(Video courtesy of ABC Sports)
This week's installment of "RFC Throwback Thursday" turns the clock back to 1988. That was when the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) played a full football season for the first time ever. After the 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Engineers finished the 2021 season at 5-4 overall and 3-3 in the NEWMAC.
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KEY: Projected winners marked in RED.
Featured games in BOLD type.
NOTE: All games are listed in bracket order. All games scheduled will be played on Saturday, November 20, 2021, unless otherwise indicated.
NCAA Division II First Round
First Round Byes: Kutztown, Valdosta State, Ferris State, Colorado School of Mines
Bentley (9-1) at New Haven (9-1)
Findlay (8-3) at Shepherd (10-1)
Slippery Rock (9-2) at Notre Dame (Ohio)-(10-1)
West Georgia (8-2) at Albany State (Ga.)-(10-1)
Lenoir-Rhyne (8-2) at Bowie State (10-1)
Newberry (9-2) at West Florida (9-1)
Lindenwood (9-2) at Grand Valley State (9-1)
Washburn (9-2) at Harding (10-1)
Central Washington (8-2) at Northwest Missouri State (9-1)
Bemidji State (9-2) at Augustana (S.D.)-(9-2)
Minnesota-Duluth (9-2) at Angelo State (9-2)
Nebraska-Kearney (9-2) at Western Colorado (10-1)
NCAA Division III First Round
Lake Forest (10-0) at St. John's (Minn.)-(10-0)
Redlands (8-1) at Linfield (9-0)
Trinity (Tex.)-(9-0) at Mary Hardin-Baylor (10-0)
Huntingdon (8-2) at Birmingham-Southern (9-1)
Greenville (8-2) at Wisconsin-Whitewater (10-0)
Rose-Hulman (8-2) at DePauw (8-2)
Bethel (Minn.)-(8-2) at Central (Iowa)-(10-0)
Aurora (8-2) at Wheaton (Ill.)-(9-1)
Carnegie Mellon (8-2) at North Central (10-0)
Wisconsin-LaCrosse (8-2) at Albion (9-1)
Springfield (7-3) at Cortland (10-0)
RPI (9-1) at Endicott (8-2)
Washington & Lee (8-2) at Mount Union (10-0)
Johns Hopkins (9-1) at Salisbury (8-1)
Anna Maria (7-2) at Delaware Valley (10-0)
Framingham State (8-2) at Muhlenberg (9-1)
NAIA First Round
Press Release (courtesy of the NAIA)
Montana Western (8-3) at Lindsey Wilson (10-0)
Ottawa (Ariz.)-(8-1) at Morningside (10-0)
Dickinson State (8-2) at Grand View (11-0)
Central Methodist (9-2) at Northwestern (Iowa)-(10-1)
Kansas Wesleyan (10-1) at Indiana Wesleyan (9-1)
Keiser (7-2) at Reinhardt (9-2)
Southwestern (Kan.)-(9-1) at Marian (8-2)
St. Xavier (8-2) at Concordia (Mich.)-(8-1)
Bonus Predictions
NCAA Division III
Alfred State (6-4) at UMass-Dartmouth (8-2)
Stevenson (5-5) at Franklin and Marshall (5-5)
Ursinus (7-3) at Lycoming (7-3)
Merchant Marine (8-1) at Western New England (7-3)
Washington (Mo.)-(7-3) vs. Wisconsin-River Falls (8-2)*
(*-Isthmus Bowl @ Madison, Wis.)
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Last Week: 64-25 (.719)
This Year: 843-407 (.674)
Editor's Note: With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to affect college football at all levels, any games that are postponed or canceled will not count toward the final percentage of correctly predicted games. As always, continue to visit RFC at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com, as well as follow on Twitter @realfootball for the latest developments and details.
KEY: Projected winners marked in RED.
Featured games in BOLD type.
FBS Group Of Five
Tuesday, November 16
Western Michigan (6-4) at Eastern Michigan (6-4)
(The Broncos hit the road to battle with the Eagles, with the winner earning win #7 of the 2021 season!!! Airtime is at 7:30 p.m. EST on ESPN2!!!)
Toledo (5-5) at Ohio (3-7)
Bowling Green (3-7) at Miami (Ohio)-(5-5)
Wednesday, November 17
Central Michigan (6-4) at Ball State (5-5)
(The Chippewas clash with the Cardinals in another key Mid-American Conference contest!!! Airtime is at 7 p.m. EST on ESPNU!!!)
