopardy and that didn't even get the nod for FCS Game of the Week.

Thursday, Nov. 6

No. 20 Bethune-Cookman (7-2, 4-1 MEAC) at X-Norfolk State (4-5, 4-1), 7:30 p.m. Bethune didn't like what it faced in South Carolina State's pass rush. Norfolk State's Lynden Trail, Deon King and George Riddick will get after Wildcats quarterback Larry Brihm as well.

Friday, Nov. 7

X-No. 9 Fordham (8-1, 4-0 Patriot) at Bucknell (7-1, 3-0), 6:30 p.m. The eastern version of stingy Bison defense gets its turn in the spotlight at Bucknell, and high-scoring Fordham only won last year's matchup, 23-21. But running back Chase Edmonds and the wide receivers will spread out the Bison too much.

Saturday, Nov. 8

X-No. 23 Bryant (7-1, 3-0 NEC) at Duquesne (5-4, 1-2), noon. This spot doesn't look as dangerous for Bryant after Duquesne lost to Saint Francis last Saturday. The Bulldogs' 1-2 punch of running backs Paul Canevari and Ricardo McCray working behind a big offensive line is impressive.

X-No. 3 Coastal Carolina (9-0, 3-0 Big South) at Charlotte (3-5), noon. High-scoring Charlotte has dropped five straight close games since a 3-0 start, and quarterback Matt Johnson is sidelined by a knee injury. The Chanticleers eat up FCS non-conference competition (11 straight wins) and quarterback Alex Ross figures to have another big game.

X-No. 2 New Hampshire (7-1, 5-0 CAA) at Rhode Island (0-9, 0-5), 12:30 p.m. The preseason favorite in the CAA sits alone in first place and is pointing toward gaining some home playoff games. When wide receiver R.J. Harris is scoring on touchdown rushes, too, the Wildcats offense is particularly strong.

X-No. 8 Richmond (7-2, 4-1 CAA) at Maine (3-5, 2-3), 12:30 p.m. Richmond's offense is on another level than Maine's, but the host Black Bears had an extra week of preparation to prepare for the Spiders, whose No. 8 ranking is their highest in over three years. The Spiders' ability to control the clock stems from their FCS-leading 55.4 percent conversion rate on third downs.

Wofford (5-3, 3-1 Southern) at X-No. 13 Chattanooga (6-3, 5-0), 1 p.m. Off their demolition of Western Carolina, the Mocs would clinch the SoCon's automatic playoff bid with a victory. But hold on there, coach Mike Ayers and the Terriers' triple option had a bye week to prepare for the Mocs' terrific defensive front. The Terriers average 297.2 rushing yards per game.

X-No. 4 Jacksonville State (7-1, 5-0 OVC) at No. 16 Eastern Kentucky (8-1, 5-1), 1 p.m. Through turnovers and blocked kicks, EKU might be the most opportunistic team in the FCS. The Colonels will need to be just that against a Jacksonville State offense that has so many weapons. Although EKU's Dy'Shawn Mobley is the Ohio Valley Conference's No. 1 rusher, the Gamecocks have four in the conference's top 10.

Columbia (0-7, 0-4 Ivy) at X-No. 18 Harvard (7-0, 4-0), 1 p.m. Harvard has the second-longest winning streak in the FCS (11 games) and Columbia has the longest losing streak (18 games). Plus, Harvard has hung 10 straight defeats on the Lions. The tailgaters may never make it into the stadium.

X-No. 22 South Dakota State (5-4, 2-3 Missouri Valley) at No. 17 Indiana State (6-3, 3-2), 1 p.m. The next touchdown for SDSU running back Zach Zenner will give him a new Missouri Valley record. But the next loss also will knock the Jackrabbits out of the playoff picture. They hope the return of quarterback Austin Sumner is a difference maker against ISU's resurgent squad.

No. 10 Youngstown State (7-2, 4-1 Missouri Valley) at X-No. 12 Illinois State (7-1, 4-1), 2 p.m. After losing for the first time at Northern Iowa, the Redbirds return to the friendly confines of Hancock Stadium, where they have won 10 straight games. But the Penguins haven't been the friendly sort while raising their play during a three-game winning streak. The winner would appear to clinch a playoff bid, and at worst have sole possession of second place in the conference.

FCS Game of the Week: No. 11 Montana (6-3, 4-1 Big Sky) at X-No. 5 Eastern Washington (8-2, 5-1), 3:10 p.m. EWU quarterback Vernon Adams Jr.'s playing status is listed as "questionable" five weeks after breaking two metatarsal bones in his right foot. The will-he-or-won't-he-play/game-time decision story line is almost as big as the game itself.

