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Colonial Athletic Association (CAA)-(FCS)
Overview: Year in and year out, the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) has ranked among the most competitive conferences in the FCS. The 2018 season proved to show yet another example of why the CAA continues to flex its muscles, as seven of the conference's 12 teams finished last fall with a winning record, with five of them advancing to postseason play. Also, every CAA team won at one least conference game, while losing at least one league game as well. That's not to mention that six CAA squads finished the season in the final STATS FCS poll.
As far as the FCS playoffs go, the University of Maine Black Bears (10-4 overall) won the CAA crown with a 7-1 mark in conference games. They advanced the farthest of any team in the league, losing to eventual national runner-up Eastern Washington in the national semifinals. James Madison (9-4) downed fellow CAA foe, Delaware, before falling to Colgate in a second-round heartbreaker.
Looking forward to the 2019 season, expect the CAA to continue its competitive balance from top to bottom. In fact, don't be surprised if the race for the conference championship comes down to the final week of the regular season.
2019 Schedules (Teams listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access to find the schedules)
NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, it means that the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2019 season. When the team's schedule is submitted, the link (s) will appear in each blog post. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and much more.
Final 2018 Colonial Athletic Association Football Standings
Albany (N.Y.)
Delaware
Elon
James Madison
Maine
New Hampshire
Rhode Island
Richmond
Stony Brook
Towson
Villanova
William & Mary
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Big South Conference (FCS)
Overview: Despite having played just four full seasons of football, the Kennesaw State University Owls from Georgia have quickly built themselves into a powerhouse program at the FCS level. And 2018 proved to be a banner year for the fledgling Owls, as they finished undefeated in Big South Conference play at 5-0 en route to winning their second straight title. However, KSU's run in the FCS playoffs ended in the quarterfinals, with the Owls falling to South Dakota State 27-17. KSU finished the 2018 season at 11-2 overall.
The 2019 season welcomes two new teams to the Big South Conference, as Hampton makes the move from the MEAC, while North Alabama joins the league as the Lions start their second season of a four-year transition from the NCAA Division II ranks. But even with two additional teams in the mix, don't be surprised if Kennesaw State is once again the team to beat in the Big South this fall.
2019 Schedules (Teams listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access to find the schedules)
NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, it means that the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2019 season. When the team's schedule is submitted, the link (s) will appear in each blog post. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and much more.
Final 2018 Big South Conference Football Standings
Campbell
Charleston Southern
Gardner-Webb
Hampton
Kennesaw State
Monmouth (N.J.)
North Alabama*
Presbyterian
*-Ineligible for Big South Conference Championship.
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Big Sky Conference (FCS)
Overview: It was a tight, three-way race for the Big Sky Conference championship in 2018, with Eastern Washington (12-3 overall), UC Davis (10-3) and Weber State (10-3) all claiming a three-way share of the crown after 7-1 in conference play. EWU advanced to the FCS national championship game, losing to North Dakota State, while UC Davis and Weber State both fell in the quarterfinals, losing in close games to EWU and Maine respectively.
A fourth team, Montana State (8-5), made its first playoff appearance since 2014, as the Bobcats beat Incarnate Word 35-14 in the first round before being crushed by NDSU in the second round. However, were it not for a couple of close losses to Idaho State and Weber State at mid-season, Montana State very well could have found itself in the Big Sky Conference championship conversation.
With 2019 just around the corner, many questions abound as to whether or not either Eastern Washington, UC Davis, or Weber State will find themselves on top. Don't be surprised if Montana State, Montana, or even another team ends up coming out of nowhere to put itself in contention. Having said that, it'll be interesting to see how the situation will stack up in the "Sky" this season.
2019 Schedules (Teams listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access to find the schedules)
NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, it means that the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2019 season. When the team's schedule is submitted, the link (s) will appear in each blog post. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and much more.
Final 2018 Big Sky Conference Football Standings
Cal Poly
Eastern Washington
Idaho
Idaho State
Montana
Montana State
Northern Arizona
Northern Colorado
Portland State
Sacramento State
Southern Utah
UC Davis
Weber State
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FBS Independents (FBS Group Of Five)
Overview: Of all the FBS Independent teams (teams that aren't currently members of any conference) not named Notre Dame, the Army Black Knights were the best by far, finishing the 2018 season at 11-2 overall. Army completed its remarkable season with a 70-14 blowout win of Houston in the Armed Forces Bowl on December 22. The Black Knights now three straight winning seasons dating back to the start of the 2016 season, when they finished 8-5 overall. Additionally, Army is a combined 25-5 over the last two seasons (2017 and 2018), winning back-to-back bowl games both times.
