Picking the Big 12: Week Six. Also, Ohio Valley and Northeast Conference previews

The Lead

Another week, another set of four easy games and one puzzler. Today, our staff picks the winners in the Big 12 for week six of the regular season. On the bright side, our staff is not divided regarding the result of K-State's week six game. On the other hand... well, we'll get to that in a moment.

All games still TBA.

Baylor at Kansas

Iowa State at Texas Tech

Both of these games were clean sweeps. To the former, we can only say "Well, duh." To the latter, this is another one of those cases where everyone probably thinks Iowa State has a chance, but not enough of one to pull the trigger.

TCU at Kansas State

Oh, this one was an 11-0 vote as well. With all the questions K-State has, going up against a legitimate national title contender just seems to be a bit too much to ask of the Wildcats.

Oklahoma vs Texas (Dallas)

PurpleBrunette, she just hates her some Sooners. Or maybe she's just impressed with Charlie Strong's commitment to integrity, which of course means all his good players are gone while Oklahoma still has Frank Shannon and Joe Mixon. Everyone else is pretty sure Oklahoma will take down the Longhorns, as the poll went 10-1.

Oklahoma State at West Virginia

Luke (who's just not sold on the Cowboys), Derek, Bracket, JT, and wildcat00 picked West Virginia; Pan, KSUEMAW!, Nugget, Pervis, and PurpleBrunette have Oklahoma State coming out on top. Oh. It's 5-5, which means it's all up to Jon. While Mason Rudolph is going to be good, I'm just not sold on the idea that Oklahoma State is an elite team this year. Also, the game is in Morgantown. On the other hand, West Virginia is still cruising down the middle of the highway, and I don't really have faith in them to pull this one out. So my pick, and as a result the BotC staff pick... is Oklahoma State.

Sadly, the result of week six is that K-State slides another spot into the seventh-place hole that the Big 12 coaches predicted at the start of the season. Meanwhile, five Big 12 teams remain unbeaten, and who's that in fifth place? When will sanity begin to prevail?

BotC's Projected Big 12 Standings after Week Six

Oklahoma State	6-0	(3-0)
TCU	6-0	(3-0)
Baylor	5-0	(2-0)
Oklahoma	5-0	(2-0)
Iowa State	3-2	(1-1)
Texas Tech	3-3	(1-2)
Kansas State	3-2	(0-2)
West Virginia	3-2	(0-2)
Kansas	0-5	(0-2)
Texas	2-4	(0-3)

Ohio Valley Conference Preview

2014 Standings and Info
SCHOOL		LOCATION	OVC	OVERALL
9	Jacksonville State University Gamecocks	Jacksonville AL	8-0	10-2
21	Eastern Kentucky University Colonels	Richmond KY	6-2	9-4
	University of Tennessee, Martin Skyhawks	Martin TN	5-3	6-6
	Eastern Illinois University Panthers	Charleston IL	5-3	5-7
	Tennessee Technological University Golden Eagles	Cookevile TN	4-4	5-7
	Tennessee State University Tigers	Nashville TN	3-5	6-6
	Southeast Missouri State University Redhawks	Cape Girardeau MO	3-5	5-7
	Murray State University Racers	Murray KY	1-7	3-9
	Austin Peay State University Governors	Clarksville TN	1-7	1-11

Jacksonville State rose back to the top following the sudden and unexpected demise of Eastern Illinois, and all is back to normal in the Ohio Valley. Or at least that's the easy narrative. Eastern Illinois was beset by injuries under a new head coach, and although they went 5-7 they were 4-2 over the second half.

And that is largely why they've been picked to finish second behind Jacksonville State in the preseason coaches poll, although the media has Eastern Kentucky ahead of the Panthers. The margin in both polls is a single point, so it's officially a dead heat. Tennessee-Martin follows in fourth, while Tennessee State and Southeast Missouri State took fifth and sixth in the view of the coaches; they were reversed in the media poll. Tennessee Tech, Murray State, and Austin Peay complete the list.

