By Chuck Burton, The CSN Way Columnist

It’s the halfway point of the season, and out east there haven’t been all that many surprises. Sure, not everyone expected James Madison to be one loss away from putting their playoff chances in jeopardy, and not a lot of folks thought Tennessee State would be making a real run at the OVC title, but face it: almost everything has played out just as predicted so far. Appalachian State, despite some early losses, is still in good shape to nab the SoCon title. Florida A&M and South Carolina State are both in the hunt for the MEAC championship. And Albany - what a surprise - is poised to win yet another NEC title.

But out West, it’s wild. In the Big Sky it seems like every single week there’s a huge surprise and if Montana stumbles, any one of five teams might emerge to win the conference title. The SWAC has seen last year’s SWAC championship finalists virtually knocked out - and a program that was once a laughingstock now poised to complete the comeback of all comebacks. The Great West is becoming known as a graveyard for ranked FCS opponents - and not just Cal Poly anymore. And the Southland figured to be a one-team race this year - but all of a sudden another team has wrestled early control from the Cowboys, and it’s a team few thought about in the preseason.

For Cowboys, Lumberjacks, Mustangs, Aggies, Grizzlies, and… Panthers… you can’t beat the West for excitement so far this year.

Six Shooters
While the quickest draw in the Big Sky is still - as ever - the Montana Grizzlies, it looks like there could be more challengers for the Big Sky title than ever this year as five teams could truly have a chance.

“Year in and year out, it seems that the West races are wild and will again probably provide for some thrilling action in the second half of the 2009 season,” Kent Schmidt, our CSN West columnist, told me.

Certainly 5-0 (2-0) Montana, who has won or shared the Big Sky title the past ten years, has been flying high. What started out, however, as a team that might rely heavily on the rushing of running back Chase Reynolds (400 yards, 6 touchdowns) has instead elevated their passing game on the back of quarterback Andrew Selle (912 yards, 10 touchdown passes, only 1 interception). Add to that the always-fearsome defense - led by linebacker Shawn Lebsock (36 tackles) - and you have another strong Grizzly team that, perhaps, will cruise once again to a title.

Yet even with all that talent, 3-2 (2-1) Northern Arizona came oh-so-close to bagging a big Grizzly pelt at home in the Walkup Skydome. Quarterback Michael Herrick (1,575 yards passing, 12 touchdowns, 3 interceptions) led the Lumberjacks to a 31-27 lead with under 4 minutes to play, but one Selle touchdown pass later - and a 47 yard field goal by NAU kicker Matt Myers - and we would be seeing overtime. After the Griz would strike first in the extra period, it would be the only turnover of the game - Herrick’s tipped pass by Montana cornerback Trumaine Johnson, and nabbed by safety Shann Schillinger - that would allow the Griz to survive 41-34.

While Northern Arizona might seem at a disadvantage with a loss already on the books to the Griz, the Lumberjacks certainly have the tools to make a run at the title should the Griz stumble. With Herrick, the Lumberjacks are never out of a game - and their defense, who shut down another Big Sky title contender last week, is getting better week to week.

The Grizzlies and Lumberjacks are hardly the only horses in this race, either. While 4-2 (3-1) Eastern Washington is ineligible for the playoffs this year, the Eagles, behind quarterback Matt Nichols (1,529 yards, 10 touchdowns) and running back Taiwan Jones (641 yards,. 9 touchdowns) are definitely contenders for the title as are 3-3 (3-1) Weber State, last year’s co-champions behind the efforts of running back Trevyn Smith (668 yards, 5 touchdowns) and quarterback Cameron Higgins (1,819 yards passing, 16 touchdowns). Last week the Eagles and Wildcats faced off in a must-win for Weber State and the Wildcats delivered 31-13, as defensive tackle Ryan “The Beast” Eastman returned from injury and helped limit Jones to 64 yards rushing.

That’s not all. 3-2 (2-1) Montana State, led by Michael Rider and Clay Bignell’s three interceptions apiece on defense, upset Weber State with a last-second goal line stand two weeks ago but tripped 23-10 against Northern Arizona last weekend. And you can’t count out 2-3 (2-1) Sacramento State, who can put points on the board with young running backs Terrance Dailey (431 yards, 2 touchdowns) and Sam McCowan (150 yards, 3 touchdowns).

