By Chuck Burton, The CSN Way Columnist

The regular season is over for most, though not for everyone. What unifies this FCS weekend of football on this weekend of feasting, however, is the number of national showcases.

The Bayou Classic, broadcast nationally on NBC, highlights two of the most well-known HBCU’s in the world in Grambling State and Southern, who are playing in the “Bayou Classic” in the Louisiana Superdome. In the Cotton Bowl, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Texas Southern face off in the Lone Star Classic. And two teams transitioning to D-I status, North Dakota and Central Arkansas, show their fans what it’s like to practice on Thanksgiving as they face off in a regular season-ending clash.

And the national Division I FCS Playoffs, sixteen teams look to showcase their teams outside the scope of conference championships to a national audience as well. They’re marquee matchups between Top 25 teams - the first step towards finding out how well they stack up on a national stage. Conference champonships are great: but the opportunity to win a national championship, the only NCAA Division I National Championship in football, is unique.

It’s a showcase weekend for FCS football. Here’s ten previews for one of the greatest weekends of the year.

Saturday 11/28/2009
12:00 EST

South Carolina State at Appalachian State
1st Round, FCS Playoffs
TV: ESPNU
Audio Stats

“Our big chore now is to win a football game so that we gain some respect and maybe not have to deal with these situations in the future,” South Carolina State head coach Buddy Pough said this week. The situation he’s talking about is traveling on Thanksgiving to play Appalachian State in the playoffs - the same situation they found themselves in last year - instead of hosting a home game, something that many fans of the 10-1 Bulldogs thought they deserved.

The Bulldogs certainly turned a lot of folks’ heads in last year’s game. While the Mountaineers still won 37-21, it was a close game - which spoke a lot to the folks around FCS nation that thought the MEAC champion couldn’t hold the jock of three-time FCS champion Appalachian State.

“Every phase of their football team is very solid and very sound and they’ve got good players,” Appalachian head football coach Jerry Moore said. “Buddy has been around a ball all his life and his staff and those kids are really, really well coached. They just don’t make very many mistakes and if mistakes are made, they’re going full speed. So, it was not a surprise last year. We’ve got great respect for them.”

The Bulldogs’ “Junkyard Dogs” on offense will do their best to find ways to contain one of the most dynamic players in all of FCS, Mountaineer quarterback Armanti Edwards. Already a legend for beating Michigan (and a Walter Payton award winner), Edwards’ ability to kill you with his arm and his legs is already well documented - and Edwards and Appalachian State’s offense is hitting its stride at exactly the right time.

But the Bulldogs’ offense - powered by running back William Ford and quarterback Malcolm Long - are pretty powerful in their own right. Their power offense is exactly the sort of team that can give the Mountaineers problems - and I just have a hunch that an angry bunch of junkyard dogs will be able to finish what they started last year.

Junkyard Dogs 31, Tied Armantis 29

Holy Cross at Villanova
1st Round, FCS Playoffs
TV: None
Video1 Video2 Stats

For the second straight year, the Patriot League champion is going to be playing on the Main Line. This year, though, it’s not the power running of the Colgate Raiders that the Wildcats will be facing: it’s the pass-happy attack of the Holy Cross Crusaders.

Both teams couldn’t be coming into the playoffs in more different situations. Villanova’s five-game winning streak includes a dramatic 21-20 victory over fellow playoff participant Richmond and two resounding victories over Towson (49-7) and Delaware (30-12). Holy Cross, on the other hand, clinched the autobid against Lafayette (28-26) two weeks ago and then promptly laid an egg against 4-7 Bucknell, 23-17.

Villanova quarterback Chris Whitney may want to watch out, however: the last time the Patriot League champion lost to Bucknell on the last weekend of the season, Fordham promptly gave UMass a game, finally falling 49-35 in a shootout.

The key to this game seems to be the matchup against Holy Cross quarterback (and Payton Award candidate) Dominic Randolph - who is responsible for more than three-quarters of the Crusader offense - and the swarming 3-3-5 stack defense of Villanova, led by linebacker Terence Thomas and defensive end Tim Kukucka, who is one of the best defensive in the nation.

Ultimately, the Wildcats simply have too many answers for Holy Cross’ weaponry.