Northern Illinois (7-3) at Buffalo (4-6)
Friday, November 19
Air Force (7-3) at Nevada (7-3)
(The Falcons face the Wolfpack in a battle of 4-2 teams in the Mountain West Conference!!! Airtime is at 9 p.m. EST/8 p.m. CST/7 p.m. MST/6 p.m. PST on Fox Sports 1!!!)
Memphis (5-5) at Houston (9-1)
Southern Mississippi (1-9) at Louisiana Tech (3-7)
Saturday, November 20
SMU (8-2) at Cincinnati (10-0)
(The Bearcats will look to remain unbeaten against the Mustangs in the most important regular-season game to date in the American Athletic Conference!!! Airtime is at 3:30 p.m. EST/2:30 p.m. CST on ESPN!!!)
UAB (7-3) at UTSA (10-0)
(The Roadrunners play host to the Blazers, with the winner likely
representing the West Division in the Conference USA championship game!!! Airtime is at 3:30 p.m. EST/2:30 p.m. CST on ESPN+!!!)
Louisiana (9-1) at Liberty (7-3)
(The Ragin' Cajuns hit the road to face the Flames in a rare late-season non-conference contest!!! Airtime is at 4 p.m. EST/3 p.m. CST on ESPNU!!!)
Appalachian State (8-2) at Troy (5-5)
Temple (3-7) at Tulsa (4-6)
Wyoming (5-5) at Utah State (8-2)
FCS
Thursday, November 18
Nicholls State (5-5) at Southeastern Louisiana (8-2)
Saturday, November 20
Mercer (7-2) at East Tennessee State (9-1)
(The Bears do battle with the Buccaneers on the road for the Southern Conference championship!!! Airtime is at 1 p.m. EST on ESPN3!!!)
Monmouth (N.J.)-(7-3) at Kennesaw State (9-1)
(The Owls play host to the Blue Hawks in a battle of unbeaten 6-0 squads for the Big South Conference title!!! Airtime is at 1 p.m. EST on ESPN+!!!)
Montana State (9-1) at Montana (8-2)
(The Bobcats hope to clinch at least a share of the Big Sky Conference championship with a win over the Grizzlies!!! Airtime is at 2 p.m. EST/1 p.m. CST/noon MST on ESPN+!!!)
South Dakota (7-3) at North Dakota State (9-1)
(The Bisons play host to the upstart Coyotes for at least a share of the Missouri Valley Football Conference title!!! Airtime is at 3:30 p.m. EST/2:30 p.m. CST on ESPN+!!!)
Sacramento State (8-2) at UC Davis (8-2)
(The Hornets take on their archival Aggies in hopes of winning the other share of the Big Sky Conference championship with Montana State with a win!!! Airtime is at 8 p.m. EST/7 p.m. CST/6 p.m. MST/5 p.m. PST on ESPN+!!!)
Bryant (6-4) at Merrimack (5-5)
Fordham (6-4) at Colgate (4-6)
Villanova (8-2) at Delaware (5-5)
Harvard (7-2) at Yale (5-4)
Jacksonville State (5-5) at Eastern Kentucky (6-4)
Rhode Island (7-3) at Elon (5-5)
South Carolina State (5-5) at Norfolk State (6-4)
Delaware State (5-5) at North Carolina Central (5-5)
Morehead State (6-4) at Valparaiso (4-6)
Alcorn State (6-4) at Jackson State (9-1)
UT Martin (9-1) at Southeast Missouri State (3-7)
North Dakota (5-5) at South Dakota State (7-3)
Richmond (5-5) at William & Mary (6-4)
Eastern Washington (8-2) at Portland State (5-5)
Central Arkansas (5-5) at Tarleton State (5-5)
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Last Week: 70-41 (.631)*
This Year: 779-382 (.671)
*-Last week's entry in the "RFC Weekly Predictions" column inadvertently/incorrectly listed this week's game between Davidson and Dayton, as well as Henderson State's game at Oklahoma Baptist, which was listed as Ouachita Baptist instead. Davidson defeated St. Thomas (Minn.) 42-15, while Henderson State beat Oklahoma Baptist, 36-34, both on Saturday, November 13, 2021. RFC regrets the error.
Editor's Note: With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to affect college football at all levels, any games that are postponed or canceled will not count toward the final percentage of correctly predicted games. As always, continue to visit RFC at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com, as well as follow on Twitter @realfootball for the latest developments and details.
KEY: Projected winners marked in RED.
Featured games in BOLD type.
