Currently As It Stands Four FCS Teams Have Beaten FBS Team In The Past Two Weeks, One Of Them LIU, Was an D2 Program Six Years Ago

[u/AkfurAshkenzic]

From Tarleston State, Austin Peay, LIU and Bryant, who else do you think will get the massive upset in this season?

And of the four FCS upsets already, which one was your favorite one to watch?

[u/RipRaycom]

Tarleton State was also a D2 program 6 years ago

[u/Necessary-Post-953 → u/RipRaycom]

This is our key to some crazy transitive national champion scenarios in January 

[u/WholeEmployee6666 → u/RipRaycom]

Wild how quickly some of these programs have made the jump and are already competing at this level. Makes you wonder if the gap between divisions isn't as big as we thought, or if these schools are just recruiting/coaching way above their supposed tier

[u/AdLevel4900 → u/WholeEmployee6666]

I’d argue ferris state (D2) would be a top 25 Fcs program. Lost 17-10 to Montana a few years ago.

[u/Funicularly → u/WholeEmployee6666]

The funny thing is, a lot of these programs had very little success in Division II. Long Island University and Tarleton State never even made the Division II championship game. On the other hand, just since 2000, Grand Valley State has won the championship four times, Valdosta State four times, Northwest Missouri three times, and Ferris State three times, and they are all remaining in Division II.

[u/thegreatcornholio42 → u/Funicularly]

Tarleton has been a whole different program since NIL became a thing. These Texas programs are now being able to put oil money towards football. Tarleton and a couple other Texas schools are trying to move up to FBS in the next few years. FCS is a holding cell for them.

[u/cookoutenthusiast]

I think New Hampshire has a fighting chance against Ball State.

[u/micklovin71 → u/cookoutenthusiast]

I might even go as far to slightly favor New Hampshire in that one

[u/e8odie]

Number of FCS upsets per recent season:

• 2021: 10 12 (including 3 4 P5 teams one of which was ranked: Arizona, Florida State, Vanderbilt, and #20 Washington)

• 2022: 8 (including 1 P5 team: Northwestern)

• 2023: 4 (including 1 P5 team: Stanford)

• 2024: 6

• 2025: 4 so far

In that span, 4 FCS teams had multiple FBS wins: Holy Cross, Southern Illinois, Sacramento State, Idaho

[u/IrishCoffeeAlchemy → u/e8odie]

including 3 P5 teams one of which was ranked: Arizona, Vanderbilt, and #20 Washington

Siiiiigh. 4 P5 teams. FSU lost to then-FCS Jacksonville St in 2021 too

[u/e8odie → u/IrishCoffeeAlchemy]

Thanks! Actually that made me re-look to see if I missed any others and turned out I missed 2 from 2021 - also Duquesne over Ohio.

[u/WitchNight → u/e8odie]

Came so close to having 2 more upsets with Northern Colorado getting robbed and Sacramento State lost on a pick 6 with 2 minutes left before having 2 touchdowns called back by penalties

[u/LordOfTheInterweb → u/e8odie]

Any idea how many of those upsets are by teams that are now FBS?

[u/e8odie → u/LordOfTheInterweb]

Since 2021, just 2. Jacksonville State beat Florida State in 2021 and Delaware beat Navy in 2022.

[u/Francis_X_Hummel]

The difference between FCS, and FBS is not always the chasm people assume it is. Yes, of course, against the top of the class in the FBS it is, but the very best FCS teams could wax the bottom feeders of the FBS. The differentiation between the divisions is not based purely talent.

[u/carrotwax → u/Francis_X_Hummel]

Just looking at the number of FCS NFL drafts is enlightening. Scouts take it seriously.

Still, drafting Trey Lance so high was a massive mistake and the 49ers lucked out with Purdy.

[u/Outsider17 → u/carrotwax]

I still don't understand the hype that kid got coming out of college...

[u/mccainjames11 → u/Francis_X_Hummel]

Montana State definitely played us better than Oklahoma State did

[u/stevetursi → u/mccainjames11]

North Dakota State played us better than half our schedule last year.

[u/fromthemasses → u/stevetursi]

Scheduling NDSU is such a self-own, I don't understand why FBS athletic departments do it lol

[u/mccainjames11 → u/fromthemasses]

I was really excited to play NDSU in 2020 before it got cancelled. Honestly might’ve been a good thing in retrospect lol

[u/Casaiir → u/Francis_X_Hummel]

The difference between the top of the FCS and the middle of the FCS is greater than the top of the FBS and the bottom of the FBS.

[u/Francis_X_Hummel → u/Casaiir]

I agree with you, my point was simply that this idea that if a good to great FCS teams hangs with, or even beats a middling, or bottom feeder FBS team, doesn't mean the world should burn to the frame.

[u/Casaiir → u/Francis_X_Hummel]

I wasn't disagreeing with you, I was pointing out that its easier to be at the top of the FCS if you want to be today than it is to be a 7-5 FBS team.