Kooky Kukuckas 35, Dominiated Randolphs 13

1:00 PM EST

Elon at Richmond
1st Round, FCS Playoffs
TV: None
Audio Video Stats

Despite the fact that the Phoenix and Spiders are not that far away, Richmond and Elon have only faced off against each other twice in their history. Phoenix head football coach Pete Lembo is probably hoping that the third time is the charm for his Phoenix: the first two meetings, including a 28-10 throttling last year during the Spiders’ run to the national championship, didn’t go so well.

“I remember they were a pretty good team from last year,” Richmond quarterback Eric Ward told the Richmond Collegian. “Just from what I heard, they were better this year.”

Ward’s offense has been getting better as the season has gone along, but it’s the Spiders’ “Stonewall Defense” that is the backbone of this Richmond team. Linebacker Patrick Weldon headlines a unit that is 3rd in FCS in stopping the run (70.18 yards per game) and 14th in scoring defense (only allowing 14.91 points per game.

But Elon’s defense - led by defensive back Karlos Sullivan, and a secondary that has ten interceptions on the year - has also been a surprising force this year. Add to that the efficient quarterback Scott Riddle and Terrell Hudgins
combination on offense, and you have a tricky assignment for any team.

If this were taking place in October, Elon would probably be the favorite. But the defending national champions have been getting so much better week to week - in addition to a raucous home crowd, not wanting to send off Richmond Stadium this weekend - that the Spiders will prevail in a defensive effort.

Stonewall Spiders 17, Karlos’ Jackals 10

Weber State at William & Mary
1st Round, FCS Playoffs
TV: None
Audio Video Stats

In their history, the path for Weber State’s football team has never gone east of Toledo, Ohio. This weekend, however, that all changes as the Wildcats travel to Williamsburg, Virginia for one of the more intriguing first-round matchups in some time.

It almost didn’t happen. Even though the Wildcats had fought two FBS teams down to the wire and counted No. 1 seed Montana as one of their losses, the consensus was that folks thought 7-4 Weber State would have to win their final game of the season against Cal Poly - and then hope a lot of teams ahead of them lose, including Northern Iowa, Liberty, and Lafayette. When the dust had settled, though, that’s exactly what happened.

“The conference (office) did a great job of putting our cases out there,” McBride said. “Our schedule probably helped us. It all worked out. I don’t know the last time the conference had three teams represented, and they’re three deserving teams.”

Ironically, many think the Tribe were the team on the outside of the playoffs looking in last year. As they saw Maine go in before them as the fifth CAA team, they had as their goal to make the playoffs outright in 2009, and they achieved their goal.

How do the Wildcats match up? On offense, Weber state boasts quarterback Cameron Higgins’ daunting passing attack (3,154 yards passing, 30 TDs) against the stop-dead defensive line of William & Mary, featuring defensive end Adrian Tracy (64 tackles, 10 sacks). On defense, defensive lineman Kevin Linehan (57 tackles, 6 1/2 sacks) and the Wildcats face off against Tribe running back Jonathan Grimes (963 yards rushing, 8 TDs).

I get the feeling that Weber State’s cross-country flight - and Jonathan Grimes’ running - means the Tribe will be advancing this weekend.

Grimy Tribe 27, Cross-Country Camerons 24

2:00 PM EST (1:00 PM CST)

North Dakota at Central Arkansas
TV: None
Both transitional teams to FCS, the Bears and Fightin’ Sioux knew they were not playoff-eligible, so they chose to conclude their season this weekend. While 5-6 Central Arkansas’ season was a bit of a disappointment due to their fall out of the FCS top 25, their season by any measure is a success, with a close loss to FBS Hawai’i and a resounding win against FBS Western Kentucky. A win for running back Brett Grimes would give the Bears a .500 year - and, ultimately, a successful one.

5-5 North Dakota has had a season of ups and downs, but the Sioux made their presence felt in the Great West title chase, beating perennial Great West power Cal Poly 31-17 and showcased to a national audience exactly how raucous the Alerus Center can be. Running back Mitch Sutton can give the Sioux a winning record this year - and set the Great West on notice that they will be a force to be reckonded with in 2010.

While the Sioux have come far, it feels like the Bears, at home, will come away with the feel-good win.

Grimy Bears 34, Sioux-y Banshees 20

Grambling State vs. Southern (Bayou Classic, Louisiana Superdome)
TV: NBC Nationally (HD)

On paper, this 36th edition of the “Bayou Classic” doesn’t mean a lot: Grambling State is 6-4, Southern is 6-3 and - against all odds - neither team is close to playing in the SWAC Championship game this year.

