Spring 2021 FCS: Scouting for the next Donald Parham

[MGB01]

Starting with McNeese/Tarleton next week in 'FCS kickoff 2.0', which obviously won't have the glow of UCA/Austin Peay back in August.

Ratings-wise it wasn't great (less than 600k viewers) but the same sentiment, given it was the first football anywhere (minus a couple piddly indoor leagues) on any level since the XFL last played.

[4th&long]

Starting with McNeese/Tarleton next week in 'FCS kickoff 2.0', which obviously won't have the glow of UCA/Austin Peay back in August.

Ratings-wise it wasn't great (less than 600k viewers) but the same sentiment, given it was the first football anywhere (minus a couple piddly indoor leagues) on any level since the XFL last played.

Where/when was it televised.

[MGB01]

Starting with McNeese/Tarleton next week in 'FCS kickoff 2.0', which obviously won't have the glow of UCA/Austin Peay back in August.

Ratings-wise it wasn't great (less than 600k viewers) but the same sentiment, given it was the first football anywhere (minus a couple piddly indoor leagues) on any level since the XFL last played.

Where/when was it televised.

https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/colleg ... v-ratings/

Did a .33 rating on ESPN 8/29, not encouraging but considering all the FBS games scheduled that day (week 0) were wiped out might have missed that there was actually a game on, plus given that any college football on TV that didn't involve Alabama(SEC)/Ohio State/Clemson/Notre Dame/Oklahoma seemed to average around 750K-1M viewers (esp in the early season) and it doesn't seem as bad. An FCS vs FCS matchup lagging behind is almost a given.

[Tank55]

Thank god it's finally football season.

Saturday, February 13
McNeese @ Tarleton State, 7:00 ET, ESPN+

Just one game this week, as Tarleton State makes its FCS debut after making the leap from Division II.

Tarleton is part of the Texas A&M University system, and is about an our and half west of Fort Worth in Stephenville, Texas. They went undefeated in the 2019 regular season before falling in the first round of the Division II playoffs.

McNeese is a historically strong FCS program, usually turning in winning seasons with a few very good seasons mixed in over the past half decade. They're in Lake Charles, Louisiana, about halfway between New Orleans and Houston.

I don't really know anything about the current versions of the teams, but I'll try to learn some this week and see if I can come up with a half-informed prediction.

Things will really get cooking next weekend, with 22 games scheduled for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

[MGB01]

I was a junior at EWU in 2007 when they stomped then-undefeated #2 seed McNeese State in the first round of the FCS playoffs. Matt Nichols didn't even have a great game, he threw for over 400 yards but also had two INTS--including a pick-six.

This happened: A couple of the under guys started talking about going home for Thanksgiving, a few days after getting rolled by BYU left them at 4-3. Within earshot, I quickly reminded them that they might be playing, changing the temperature of the room. So the guys go out and end on a five-game win streak, beat McNeese and end up being the last Big Sky survivor (BSC champ Montana was upset by Wofford by a point), then give champion/conqueror of Michigan App State all they could handle.

Not saying anything but it was probably my UT freshman who inspired Reggie White to go to the next level moment, closest anyway. In truth, the upperclassmen leaders on the team like Bryan Jarrett and Greg Peach, as well as the young stars like Nichols and JC Sherritt, probably already gave this lecture. But dammit I was there I'm gonna count it

[Sounder]

In hindsight....I really wish Pac 12 football would've held back to play spring ball like they planned to originally. As things turned out....they barely played at all. And Washington couldn't play the Pac 12 title game like they were supposed to because they didn't have enough healthy players. It could've waited. I don't think it would've affected anybody's draft status.

[MGB01]

In hindsight....I really wish Pac 12 football would've held back to play spring ball like they planned to originally. As things turned out....they barely played at all. And Washington couldn't play the Pac 12 title game like they were supposed to because they didn't have enough healthy players. It could've waited. I don't think it would've affected anybody's draft status.

With FCS you're still having not insignificant numbers of opt-outs, only this time with individual schools. If ~40% of the Big Sky isn't playing (with one Cal school) then what's to suggest Cal and Stanford wouldn't have sat out a spring Pac 12 season? And then what's to stop Oregon, UCLA and others from following suit?

Plus not like you wouldn't have the same player opt-outs you had in the fall. Not just the draft ones either, Wazzu lost their best WR (Tay Martin) to Oklahoma State cause of the P12's original decision. Hell, they just had a fire at their practice facility, and now Jayden de Laura getting popped for a DUI yeah that's a great way to start a season.

And this was discussed at length a few months back: Only way this would have happened would be a mini-season between the Final Four and the NCAA baseball tournament, which would be the same barely playing at all.

[Tank55]

Norfolk State opts out.

https://twitter.com/FBSchedules/status/ ... 1858267143

[Firecop]

Shout out to MGB01, another Eag Alumni!

[MGB01]

Norfolk State opts out.

https://twitter.com/FBSchedules/status/ ... 1858267143

Wonder how they resked on such short notice, since they're down to six they should theoretically be able move one of the teams from the four team div into NSU's spot, or just junk the divs altogether.