Thursday, August 31, 2023

THE RFC MYC: Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC)-(NCAA Division II)

Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC)-(NCAA Division II)


Overview: The Colorado School of Mines Orediggers enjoyed their best football season ever, as they finished 13-3 overall, as well as undefeated at 9-0 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) for 2022. 

Despite an 0-2 start, the Orediggers reeled off 13 straight wins, which included avenging a three-point overtime loss to Angelo State in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II playoffs, to reach the national championship game for the first time in program history. Colorado Mines' season ended with a 41-14 loss to Ferris State on December 17.

Another RMAC team that advanced to postseason play despite an early losing streak was the Colorado State University-Pueblo Timberwolves. After crushing Midwestern State 59-27 in their season opener on September 3, the Timberwolves lost three straight games before bouncing back to win seven straight games to finish RMAC action at 7-2, as well as the regular season at 8-3. CSU-Pueblo's season ended with a 45-24 loss at Colorado Mines in the first round of the D-II playoffs to finish at 8-4 overall. 

To no one's surprise, the Colorado School of Mines will enter the 2023 season as the favorite to win yet another RMAC championship, with the Orediggers earning nine of 10 first-place votes, while Western Colorado (7-4 overall, 7-2 in the RMAC in 2022) getting the other first-place vote. Also, expect stiff challenges from the South Dakota School of Mines (7-4, 6-3), as well as Black Hills State (7-4, 5-4).




2023 Schedules (Teams are 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 2023 season. The link (s) will appear in each blog post when the team's schedule is submitted. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and more.


Adams State

Black Hills State

Chadron State

Colorado Mesa

Colorado Mines

Colorado State-Pueblo

Fort Lewis

New Mexico Highlands

South Dakota Mines

Western Colorado

Follow RFC on Twitter @realfootball.

RFC Throwback Thursday: South Alabama upsets Mississippi State-2016


(Video #1 courtesy of the ESPN SEC Network.)


(Video #2 courtesy of WKRG Mobile, Alabama.)


This week's installment of "RFC Throwback Thursday" turns the clock back to Saturday, September 3, 2016. That was when the University of South Alabama Jaguars traveled to Starkville, Mississippi to square off against the SEC's Mississippi State University Bulldogs in the season opener for both squads.


The Jaguars rallied from a 17-0 halftime deficit to defeat and pull off the upset over the Bulldogs by the final score of 21-20. That win gave the South Alabama program its' biggest win to date in its' 12-year history. The Jaguars finished the 2016 season at 6-7 overall following a loss to Air Force in the Arizona Bowl, which was the second of three bowl game appearances for South Alabama.


Follow RFC on Twitter @realfootball.


Wednesday, August 30, 2023

THE RFC MYC: American Southwest Conference (ASC)-(NCAA Division III)

American Southwest Conference (ASC)-(NCAA Division III)


Overview: After a 12-2 season in 2022 where they fell to eventual national champion North Central in the national semifinals, expect Mary Hardin-Baylor to win another American Southwest Conference (ASC) championship in 2023, with Hardin-Simmons expected to finish second after finishing at 9-2 overall last fall.

Speaking of 2023, there will be at least two changes coming as far as the ASC's membership is concerned, as Southwestern University has left for the Southern Athletic Association, while Sul Ross State was declared ineligible for both the conference title and postseason play due to their imminent transition from the NCAA Division III to the NCAA Division II level starting in 2024. SRSU will join the Lone Star Conference by then.



2023 Schedules (Teams are 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 2023 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.


*-Sul Ross State is ineligible for the American Southwest Conference championship, as well as the NCAA Division III playoffs, due to its' pending transition to the NCAA Division II level starting in 2024.

Follow RFC on Twitter @realfootball.

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

RFC Weekly Predictions: Labor Day Weekend

Last Week: 22-11 (.667)

This Year: 22-11 (.667)

KEY: Projected winners are marked in RED.

Featured games in BOLD type.

FBS Group Of Five vs. FBS Group Of Five

Saturday, September 2

Bowling Green at Liberty

(The Flames host the Falcons in a match-up of bowl-losing teams from 2022!!! Airtime is at noon EDT on the CBS Sports Network!!!)

Louisiana Tech (1-0) at SMU

(The Mustangs kick off their 2023 season playing host to the Bulldogs!!! Airtime is at noon EDT/11 am CDT on ESPNU!!!)

South Alabama at Tulane

(The defending American Athletic Conference champion Green Wave plays host to the upstart Jaguars from the Sun Belt Conference in the season opener for both teams!!! Airtime is at 8 pm EDT/7 pm CDT, also on ESPNU!!!)

Akron at Temple

South Florida at Western Kentucky

Army at Louisiana-Monroe

FBS Group Of Five vs. FCS


Thursday, August 31

Rhode Island at Georgia State

St. Francis (Pa.) at Western Michigan

North Carolina A&T at UAB


Friday, September 1

Howard at Eastern Michigan

Saturday, September 2

UAlbany (1-0) at Marshall

(The Thundering Herd plays host to the Great Danes of CAA Football, who knocked off 2022 FCS playoff participant Fordham in their season opener last week!!!)