Try telling that to Jaguar tight end Warren Matthews, however.

“When you’re from New Orleans and you’re playing in the Bayou Classic, it means a great deal. A great deal,” Matthews said. “It’s everything, really. Everybody’s watching, and you just want to make them proud.”

“Everyone” means a national TV audience, who tunes in on NBC to watch an afternoon of HBCU football and two incredible bands over Thanksgiving leftovers. A week celebrating national TV, HBCU fans, job fairs and bands is exactly what Grambling State and Southern need after budget cuts continue to throttle schools in Louisiana hard and HBCU’s the hardest.

Tiger defensive end Chrisitian Anthony - a real threat to win the Buck Buchanan award - squares off against quarterback Bryant Lee in what will be their final collegiate games. And Southern - the hotter, more compete team - will come away with the win.

Not Exactly Southern Gentlemen 42, Tiger Turkey Legs 24

Eastern Illinois at Southern Illinois
1st Round, FCS Playoffs
TV: None
Audio Video Stats

Nothing has been easy this year for the Eastern Illinois Panthers - from the regular season to the selection show.

It all seemed so simple for Bob Spoo’s Panthers: Simply beat 3-8 Tennessee State last Thursday at home, and surge into the playoffs with the OVC autobid. After their 21-10 defeat at the hands of the Tigers, however, Eastern Illinois had to wait for Jacksonville State’s thrilling 34-26 win over Eastern Kentucky to discover whether they were in.

“We’re just thankful to Jacksonville State,” Panther defensive tackle Trevor Frericks said. “We were following it on Eastern Kentucky’s Web site. We had groups at different houses. We were getting pretty excited. There was a fumble and they took about a minute to decide who had the ball. That was pretty hard on us.”

On Sunday, a snafu on ESPN News listed the bracket listed the Panthers travelling to William & Mary this Saturday. Only after someone looked at the official NCAA bracket online did Bob Spoo’s team know who they were playing.

“I don’t care who we play any time, anywhere,” defensive coordinator Roc Bellantoni said. “We could have gone to William & Mary. That would have been a shorter trip for my mom.”

“You can say whatever you want,” Bellantoni added. “You can say we backed in. I don’t care. We deserve it. I’m just glad to be in it. You’ve got to be in it to win it as they say.”

It’s hard to imagine a tougher assignment for the Panthers than Southern Illinois, their one-time in-state rivals. With Saluki running back Deji Karim leading Dale Lennon’s team on offense, and linebacker Brandin Jordan leading a swarming defense, the 10-1 Salukis look like a team that could make it to Chattanooga.

If Panther running back Mon Williams can revive Eastern Illinois’ offense, they’ll have a chance. But as Southern Illinois finishes their long goodbye to McAndrew stadium, it seems destined that they’ll be playing one more game there next weekend.

Sweet Salukis 30, Mon Men 13

2:00 PM EST (12:00 PM MST)

South Dakota State at Montana
1st Round, FCS Playoffs
TV: KPAX (Montana’s News Stations), KELO (South Dakota)
Audio Video Stats

Welcome to playoff eligibility, South Dakota State. Your first FCS playoff mission? Oh, a simple stroll up to Washington-Grizzly stadium to take on the No. 1 seed in the entire playoffs, the University of Montana. What could be simpler?

Yeah, right. The last appearance of the Jackrabbits in the playoffs - thirty years ago, in Division II - was a 50-7 shellacking at the hands of Youngstown State. Head coach John Stegelmeier is looking for his first playoff win - and hopes that it will, well, go a bit better than that other appearance.

“The Jackrabbits are excited to be in the playoffs,” the mild-mannered Stiegelmeier said. “Ideally, we are able to go out to Montana and not get caught up in the first-time event, but battle the challenge of the Grizzlies. I expect that of our football team, and I think it will happen.”

Montana - who never an easy place to play - will promise to be its usual inhospitable self. With quarterback Andrew Selle and running back Chase Reynolds leading the charge for the undefeated Grizzlies, No. 1-seeded Montana will be a tough out. Head coach Bobby Hauck, however, is wary.

“It’s nice to be seeded No. 1,” Hauck said. “Number 1 in the national rankings shows we’re getting some respect from around the country, and it’s a privilege to be there. With that being said, you kind of have a target on your back. Numerous times in the last few years the No. 1 team’s been knocked out in the first round. We’d obviously like to try to avoid that.”