Jacksonville State

All-OVC selections (total, gone/returning): 14 (4/10)

Preseason selections: 11

Key losses: RBs DaMarcus James (1151 yards/14 TDs), OL Max Holcombe, LBs Ben Endress (109 T/10.5 TFL) and Michael Carlisle (74 T/11 TFL)

Key returnees (preseason picks in italics): QB Eli Jenkins (1870 yards, 12 TD/9 INT; 698/3 rushing), RBs Troymaine Pope (715/6) and Miles Jones (630/7), WR Josh Barge (919/4), TE Bo Brummel, OLs Casey Dunn, Justin Lea, and Adam Wright, DLs Devaunte Sigler, LaMichael Fanning, and Chris Landrum, DBs Jermaine Hough (4 INT), DeBarriaus Miller (4 INT), and Folo Johnson (71 T), P Hamish MacInnes

Incoming FBS transfers: RB Josh Clemons (Kentucky), DE Joseph Roberts (UAB)

Oklahoma RB David Smith also announced he was transferring to Jax State, but decided to move to Vegas and pursue a career marketing the IOHawk motorized skateboard.

The Gamecocks probably won't have much trouble replacing the production of James, and they have the line of scrimmage on absolute lockdown. Lea was the Freshman of the Year last year, which isn't an award you often see won by an interior lineman; Sigler was the Defensive POY, and unsurprisingly earned the preseason nod to repeat. The only real question mark in The Other Jacksonville is at linebacker, where Endress and Carlisle will be tough to replace. But this team is so loaded and so dominant at the line that it's hard to see them losing in-conference.

Eastern Illinois

All-OVC selections: 10 (4/6)

Preseason selections: 5

Key losses: RB Taylor Duncan (541/5), WR Adam Drake (1321/12), TE Jeff LePak, All-American OL Collin Seibert, LB Robert Haynes (13.5 TFL)

Key returnees: QB Jalen Whitlow (2075, 15/7; 792/12 rushing), RB Shephard Little (797/3), WR Anthony Taylor (306/2), OLs Evan Kanz and Nick Borre, DL Dino Fanti (15.5 TFL), LB Kamu Grugier-Hill (97 T/9.5 TFL), DBs Jourdan Wickliffe (4 INT) and Anthony Standifer (3 INT)

Incoming FBS transfers: QB Mitch Kimble (Syracuse), RBs Jerron Seymore (grad, Vanderbilt), Devin Church (Illinois) and Korliss Marshall (Arkansas), WR James Brooks (Kent State), TE Mack Weaver (Vanderbilt), OLs Scott Taylor and Josh Doyle (both Northern Illinois), DL Jarvis Williams (Troy), LBs Isaiah Riddle (Kansas State) and Jareem Fleming (Northern Illinois)

That's a LOT of incoming transfers, and it's obvious that second-year coach Kim Dameron is trying to delay his first two recruiting classes for development time. Whitlow, who started 15 games at QB for Kentucky before transferring last year, will be the star of the show on offense. The defense could stand to be a lot more productive at the line of scrimmage, only recording 11 sacks last year. But the back seven is fine, and includes former Ole Miss DB Standifer. The Panthers will bounce back from last season's wreckage, but probably won't have enough to reel in the Gamecocks.

Eastern Kentucky

All-OVC selections: 6 (3/3)

Preseason selections: 4

Key losses: QB Jared McClain (1133, 5/9; 561/8 rushing), LB Tyrelle Johnson (84 T), DB Brandon Stanley (124 T/4 INT)

Key returnees: QB Bennie Coney (1185, 7/9), RB Dy'Shawn Mobley (1491/20; 309/1 receiving), WRs Jeff Glover (746/3) and Devin Borders (533/5), OLs Brett Eyckmans and Trey Shelton, LBs Marquise Piton (10 TFL) and Trey Thomas (10 TFL), DBs Stanley Absanon (4 INT) and Kiante Northington (84 T)

Incoming FBS transfers: RB Adam Lane (Florida), DL Noah Spence (Ohio State), LBs D'Vonta Derricott (Kansas State) and Derrell Young (Western Kentucky), DB Logan Oce (Western Michigan)

Coney, a transfer from Cincinnati last year, split time almost exactly evenly with McClain, attempting one fewer pass. He won't be splitting time this year, but the interceptions have to come down. Mobley, a former Kentucky Wildcat, is the reigning OVC Offensive POY. Incoming RB Lane was the MVP of the Birmingham Bowl for the Gators last fall. The receiving corps is in good shape, and Eyckmans and Shelton return to anchor a solid line.

The defense lost its top two tacklers, and relies too much on the secondary; the Colonels only recorded 19 sacks last year. But the addition of Spence is absolutely going to help there; the All-Big 10 end, who's cleaned up now after being booted from Ohio State due to drug problems, will be one of the most important FBS-to-FCS transfers to debut this fall. Don't be surprised if Derricott makes an impact, either.

