RFC Group Of Five Bowl Predictions Special 2025

Editor's Note: Only the bowl games involving at least two teams from any two of the FBS Group of Six Conferences (American Athletic, Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West, Pac-12, and Sun Belt) are eligible for inclusion in this post. 

KEY: Projected winners are marked in RED.

Tuesday, December 16

Salute to Veterans Bowl at Montgomery, Ala.

Jacksonville State (8-5) vs. Troy (8-5)

Wednesday, December 17

StaffDNA Cure Bowl at Orlando, Fla.

Old Dominion (9-3) vs. South Florida (9-3)

68 Ventures Bowl at Mobile, Ala.

Louisiana (6-6) vs. Delaware (6-6)

Thursday, December 18

Xbox Bowl at Frisco, Texas

Missouri State (7-5) vs. Arkansas State (6-6)

Friday, December 19

Myrtle Beach Bowl at Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Kennesaw State (10-3) vs. Western Michigan (9-4)

Monday, December 22

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl at Boise, Idaho

Washington State (6-6) vs. Utah State (6-6)

Tuesday, December 23

R + L Carriers New Orleans Bowl at New Orleans

Western Kentucky (8-4) vs. Southern Mississippi (7-5)

Scooters Coffee Frisco Bowl at Frisco, Texas

UNLV (10-3) vs. Ohio (8-4)

Friday, December 26

SERVPRO First Responder Bowl at Dallas, Texas

Florida International (7-5) vs. UTSA (6-6)

Saturday, December 27

Wasabi Fenway Bowl in Boston

UConn (9-3) vs. Army (6-5)

Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl at Tucson, Arizona

Miami (Ohio)-(7-6) vs. Fresno State (8-4)

Isleta New Mexico Bowl at Albuquerque, New Mexico

North Texas (11-2) vs. San Diego State (9-3)

Monday, December 29

JLab Birmingham Bowl at Birmingham, Alabama

Georgia Southern (6-6) vs. Appalachian State (5-7)

Tuesday, December 30

Independence Bowl at Shreveport, Louisiana

Coastal Carolina (6-6) vs. Louisiana Tech (7-5)

Friday, January 2

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl at Fort Worth, Texas

Rice (5-7) vs. Texas State (6-6)

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM REAL FOOTBALL CENTRAL!!!!!!

Follow RFC on Twitter @realfootball.

RFC Postseason's Greetings/Throwback Thursday: Franklin & Marshall-1974 and Wisconsin-River Falls-1984

(Video #1 courtesy of Franklin & Marshall College/NFL Films.)

(Video #2 courtesy of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.)

This week's "RFC Throwback Thursday" segues into "Postseason's Greetings", effective with this installment.

The first video is titled "A Saturday in October", featuring the Franklin & Marshall College football team that finished the 1974 season unbeaten at 9-0, while the second video features the 1984 squad from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls that won what was then the Wisconsin State Universities Conference (WSUC), now the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC).

Follow RFC on X @realfootball. 

 

RFC Weekly Predictions: Week Of December 6, 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, December 6, 2025, unless otherwise indicated.

NCAA Division II Quarterfinals 

Interactive Bracket

Frostburg State (11-2) at #1 Kutztown (13-0) 

#3 Newberry (11-1) at #1 Albany State (Ga.)-(12-1)

Minnesota State (10-3) at #1 Ferris State (12-0)

 UT-Permian Basin (11-2) at  #1 Harding (13-0)

 

NCAA Division III Third Round

Interactive Bracket

John Carroll (10-1) at Mount Union (11-0)

Trinity (Texas)-(10-1) at Berry (10-1)

Wisconsin-LaCrosse (8-2) at North Central (11-0)

 

Wisconsin-Platteville (9-2) at Bethel (Minn.)-(11-0)

Wheaton (10-2) at DePauw (10-1)  

St. John's (Minn.)-(10-1) at Wisconsin-River Falls (10-1)  

Susquehanna (10-2) at Eastern (10-1) 

Salisbury (10-1) at Johns Hopkins (10-1)

 

NAIA Quarterfinals

Press Release (courtesy of the NAIA)

Top Seeds (In Order Of Appearance)

Quarterfinal Games

#7 Lindsey Wilson (10-1) at #1 Grand View (11-0)

#6 Marian (11-1) at #2 Keiser (11-0)

#8 College of Idaho (10-1) at #3 Montana Tech (12-0)

#5 Benedictine (Kan.)-(12-1) at #4 Friends (12-0)

Follow RFC on X @realfootball. 

RFC Weekly Predictions: Week Of December 6, 2025-FBS Group Of Five Conference Championships/FCS Playoffs Second Round/SWAC Championship

Last Week: 36-19 (.655)

This Year: 681-300 (.681)

KEY: Projected winners are marked in RED.

Featured games in BOLD type.

FBS Group Of Five

Friday, December 5

Conference USA Championship Game at Jacksonville, Alabama

Kennesaw State (9-3) at Jacksonville State (8-4)

Sun Belt Conference Championship Game at Harrisonburg, Virginia

Troy (8-4) at James Madison (11-1)

American Athletic Conference Championship Game at New Orleans

North Texas (11-1) at Tulane (10-2)

Mountain West Conference Championship Game at Boise, Idaho

UNLV (10-2) at Boise State (8-4)

Saturday, December 6

Mid-American Conference Championship Game at Detroit (Ford Field)

Miami (Ohio)-(7-5) vs. Western Michigan (8-4)

FCS

Saturday, December 7

FCS Playoffs-Second 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)

Second Round Playoff Match-Ups

Illinois State (9-4) at #1 North Dakota State (12-0)

#9 Rhode Island (11-2) at #8 UC Davis (8-3)

#12 Villanova (10-2) at #5 Lehigh (12-0)

North Dakota (8-5) at #4 Tarleton State (11-1)

Yale (9-2) at #2 Montana State (10-2)

#10 Abilene Christian (9-4) at #7 Stephen F. Austin (10-2)

#11 South Dakota (9-4) at #6 Mercer (9-2)

#14 South Dakota State (9-4) at #3 Montana (11-1)

BONUS PREDICTION

Saturday, December 6

SWAC Championship Game at Jackson, Mississippi

Prairie View A&M (9-3) at Jackson State (9-2)

Follow RFC on Twitter @realfootball.

RFC Throwback Thursday: The Bayou Classic-Grambling vs. Southern 1979

(Video courtesy of ESPN.)

"RFC Throwback Thursday" is back with another video, just in time for Thanksgiving. This week's installment takes us back to December 1, 1979. That was when the Grambling State University Tigers squared off against the Southern University Jaguars in the Bayou Classic, played inside what is now the Caesar's Superdome in New Orleans.  

In a low-scoring defensive struggle, Southern emerged victorious with a 14-7 win over Grambling. The Jaguars finished the 1979 season with a record of 4-2 in SWAC play and 7-4 overall. Meanwhile, the Tigers shared the SWAC title with Alcorn State in finishing their campaign at 5-1 in SWAC action and 8-3 overall.

Follow RFC on X @realfootball. 

 

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)

Follow RFC on Twitter @realfootball.