Thanksgiving is over, but there’s still a veritable feast of football going on in the FCS. After an action-packed opening round separated the wheat from the chaff, 16 teams remain in the hunt for an NCAA title. That includes four-time defending champion North Dakota State, occasional SEC spoiler Jacksonville State and the team with the scariest nickname in college sports, the Richmond Spiders.
FCS playoffs 2015 schedule: Times, TV schedule and live stream for Round 2
College football’s real playoff is in full swing, and a series of rivalry games will set up the FCS’s elite eight on Saturday.
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If familiarity breeds contempt, then most of the teams playing on Saturday must hate their opponents. Six of this weekend’s eight FCS Playoff showdowns are rematches of regular season games. CAA and Southland rivalries will dictate who survives and makes it to the quarterfinals next weekend. Here’s everything you need to know about ignoring the FBS’s conference title games in favor of the tournament that crowns Division I’s champion.
How to watch, stream and listen (all times Eastern):
| Schedule | Time | Where to Watch | ||
| William & Mary | at | No. 7 Richmond | Noon | ESPN3 |
| The Citadel | at | No. 8 Charleston Southern | 1 p.m. | ESPN3 |
| Colgate | at | No. 5 James Madison | 1 p.m. | ESPN3 |
| Western Illinois | at | No. 2 Illinois State | 2 p.m. | ESPN3 |
| Chattanooga | at | No. 1 Jacksonville State | 2 p.m. | ESPN3 |
| Montana | at | No. 3 North Dakota State | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN3 |
| Sam Houston State | at | No. 4 McNeese State | 7 p.m. | ESPN3 |
| Northern Iowa | at | No. 6 Portland State | 10 p.m. | ESPN3 |
William & Mary at No. 7 Richmond
TV: Noon ET, ESPN3
Radio: William & Mary, Richmond
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Spread: Oddsmakers have this one as a toss-up.
One big thing to know
The closest game of the weekend could be this battle between in-state foes. William & Mary lost a chance to claim the outright Colonial Athletic Association title two weeks ago when it lost at Richmond in the final game of the regular season, 20-9. Now it will have to earn its revenge against the only team that has held its high-powered offense to fewer than 21 points in 2015.
The Citadel at No. 8 Charleston Southern
TV: 1 p.m. ET, ESPN3
Radio: The Citadel, Charleston Southern
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Spread: Charleston Southern is favored by 2.5 points.
One big thing to know
The Citadel earned its second win over South Carolina in three tries when it beat the Gamecocks two weeks ago. Charleston Southern wasn’t so lucky with it FBS draws -- the Buccaneers got blown out by both Troy and No. 2 Alabama. However, they did pick up a big win earlier this season when they beat the Bulldogs on their own home field, 33-20. Citadel’s strategy is a simple one; it wants to run all over CSU. Can the Bucs and their 12th-ranked rushing defense answer the challenge once more on Saturday?
Colgate at No. 5 James Madison
TV: 1 p.m. ET, ESPN3
Radio: Colgate, James Madison
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Spread: James Madison is favored by 20 points.
One big thing to know
James Madison was the third team atop the CAA this season with a 6-2 record, but losses to both William & Mary and Richmond (with College GameDay in town) pushed it down the pecking order despite the shared championship. Colgate ran the table in the Patriot League, and so far it’s had lots of success as long as it wasn’t playing Ivy League teams -- it lost to both Princeton and Yale this fall. The Raiders knocked off one CAA powerhouse to earn their spot in the round of 16 when they beat New Hampshire, 27-20. Now they’ll have to prove themselves all over again as Saturday’s biggest betting underdogs.
Western Illinois at No. 2 Illinois State
TV: 2 p.m. ET, ESPN3
Radio: Western Illinois, Illinois State
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Spread: Illinois State is favored by 15.5 points.
One big thing to know
Illinois State handled the Leathernecks in a 48-28 beating back in October, but Western Illinois has rallied late in the season to make its case as one of the FCS’s best teams. Running back Nikko Watson has been WIU’s engine, averaging 161 rushing yards per game and scoring five touchdowns in his team’s recent three-game winning streak. The Redbirds are good, but not great, at stopping the run. They’ve given up more than 157 yards per game on the ground this season. If Watson can dial up his inner superstar, he could carry Western Illinois to a major upset.
Chattanooga at No. 1 Jacksonville State
TV: 2 p.m. ET, ESPN3
Radio: Chattanooga, Jacksonville State
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Spread: Jacksonville State is favored by 7 points.
One big thing to know
The Southern and Ohio Valley Conference champions clash in a rematch of a Week 1 barn-burner. Jacksonville State won that battle 23-20, and only one other FCS team has come within 20 points of them in their 10-1 rush to the playoffs. The Mocs led that game with under three minutes to play, but a 1-yard Miles Jones touchdown run lifted the Gamecocks to a come-from-behind victory. Chattanooga won’t have the benefit of home field advantage this time around; can it make the adjustments it’ll need to derail the Championship Subdivision’s hottest team?
Montana at No. 3 North Dakota State
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN3
Radio: Montana, North Dakota State
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Spread: North Dakota State is favored by 10 points.
One big thing to know
This game is a rematch of the first Division I football game of the season. Bob Stitt’s premiere as head coach of the Griz ended in storybook fashion when Joey Counts -- who is a college football player and not (yet) a mafia number cruncher -- ran in a 1-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal with just two seconds left on the clock. That sent the then-No. 1 Bison tumbling down the ranks, but Montana was unable to capitalize on that momentum; they lost their next two games and four of their next seven before righting the ship headed into the playoffs. Can they reclaim that Week 1 magic and prevent North Dakota State from claiming a five-peat on the plains?
Sam Houston State at No. 4 McNeese State
TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN3
Radio: Sam Houston State, McNeese State
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Spread: McNeese State is favored by 4 points.
One big thing to know
Two Southland rivals will meet on the gridiron one more time in 2015; this time the loser goes home for good. McNeese State handled Sam Houston State when these teams met nearly a month ago, scoring 27 unanswered points after the Bearkats took a 10-0 first quarter lead to preserve their perfect record. SHSU will have to find a way to stop dual-threat quarterback Daniel Sams to reverse its fortune. The former Kansas State passer and wide receiver threw for 168 yards in that win but rushed for 164 more, one of his four 100-yard rushing games of the season.
Northern Iowa at No. 6 Portland State
TV: 10 p.m. ET, ESPN3
Radio: Northern Iowa, Portland State
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Spread: Northern Iowa is favored by 4 points.
One big thing to know
Portland State started its season with a win over a Washington State team that peaked at No. 20 in the College Football Playoff rankings. The Vikings can close out 2015 with a national title, but they’ll have to get past Northern Iowa, a program that’s looking to reclaim its status as an FCS powerhouse. UNI overcame a 2-4 start to rally to the playoffs and crushed Eastern Illinois 53-17 in its opening round game. The Vikings will be waiting for them on the West Coast, where they’re 5-1 at home. They’ll rely on former BYU athlete Alex Kuresa to keep their season alive with his arm and with his feet -- he’s averaging 234 total yards and more than two touchdowns per game so far this season.
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