FCS: Week 4 Preview, How to Watch

This week's football games are important. Conference play is starting for several teams.

Chattanooga (3-0) is the defending SoCon champions. They have beaten Wofford, Eastern Illinois and North Alabama. This Thursday they take on Illinois (2-1) out of the Big Ten. The game starts at 8:30 PM (ET) on the big Ten Network.  Ch Chattanooga has not beaten an FBS team since they took down Georgia State in 2013. If they pull this one off, they will skyrocket up the polls and into the national championship conversation.

#2 South Dakota State (2-1) and #6 Missouri State will meet in a huge MVC clash on Saturday at 3:00 PM (ET) on ESPN3. Both teams are making early vies for playoff positioning. The winner will have a better shot to a seed. The game will also have implications for the Missouri Valley and FCS playoff races. NDSU is looking unstoppable again. It seems that even one conference loss could spell doom for anyone's MVV title hopes.

EWU hosts Montana State in Big Sky play on Saturday at 4 pm. Montana is coming off a 68-28 loss to Oregon State last week. EWU is off an early bye and has had more time to prepare. The game will have big implications in the BigSky race this season. The winner will position themselves for a potential seed in FCS playoffs. It will be a good test for both teams. They are both contenders for the conference title. it will also be important for their chances in playoffs as well. the game is broadcast on ESPN+.

Incarnate Word (3-0) is playing Southeastern Louisiana (1-2) in a Southland Conference game on Saturday at 5:00 PM (ET) on ESPN3. Both teams were favorites to win the league title and both made it to the playoffs last season. If SLU wins, it will be a tiebreaker for the title.  The game could decide the Southlands champion. The winner will play the champion in the next season's championship game. It will kick off at 7:30 PM.

Both North Dakota and Southern Illinois picked up big wins last week. The game will be played on Saturday at 3:00 PM (ET) on ESPN+. It could determine the playoff position of both teams.  North Dakota is trying to get to the postseason for the first time since the 2020 spring season. SIU wants to go back after making the second round a year ago. Last week the Salukis' kicker Jake Baumgarte struggled. He made only one of his three field goal attempts.

There are many FCS games on Saturday. They are: Furman, East Tennessee State, Robert Morris, Rhode Island, Pittsburgh, Columbia, Harvard, Brown, Holy Cross, Colgate, Morehead State and Stetson. There are also games: Maine, Monmouth, Villanova, Elon, Northern Iowa, Western Illinois, Portland State.