Elon (1-8, 0-5 CAA) at X-No. 24 William & Mary (5-4, 2-3), 3:30 p.m. The slumping Tribe haven't given up more than 21 points in any of their five wins, but haven't surrendered under 31 in each of their losses. Without a big-time offense, Mike Reilly, Luke Rhodes and the defense are going to have to clamp down more if they are going to earn an at-large playoff bid.

UC Davis (1-7, 0-5 Big Sky) at X-No. 25 Northern Arizona (6-3, 4-1), 4 p.m. NAU coach Jerome Souers, in his 17th season with the Lumberjacks, will go for his 100th career win. A week ago, redshirt junior Jordan Perry became the third different NAU quarterback to start and win a game this season. The Lumberjacks can't afford to do too much searching at this point of the season.

Houston Baptist (2-7, 1-5 Southland) at X-No. 14 Southeastern Louisiana (6-3, 4-1), 4 p.m. Southeastern had a bye to prepare for ... Houston Baptist? The visiting Huskies have given up at least 59 points in four of their six conference games. Maybe quarterback Bryan Bennett and the defending champion Lions will produce that much by halftime.

Portland State (3-6, 2-3 Big Sky) at X-No. 15 Montana State (6-3, 4-1), 4:05 p.m. With upcoming games against Idaho State and Montana, this is a must-have win for the host Bobcats, who give up too many yards (477.3 per game). Montana State will look to get the ball to all-purpose threat Shawn Johnson.

X-No. 21 Cal Poly (6-3, 5-1 Big Sky) at Idaho State (6-3, 4-1), 4:35 p.m. It's the FCS' No. 1 rushing offense (Cal Poly) versus the No. 1 passing offense (Idaho State), but, ironically, Cal Poly is pretty solid against the pass and Idaho State has done well against the run. Chris Brown is close to becoming the first Cal Poly QB to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, while ISU quarterback Justin Arias and running back Xavier Finney have been impossible on defensive coordinators.

X-No. 1 North Dakota State (9-0, 5-0 Missouri Valley) at No. 19 Northern Iowa (5-4, 3-2), 5 p.m. A week after stopping Illinois State's unbeaten season, UNI tries to hand the three-time reigning FCS champions their first loss since 2012 (33 games) and first road loss since 2010 (18 games). It's a must-win situation for the Panthers as well, and they just might do that. Their star running back, David Johnson, was named the national offensive player of the week on Monday.

Stephen F. Austin (6-3, 3-2 Southland) at X-No. 6 McNeese State (6-2, 4-1), 7 p.m. Somehow McNeese State is ranked sixth nationally without a win over an opponent with a winning record. Here's the Cowboys' chance to change that fact. They rank No. 1 in the Southland in total defense (317.8 ypg) as they take aim on SFA touchdown-maker Gus Johnson.

Towson (4-5, 2-3 CAA) at X-No. 7 Villanova (7-2, 4-1), 7 p.m. Huh, Villanova is playing in the latest kickoff of the FCS weekend? Say it ain't so, Andy Talley. The continued emergence of sophomore running back Darius Victor, the CAA rushing leader, has been overshadowed by Towson's losing record, but the host Wildcats and their terrific run defense are in a bad mood after their seven- game winning streak was snapped at Richmond.

Non-Ranked Conference

According to the NCAA, no FCS team has a tougher schedule (of past and future opponents' records) than Liberty. Coach Turner Gill's team is buying time until its Nov. 22 showdown with unbeaten Coastal Carolina. Saturday's opponent is Big South newcomer Monmouth, which they beat last year, 45-15. This year's game figures to be closer.

Thursday, Nov. 6

X-Grambling State (6-3, 6-0 SWAC) at Mississippi Valley State (2-7, 1-6), 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 8

Gardner-Webb (4-5, 0-2 Big South) at X-Charleston Southern (6-3, 1-2), 11 a.m.

X-Wagner (4-4, 2-1 NEC) at Robert Morris (1-7, 1-2), noon

X-Yale (6-1, 3-1 Ivy) at Brown (4-3, 2-2), 12:30 p.m.

X-Dartmouth (5-2, 3-1 Ivy) at Cornell (0-7, 0-4), 12:30 p.m.

X-Lehigh (2-6, 1-2 Patriot) at Holy Cross (3-6, 1-2), 12:30 p.m.