Tennessee-Martin

All-OVC selections: 3 (3/0)

Preseason selections: none

Key losses: RB Abou Toure (1138/8), OL Charles Sweeton, LB Tony Bell (76 T/21 TFL/8 sacks) and Deilouse Jackson (10 TFL), DB Devontay Barnett (76 T/11 TFL)

Key returnees: QB Jarod Neal (1880, 14/6), RB Trent Garland (499/3), WRs William Tanner (527/4) and Kyle Kerrick (410/3), LB Nick Dance (55 T), PR Ladevin Fair (23.8 avg), DB Walter Evans (55 T)

Incoming FBS transfers: QB Troy Cook (Florida State), WR Rodarius Houston (UAB(, TE Malcolm Faciane (Alabama), DL Parrish Huddleston (UAB), LB Ervin Alston (UAB), DB Sheldon Dawson (Georgia)

The offense is going to miss Toure, and the Skyhawks' haul of transfers didn't bring in a replacement. They'll have to lean more on Kerrick (a former Michigan State redshirt) and Tanner, a fifth-year senior who came in from Kentucky last year. On defense, UTM was ravaged. The line and secondary are fine, although not stellar. Dance, who came in from Western Michigan last year, will need some help at linebacker. The Skyhawks are the clear number four here, but don't appear close to challenging the established order.

Tennessee State

All-OVC selections: 7 (1/6)

Preseason selections: none

Key losses: QB Michael German (2846, 22/15), WRs Weldon Garlington (879/7) and Ryan Mitchell (748/5), DLs Samquan Evans (12.5 TFL/7.5 sacks) and Anthony Bass (12.5 TFL/7 sacks), All-American LB Nick Thrasher (128 T/11.5 TFL), All-American DB De'Ante Saunders (5 INT), RB/KR Darion Hall (28.4 avg/1 TD)

Key returnees: QB Ronald Butler (420, 1/3), RB Tom Smith (385/6), WR Isaiah Jefferies-Freeman (391/6), DE Gabe Terry (11 TFL/11.5 sacks), LB Vantavious Williams (54 T)

Incoming FBS transfers: RBs Erick Evans (North Texas) and Tom Smith (Tennessee), TE Rodney Morris (UAB), OL Duaron Williams (Iowa State), DE Ebenezer Ogundeko (Clemson), DB David Kamara (Ole Miss)

The Tigers were 4-1 last year and ranked 20th after their annual clashes with fellow HBCUs and the conference opener with Tennessee Tech, but suddenly reeled off a five-game losing skid which included three straight losses by a touchdown or less. Injuries and other issues wracked the offensive backfield; no quarterback or tailback managed to play every game of the season. The job at quarterback is not necessarily Butler's, and your guess is as good as anyone's what will happen at running back. At receiver, Jefferies-Freeman (a Rockhurst product) is the last man standing with the losses of Garlington and Mitchell. The offensive line is loaded with talent which previously transferred in: Jessamen Dunker (Florida), Shaq Anthony (Clemson), James Lewis (Vanderbilt).

But the real problem, as if all that wasn't bad enough, is on defense. The Tigers lose two All-Americans, and insofar as even having two AFCA All-Americans in one year is rare enough, you just don't replace that. Terry is a great and overshadowed talent, but can the Tigers rebuild around him? Last year was a disaster of circumstance. This year may be one of planning.

Southeast Missouri State

All-OVC selections: 4 (1/3)

Preseason selections: 3

Key losses: QB Kyle Snyder (2582, 23/14; 661/9 rushing), RB Lennies McFerren (607/3), WR Spencer Davis (464/3), DB Tim Hamm-Bey (22 PD)

Key returnees: RB DeMichael Jackson (734/5), WRs Paul McRoberts (711/9) and Peter Lloyd (633/3; 27.3 avg/KOR), LB Roper Garrett (96 T), K Ryan McCrum (18-23 FG, long 55/40-41 PAT)

Incoming FBS transfers: none this year

It's like a plague. The Redhawks starred 4-2, including a win over then-#3 Southeastern Louisiana. But after beating Tennessee State to start the Tigers' five-game losing streak, Southeast lost in overtime to Murray State, kicking off their own five-game skid. The loss of Snyder is huge, and the only QB who played more than a couple of snaps last year is senior Alex Niznak (32, 0/1), formerly of Central Michigan. The defense? No, let's just not go there. Other than Garrett, it's an exhaust port.

