Tennessee Tech Will Win Big South-OVC
So far the Golden Eagles have proven that all the preseason attention they received was well-founded. Tennessee Tech made light work of their future SoCon enemies Chattanooga over the weekend, winning 45-17 over the Mocs. That’s a 2-0 start for TTU who looks like the team to beat in the Big South-OVC this year. New quarterback Kekoa Visperas has been terrific, passing for 490 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions since transferring over from Eastern Washington.
He’s as sharp as any passer the conference has right now and, if he can continue to light it up at this rate, he should be able to guide his team to the playoffs with no problem.
The Pioneer League Champ Will Be a Tough Out in the First Round of the Playoffs
The consistent surprise that keeps repeating itself early on this season is how well the Pioneer League is competing in its non-conference schedule. For a league whose football members do not offer scholarships, the PFL has had a tremendous showing, giving hope that they might be able to actually hold their own in the postseason this year. Presbyterian has taken out not one but two SoCon teams in Mercer and Furman to begin its slate and has to be considered the favorite right now to represent the conference as its auto bid. The Blue Hose could not have asked for a better start and look as though they’ll run through the PFL at this rate. That, though, should not discount a San Diego team that just toppled ranked Southern Utah this weekend. The Toreros showed a great amount of resilience in their 30-27 OT win over the Thunderbirds. Even some of the teams that lost still performed admirably against stiff competition. St. Thomas did not let Idaho run away with it. All in all, the PFL looks better than usual.
Austin Peay Will Contend for a UAC Championship
Even though they lost, Austin Peay delivered more than a gallant performance on the road in Athens on Saturday, falling to Georgia 28-6. This game was an 11-point difference at halftime and had no business being as close as it was throughout. The Governors, who slayed FBS foe Middle Tennessee easily last week, took UGA’s best shot and stood tall doing it. That should come as troubling news to the rest of the UAC, even the really strong Tarleton State group that is favored to win it. Austin Peay is here to stay this year and will be a big problem once conference play gets underway. The Govs have a team in place that should be right in the mix for the league’s title when the season comes to an end and, even if they don’t walk away with the hardware, they could… and should… be a playoff team.
Utah Tech is Ready for Big Sky Move Next Year
Two games into the 2025 and Utah Tech, in spite of its winless start, has proven that it’s capable of competing with its future Big Sky counterparts. The Trailblazers took Northern Arizona down the wire on Saturday evening, a week after it pushed UC Davis to the brink as well. Both the Aggies and Lumberjacks are projected playoff squads this year and the fact that Utah Tech has been able to go toe to toe with them bodes well for that move to the Big Sky in 2026. For a team that just recently made the Division I jump, the Trailblazers have risen rather quickly. There’s plenty to improve on in the year to come but, as of right now, it’s safe to say they will have their place among their new conference mates when they join up.
South Dakota State and Montana State Will Meet Again
Pegged by several as the game of the week in the FCS, Saturday night’s duel between Montana State and South Dakota State more than lived up to the hype. The Jackrabbits outlasted the Bobcats 30-24 in a double overtime thriller and all it really did was prove that both squads are still some of the cream of the crop in the subdivision despite their heavy roster turnover during the offseason. SDSU is 2-0 now, having defeated a pair of tough Big Sky schools to get there and they look every bit the part of a national title contender early on in Dan Jackson’s inaugural season. Montana State, meanwhile, is 0-2 but had to start their campaign against Oregon and the Jacks. Yes, there’s some work to do but MSU belonged on that field with the Jackrabbits and was oh so close to winning. A playoff rematch certainly could be in store and if it is, it’s sure to be just as good as the regular season appetizer.
