Looking back: Eastern Washington went on one of the most unlikely postseason runs in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly NCAA Division I-AA history, winning the program's first-ever national championship, as the Eagles knocked off Delaware in the title game, 20-19. But EWU wasn't alone as far as teams in the Big Sky Conference advancing to postseason play. Montana State was the only other Big Sky squad to move on to the FCS playoffs, losing to North Dakota State in a rout, 42-17.
Looking ahead: As the 2011 season quickly approaches, Eastern Washington should not only be favored to remain among one of the top teams in the FCS--if not repeat as national champions--but also a favorite to finish on top in the Big Sky Conference once again. In 2012, the nine-team Big Sky circuit will grow by four members, as North Dakota and Southern Utah will enter the conference as full members, while Cal Poly and UC Davis will join as associate members for football only.
Website: http://www.bigskyconf.org/
Predicted order of finish (2010 overall record in parentheses)
1. Eastern Washington (13-2): Despite winning a national championship last season, EWU begins the season ranked No. 5 in the nation by College Sporting News. That alone could motivate the Eagles towards a potential repeat.
2. Montana State (9-3): As the co-champions of the Big Sky last year, finishing tied with EWU at 7-1 in conference play last season, expect the Bobcats to give the Eagles their stiffest challenge in 2011. They'll open this season against new Pacific 12 Conference member Utah on September 1.
3. Montana (7-4): The Grizzlies will look to return to the FCS playoffs after missing out on the postseason for the first time since 1992, when they also finished 7-4. They had made 17 straight playoff appearances prior to 2010.
4. Sacramento State (6-5): The Hornets finished the 2010 season with their first winning record in 10 years, which included a 5-3 mark in Big Sky Conference play. Before last year, their last winning season came in 2000 (7-4).
5. Weber State (6-5): The Wildcats play back-to-back road games against teams from non-automatic qualifying BCS (FBS) conferences to open the 2011 season: Wyoming from the Mountain West Conference on September 3, followed by a contest against Utah State from the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) the following weekend.
6. Northern Arizona (6-5): If not for three close losses in conference games last season, by a combined 11 points, the Lumberjacks very easily could have gotten at least a share of the Big Sky title. It's something they hope to change this season.
7. Northern Colorado (3-8): A dramatic season-ending win at Portland State give the Bears faithful a glimmer of hope for 2011.
8. Portland State (2-9): The Vikings hope to put a dismal 2010 season behind them.
9. Idaho State (1-10): The Bengals only win of 2010 came against NAIA Montana Western, by 29 points.
4 years ago
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