Each week could feature a new Big Sky gunfight every week - and while the Grizzlies, as always, will be tough to take down, this race looks to be exciting until the very end.

High Noon… For Last Year’s SWAC Champs
Going into the season, it was hard to picture anybody but Grambling State and Jackson State surviving the SWAC regular season to make it to the championship game. But one champ is down for the count, and the other has been out-gunned by the most unlikely of teams.

“The SWAC is Prairie View A&M’s to lose.,” CSN SWAC columnist Brandon Williams told me. “Head coach Henry Frazier got past the Grambling hex, and if the Panthers can survive games against a revived Mississippi Valley State and Southern in a five-day span beginning Saturday, they will have a clear path toward writing the conclusion to one of the best rags to riches college football stories this decade.”

The Tigers, who had beaten the Panthers for an amazing 21 straight games, had their hex finally broken. Prairie View - playing at the Cotton Bowl in the Texas State Fair Classic - jumped out to a 14-0 lead after a perfect first quarter starting with a grinding drive ending with a sneak by quarterback K.J. Black, a Grambling 3-and-out, and another big drive, ending in a run by running back Donald Babers.

The hex would not die easily - Grambling battled back to take a 29-28 lead, behind a blocked punt returned for a touchdown and two touchdown passes from quarterback Greg Dillon. But Black would find wideout Anthony Weeden on 2nd-and-25 to get the 52 yard touchdown pass that would end up being the game winner.

Dillon and the Tigers have to hope that Alabama A&M, Alcorn State or (dare they say it) Southern knock off the Panthers twice in order for Grambling to return to the SWAC championship game. And Jackson State’s position seems even more precarious: at 1-4, they have to win out in order to get back to the SWAC championship game.

After their first two games against FBS competition, 1-3 (1-1) Alcorn State didn’t score a single point, and when Grambling loomed as their next opponent, it looked to be a mismatch. But after a wild 48-42 defeat - followed by a 32-10 crushing of Mississippi Valley State the following week - the Braves, led by athletic quarterback Tim Buckley (105 rushing yards, 778 passing yards, 9 touchdowns). They’ll battle 4-2 (1-1) Alabama A&M, who is powered by running back Ulysses Banks (606 yards, 4 touchdowns).

Gunslingers
Perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that the Southland race already has been turned upside down by a team that was 0-12 just two years ago. As Jason Plotkin, our CSN South Columnist mentioned in this week’s column, the preseason picks for the Southland all fell in order this weekend: No. 1 (Texas State to Southeast Louisiana), No. 2 (McNeese State to Stephen F. Austin), and No. 3 (Northwestern State to Central Arkansas).

“Each year, we see teams rise from the bottom of the prognostications prior to the season all the way to the top of the final regular season standings, he told me. “There is never any telling what will happen at the end of the season. Two great examples are the last two teams to win in the postseason from the conference – Sam Houston State in 2004, and Texas State in 2005. Both teams were picked towards the bottom of the league and both reached the national semifinals. These teams emerged from the Southland scrum and ended up well prepared to contest games against the best teams in the nation.”

Might that team indeed be 4-1 (1-0) Stephen F. Austin? While quarterback Jeremy Moses has lit the skies this year so far to become the No. 1 ranked passer in all of FCS (1,535 yards passing, 17 touchdowns), last week it was the SFA “D” that knocked down the Cowboys with five turnovers in a surprisingly defensive 16-13 victory. With defensive end Tim Knicky (6 sacks), and safety Cory Barlow (35 tackles, 3 interceptions) these Lumberjacks have a tougher defense than some realize.

And what about 3-2 (1-0) Southeastern Louisiana, who beat 2-3 (0-1) Texas State in thrilling overtime fashion 51-50 last weekend? You couldn’t have scripted it better: after a missed extra point made the score 44-20, the Lions would score 21 unanswered fourth-quarter points - and three two-point conversions to force overtime: and after scoring in the overtime stanze, SeLa won after a Texas State extra point bounced off the upright. Just par for the course in the Southland, where Lion quarterback Brian Babin (1,343 yards passing, 13 touchdowns) also look like they may have what it takes to make a run at the title.

