FCS Bracketology - Pt. 5

Back in the saddle, again!  Delaware's all-important home playoff game has been restored in the new edition of Bracket Projections from "The Sports Network."  The bracket and quick analysis follows:

With all of the upsets that have occurred across the nation (including Eastern Washington losing yet another game), it was not so much that Delaware won themselves back the home-playoff game, but that other teams dropped below them in the rankings.  Either way, with the home game, Delaware essentially sits in the 7th spot, hosting JMU.  Richmond, William & Mary, and New Hampshire would all open on the road along with the Dukes if the playoffs started this week.  I wanted to argue that conference matchups should be avoided in opening playoff games, but there really is no where else to put James Madison in this scenario.  William & Mary is technically the lowest seeded CAA team here, facing the 5-seed in their first game, and to push them into a first round play-in game would not be fair if they did not deserve it.

As for the bracket as a whole, the only team that everyone seems to be afraid of this season is Georgia Southern, the triple-option attack that the Hens shut down in the playoffs last season with a bevvy of starters back for a shot at the title this year.  Otherwise, there is parity across the FCS landscape.  Delaware has never really traveled large distances well in recent times, so having to fly out to Northern Iowa or Montana State would decrease their odds of returning to Frisco, but being the highest-seeded CAA team and being lined up for the home playoff game are good signs just 5 weeks into a season that began with a blowout and an injury to the starting QB.