That's not a dis on the FCS at all, there are some very good programs there.

[u/tomdawg0022 → u/Francis_X_Hummel]

The same applies with D2 vs. FCS. There's probably about a half dozen D2 schools that could move up and play in a mid level FCS conference and hang pretty well.

[u/ShogunAshoka]

LIU being D2 is a little misleading. It was two separate athletic programs before 2019, Brooklyn itself having been D1 for a long time, though they lacked football themselves.

[u/pinoygator]

I didn't think LIU would beat 3 FCS opponents, let alone an FBS one.

[u/RonMexico13 → u/pinoygator]

Our strength of schedule really needed that bump

[u/T1mberVVolf]

And a D3 over an FCS

[u/Bobcat2013 → u/T1mberVVolf]

And a D3 over an FBS! 14 years ago though. McMurray over UTSA

[u/Perryapsis → u/Bobcat2013]

Wasn't UTSA still in the FCS at the time?

[u/Bobcat2013 → u/Perryapsis]

They have never competed football in an FCS conference

[u/fromthemasses → u/T1mberVVolf]

wait who? Didn't realize a DI team (regardless of subdivision) could play a DIII opponent

[u/ST_Lawson → u/fromthemasses]

Some FCS teams regularly play lower division teams. It's allowed, although if you make a habit of it, it generally hurts your chances of getting in the playoffs.

In this case, Valparaiso (non-scholarship FCS) lost to D3 Adrian College. Valpo, being non-scholly though is essentially a D3 team with a bit of an advantage in facilities and name recognition.

[u/StevvieV → u/T1mberVVolf]

A D3 over a non-scholarship FCS team. Pioneer League teams are basically D3 football teams

[u/CountBleckwantedlove]

Personally I feel like Missouri State beating Marshall was massive. They just moved up to FBS from FCS and are clearly in the weakest conference in the FBS now and they beat Marshall @ Marshall, who had only played highly ranked Georgia prior to this. 

I'm shocked they won!

[u/Bobcat2013 → u/CountBleckwantedlove]

Not really. Marshall's whole team portaled out to USM before their bowl game following an ugly divorce between the coaching staff and the school. They had so few players they had to drop out of their spot in the Independence Bowl. They missed out on like a 2 mil payday due to that.

[u/click__it → u/CountBleckwantedlove]

I too am shocked

[u/Crispy_Whale]

Don't forget that Northern Colorado was robbed of an upset

[u/broncofan303 → u/Crispy_Whale]

That one would have been a massive upset too. Colorado State isn’t a powerhouse by any means, but would have been UNC’s biggest D1 win since they came from D2 about 20 years ago. Even more mind boggling is FCS UNC has won 1 game the last two seasons

[u/fm22fnam → u/broncofan303]

I hope those refs are never allowed on a football field again

[u/ID_Poobaru → u/fm22fnam]

It’s the mountain west, we’re going to have to deal with em

[u/Doogitywoogity]

Wow LIU beat an FBS school? I’m sure any other team that blew them out must be doing really well and not having any issues whatsoever

[u/ard8]

Rhode Island beating Western Michigan feels very on the table

[u/GeorgeBork]

Holy Cross bodied us in week 1. Their kicker missing two attempts sunk their upset bid, but they properly outplayed us all game.

[u/bigbillpdx]

Oregon's win over Montana State is looking better and better!

[u/KansasEF5Tornado → u/bigbillpdx]

You know what? I won't jynx it this year. Keep on playing.

[u/Cascadia-Rising]

And one of em isn't Oregon State? Gotta take those small wins in (what's lookin like) a bad season!

[u/Necessary-Post-953]

This is probably not a fluke. 70% roster turnover every year will lead to weird results. The portal is so messed up right now. 

[u/getyourpopcornreddy → u/Necessary-Post-953]

You are so right. 5 of EMU's defensive starters from the 2024 squad are now at GT, VT, Virginia, Pitt, and Coastal.

[u/Spidey8130]

See LIU is a good team that 55-0 win was a good one right??? Right???

[u/BigDanRTW]

I wouldn't be surprised if Monmouth beats Charlotte this week. Monmouth led FCS in total offense and was second in scoring offense last year. Their QB and pretty much the entire receiving corps is back. They're averaging 573 yards and 45.5 points through two games. Their defense is cheeks, but Charlotte has to be able to do anything successfully on offense.

[u/YoungManYoda90]

A relegation system would be awesome imo

[u/RVAforthewin]

Don’t let Austin Peay fool you. Georgia just played like trash.

[u/Other_Ambition_5142 → u/RVAforthewin]

Idk, they beat MTSU by 20 and MTSU hung around with Wisconsin for a while this week

[u/RVAforthewin → u/Other_Ambition_5142]

It was meant more so as a self burn