Still, it would be foolish to count out 3-2 (0-1) McNeese State, with quarterback Derrick Fourroux (1,147 yards passing, 11 touchdowns) and running back Todrick Pendland (564 yards, 7 touchdowns) - though they might need to be perfect the rest of the way in order to have a chance at the title. And transitional 4-1 (1-0) Central Arkansas will have something to say in the Southland race as well behind quarterback Robbie Park (1,061 yards passing, 9 touchdowns) and running back Brent Grimes (365 yards, 6 touchdowns), as might 3-2 (1-0) Sam Houston State and quarterback Blake Joseph (1,222 yards passing, 9 touchdowns).

One of these gunslingers will be Southland champions - and, unsurprisingly, it should be a thrilling race yet again.

The Wild Bunch
When most people think of the Great West Conference in football, they tend to think of Cal Poly and the “other teams". With some impressive scalps and tough Western battles - against FBS teams, mind you - the Great West this year is about a lot more than the Mustangs.

“The Great West is not ranked the second best conference per our Gridiron Power Index for no reason,” CSN West columnist Kent Schmidt said. “The GWC has had its share of nailbitters so far in both its conference and out-of-conference game, and has had its share of big wins but also some close losses.”

And it’s not just from 2-3 Cal Poly, either, after linebacker Marty Mohammed (47 tackles, 2 sacks) facing the most brutal out-of-conference schedule imaginable with two nationally-ranked teams and two FBS squads. (The Mustangs did upend South Dakota State 21-14 in one of those games.) It’s a surprising 2-3 Southern Utah team, featuring quarterback Cade Cooper (1,275 yards passing, 13 touchdowns) who upset Texas State 38-16, battled FBS Utah State in a shootout (34-3) and very nearly knocked off Northern Arizona (39-42). It’s a 2-3 UC Davis team, featuring linebacker Mike Morales (40 tackles) that outlasted South Dakota 24-23, came oh-so-close to hanging on to beat Montana (10-17) and hung with the No. 5 ranked team in the country.. in FBS (16-34 against Boise State).

Even transitional 3-2 North Dakota (featuring quarterback Jake Landry) and 3-3 South Dakota (featuring quarterback Noah Shepard) are tough outs. In the Great West, there’s no saloon to hide behind.

They fit perfectly in this Western landscape. And the rest of the season is shaping up to be one to remember for all four conferences.

CHUCKLES FOR WEEK SEVEN ENDING 10/18

Now, the weeks get tougher, and my record reflects it. It was my worst week of the year as I went 21-9 to put my tally for the year so far at 134-42. Now at a 76.1% winning percentage, I need to keep getting better in order to improve after two tough weeks.

I did do some stuff right, though: picking McNeese State to be upset by Stephen F. Austin, coming on the right side in the Richmond/James Madison clash, and picking a desperate Weber State to come back from their loss to Montana State and beat Eastern Washington.

Regret of the week
There were an awful lot of strong candidates this week for this “honor". Would Villanova really beat New Hampshire so easily in Durham? Could Jacksonville really go into a state that gets snow accumulation and win a game? And would Delaware really roll over against UMass, a team that they hate nearly as much as Villanova? These were wrong, for sure: but they couldn’t take the cake from the one that was the worst by far.

After their biggest win in recent memory, Hofstra had to be on high alert for a huge letdown game against Maine - but I picked them anyway. Of all the games I could have chosen to pick - why that one, a CAA game with a desperate Maine squad and Hofstra in letdown territory? Maine won, of course - and I am left with my serious regrets. Ugh!

Five Outside the Sports Network Top 25
Coastal Carolina at Liberty. For the Flames, it’s the beginning of conference play, and if there’s a big rival for Liberty in the Big South, it’s Coastal. Can Chanticleer defensive linemen Phillip Oboh put out the Flames offense, led by quarterback Tommy Beecher and do-everything back Mike Brown? It should be a wild one - and one where I could see an upset - but with the Flames coming back after a week off and a tune-up game, I think the fresher Flames will roast some chicken this weekend.