Stephen F. Austin at Troy

(The defending Sun Belt Conference champion Trojans take on the Lumberjacks from the United Athletic Conference in the season opener for both squads!!!)

Bucknell at James Madison

Maine at Florida International (0-1)


FCS vs. FCS

Thursday, August 31

Eastern Illinois at Indiana State

Sacramento State at Nicholls

William & Mary at Campbell

Tennessee Tech at Furman

Delaware at Stony Brook

Valparaiso at Youngstown State

Idaho at Lamar

Northern Colorado at Abilene Christian

UC Davis at Texas A&M-Commerce


Saturday, September 2

Holy Cross at Merrimack

(The defending Patriot League champions begin their season on the road against the newly postseason-eligible Warriors from the Northeast Conference!!!) 

Eastern Washington vs. North Dakota State

(The defending national runner-up Bison do battle with the Eagles at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis!!!)


Austin Peay at Southern Illinois

(The Salukis square off against the Governors in their 2023 season opener!!!)

New Hampshire at Stonehill

Grambling State vs. Hampton

(Brick City Classic at Harrison, N.J.)

Drake at North Dakota

Chattanooga at North Alabama (0-1)

Prairie View A&M at Texas Southern

Utah Tech at Montana State

Sunday, September 3

Jackson State (1-0) vs, Florida A&M

(The Tigers take on the Rattlers in the annual Orange Blossom Classic from Miami!!! Airtime is at 3 pm EDT/2 pm CDT on ESPN!!!)

NCAA Division II

Thursday, August 31

Ashland at Indiana (Pa.)

(The Crimson Hawks from the PSAC clash with the Golden Eagles from the G-MAC in a battle of 2022 playoff participants!!!)

Grand Valley State at Colorado School of Mines

(The national runner-up Orediggers host the national quarterfinalist in a high-profile season opener for both squads!!!)

Chowan at Barton

Frostburg State at New Haven

Winona State at Saginaw Valley State

Fayetteville State at UNC Pembroke

Albany State (Ga.) at Wingate

Arkansas-Monticello at Northwestern Oklahoma State

Clark Atlanta at Kentucky State

Northern Michigan at Minnesota-Duluth

Limestone at West Georgia 

Chadron State at Quincy

Washburn at Pittsburg State

Lincoln (Mo.) at Emporia State

New Mexico Highlands at Eastern New Mexico


Friday, September 1

Kentucky Wesleyan at West Florida

Saturday, September 2

Truman State at Findlay

(It's the GLVC Bulldogs vs. the G-MAC Bulldogs in the season opener for both squads!!!) 

West Chester at Bentley

Newberry at Shippensburg

Ohio Dominican at Notre Dame (Ohio)

Texas A&M-Kingsville at Colorado Mesa

West Texas A&M at Western Colorado


Sunday, September 3

Virginia Union vs. Morehouse

(at Canton, Ohio)


NCAA Division III

Thursday, August 31

Stevenson at Rowan

Heidelberg at Hiram

Brockport at Buffalo State

Wisconsin-Platteville at Lakeland

Birmingham-Southern vs. McMurry (at Little Rock, Arkansas)

Millsaps at Belhaven

Rockford at Beloit


Friday, September 1

Salve Regina at Curry

Hobart at Alfred

Moravian at Muhlenberg

Franklin and Marshall at Lebanon Valley

Alvernia at Ursinus

Saturday, September 2

Mary Hardin-Baylor at Wisconsin-River Falls

Trinity (Tex.) at St. John's (Minn.)

Monmouth (Ill.) at Wartburg

Ithaca at Johns Hopkins

Delaware Valley at Cortland

Wisconsin-Whitewater at John Carroll

(Way too many "potentially" good games to mention in separate sentences!!! This could be the "greatest" opening weekend in the 50-year history of NCAA Division III football!!!)



NAIA

Thursday, August 31


Carroll (Mont.) at Montana Tech

(The Saints square off against the Orediggers in the season opener for both squads in the Frontier Conference!!!)


Saturday, September 2


Southwestern (Kan.) at Avila

St. Xavier at St. Francis (Ind.)

Grand View at MidAmerica Nazarene

Ottawa (Ariz.) at Texas Wesleyan

(Like the aforementioned games in NCAA Division III, there should be good games in the NAIA as well!!!)


BONUS PREDICTIONS

Thursday, August 31

Western Oregon (NCAA Division II) at South Dakota State (FCS)

(The defending FCS national champion Jackrabbits play host to the Wolves from the Lone Star Conference to open their 2023 season!!!)

Central Washington (NCAA Division II) at Weber State (FCS)

West Virginia State (NCAA Division II) at Morehead State (FCS)

Faulkner (NAIA) at Reinhardt (NAIA)

Wisconsin-LaCrosse (NCAA Division III) at Dakota State (NAIA)

East Texas Baptist (NCAA Division III) at Louisiana Christian (NAIA)

Friday, September 1

UMass-Dartmouth at Nichols

Worcester State at WPI

Saturday, September 2

North Central (NCAA Division III) at Roosevelt (NAIA)

(The defending D-III champion Cardinals will get a stiff test against an upstart Lakers squad that will begin the transition to the NCAA Division II ranks in 2024!!!)


Follow RFC on Twitter @realfootball.
 
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