FBS Group Of Five
Tuesday, November 9
Akron (2-7) at Western Michigan (5-4)
Buffalo (4-5) at Miami (Ohio)-(4-5)
Ohio (2-7) at Eastern Michigan (6-3)
Wednesday, November 10
Ball State (5-4) at Northern Illinois (6-3)
(The Huskies hope to bounce back from their upset loss to Kent State last week when they host the Cardinals in one of two big match-ups in the Mid-American Conference this week!!! Airtime is at 7 p.m. EST on ESPN2!!!)
Kent State (5-4) at Central Michigan (5-4)
(Speaking of the Golden Flashes, they hope to build on that stunning win over NIU when they clash with the Chippewas in another key MAC showdown!!! Airtime is at 8 p.m. EST on ESPNU!!!)
Toledo (4-5) at Bowling Green (3-6)
Friday, November 12
Wyoming (5-4) at Boise State (5-4)
Saturday, November 13
UCF (6-3) at SMU (7-2)
(The Mustangs hope to snap a two-game skid against the visiting Knights in a key American Athletic Conference contest with bowl-positioning implications!!! Airtime is at noon EST/11 a.m. CST on ESPNU!!!)
East Carolina (5-4) at Memphis (5-4)
(The Tigers play host to the Pirates, with the winner getting its sixth win of the season, as well as becoming bowl-eligible!!! Airtime is at noon EST/11 a.m. CST on ESPN+!!!)
UAB (6-3) at Marshall (6-3)
(The Thundering Herd hosts the Blazers in a re-match of the 2020 Conference USA Championship Game!!! Airtime is at 3:30 p.m. EST/2:30 p.m. CST on the CBS Sports Network!!!)
Nevada (7-2) at San Diego State (8-1)
(The Aztecs play host to the Wolfpack in a battle for first place in the Mountain West Conference West Division!!! Airtime is at 10:30 p.m. EST/9:30 p.m. CST/8:30 p.m. MST/7:30 p.m., also on the CBS Sports Network!!!)
Florida Atlantic (5-4) at Old Dominion (3-6)
Houston (8-1) at Temple (3-6)
Georgia State (4-5) at Coastal Carolina (8-1)
Louisiana (8-1) at Troy (5-4)
South Alabama (5-4) at Appalachian State (7-2)
UTEP (6-3) at North Texas (3-6)
New Mexico (3-6) at Fresno State (7-3)
Air Force (6-3) at Colorado State (3-6)
Utah State (7-2) at San Jose State (5-5)
FCS
Saturday, November 13
Eastern Kentucky (6-3) at Sam Houston State (8-0)
(The #1 Bearkats host the unranked Colonels in a clash that could decide the "AQ7" champion!!! Airtime is at 1 p.m. EST/noon CST on ESPN+!!!)
Holy Cross (7-2) at Fordham (6-3)
(The Crusaders clash with the Rams in a battle of 4-0 teams for the Patriot League title!!! Airtime is at 1 p.m. EST, also on ESPN+!!!)
Yale (5-3) at Princeton (7-1)
(The Tigers take on the Bulldogs in a contest with Ivy League championship implications!!! Airtime is also at 1 p.m. EST, also on ESPN+!!!)
South Dakota State (7-2) at South Dakota (6-3)
(Fresh off of a huge upset win over previously undefeated North Dakota State [8-1], the Jackrabbits hope to continue the momentum from the victory against the Coyotes on the road!!! Airtime is at 2 p.m. EST/1 p.m. CST on ESPN+!!!)
Chattanooga (6-3) at Mercer (6-2)
(The Bears host the Mocs in a match-up of 5-1 teams in the Southern Conference, with the winner moving one step closer to clinching an automatic berth in the FCS playoffs!!! Airtime is at 3 p.m. on ESPN+!!!)
Eastern Washington (7-2) at UC Davis (8-1)
(The suddenly slumping Eagles hope to snap a two-game skid against a once-beaten Aggies squad!!! Airtime is at 8 p.m. EST/7 p.m. CST/6 p.m. MST/5 p.m. PST on ESPN+!!!)
Central Connecticut State (3-6) at Duquesne (5-3)
Davidson (7-1) at Dayton (5-4)
Norfolk State (6-3) at Delaware State (4-5)
Southern Illinois (6-3) at Indiana State (4-5)
North Carolina A&T (4-5) at South Carolina State (5-4)
Northern Iowa (5-4) at Missouri State (6-3)
Southeast Missouri State (3-6) at Murray State (4-5)
Austin Peay (4-5) at Tennessee State (5-4)
Montana (7-2) at Northern Arizona (4-5)
Prairie View A&M (7-2) at Alcorn State (5-4)
James Madison (8-1) at William & Mary (6-3)
Incarnate Word (7-2) at Nicholls State (5-4)
Stephen F. Austin (6-3) at Central Arkansas (5-4)
Portland State (5-4) at Sacramento State (7-2)
NCAA Division II//III
Saturday, November 13
Slippery Rock (8-1) at Kutztown (8-1)
(The Golden Bears play host to "The Rock" for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference [PSAC] championship!!!)