Sharp Beeches 27 Flat Oboh-es 24

Lafayette at Harvard. The Leopards, riding high after their come-from-behind 24-21 victory over Columbia last weekend, saw quarterback Rob Curley overcome his mistakes to refuse to lose. But Lafayette has had no recent success against Harvard - they have lost the last eight meetings against the Crimson - and Harvard seems to have hit its stride behind quarterback Collier Winters and a punishing, deep running back unit. The Leopards will show serious grit - but once again come up short as Harvard wins their fourth straight.

Not Jonathan Winters 27, Not Curley Queues 17

Northern Arizona at Portland State. Keep watching NAU quarterback Michael Herrick and the Lumberjacks in the Big Sky race. Though they’ve already lost to Montana, they should put up some serious points on Jerry Glanville’s crew and start their march to the Top 25 this week after an impressive win.

Rocky Mountain Herricks 49, Crashing Elvises 16

Mississippi Valley State at Prairie View A&M. Quarterback K.J. Black is getting better week to week for the Panthers, and Prairie View A&M’s days of winless streaks and struggles to field teams seem like a thing of the past. That’s bad news for the Delta Devils, who may be the subject of the bulldozer this week.

OK K.J’s 33, Muddy Deltas 9

Tennessee Tech at Eastern Illinois. When Eastern Illinois head football coach Bob Spoo shook hands with Penn State head coach Bob Paterno last weekend, seventy years of head football coaching were communing with each other before the Nittany Lions pounded the Panthers. Tennessee Tech head coach Watson Brown, the relatively new head coach of the Golden Eagles, doesn’t boast that resume (yet), but the Panthers need to be careful: after a 35-28 win over UT-Martin last weekend, Tennessee Tech is looking to shake up the OVC race. Can they do it? Perhaps so - but if Bob Spoo can get running back Mon Williams going again in the backfield, they won’t. Give me Mon and the Panthers.

Mon Men 35, Golden Turkeys 17

Three More Games I’m Watching
Davidson at Dayton. Where did Davidson come from? After getting shut out in their first two games - first by Elon, then by D-II Lenoir-Rhyne - the Wildcats, behind the rushing of Kenn Mantuo, are now 2-1 in Pioneer League action. But they face always-formidable Dayton, who have recovered after their opening-weekend loss to D-II Urbana to rip off four straight. Look for safety/linebacker James Vercammen to dazzle Flyer fans once again for the Flyers fifth straight win.

Vercammen’s Men Can 24, Mantuo’s Men Can’t 6

Central Connecticut State at Duquesne. Slowly but surely, the 4-1 Blue Devils are starting to get noticed in the NEC title race. Head coach Jeff McInerrney’s squad, powered by running back James Mallory, take another trip to Pennsylvania which they hope was as successful as their last: a 28-21 opening-day win against Lehigh. Can Duquesne slow the CCSU bus enough to have a chance? I’m not counting on it.

Mallory’s Mini-Bus 30, Duquesne’s Dodges 17

Penn at Columbia. Is Columbia for real? They suffered a heartbreak against Lafayette last weekend, but it’s obvious with athletes like quarterback M.A. Olawale and linebacker Marc Holloway, these ain’t your mama’s Columbia Lions. (What is it with teams that had historic losing streaks during the 1980s?) Their latest test is Penn, whom they haven’t beaten in twelve years - but the Penn Curse may still be in effect, with all-Ivy cornerback Chris Wynn due back and two quarterbacks as well. Will a sharp Lion team beat a Quaker team that is rusty? I may regret this, but I’m taking the boys in baby blue.

Blue Holy Whales? 20, Quacking Quakers 12

Picking the Sports Network Top 25
No. 1 Richmond at Maine. Could this game be a trap for the No. 1 team in the country? The Black Bears, not all that long ago in the national rankings themselves, got on track last weekend with a 16-14 win against Albany. But while quarterback Eric Ward and the Spiders have not always impressed with their wins - matter of fact, they had another scrape with death until they forced a fumble at their 6 yard line in a 21-17 victory - but they should have enough to get by the Bears. I think.

