TexGator

While I don't think he's on the Committee, we know there's a lack of people who are focusing on projecting the bracket. 2025 FCS playoff bracket predictions entering the final month of the season | NCAA.com His projection is based on: 1) No slipping up against the two "should win" games AND also beating SELA 2) SFA winning out He put SFA as the #15 and Lamar as the #16. Like I said, it's not the be all, end all.... but it's a decent way to frame it that we know that if we win 3 of 4, we're probably in. I'd rather have the guys sweep and be in position to potentially get a bye.

I agree that it helps our case for an At-Large bid... but I'd rather have the "Conference Champion" trophy since it'd definitely mean a home playoff game (no way they're sending a 11-1 SLC Champ on the road for the 1st Round, given that we've already moved up to the top 15.

I think the 2 that the NCAA website lists are the 2 to follow, as well as the one the committee puts together, but isn't updated weekly since it clues people in on what they're thinking so you know, if you're on their list (of 10), you just need to keep winning and you'll likely get one of the 8 byes. We weren't on that last list 2 weeks ago, but I think sweeping the last 4 games would get them that bye (that comes with a home game 2nd Round game).

As much as I'd love for the Southland to be a 3-bid league (would be a testament to the strength of the conference), my FIRST priority is for Big Red to be playing December football. While the Info Guide doesn't have the dates on games before 1950, but in the last 75 years, we've played a total of 3 games in December. I'd love to add to that number.

Yesterday was the last "easy" game. I don't care if UIW is down this year- they have a championship pedigree. They know how to win and their wins are over good teams. Can't overlook them at all.

All that said, the Cards need to win convincingly. They can worry about UIW after they sing postgame.

It's a nice "problem" to have to that Coleman is sitting close to being 3rd in career passing yards on the bench, should McCown need to take a game off. I'd prefer to have him in there... and for it to turn into a controlled scrimmage quickly like the Texas Southern game. As I said about the TSU game, we need to "make it late... early." Just put them away early and make the Demons get off-schedule where we can easily win and shift the focus to UIW.

We should have better supported the team in the '80s. McNeese, Sam Houston, and others ascended with less competition in the '90s and '00s.

You do realize you could have just googled "1985 Lamar Cardinals football" and the Wikipedia page would have produced the information. ChatGPT isn't needed.

As long as that's true about the players being at practice... that's all I ask.

I sit corrected. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1985_NCAA_Division_I-AA_football_rankings#NCAA_Division_I-AA_Football_Committee_poll

This. This is the highest they've ever been ranked.

Agreed. Teams will definitely start separating themselves and we'll start getting a better feel for where teams are. Games against FBS and D2, D3, or NAIA schools aren't as good of a measure as he head-to-head. We're basically being carried in our reputation by the win over South Dakota. The Texas Southern game didn't do much for us (we pretty much overmatched them in the 1st Quarter and got them off them-schedule the whole game. While that's great, the ability to separate ourselves from the pack in the conference feels good with each win. (And we know every team Central Arkansas wins helps our reputation for this year, as well)

I think 10-2 definitely gets us in. Have to take care of business the next 3 weeks. The Vaqueros are playing confidently so they won't be an easy team to beat. Get that win and the focus can shift to the Demons (who I believe lost to PV, who is the best win on the Vaqueros' ledger). Just keep focused on the team in front of you and we can get our first ever 10-win season. Really- we've never won 10 in a year. Lost 10 three times... never have won 10.

To me, this is the most intriguing game so far this year because we truly don't know what UTRGV has. They filled their non-conference slate with a D-II team in Sul Ross State and a pair of NAIA schools sandwiching the Prairie View game. To me, this is a "don't look past them" game. We scheduled them for Homecoming- we need to treat them like a Homecoming opponent and beat them up. We have the big boys to wear them down; we just need to execute. I checked the VS simulator and they have us at about a 58% chance of winning.

I don't see us winning out, but I like what the computers are showing. Just keep posting 1 "dub" at a time. This week = go after the Vaqueros. To me, they're more of an enigma than ETAMU because their signature win is over Prairie View. Just keep focused.

I think the Texas State system is fine. They shouldn't have let SWTSU change their name (the "confusion with Southwestern" thing was a crappy excuse) was, while understandable, an attempt to be seen as the flagship of the system.

I'd list them as "the closest thing to an 'easy game'" Let's hope we make it "late early" for the Lions.

What it takes to be competitive in this world of NCAA Athletics: - Good leadership (O'Malley is a great leader... and has built the Athletic Department quickly since taking over for Born- honestly, had to google his name to make sure I remembered it correctly- my brain scrubbed that name as quickly as the university did) - Good coaching (Rossomando is that- this also includes good recruiting) - Committed alumni (we have that) - Campus culture (they're working on that- would love to see more competition among students and alumni groups for turnout at games across all sports) But it's a building process.

There are definitely some great opportunities this weekend and next to help the SOS. But the fact remains that, unless you're Northwestern State, you're in a position that 7-1 in conference probably gets you into postseason play.

UIW and HCU will have "bigger" budgets because they will be able to consider their tuition to be part of the budget (and their tuition/fees are significantly higher, so even if we included ours, it wouldn't add as much as they do). If we want to move up into the top tier of FCS, we're going to have to increase what we're paying players. I hate to tell people they need to give up more of their money, but to get into that top tier, Lamar's going to need to increase that amount to closer to $7M and stay there. (not talking about moving to FBS- I think we need to start averaging over 10K fans and winning playoff games before that sort of talk) Might this require the paycheck games to get bigger? Maybe. Texas State (last year) and UNT (this year) write big checks, but Big12 and SEC schools write bigger ones. I know that O'Malley and Rossomando don't want to hurt our chances in conference by getting beaten up by the bigger boys, but an extra $200K (for example) is a difference-making amount.

Glad that the Cardinals made the game was "getting late early" for the Tigers. Other than the one series where TSU scored, the defense really stepped up and made sure it was obvious we were the better team. Honestly, more than the final score (since the offense didn't need to do much in the 2nd half), I liked how they played like they knew they were the better team. We could have executed better but there was no reason to do too much. They knew they had 2 weeks to prep for UCA so there was no reason to do anything more than just get the win. We don't need style points against a team that had already lost to Prairie View.

If we need to "not feel good about Saturday" then I'll "not feel good" The team played a really good game, but they have to go 1-0 this week or it's all or naught.

The tune for the fight song isn't original. Other colleges also use it.

If it's 8-4, I'm guessing that's losses to: North Texas, South Dakota, Incarnate Word, and a split with SE Louisiana and SFA? I think 9-3 (if the losses are to UNT, USD, and UIW), I think they make it. But they definitely have to have "the look" of a playoff team. The Southland isn't seen as an automatic multi-bid league. Then again, if they beat USD, it'd be huge of their RPI.