Tennessee Tech

All-OVC selections: 4 (2/2)

Preseason selections: 1

Key losses: QB Darian Stone (929, 5/5; 495/1 rushing)), WR Cody Matthews (650/5), DE Midoho Okpokowuruk (19 TFL), DBs Marty Jones (113 T/4 INT) and Austin Tallant (101 T)

Key returnees: QB Jared Davis (770, 4/7), RB/KR Ladarius Vanlier (494/5, 3 return TDs), WR Brock McCoin (517/2), LB Tra'Darius Goff, DB Jay Rudwall (101 T), P Jonathan King (41.5 avg)

Incoming FBS transfers: none this year

Stone (the team's leading rusher last year as well) and Davis split time last year; Davis doesn't have an iron grip on the job this fall. Feature depth at RB and WR is non-existent, what's left of the defense let too many plays get to the secondary, and the secondary wasn't good at pass defense. Don't expect much.

Murray State

All-OVC selections: 2 (1/1)

Preseason selections: 2

Key losses: RB/KR Pokey Harris (627/3; 28.8 avg/3 KORTD), WR Nevar Griffin (699/7), DL Felton Collins (10.5 TFL), LB Travis Taylor (106 T/14 TFL)

Key returnees: QB K.D. Humphries (3483, 27/12), RB Marcus Holliday (450/3), WRs Janawski Davis (909/13), Jeremy Harness (907/6), and Jesse Blackburn (439/0), LB Jonathan Jackson (135 T/8.5 TFL)

Incoming FBS transfers: RB Mark Dodson (Ole Miss), WR Dominique Rhymes (grad, FIU), DL Elijah Daniel (Auburn), DB Shawn Samuels-Connell (Marshall), LS Wes Drewery (UAB)

Offensive coordinator Mitch Stewart has been elevated to the top spot following the departure of former head coach Chris Hatcher, who moved to Samford to replace the retired Pat Sullivan. He'll inherit a 5600-yard offense with some losses, but with enough playmaking depth remaining to still be okay. Unfortunately, he'll also inherit a defense which gave up over six thousand yards last year and has only one good player returning. And that is why Stewart is taking a chance on Daniel, who led Auburn in quarterback hurries last year before being kicked off the team after being arrested on burglary charges. It's a move which, if it works, might be worth literally hundreds of yards to the Racers.

Austin Peay

All-OVC selections: none

Preseason selections: none

Key losses: WR Wesley Thomas (314/2)

Key returnees: RBs Otis Gerron (596/2) and Justin Roberson (484/1), WRs Rashaan Coleman (221/1) and Malik Boynton (208/1), LB Antonio Turner (81 T/7 TFL)

Incoming FBS transfers: LB Isaiah McDaniel (Tennessee), DE Byron Carver (Western Kentucky), DB Leon Alexander (Ohio)

Sunday, an Austin Peay football player was injured in a shooting in Clarksville. The school has yet to identify the player so, you know, that could have an impact on this preview.

But not the Governors' season, because they are Austin Peay, and I can't even bring myself to list a quarterback in the above lists of losses and returnees. Last year, Peay quarterbacks combined to post a 1475, 9/10 line. Roberson is now listed as a WR despite only catching 9 balls for 55 yards last year. Coleman, meanshile, is listed as a RB/WR; at least he ran for 114 yards. Oh, and Boynton's now listed as a DB, because that's what you do with your #2 returning receiver. No, we don't know what Kirby Cannon is doing, but we'll assume he does. Turner had 12% of the team's TFL, and the team only recorded 7 sacks and 5 interceptions.

Let's Go Peay, indeed.

Game of the Year

November 21, Eastern Kentucky visits Eastern Illinois. Either one of them will miraculously be playing for the conference title after upsetting Jax, or they'll both be playing for a playoff bid.