However, the Black Knights weren't only the FBS Independent aside from Notre Dame to go bowling in 2018, as the BYU Cougars finished 7-6 with a convincing 49-18 win over Western Michigan in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on December 21. The other three teams on this list struggled to get to .500, with Liberty holding its own in its first FBS season by finishing at 6-6, New Mexico State finishing its first season as an independent with a disappointing 3-9 record, while UMass didn't fare much better in finishing at 4-8.
Among the questions that are bound to be answered going into the 2019 season are these: Can Army notch yet another banner season? Can BYU and Liberty get to the next level? Finally, can New Mexico State and UMass overcome their struggles to become bowl-eligible? Don't be surprised if at least one of those three questions are answered successfully this fall.
2019 Schedules (Teams listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access to find the schedules)
NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, it means that the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2019 season. When the team's schedule is submitted, the link (s) will appear in each blog post. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and much more.
Army
BYU
Liberty
New Mexico State
UMass
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Sun Belt Conference (FBS Group Of Five)
Overview: The 2018 season in the Sun Belt Conference can best be described as "a tale of two divisions". While the East Division produced three double-digit win teams in the eventual conference and New Orleans Bowl champion Appalachian State (11-2 overall), Georgia Southern (10-3) and Troy (10-3), the West Division produced just one team that finished last fall with a winning record in Arkansas State (8-5).
In the inaugural Sun Belt Conference championship game, Appalachian State defeated Louisiana 30-19 before crushing Middle Tennessee in the New Orleans Bowl 45-13. While all three of the East Division teams were bowl-eligible won their bowl games (Georgia Southern in the Camellia Bowl and Troy in the Dollar General Bowl), the two bowl-eligible teams in the West Division (Louisiana in the Cure Bowl and Arkansas State in the Arizona Bowl) lost their postseason games.
The main storyline during the 2019 offseason for the Sun Belt has been the coaching changes in Eliah Drinkwitz at Appalachian State, Jamey Chadwell at Coastal Carolina, and Chip Lindsey at Troy. That trio replaced Scott Satterfield (now the head coach at Louisville), Joe Moglia, and Neal Brown (now West Virginia head coach) respectively. Those developments alone could make for an interesting race the conference crown this fall.
2019 Schedules (Teams listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access to find the schedules)
NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, it means that the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2019 season. When the team's schedule is submitted, the link (s) will appear in each blog post. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and much more.
Final 2018 Sun Belt Conference Football Standings
2019 Sun Belt Conference Composite Schedule
East Division
Appalachian State
Coastal Carolina
Georgia Southern
Georgia State
Troy
West Division
Arkansas State
Louisiana
South Alabama
Texas State
ULM
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Mountain West Conference (FBS Group Of Five)
Overview: With six of its seven bowl-eligible teams playing in bowl games in 2018, finishing 3-2 in such contests (Boise State's clash with Boston College at the ServPro First Responder Bowl being declared a no contest due to lightning), the Mountain West Conference is looking to have a strong showing from top to bottom in 2019. Notable non-conference games for the MW include Boise State vs. Florida State in Jacksonville, Fla. on August 31, followed by their home opener vs. Marshall less than a week later, as well as Utah State hitting the road to face 2018 bowl game winners in Wake Forest (Birmingham Bowl) on August 30 and LSU (Fiesta Bowl) on October 5.
As for top conference games, Utah State will do battle with Fresno State on November 9, while Boise State will make the trip to Logan, Utah two weeks later on November 23. Both games could go a long way towards deciding an eventual Mountain West Conference champion. Wyoming, San Diego State, Nevada, and even Hawai'i can play a big role in the MW championship conversation if things break in their favor.
2019 Schedules (Teams listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access to find the schedules)
NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, it means that the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2019 season. When the team's schedule is submitted, the link (s) will appear in each blog post. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and much more.
