Notable G5 vs. G5 Games - Week 0/1

[Duckboy33]

Week 0:
Jacksonville State at North Dakota State (-8.5) - 5:30 CBSSN
- NDSU's first game in the FBS and it's against a team (JSU) that's won 9 games in 3 consecutive years and has played for the CUSA title in back to back years. It's a good OOC barometer for the Bison.

Memphis at UNLV (-3.5) - 10:00 FOX
- I'm really excited for this one. I wish it started a bit earlier. Memphis is always one of the more talented teams in the G6 and I think they upgraded coaches in the off season. UNLV is one of the favorites in the MWC.

Week 1:
Liberty at JMU (-6) - 12:00 ESPNU
- Big time in state battle. JMU was in the CFP last year but will have a totally new look. They should still be one of the better teams in the Sun Belt. Liberty always has one of the most talented rosters in CUSA but is coming off a bad season. There's a lot of potential but a lot of unknown on both sides going into this game.

Wyoming at Colorado State (-4) - 6:00 USA
- Not a huge matchup but a big time rivalry. It will be interesting to see if Jim Mora can turn CSU around. They have the facilities and support. I'm surprised nobody has been able to consistently do it.

UNLV (-1.5) at Hawaii - 10:00 CW
- Huge MWC battle in week 1. UNLV, after a tough game in week 0, has to go to Hawaii.

 

[GatorTheo]

So much good football gets buried during the season because there are so many other games. Sometimes I think a couple of small conferences could shift to the offseason. I think it would draw a lot of fans, coverage and money.

 

[Calhoun]

So much good football gets buried during the season because there are so many other games. Sometimes I think a couple of small conferences could shift to the offseason. I think it would draw a lot of fans, coverage and money.

1AA did that in the spring of 2021 after not playing in the fall (2020) due to COVID. Attendance at games was poor, but many states were still maintaining strict attendance/seating restrictions. What was evident was a general disinterest by most fan bases and the media.

A football writer for one of the on-line sites, probably either "CFN" or "Athletic," did any article on how disappointed the NCAA was in fan interest/response. Not sure a mid game like EMU v Sac St in May is going to do much better in terms of fan/media interest than Murray St v. UT Martin did in the spring five years ago.

 

[Xeliou66]

Memphis/UNLV is a strong Week 0 game - two very strong group of 5 teams, UNLV has improved tremendously these last couple of years and Memphis is always solid.

 

[GatorTheo]

1AA did that in the spring of 2021 after not playing in the fall (2020) due to COVID. Attendance at games was poor, but many states were still maintaining strict attendance/seating restrictions. What was evident was a general disinterest by most fan bases and the media.

A football writer for one of the on-line sites, probably either "CFN" or "Athletic," did any article on how disappointed the NCAA was in fan interest/response. Not sure a mid game like EMU v Sac St in May is going to do much better in terms of fan/media interest than Murray St v. UT Martin did in the spring five years ago.

That's kinda a halfassed way to do it. They need to build an audience. It would take a few years but I think football fans of other teams would grow to really like it.

1AA.....that's almost like real students, right? I think many fans would appreciate watching actual students play competitive games.

 

[Duckboy33]

Week 2:

USF at Army - Noon CBSSN
Appalachian State at ECU - Noon ESPNU
UTSA at Texas State - 3:30 CW
UNLV at North Texas - 3:45 ESPNU
Memphis at Boise State - 6:00 USA
Jacksonville State at Ohio - 6:00 ESPN+
North Dakota State at Air Force - 10:00 FS1

Week 3:

ECU at Old Dominion - 6:00 ESPN+
JMU at San Diego State - 10:00 CW
North Texas at Texas State - 10:00 USA

 

[Calhoun]

Week 2:

USF at Army - Noon CBSSN
Appalachian State at ECU - Noon ESPNU
UTSA at Texas State - 3:30 CW
UNLV at North Texas - 3:45 ESPNU
Memphis at Boise State - 6:00 USA
Jacksonville State at Ohio - 6:00 ESPN+
North Dakota State at Air Force - 10:00 FS1

Week 3:

ECU at Old Dominion - 6:00 ESPN+
JMU at San Diego State - 10:00 CW
North Texas at Texas State - 10:00 USA

Really looking forward to NDSt @ USAFA.
Closest NDSt has seen to a flexbone recently was their opening game last year @ Citadel, a game they won 38-0. Bison held Citadel to a total of 126 yards, only 14 yds passing. Thin air at Colorado Springs, similar to what they faced @ CU in 2024. I'd make AF a slight favorite with a relatively low o/u, 45-47 pts.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

Week 2:

USF at Army - Noon CBSSN
Appalachian State at ECU - Noon ESPNU
UTSA at Texas State - 3:30 CW
UNLV at North Texas - 3:45 ESPNU
Memphis at Boise State - 6:00 USA
Jacksonville State at Ohio - 6:00 ESPN+
North Dakota State at Air Force - 10:00 FS1

Week 3:

ECU at Old Dominion - 6:00 ESPN+
JMU at San Diego State - 10:00 CW
North Texas at Texas State - 10:00 USA

We’re going to see pretty early if USF lost anything from Golesh to Hartline. Army in Week 2 is going to be a tough matchup for them.

Also for Week 1, while I’m not anticipating the matchup to be close to even notable from most perspectives, Navy vs Towson is at least going to be a sellout game for those looking for good crowds for a Week 1 matchup. Sometimes that alone can make a good matchup. I anticipate that game being a really fun tailgate.

 

[Calhoun]

We’re going to see pretty early if USF lost anything from Golesh to Hartline. Army in Week 2 is going to be a tough matchup for them.

Also for Week 1, while I’m not anticipating the matchup to be close to even notable from most perspectives, Navy vs Towson is at least going to be a sellout game for those looking for good crowds for a Week 1 matchup. Sometimes that alone can make a good matchup. I anticipate that game being a really fun tailgate.

How many times do you think the Midshipmen will hear "Tarleton St" in the lead up to that week 1 Towson game?

 

[Digger]

How many times do you think the Midshipmen will hear "Tarleton St" in the lead up to that week 1 Towson game?

I warned them last year. Tarleton was highly ranked in the preseason.

 

[Calhoun]

I warned them last year. Tarleton was highly ranked in the preseason.

That was a well prepared Tarleton team last year at West Point, but truth be told, Army was not a very good football team. I don't think they beat a team with a winning record in the regular season until their pummeled an opt-out ridden UConn in their NIT bowl. Win or lose, I love watching the academics play.

 

[Digger]

That was a well prepared Tarleton team last year at West Point, but truth be told, Army was not a very good football team. I don't think they beat a team with a winning record in the regular season until their pummeled an opt-out ridden UConn in their NIT bowl. Win or lose, I love watching the academics play.

Tulane was very lucky to beat Army.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

That was a well prepared Tarleton team last year at West Point, but truth be told, Army was not a very good football team. I don't think they beat a team with a winning record in the regular season until their pummeled an opt-out ridden UConn in their NIT bowl. Win or lose, I love watching the academics play.

The service academy recruiting war has swung back to Navy with Drew Cronic’s “millennial” triple-option attack.

Doesn’t hurt that Landon Robinson and Eli Heidenreich both got drafted, either.