Northeast Conference Preview

2014 Standings and Info
SCHOOL		LOCATION	NEC	OVERALL
24	Sacred Heart University Pioneers	Fairfield CT	5-1	9-3
rv	Wagner College Seahawks	Staten Island NY	5-1	7-4
rv	Bryant University Bulldogs	Smithfield RI	4-2	8-3
	Saint Francis University Red Flash	Loretto PA	3-3	5-6
	Duquesne University Dukes	Pittsburgh PA	2-4	6-6
	Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils	New Britain CT	1-5	3-9
	Robert Morris University Colonials	Moon Township PA	1-5	1-10

Bryant took four of the seven first-place votes to lead the preseason coaches poll. Duquesne was second, with one first place vote; the other two went to Sacred Heart, tabbed third. Wagner followed close behind, with Saint Francis, CCSU, and Robert Morris rounding out the field.

Bryant

All-NEC selections: 8 (3/5)

Preseason selections: 4

Key losses: DLs Jeff Covitz (23 TFL/8 sacks) and Maduka Nwanekezi (15 TFL/6.5 sacks)

Key returnees: QB Dalton Easton (2007, 20/12), RB/KR Ricardo McCray (814/10; 366/4 receiving; 32.5 avg/KOR), RB Paul Canaveri (931/3), WR Chad Ward (667/5), OLs George Smith and Abe M''Bodj, LB Marquise Watson (80 T/10 TFL)

Incoming FBS transfers: none

Bryant was sitting at 8-1, ranked, and looked for all the world like they were at least a shoo-in for an at-large bid. Two weeks later, after a 14-7 loss to Sacred Heart and a Wagner touchdown with only 44 seconds left resulted in a 23-20 loss to the Seahawks, Bryant's season was over. Think they're motivated this fall?

Every important part of the offense returns, including the only offensive line teammates on the preseason All-NEC squad. It's on defense that the Bulldogs need be concerned, as they lost the two key players holding their defensive line together. A failure to replace Covitz and Nwanekezi -- responsible for over a third of the team's TFL and sacks -- may well scuttle Bryant's hopes.

Duquesne

All-NEC selections: 8 (1/7)

Preseason selections: 4

Key losses: RB Ryan Ho (426/5), WR/KR Devin Rahming (727/4; 2 return TDs, 31.0 avg KOR), LB Austin Whalen (10.5 TFL)

Key returnees: QB Dillon Buechel (2015, 14/6), RB Rafiq Douglas (388/0), WRs Chris King (1127/14) and Dave Thomas (430/1), OLs Larson Graham and Ben Huss, DL Zach Zidian, LBs Nathan Stone (100 T) and Sam Martello (86 T), DBs Trenton Coles and Malik Shegog (4 INT)

Incoming FBS transfers: WR Domimique Terrell (Virginia), LB Carter Henderson (Penn State)

Duquesne was sitting at 4-2, with Buechel on his way to the best quarterback season in NEC history, when he went down with an injury against Sacred Heart. The Pioneers ended up winning that game by a mere field goal, which directly led to their title and playoff appearance; the Dukes lose three of their last five to finish at .500 on the year. With Buechel healthy, the Dukes are expected challenge for the title themselves. They lose pieces here and there, but nothing earthshaking, and return almost all the key players on a decent enough defense including Stone, last year's Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Sacred Heart

All-NEC selections: 14 (8/6)

Preseason selections: 6

Key losses: RBs Keshaudas Spence (780/4) and Sean Bell (550/3), OL Jaime Martines, DL Troy Moore, DB Gordon Hill (104 T/14.5 TFL/6 sacks)

Key returnees: QB R.J. Noel (2477, 23/15; 633/4 rushing), WRs Tyler Dube (960/16) and Moses Webb (577/2), OL Nick Bartuli, DL Connor Caveney, LBs James Rentz (19 TFL/12.5 sacks), Connor Candito, and Kevin Barry (82 T/15 TFL/7 sacks)

Incoming FBS transfers: DB Chris Hutton (grad, Temple)

Sacred Heart held opponents under the magic 300 yard mark last year, and that was with their leading tackler being safety Hill. He's the only player who put up big numbers that graduated on defense. Offensively, the Pioneers will have to replace a lot of rushing yardage, but the deadly Noel-to-Duhe connection will still be around. After a pair of playoff bids, the Pioneers might fall short this year, but they're also definitely in the picture.