Bowie State (9-1) vs. Fayetteville State (8-1)
(The Bulldogs do battle with the Broncos for the CIAA crown in Salem, Va.!!!)
Ithaca (8-1) at Cortland (9-0)
(The Red Dragons host the Bombers in the annual battle for the "Cortaca Jug"!!!)
RPI (8-1) at Union (N.Y.)-(8-1)
(The Engineers travel to nearby Schenectady, N.Y. to face the Dutchmen in the battle for the "Dutchman Shoes Trophy!!!)
Valdosta State (9-0) at West Florida (8-1)
(The Blazers hit the road to face the Argonauts for the Gulf South Conference championship!!!)
Chicago (8-1) at Lake Forest (9-0)
(The Foresters face the Maroons with the Midwest Conference championship on the line!!!)
Henderson State (9-1) at Ouachita Baptist (8-2)
(The Tigers host the Reddies for at least a share of the Great American Conference title!!!)
Albany State (Ga.)-(9-1) at Miles (6-4)
Alfred (5-4) at Brockport (6-3)
Aurora (7-2) at Concordia (Wis.)-(6-3)
Centre (7-2) at Berry (6-3)
Delta State (5-5) at West Georgia (7-2)
Indiana (Pa.)-(6-3) at West Chester (6-4)
Indianapolis (6-4) at Truman State (8-2)
John Carroll (6-3) at Baldwin Wallace (8-1)
Ohio Wesleyan (6-2) at Denison (6-3)
Trinity (Conn.)-(7-1) at Wesleyan (6-2)
Williams (8-0) at Amherst (5-3)
Widener (7-2) at Delaware Valley (9-0)
Charleston (W. Va.)-(7-2) at West Virginia State (6-3)
Assumption (5-4) at Bentley (8-1)
Catawba (5-3) at Lenoir-Rhyne (7-2)
Mount St. Joseph (6-3) at Rose-Hulman (7-2)
Hope (7-2) at Trine (5-3)
Tiffin (8-2) at Findlay (7-3)
Hampden-Sydney (5-4) at Randolph-Macon (8-1)
Minnesota-Morris (5-4) at Greenville (Ill.)-(8-1)
DePauw (8-1) at Wabash (6-3)
Case Western Reserve (6-3) at Carnegie Mellon (7-2)
Northern State (7-3) at Minnesota-Duluth (8-2)
Colorado State-Pueblo (6-4) at Western Colorado (9-1)
Mars Hill (8-2) at Wingate (6-3)
Whitworth (7-2) at George Fox (5-3)
Cal Lutheran (5-2) at Redlands (7-1)
NAIA
Saturday, November 13
Southwestern (Kan.)-(8-1) at Kansas Wesleyan (10-0)
(The Coyotes clash with the Moundbuilders in a contest that will decide the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference championship!!!)
Rocky Mountain (7-2) at Montana Western (7-3)
(The Bulldogs do battle with the Battlin' Bears, with the winner winning at least a share of the Frontier Conference championship!!!)
Saint Xavier (7-2) at Saint Francis (Ill.)-(6-2)
(The Cougars clash with the Saints in a showdown for the Mid-States Football Association [MSFA] Midwest Division title!!!)
Keiser (7-2) at Ave Maria (5-5)
Central Methodist (7-2) at Evangel (5-5)
Cumberland (Tenn.)-(3-5) at Georgetown (Ky.)-(7-2)
Taylor (2-7) at Siena Heights (4-5)
Concordia (Mich.)-(7-1) at St. Francis (Ind.)-(3-5)
St. Ambrose (3-7) at Missouri Baptist (4-6)
Indiana Wesleyan (8-1) at Madonna (1-8)
College of Idaho (7-2) at Carroll (Mont.)-(5-4)
Judson (3-7) at Trinity International (3-7)
Faulkner (7-2) at St. Andrews (2-8)
Pikeville (2-6) at Thomas More (5-4)
Oklahoma Panhandle State (4-6) at Ottawa (Ariz.)-(7-1)
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