How to Watch Army-Navy, FCS Playoffs: Time, TV, Odds, Line

Friday

#7 Furman Paladins at #2 Montana Grizzlies

Anywho, who’s excited for when the College Football Playoff is 12 teams and Alabama is favored over Penn State by 21.5 in the first round?

It is currently 39 and dropping in Missoula—it will be below freezing by the game’s end. Griz by a million.

Saturday

#8 Villanova Wildcats at #1 South Dakota State Jackrabbits

I will be at the zoo for this one, where I expect I will see several different wild cats but exactly zero jackrabbits. I’m not sure they’re real.

#3 Lenoir-Rhyne Bears at #2 Harding Bisons

TRIVIA TIME: Harding is one of two universities at the NCAA level (Div. I, II, III) to use the unnecessary “S” on the end of “Bisons”. Can you name the other, a Division I college?

SUNY Cortland Red Dragons at Randolph-Macon Yellow Jackets

Also a fun fact: SUNY Cortland isn’t even the only “Red Dragons” in the SUNY system! They’re joined by SUNY Oneonta for some reason.

Neither, though, can hold a candle to the Mighty Oaks of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Because that would start a forest fire.

North Dakota State Public Urination Reform School Bizon at #3 South Dakota Coyotes

This is the one Dakota-on-Dakota rivalry that doesn’t already have a Wikipedia page, so I don’t have much to offer you here except a ranking* of the Dakota Rivalries...

Army Black Knights vs. Navy Midshipmen

The 114th and 124th-rated offenses in the country. Army’s passing twice as much as it has in past seasons, but the Black Knights are struggling to move the ball and actually went back to running an under-center triple option against Coastal Carolina. The Middies’ offense has similarly struggled through a shift in identity.

So...enjoy Iowa football?

#4 Kutztown Golden Bears at #1 Colorado School of Mines Orediggers

Super Bowl winner Andre Reed played for Kutztown, whose stadium bears his name. I have also driven by Colorado Mines, which is very, very good at football.

North Central (IL) Cardinals at Wartburg Knights

Thump has announced that he’s becoming a North Central Cardinals fan now that he can’t stomach the Fighting Illini anymore.

Meanwhile, Stew has always been a Wartburg fan.

#5 UAlbany Great Danes at #4 Idaho Vandals

How this game isn’t on national TV, I’ll never know. Late-night in the Kibbie Dome—life doesn’t get much better.

Here’s your football open thread for the weekend. Enjoy.