Spider Men 29, Bummed Black Bears 8

No. 21 Eastern Washington at No. 3 Montana. Not a great time for Eastern Washington linebacker Kyle Wilkins’ one-game suspension: his late hit against a Weber State receiver means that the Eagles will not have his services against the ten-time Big Sky champions. It would have been an uphill battle against Selle and company anyway; Wilkins’ absence makes it even less likely.

Trained Selles 41, Bowled-Over Eagles 21

No. 4 New Hampshire at No. 18 UMass. Talk about your intriguing games. Do you take the hot hand on the road - quarterback R.J. Toman and the Wildcats, who upended Villanova last weekend 28-24? Or do you take the desperate team at home - safety Jeromy Miles and the Minuemen, who got throttled 43-27 at Delaware? Add to this that these are bitter CAA North rivals, and you have a dangerous game to pick. The rule I usually go with here is: when in dout, take the home team - especially if emotions are running high. The Minutemen hand the Wildcats their first loss of the year.

Miles of Minutemen 28, Toman’s Towing 27

No. 6 Villanova at No. 16 James Madison. The Dukes are on the brink of their playoff lives, make no mistake about it. Another loss for Mickey Matthews, quarterback Justin Thorpe and company and they’ll have three conference losses and four in the loss column - meaning they would have to win out to even get a sniff at the playoffs. Unfortunately, they greet quarterback Chris Whitney and the Villanova Wildcats this weekend, themselves licking their wounds after a 28-24 loss in New Hampshire. I think this comes down to quarterback play: Whitney outduels Thorpe, and Villanova knocks out the Dukes.

Main Line Maulers 27, Harrisonburg Hecklers 19

No. 9 Appalachian State at Wofford. Sport South probably looked at this game in April and though they had really bagged a gem - the same game that ESPN got last year, and a battle between bitter rivals. They probably didn’t back on Wofford being one game away from rebuilding mode at 1-4, with a roster full of injuries and Appalachian State quarterback Armanti Edwards starting to hit his mid-season stride. Jerry Moore’s Mountaineers will not slip up in Spartanburg.

Moving Mountaineers 34, Wilting Woofies 16

No. 20 Stephen F. Austin at No. 10 Central Arkansas. This will probably doom the Lumberjacks, but I’m a huge fan of quarterback Jeremy Moses and Stephen F. Austin. My head tells me that this is a classic “trap game", with the ‘Jacks getting their first Top 25 ranking in years and the Bears, featuring running back Brent Grimes, are always tough at home at Estes stadium. But this Jack team looks like one that’s special - and I think they just pass their road test to pull out the victory. (Or is it hope?)

A Team Called Hope 44, Grimed Bears 36

Northwestern State at No. 13 McNeese State. I don’t care where the Demons were picked in the preseason - there’s no way that they can hang with Fourroux and the Cowboys who now can’t afford to slip up. Look for real ugly, real fast.

Cowboy Ugly 47, Fighin’ Nixons 19

North Dakota State at No. 14 South Dakota State (Battle for the Dakota Marker). Throw out the records on this one. Sure, on paper, the 1-4 Bison are not in this game, and the 4-1 Jackrabbits should cruise to the win. But this is a bona-fide rivalry game - one with a heaping amount of hatred on both sides - and this is North Dakota State’s Bowl game. Call it a hunch? Perhaps; but I liked what I saw from running back Pat Paschall and company last weekend versus Northern Iowa. Even though Paschall is sitting out this game in a one-game suspension, they’ll batter down Danny Batten and win the biggest game remaining on their schedule this year - and earn a measure of revenge for last year’s loss.

Pat’s Bison Steaks 24, Battered Jackrabbit Stew 17

Sacramento State at No. 15 Weber State. The Cameron Higgins Tour of Desperation continues, this time with Sacramento State coming to town. At the end, one team will survive to challenge the Grizzlies for the Big Sky title, and I have to beleive it’s Weber State who is going to come out on top.

Higgins’ Heroes 31, Humbled Hornets 13

No. 17 Colgate at Georgetown. The Raiders get ten days of rest for this? Running back Nate Eachus should run roughshod over Georgetown’s overmatched defense in this one.

