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FCS championship game: Media predictions
FRISCO, Texas (STATS) - STATS FCS senior editor Craig Haley picks North Dakota State to become the national champion again with a 24-21 win over James Madison on Saturday.
But he doesn't feel secure with his pick. He wouldn't either if he went with defending champion James Madison, which ended the Bison's five-year run atop the FCS in the 2016 playoffs.
He feels the long-anticipated rematch is basically a tossup between the two preeminent powers in the subdivision.
Other media members involved with the game share similar thoughts of a tight matchup:
Greg Madia, James Madison beat writer for Daily News-Record (Harrisonburg, Virginia): All season long, JMU has won with its defense creating pressure to force opposing quarterbacks into mistakes. Though NDSU's Easton Stick is experienced, the Dukes will do enough to keep their winning formula the same in the title game. James Madison, 23-14.
Jeff Kolpack, North Dakota State beat writer for The Forum (Fargo-Morehead, North Dakota): These are the two premier programs in FCS, a level above everybody else. They play 10 times, they split 5-5. It's NDSU's turn. North Dakota State, 23-21.
Brian McLaughlin, FCS senior staff writer for HERO Sports: These identical twin FCS giants will cancel each other out so many times on Saturday that we'll wonder if we're watching the gridiron version of tic-tac-toe instead of a title game. They're the top two defenses in the FCS, and they don't make many mistakes. Buckle your safety belts ... the real prediction is this one is going to be a classic, and it's going to be loud. James Madison, 24-21.
John O'Connor, FCS writer for Richmond Times-Dispatch (Richmond, Virginia): Top seed rhymes with team speed. For this reason, I believe JMU will prevail. The Dukes' win at the Fargodome in the 2016 semifinals knocked a bunch of invincibility off the Bison. And NDSU lost to South Dakota State, which was hammered at JMU in the semis three weeks ago. James Madison, 27-17.
Dom Izzo, Sports director for WDAY (Fargo, North Dakota): NDSU's defense has played at an elite level this entire season. The addition of Nick DeLuca, Nate Tanguay and Jabril Cox, who weren't on the field against JMU last season, should provide a major difference. JMU's advantage comes on the back end - its secondary is elite and NDSU wasn't able to get loose against its DBs a season ago. I think this game comes down to the QBs. Both are high-level players, overlooked in the national awards. I think Easton Stick makes one more play than Bryan Schor. North Dakota State, 27-23.
Jason Groomes, FCS writer for CollegeSportsMadness: Ask South Dakota State. The Jackrabbits are the one common opponent; JMU won by 35, NDSU lost by 11. All that points to a huge victory by the Dukes. James Madison, 27-20.
