RFC Weekly Predictions: Week Of November 29, 2025-Thanksgiving Edition (FBS Group Of Five Regular Season Finale/FCS Playoffs First Round)

Editor's Note: For the remainder of the 2025 (regular) season (and likely beyond), future posts of the "RFC Weekly Predictions" column will be divided into multiple parts. This decision focuses on more critical games of interest across all divisions covered by the RFC blog. It accommodates games involving the FBS Group of Five that will be played midweek. With that said, let's move on to this week's post (s).

Last Week: 40-24 (.625)

This Year: 645-300 (.683)

KEY: Projected winners are marked in RED.

Featured games in BOLD type.

FBS Group Of Five 

Thursday, November 27 (THANKSGIVING DAY)

Navy (8-2) at Memphis (8-3)

(The Midshipmen take on the Tigers with a trip to the American Conference championship game on the line!!!!!)

Friday, November 28 (BLACK FRIDAY)

Ohio (7-4) at Buffalo (5-6)

(The Bobcats battle the Bisons with a lot riding on the outcome of this key Mid-American Conference contest, with the visiting team needing a win and some help to reach the conference title game, while the home team must win to become bowl-eligible!!!!!)

San Diego State (9-2) at New Mexico (8-3)

(The Aztecs can secure a berth in the Mountain West Conference championship with a win over the upstart Lobos!!!!!)

Temple (5-6) at North Texas (10-1)

Boise State (7-4) at Utah State (6-5)

Saturday, November 29

Toledo (7-4) at Central Michigan (7-4)

(The Chippewas clash with the Rockets in another critical MAC clash, with the winner advancing to the conference championship game, depending upon other results this week!!!!!)

Western Kentucky (8-3) at Jacksonville State (7-4)

(The Hilltoppers hit the road to face the Gamecocks in a showdown of 6-1 squads for a berth to the Conference USA championship game!!!!!)

Troy (7-4) at Southern Mississippi (7-4)

(The Trojans hit the road to take on the Golden Eagles in a battle of 5-2 teams for the West Division title, as well as a trip to the Sun Belt Conference title game!!!!!)

Georgia Southern (5-6) at Marshall (5-6)

Louisiana Tech (6-5) at Missouri State (7-4)

Arkansas State (5-6) at Appalachian State (5-6)

Army (5-5) at UTSA (6-5)

James Madison (10-1) at Coastal Carolina (6-5)

Oregon State (2-9) at Washington State (5-6)

Rice (5-6) at South Florida (8-3)

FCS Playoffs-First Round

Bracket

First-Round Byes (In Order Of Seeding, With The Overall Record In Parentheses)

1. North Dakota State (12-0)

2. Montana State (10-2)

3. Montana (11-1)

4. Tarleton State (11-1)

5. Lehigh (12-0)

6. Mercer (9-2)

7. Stephen F. Austin (10-2)

8. UC Davis (8-3)

First-Round Playoff Match-Ups 

Saturday, November 30

Illinois State (8-4) at #16 Southeastern Louisiana (9-3)

Central Connecticut State (8-4) at #9 Rhode Island (10-2)

Harvard (9-1) at #12 Villanova (9-2)

North Dakota (7-5) at #13 Tennessee Tech (11-1)

New Hampshire (8-4) at #14 South Dakota State (8-4)

Drake (8-3) at #11 South Dakota (8-4)

Lamar (8-4) at #10 Abilene Christian (8-4)

Yale (8-2) at #15 Youngstown State (8-4)

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RFC Weekly Predictions: Week Of November 29, 2025 Small College Football Playoff Predictions And Brackets

KEY: Projected winners are marked in RED.

NOTE: All games are listed in bracket order. All games scheduled will be played on Saturday, November 29, 2025, unless otherwise indicated.

NCAA Division II First Round

Interactive Bracket

Assumption (9-2) at #1 Kutztown (12-0) 

Frostburg State (10-2) at California (Pa.)-(9-3)

Benedict (10-2) at #1 Albany State (Ga.)-(11-1)

#3 Newberry (10-1) at #2 West Florida (10-1)

#4 Ashland (9-2) at #1 Ferris State (11-0)

Minnesota State (9-3) at #3 Indianapolis (11-1)

#4 Pittsburg State (Kan.)-(10-2) at #1 Harding (12-0)

UT-Permian Basin (10-2) at Western Colorado (10-2)

NCAA Division III First Round

Interactive Bracket

Muhlenberg (9-2) at Mount Union (10-0)

Randolph-Macon (9-1) at John Carroll (9-1)

Hardin-Simmons (9-1) at Trinity (Texas)-(9-1)

LaGrange (10-1) at Berry (9-1)

Hanover (9-2) at North Central (10-0)