X-Sacred Heart (7-2, 3-1 NEC) at Central Connecticut State (2-7, 0-4), 1 p.m.

X-Weber State (0-9, 0-5 Big Sky) at North Dakota (3-6, 1-4), 1 p.m.

Drake (5-4, 4-2 Pioneer) at X-Dayton (6-2, 4-1), 1 p.m.

Murray State (3-6, 1-4 OVC) at X-Eastern Illinois (4-5, 4-1), 1 p.m.

James Madison (6-3, 3-2 CAA) at X-Stony Brook (4-5, 3-2), 1 p.m.

Lafayette (3-6, 1-3 Patriot) at X-Colgate (4-5, 2-1), 1 p.m.

X-Jacksonville (7-2, 5-1 Pioneer) at Davidson (1-8, 0-5), 1 p.m.

Morgan State (5-4, 4-1 MEAC) at X-North Carolina A&T (7-2, 4-1), 1 p.m.

X-Butler (4-5, 2-4 Pioneer) at Valparaiso (2-7, 0-5), 2 p.m.

Jackson State (3-6, 1-5 SWAC) at X-Alabama State (4-5, 3-4), 2 p.m.

Furman (2-7, 1-3 Southern) at X-The Citadel (3-6, 1-3), 2 p.m.

X-Alcorn State (7-2, 5-1 SWAC) at Alabama A&M (4-5, 3-3), 2 p.m.

Hampton (2-7, 1-4 MEAC) at X-North Carolina Central (4-5, 3-2), 2 p.m.

Southeast Missouri State (4-5, 2-3 OVC) at X-Tennessee Tech (3-6, 2-4), 2:30 p.m.

X-Marist (3-6, 3-3 Pioneer) at Stetson (4-5, 2-3), 3 p.m.

X-Southern Illinois (5-4, 2-3 Missouri Valley) at Missouri State (4-5, 1-4), 3 p.m.

X-South Carolina State (6-3, 4-1 MEAC) at Florida A&M (2-7, 2-3), 3 p.m.

Northwestern State (4-5, 2-3 Southland) at X-Abilene Christian (5-5, 3-3), 3 p.m.

X-Delaware (5-4, 3-2 CAA) at Albany (6-3, 2-3), 3:30 p.m.

Western Carolina (6-3, 4-1 Southern) at X-Samford (5-3, 3-2), 3:30 p.m.

Penn (1-6, 1-3 Ivy) at X-Princeton (4-3, 3-1), 3:30 p.m.

X-Prairie View A&M (3-5, 3-4 SWAC) at Arkansas-Pine Bluff (3-5, 2-4), 3:30 p.m.

Monmouth (5-3, 0-2 Big South) at X-Liberty (6-3, 2-0), 3:30 p.m.

Lamar (6-3, 3-2 Southland) at X-Central Arkansas (5-5, 4-2), 4 p.m.

Morehead State (3-6, 2-4 Pioneer) at X-San Diego (7-1, 5-1), 4 p.m.

X-Western Illinois (3-6, 1-4 Missouri Valley) at South Dakota (2-7, 0-5), 5 p.m.

Southern Utah (2-7, 2-3 Big Sky) at X-Sacramento State (4-5, 1-4), 5 p.m.

X-Tennessee State (4-6, 1-5 OVC) at Austin Peay (1-8, 1-4), 5 p.m.

X-Howard (2-7, 1-5 MEAC) at Savannah State (0-9, 0-6), 6 p.m.

Texas Southern (5-4, 3-4 SWAC) at X-Southern (6-3, 5-1), 7 p.m.

X-Sam Houston State (5-4, 4-1 Southland) at Incarnate Word (2-7, 2-4), 7 p.m.

Non-Ranked Non-Conference

The air has come out of Campbell's PFL title bid with two straight losses following a 4-0 league start. The Camels have both bad hands and good hands. They have fumbled the ball 18 times only to lose four of them.

Saturday, Nov. 8

Missouri Baptist (1-9) at X-Campbell (4-5), 1 p.m.

FCS-FBS

Saturday, Nov. 8

UT Martin quarterback Dylan Favre played for Mississippi State in 2010-11. The Skyhawks are 1-17 all-time against FBS opposition, and this is their first meeting against the nation's top-ranked FBS team.

Presbyterian (5-4) at X-Mississippi (7-2), noon

UT Martin (5-5) at X-Mississippi State (8-0), 4 p.m.