Wagner

All-NEC selections: 7 (4/3)

Preseason selections: 3

Key losses: TE Bryant Watts, OL David Frederickson, LB Max Wassel (81 T/17 TFL), DB Jarrett Dieudonne (7 INT)

Key returnees: QBs Chris Andrews (657, 3/3; 368/4 rushing) and Brian Gehring (812, 6/5), RBs Otis Wright (562/6) and Mathias McKinnon (352/2), WRs Lloyd Smith (361/1) and Isaiah Gills (240/0), TE Ryan Owens, OL Matt Diaz, DL Al Page (16 TFL), LBs Greg Hilliard (11 TFL) and Stephon Font-Toomer (10 TFL)

Incoming FBS transfers: TE Carlos Carvajal (Purdue), OL Andrew Oberg (grad, UNLV) LB Nick Menocal (grad, Georgia Tech), DBs Tim Hayes (Wyoming) and Naesean Howard (Syracuse)

Walt Hameline stepped down after his 34th season on the sidelines to focus on his role as athletic director. Associate head coach Jason Houghtaling will succeed him.

Andrews wrested the starting job from Gehring mid-season, and thanks to the added dimension of his legs, he's the putative starter this fall. Both are seniors, Gehring a fifth-year. All the other primary pieces return save Frederickson. The defense loses its top two tacklers and its best ball-hawk, but still returns most of the front seven of a defense which only surrendered 279 yards per game, including former Rutgers DL Page. Some help may be forthcoming from the raft of transfers the Seahawks brought in this spring. They're not the Wagner they used to be, and a run at the title is probably beyond them. They'll still be pretty good, though.

Saint Francis (PA)

All-NEC selections: 9 (3/6)

Preseason selections: 6

Key losses: OL Colin Gdula, LB Bishop Neal

Key returnees: QB/P Zack Drayer (1465, 15/8) RBs Khari Dickson (1708/12) and Marcus Bagley (418/7), WRs Anthony Abeid (497/7) and Terrell Smith (344/3), DB/KR Lorenzo Jerome (79 T), DBs Jevon Elmore and DaQuan Minter (5 INT), K Lance Geesey (18-22 FG/36-40 PAT)

Incoming FBS transfers: DB Robert Miller (FAU(

The Red Flash have a nice group of returning players, and didn't lose much in the way of playmakers. In the backfield, Saint Francis has both the Offensive POY and Offensive Rookie of the year ready to tote the rock. Another NEC squad which was solid defensively (337 ypg), their fate this season depends entirely on how much growth they can achieve.

Central Connecticut State

All-NEC selections: 6 (4/2)

Preseason selections: 2

Key losses: QB Nick Sangiacomo (2108, 11/12), RB Rob Hollomon (1116/7; 317/1 receiving), WR Tyrell Holmes (756/5), DB Chris Abner (109 T)

Key returnees: RB Brenden Lytton (438/4), OL Tyler Hurd, DL Asia Bolling (12 TFL), LB C.J. Morrison (65 T)

Incoming FBS transfers: none

Ooof. Except for the offensive line, the Blue Devils lose their best player at every position on offense. Lytton will help ease the loss of Hollomon, but there are no answers at wideout and quarterback is a mess. The defense is no great shakes either. And even with Sangiacomo, Hollomon, and Holmes, this team went 3-9 last year? It's a bad scene.

Robert Morris

All-NEC selections: 2 (0/2)

Preseason selections: none

Key losses: WR Duane Mitchell (544/4), DB David Taylor (4 INT)

Key returnees: RB Rameses Owens (562/2), WR Nic Lamica (362/2), LBs Jake Teach (84 T/10 TFL) and Mike Stojkovic (82 T/10 TFL)

Incoming FBS transfers: none

Would you believe nobody has won more NEC titles than Robert Morris? A four-headed monster at quarterback composed of senior Derik Abbott, junior Marcus Prather, and sophomores Luke Brumbaugh and Joe Carroll combined to post a 1647, 9/20 line. Abbott (804, 7/7) was the least awful. The offense only managed 236 yards a game, and scored fewer than 10 points per Saturday. The defense gave up 34. This is just a bad team now, in full rebuilding mode.

Game of the Year

Bryant once again takes on Sacred Heart on the penultimate weekend of the regular season, at home on November 14. Duquesne will have already played both by then, so the ultimate fate of the NEC title -- or perhaps that elusive at-large bid -- will be decided here.

Tomorrow

It's week seven of Picking the Big 12, where once again we only have one game truly being contested by our panel of experts. Our previews will start with the SEC of the FBS, the Missouri Valley Conference. You already know North Dakota State's going to roll, but what about their rivals? Our other preview tomorrow will be the final HBCU conference on our slate, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Band fight!