Wisconsin-LaCrosse (7-2) at Hope (9-1)

Alma (8-2) at Wisconsin-Platteville (8-2)

Coe (9-2) at Bethel (Minn.)-(10-0)

Wheaton (9-2) at Wartburg (10-0)

DePauw (9-1) at Wisconsin-Whitewater (8-2)

Monmouth (Ill.)-(9-1) at St. John's (Minn.)-(9-1)

Chapman (9-2) at Wisconsin-River Falls (9-1)

Susquehanna (9-2) at Christopher Newport (10-0)

Eastern (9-1) at Franklin & Marshall (9-1)

Endicott (9-1) at Salisbury (9-1)

Springfield (9-2) at Johns Hopkins (9-1)

NAIA First Round

Press Release (courtesy of the NAIA)

Top Seeds (In Order Of Appearance)

1. Grand View (10-0)

2. Keiser (10-0)

3. Montana Tech (11-0)

4. Friends (Kan.)-(11-0)

5. Benedictine (Kan.)-(10-1)

6. Marian (10-1)

7. Lindsey Wilson (9-1)

8. College of Idaho (9-1)

9. Morningside (9-2)

10. Dordt (9-1)

11. Indiana Wesleyan (9-2)

12. Campbellsville (8-2)

Second Round Games

#16 St. Francis (Ind.)-(10-2) at #1 Grand View (10-0)

#15 Southeastern (Fla.)-(9-2) at #2 Keiser (10-0)

#14 Carroll (Mont.)-(9-2) at #3 Montana Tech (11-0)

#13 William Penn (11-1) at #4 Friends (11-0)

#12 Campbellsville (8-2) at #5 Benedictine (Kan.)-(10-1)

#10 Dordt (9-1) at #6 Marian (10-1)

#11 Indiana Wesleyan (9-2) at #7 Lindsey Wilson (9-1)

#9 Morningside (9-2) at #8 College of Idaho (9-1)

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RFC Throwback Thursday: Harvard vs. Yale-1968

(Video courtesy of Harvard University Athletics.)

This week's post of "RFC Throwback Thursday" takes a look back at the 1968 contest between the Harvard University Crimson and the Yale University Bulldogs, in what has long been known as "The Game" that traditionally ended each football season in the Ivy League.

Both teams entered this clash undefeated at 8-0 overall. The game played on November 23, 1968, was best remembered for Harvard rallying from a 16-point deficit in the final 42 seconds to force a 29-29 tie, prompting the famous newspaper headline: "Harvard Beats Yale 29-29." 

Despite the misleading headline, both Harvard and Yale settled for a share of the Ivy League title, with both teams finishing the 1968 season with an overall record of 8-0-1 and a conference record of 6-0-1.

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RFC Weekly Predictions: Week Of November 22, 2025 Small College Football Playoff Predictions And Brackets

KEY: Projected winners are marked in RED.

NOTE: All games are listed in bracket order. All games scheduled will be played on Saturday, November 22, 2025, unless otherwise indicated.

NCAA Division II First Round

Interactive Bracket

Bentley (7-3) at #1 Kutztown (11-0)

Assumption (8-2) at #4 Indiana (Pa.)-(7-3)

Frostburg State (9-2) at #2 Johnson C. Smith (10-1)

California (Pa.)-(8-3) at #3 Virginia Union (9-2)

Valdosta State (6-4) at #1 Albany State (Ga.)-(10-1)

Benedict (9-2) at #4 Wingate (9-2)

North Greenville (6-4) at #2 West Florida (9-1)

Kentucky State (9-2) at #3 Newberry (9-1)

Northwood (9-2) at #1 Ferris State (11-0)

Minnesota-Duluth (10-1) at #4 Ashland (9-2)

Minnesota State (8-3) at #2 Findlay (10-1)

Truman State (8-3) at #3 Indianapolis (10-1)

Northwest Missouri State (9-2) at #1 Harding (11-0)

Chadron State (8-3) at #4 Pittsburg State (Kan.)-(9-2)

Western Colorado (9-2) at #2 Central Washington (10-1)

UT-Permian Basin (9-2) at #3 Colorado State-Pueblo (10-1)

NCAA Division III First Round

Interactive Bracket

Union (N.Y.)-(8-2) at Muhlenberg (8-2)

LaGrange (9-1) at Framingham State (7-3)

Grove City (8-2) at Hanover (8-2)

Coe (8-2) at Concordia (Wis.)-(9-1)

Crown (Minn.)-(7-3) at Wheaton (8-2)

Chapman (8-2) at Whitworth (8-2)

Washington & Jefferson (8-2) at Susquehanna (8-2)

Cortland (8-2) at Springfield (8-2)