Might the Jackrabbits be able to pull off the upset? With a pass defense with sixteen interceptions (led by linebacker Derek Domino’s five INTs) and a fearsome pass rush (led by defensive lineman Danny Batten’s nine sacks), they certainly have the horses on defense to pose the Grizzlies some problems.

With the swarming defense of the Jackrabbits, this could be a game with plenty of surprises. I just get the feeling that South Dakota State finally gets that first playoff win - and coach Stegelmeier may, oddly enough, show some emotion on Saturday in the Treasure State.

Joltin’ Jackrabbits 30, Gruzzled Griz 27

3:00 PM EST (2:00 PM CST)

New Hampshire at McNeese State
1st Round, FCS Playoffs
TV: None
Audio Video Stats

When Northern Iowa fell on the last weekend of the season to Illinois State, 9-2 New Hampshire must have breathed a sigh of relief. That meant the Wildcats, who had seen their national championship dreams crushed in Cedar Falls, Iowa for two straight years, would finally have a different path in the playoffs in 2009.

Instead, they’ve taken to studying the similarities of McNeese State’s Cowboy Stadium and another legendary FCS venue the Wildcats have seen: Georgia Southern’s Paulson Stadium. New Hampshire has never played McNeese State, but it’s not as if traveling to a new playoff venue is anything different for them.

“A little bit like Georgia Southern,” head coach Sean McDonnell said. “The sense of being down in a bowl, the end zones. Nothing like this up north.”

Cowboy Stadium must seem light years removed from old Cowell Stadium, one of the smallest venues in the CAA. The 17,000 seat venue will be packed with hostile McNeese State fans this Saturday. They’ll be cheering for Derrick Fourroux and a McNeese State offense that has scored more than 30 points in five of their last six games.

Still, with quarterback R.J. Toman at the controls of the Wildcat offense and an opportunisitic defense. (with 20 interceptions, led by defensive back Dina Vasso’s five INTs), you have to like New Hampshire’s chances.

“Nobody’s nervous,” Vasso said. “They’re a good team. But we’ve played good teams earlier in the season and earlier in our careers. I don’t think anybody’s nervous. …; If we take care of our techniques and stuff, everything will fall into place.”

The final wrinkle? It’s unclear whether star Cowboy running back Todrick Pendland is healthy enough to play for McNeese State, their Payton award candidate and leading rusher with 17 touchdowns. With him, it would be tight - but New Hampshire, who has been here before, will probably force enough turnovers to win and survive.

For Whom The Bell Tomans 38, Todrick-Less Ten Gallons 13

Eastern Washington at Stephen F. Austin
1st Round, FCS Playoffs
TV: None
Audio Video Stats

Talk about two teams who didn’t think they’d be here last August.

Eastern Washington was fresh off the announcement that they would be banned from the playoffs based on some practice violations committed by former Eagle head coach Paul Wulff (now the head football coach at FBS Washington State). But more than halfway through the year the Eagles got some welcome news: the postseason ban was lifted, upon further review from the NCAA.

Once they got the announcement, senior quarterback Matt Nichols went from playing out the string to playing like he was on fire. Five wins later, the Eagles found themselves where they’d never thought thay’d be: in the FCS playoffs.

“They were excited . . . they were a little tired to be honest, but they were certainly excited,” said head coach Beau Baldwin. “We felt pretty good about our chances with everything that transpired on Saturday. Our feeling was that we were just waiting to see who we would play.”

That would be the other unlikely playoff team - Stephen F. Austin.

Only one year removed from a 4-7 season, few thought quarterback Jeremy Moses and the pinball Lumberjack offense, could score enough points to win the Southland conference. Yet they did - thanks to a huge 16-13 win over McNeese State in mid-October and a defense, led by defensive lineman Tim Knicky, that was surprisingly stout in key games.

“This sums everything up — everything that we’ve been working for the past two years,” junior quarterback Jeremy Moses said. “Getting a home game puts us in good position to go as far as we can.”

This will be an offensive showcase between Moses and Nichols, two of the best quarterbacks in all of FCS. But it’s the more complete team that will win the game this weekend - and that, incredibly, will be the team that was 4-7 last year.

Lumber Jeremys 37, Nichols’ Nicorettes 21