Eachus Feature 37, Hoya Roadkill 6

Southern Utah at No. 19 Cal Poly. Could the Thunderbirds really have a chance here for their first win in San Luis Obispo since 1986? This is a different Southern Utah team than we’re used to - one that can put points on the board, and that could give the Mustangs some serious problems. Call me crazy, but I’m going to take quarterback Cade Cooper and Southern Utah - and maybe, just maybe, the Thunderbirds might get a Top 25 ranking next week.

Holy Thunderbird! 37, Out-Muscled Mustangs? 31

No. 23 Delaware at Towson. The name’s Pat Devlin, and folks around FCS are starting to wake up to the abilities of this former Penn State quarterback. It’s hard to see the Tigers slowing down the Hens after their convicing victory over UMass this past weekend.

Devlin’s No Riccio 42, Towson, Well, Are Tiggers 3

UT-Martin at No. 24 Eastern Kentucky. The Colonels had it all; they had beaten Eastern Illinois, 36-31, in what was billed the “OVC Championship Game". All they had to do was beat Tennessee State and keep the party rolling - oops. A 20-17 loss later, quarterback T.J. Pryor and Eastern Kentucky are not in control anymore. They face a 2-4 UT-Martin team that have had problems putting points on the board this year. Look for the Colonels to reassert themselves at home.

Lieutentant Pryors 31, Private Pigeons 14

Dartmouth at No. 25 Holy Cross. A mad Holy Cross team - fresh off their first loss of the season, a 34-31 shocker to Brown - isn’t likely to let down against winless Dartmouth. Watch for a mad team to rack up points early and often.

Purple Defense Eaters 56, Mixed Greens 0

Games of the Week
No. 5 Southern Illinois at No. 2 Northern Iowa.
No. 22 Florida A&M at No. 11 South Carolina State.

This week, it’s not just one game that has to be featured, but two. Two conferences may have their “championship games” this weekend, but what’s not in doubt is that the winner of both clashes will set the tone for their leagues for the rest of the year.

In the MEAC, two teams have stood out more than any others. Two powerhouse teams, Florida A&M and South Carolina State. Two legendary head coaches: FAMU’s Joe Taylor and SCSU’s Buddy Pough. Electrifying athletes: the Rattlers’ return man LeRoy Vann and the Bulldog’s quarterback Malcolm Long. Two teams at 4-1: their only losses coming to FBS teams. And they’ve both dominated the FCS teams they’ve faced, allowing no more than 12 points to any of their FCS opponents this year.

Paul Thorpe, our MEAC columnist, thinks that running back Will Ford will “Show and Prove” why he’s the best in the MEAC this weekend. I agree. It’s Ford’s running that will give this game to the Bulldogs - not to mention sold-out loud home field advantage in Orangeburg.

“You don’t have to do a lot to get ready for Southern Illinois emotionally,” said Northern Iowa head coach Mark Farley in the pre-game press conference. “You just have to get ready mentally and make sure you play the game on the field.” That’s exactly what UNI and Southern Illinois have done six of the last eight years, where the winner of this game has gone on to win the Missouri Valley Football Conference title.

Last-second field goal tries. Last-gasp laterals, only to be stopped at the six yard line. All par for the course in this rivalry, which looks to once again be for the MVFC championship.

Like Florida A&M and South Carolina State, it’s hard to see what either of these teams have done wrong this year. Both came close to huge upsets over FBS squads, UNI coming a missed field goal from knocking of Iowa and SIU nearly knocking off Marshall. Both have cruised past their FCS competition. And both have done so in a way that has left no doubt they are the teams to beat in the MFVC.

The Panthers quarterback, Pat Grace, has had a whale of a year so far, but the Saluki combination of running back Deji Karim and quarterback Chris Dieker seem a bit more balanced. Both defenses are loaded with talent, like UNI defensive lineman James Ruffin and SIU linebacker Brandin Jordan.

If this were in Carbondale, it would be tempting to take the Salukis, but it’s hard to pick against the Panthers when they’re on such a roll. History shows that this will come down to one play or one freaky moment - but in the UNI Dome this Saturday, in front of a loud, partisan crowd, give me the Panthers to keep their Panther party rolling.

Northern Iowa 24, Southern Illinois 21
South Carolina State 27, Florida A&M 17