NAIA First Round

Press Release (courtesy of the NAIA)

Top Seeds (In Order Of Appearance)

1. Grand View (10-0)

2. Keiser (10-0)

3. Montana Tech (11-0)

4. Friends (Kan.)-(11-0)

5. Benedictine (Kan.)-(10-1)

6. Marian (10-1)

7. Lindsey Wilson (9-1)

8. College of Idaho (9-1)

9. Morningside (9-2)

10. Dordt (9-1)

11. Indiana Wesleyan (9-2)

12. Campbellsville (8-2)

First Round Games

#20 Texas Wesleyan (7-4) at #13 William Penn (10-1)

#17 St. Thomas (Fla.)-(7-3) at #14 Carroll (Mont.)-(8-2)

#19 Reinhardt (7-3) at #15 Southeastern (Fla.)-(8-2)

#18 Evangel (Mo.)-(9-2) at #16 St. Francis (Ind.)-(9-2)

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RFC Weekly Predictions: Week Of November 22, 2025 -FBS Group Of Five/FCS

Last Week: 47-24 (.662)

This Year: 605-276 (.687)

KEY: Projected winners are marked in RED.

Featured games in BOLD type.

FBS Group Of Five 

Tuesday, November 18

Akron (4-7) at Bowling Green (3-7)

UMass (0-10) at Ohio (6-4)

Western Michigan (6-4) at Northern Illinois (3-7)

Wednesday, November 19

Miami (Ohio)-(5-5) at Buffalo (5-5)

Central Michigan (6-4) at Kent State (4-6)

Thursday, November 20

Louisiana (4-6) at Arkansas State (5-5)

Friday, November 21

Hawai'i (7-3) at UNLV (8-2)

(The Rebels host  the Rainbows in a game with tremendous implications in the Mountain West Conference championship race!!!!!)

Saturday, November 22

Old Dominion (7-3) at Georgia Southern (5-5)

(The Eagles face the already bowl-eligible Monarchs, needing just one more win to become bowl-eligible themselves!!!!!)

Missouri State (7-3) at Kennesaw State (7-3)

(The Owls battle the Bears in a Conference USA contest where both teams enter it at 5-1 in conference play!!!!!)

Ball State (4-6) at Toledo (6-4)

Marshall (5-5) at Appalachian State (4-6)

UConn (8-3) at Florida Atlantic (4-6)

Liberty (4-6) at Louisiana Tech (5-5)

Jacksonville State (7-3) at Florida International (5-5)

East Carolina (7-3) at UTSA (5-5)

Tulane (8-2) at Temple (5-5)

North Texas (9-1) at Rice (5-5)

Utah State (5-5) at Fresno State (7-3)

FCS

Thursday, November 20

Nicholls State (4-7) at Southeastern Louisiana (8-3)

Stephen F. Austin (9-2) at Northwestern State (1-10)

Saturday, November 22

Harvard (9-0) at Yale (7-2)

(The newly-crowned Ivy League champion Crimson will look to finish the regular season undefeated when they face the Bulldogs in the 141st meeting of "The Game"!!!!!)

Mercyhurst (5-6) at Central Connecticut State (7-4)

Wagner (5-6) at LIU (5-6)

(Both of these games could decide the automatic qualifier to the FCS playoffs out of the Northeast Conference!!!!!)

Lehigh (11-0) at Lafayette (8-3)

(Another undefeated team looks to stay that way going into postseason play when the Mountain Hawks take on the Leopards in the most-played "Rivalry" in all of college football, with the Patriot League title on the line!!!!!)

Tennessee-Martin (6-5) at Tennessee Tech (10-1)

(The Golden Eagles square off against the Skyhawks with the Big South-Ohio Valley Conference championship on the line!!!!!)

South Carolina State (8-3) at Delaware State (8-3)

(The Hornets battle the Bulldogs for the MEAC title, with both teams coming into this showdown unbeaten in league action at 4-0!!!!!)

Montana State (9-2) at Montana (11-0)

(Something needs to give when the undefeated Grizzlies take on a Bobcats team that has won nine straight games in their annual "Brawl of the Wild" battle for the Big Sky Conference title!!!!)

Maine (6-5) at New Hampshire (7-4)

Sacred Heart (8-3) at Villanova (8-2)

Richmond (6-5) at William & Mary (7-4)

Southern Illinois (6-5) at Illinois State (8-3)

Morehead State (6-5) at Drake (7-3)

South Dakota State (7-4) at North Dakota (7-4)

St. Thomas (Minn.)-(7-4) at North Dakota State (11-0)

Sacramento State (7-4) at UC Davis (7-3)

Austin Peay (7-4) at Tarleton State (10-1)

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