Final 2018 Mountain West Conference Football Standings
Mountain Division
Air Force
Boise State
Colorado State
New Mexico
Utah State
Wyoming
West Division
Fresno State
Hawai'i
Nevada
San Diego State
San Jose State
UNLV
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Mid-American Conference (FBS Group Of Five)
Overview: Maybe the so-called "MACtion" that was the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in 2018 provided for way too much action. Why? Because every team in the MAC not only lost at least one league game last season, six of the seven teams that were bowl-eligible actually played in bowl games, with only Miami (Ohio)-(6-6 overall) missing out despite ending the season on a three-game winning streak. Unfortunately, the MAC struggled to a 1-5 mark in postseason play, with Ohio notching the league's lone bowl win, as the Bobcats shut out San Diego State 27-0 to win the Frisco Bowl.
The 2018 MAC Championship Game was one of the best in conference history, as Northern Illinois (8-6) rallied from a 19-point deficit to upset Buffalo (10-4) 30-29. Both teams would go to on lose in their respective bowl games, as the Huskies lost to UAB in the Boca Raton Bowl, while the Bulls fell to Troy in the Dollar General Bowl.
It'll be interesting to see exactly what "MACtion" all 12 teams in the MAC will take in 2019.
2019 Schedules (Teams listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access to find the schedules)
NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, it means that the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2019 season. When the team's schedule is submitted, the link (s) will appear in each blog post. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and much more.
Final 2018 Mid-American Conference Football Standings
2019 Mid-American Conference Composite Schedule
East Division
Akron
Bowling Green
Buffalo
Kent State
Miami (Ohio)
Ohio
West Division
Ball State
Central Michigan
Eastern Michigan
Northern Illinois
Toledo
Western Michigan
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Conference USA (FBS Group Of Five)
Overview: The 2018-2019 season was good for Conference USA, especially the bowl season, as the 25-year-old league finished 4-2 in postseason play last year. That was good enough for C-USA to claim its fourth Bowl Challenge Cup championship in the last eight years, tying their fellow G5 brethren in the Mountain West Conference for the most crowns all-time.
UAB (11-3 overall) made history in just its second season back after a two-year hiatus, in not only winning the C-USA crown but also crushing Northern Illinois 37-13 to win the Boca Raton Bowl. Other teams that claimed bowl victories in 2018 were Marshall (Gasparilla Bowl), FIU (Bahamas Bowl), and Louisiana Tech (Hawai'i Bowl).
Going forward into 2019, Conference USA will play 11 games combined against ACC and SEC opponents, including defending College Football Playoff national champion Clemson, as well as Alabama. Additionally, C-USA will square off against the American Athletic Conference six times, as well as two games against the Mountain West Conference. One of those games, however, could catapult C-USA onto an even bigger national stage, as Marshall travels to Boise State on September 6 in a nationally-televised game on ESPN2.
2019 Schedules (Teams listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access to find the schedules)
NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, it means that the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2019 season. When the team's schedule is submitted, the link (s) will appear in each blog post. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and much more.
Final 2018 Conference USA Football Standings
2019 Conference USA Preview
East Division
Charlotte
Florida Atlantic
FIU
Marshall
Middle Tennessee
Old Dominion
Western Kentucky
West Division
Louisiana Tech
North Texas
Rice
Southern Mississippi
UAB
UTEP
UTSA
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Editor's Note: Welcome to the 2019 debut of the "RFC MYC", with the "MYC" initials standing for "Mark Your Calendars". The purpose of the previews at the Real Football Central blog is to present the schedules of every college football team outside of the so-called "Power Five" conferences (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac 12, and SEC), throughout the summer of 2019. So, what are we waiting for? Let's get started.
American Athletic Conference (FBS Group Of Five)
Overview: The three big questions for the American Athletic Conference going into the 2019 season are these: Can UCF (12-1 overall in 2018) bounce back and start a brand-new winning streak after losing to LSU in the Fiesta Bowl, snapping the Knights 25-game winning streak that spanning nearly two full seasons? Can Cincinnati (11-2) build on come-from-behind, season-ending win over Virginia Tech in the Military Bowl? Finally, which of three teams: Houston, Memphis, or Tulane, is the "Best In The West", the West Division that is? All three of those questions and many more will be answered when the season kicks off on Thursday, August 29, when Cincinnati plays host to UCLA.
2019 Schedules (Teams listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access to find the schedules)
NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, it means that the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2019 season. When the team's schedule is submitted, the link (s) will appear in each blog post. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and much more.
Final 2018 American Athletic Conference Football Standings
2019 American Athletic Conference Composite Schedule
East Division
Cincinnati
East Carolina
Temple
UCF
UConn
USF
West Division
Houston
Memphis
Navy
SMU
Tulane
Tulsa
Follow RFC on Twitter @realfootball.
