Sorry, that's actually the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision - not to be confused with the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The NCAA, in its constant pursuit of sanity, decided that Division I-A and I-AA were too confusing so it has changed the names.
Yes, everything is much clearer now.
During the playoffs I will be filling in for Rial Cummings, who recently married a doctor and now takes frequent vacations to places like Costa Rica, Scotland and Timbuktu. Bon voyage, my friend. We will miss your blue turtlenecks and orange sweaters.
The picks
• McNeese State (7-4) at No. 2 Montana (10-1): The Southland Conference champions finished strong, winning their final five games. The run-oriented Cowboys failed to top 33 points all season, save for a 76-0 outburst over something called West Virginia Tech. McNeese has proven it can win close games with three 3-point victories, including one in overtime. The two teams share a common opponent - South Dakota State. The Cowboys lost 20-17 at home, while Montana beat the Jackrabbits 36-7. All signs point to this being a favorable outcome for the Grizzlies, who may not put very many points on the board, but won't need to in this one. The Griz are 1-2 against McNeese in the playoffs. Make it 2-2. John: Montana 23, McNeese State 10. Fritz: Montana 28, McNeese State 16.• Furman (8-3) at Montana State (7-4): The Bobcats are in? And hosting? Didn't they lose to a Division II Chadron State? Mike Kramer is a popular guy, but who knew. Montana State's inclusion in the party had to send ripples around I-AA (I don't care ... I refuse to call it FCS right now). It certainly must have teams like Cal Poly, Northern Iowa and Portland State gnashing their teeth. Still, it's great to have the Cats around for a little longer. Montana State hasn't hosted a playoff game since 1984, when it defeated Rhode Island on the way to a national title. Furman, the Southern Conference runner-up behind No. 1 Appalachian State, is a playoff veteran. The Paladins present plenty of problems, but if MSU's stingy run defense is up to the test, it could be a tight affair in Bozeman. I graduated from Montana. My brother graduated from Montana State. He makes more money than I do. Jealousy and common sense say the Paladins are just too much for the Cats. Brotherly love compels me to choose otherwise. John: Montana State 27, Furman 20, OT. Fritz: Montana State 14, Furman 0.
• Tennessee-Martin (9-2) at Southern Illinois (8-3): The winner of this game plays either Montana or McNeese State in the quarterfinals. UT-Martin won the Ohio Valley Conference and is making its first appearance in the playoffs. The Skyhawks are led by running back Don Chapman, who rumbled for 1,304 yards this season and 13 touchdowns. Strength of schedule likely hurt UT-Martin, however, and resulted in its trip to Carbondale, Ill. Southern Illinois is one of three teams from the Gateway to make the playoffs, and finished the season strong, thumping Northern Iowa and Southern Utah after a heartbreaking 31-24 loss to league champion Youngstown State. In typical Gateway style, the Salukis pound the ball on the ground quite effectively behind senior Arkee Whitlock. Whitlock leads the team and the Gateway in rushing with 1,541 yards this season, more than 140 yards a game. Southern Illinois also holds the second-longest active playoff streak behind Montana with four straight trips. Both teams obviously know how to run the ball, but the Salukis do it better and have the home-field edge. John: Southern Illinois 35, UT-Martin 21. Fritz: Southern Illinois 24, UT-Martin 12.
• Coastal Carolina (9-2) at No. 1 Appalachian State (10-1): The sacrificial lamb - or in this case, rooster - has been prepared. It's too bad really, because teams like Cal Poly, Portland State and Northern Iowa played much tougher schedules and likely would have given Appalachian State a more difficult time. Coastal is the first team in the five-year history of the Big South to receive an at-large bid. The Chanticleers do boast one impressive win, which probably got them into the postseason, a 29-27 victory over Furman. Appalachian State, the defending national champion, has way too much, however. After a season-opening loss to North Carolina State, the Mountaineers have blitzed everyone, save for a double-overtime victory over Georgia Southern. This won't be close. John: Appalachian State 45, Coastal Carolina 10. Fritz: Appy State 44, Coastal Carolina 9.
• James Madison (9-2) at No. 4 Youngstown State (9-2): This is the best matchup in the first round, with either team capable of reaching the championship game. After missing the postseason last year, James Madison is back, having beaten the Grizzlies to win the title in 2004. Youngstown State is one of the most storied schools in I-AA with 23 playoff victories and four national championships. Only Georgia Southern, with 38 playoffs wins and six national titles, can boast better. (For the record, Montana has 22 postseason wins.) The Penguins return to the playoffs for the first time since 2001, Jim Tressel's last season before vaulting to Ohio State. Not surprisingly, both teams will keep it on the ground. Youngstown is led by running back Marcus Mason, who rushed for nearly 1,500 yards this season at 6.6 yards a pop and scored 19 touchdowns. James Madison counters with Eugene Holloman, who rushed for 996 yards and eight scores. There will be too much Mason in this one for Madison, though, as the Penguins march toward a fascinating semifinal showdown with Appalachian State. John: Youngstown State 31, James Madison 24. Fritz: Youngstown 24, JMU 21.
• Lafayette (6-5) at No. 3 Massachusetts (10-1): This is an even bigger mismatch than Appalachian State-Coastal Carolina. Lafayette won the Patriot League by going 5-1, but the Leopards went 1-4 outside of conference, losing four straight to Ivy League teams. Good grief. UMass, on the other hand, went undefeated in the Atlantic 10, its only loss coming to Navy, 21-20. There's really not much else to say here, so ... John: UMass 49, Lafayette 7. Fritz: UMass 51, Lafayette 6.
• New Hampshire (8-3) at Hampton (10-1): New Hampshire was the preseason darling and opened 2006 strong, upsetting Northwestern. But the Wildcats stumbled midseason, losing three out of four and risked missing the playoffs. New Hampshire rebounded to win its final two games, however, and finished second behind UMass in the A-10 North. New Hampshire still has All-American quarterback Ricky Santos and can put points on the board in a hurry. The Wildcats have had trouble on defense, however, particularly against the run. James Madison thundered to 259 yards on the ground in a 42-23 victory, New Hampshire's worst loss of the season. Hampton went undefeated in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, which usually wouldn't raise too many eyebrows, except the Pirates proved they can play with the big boys, losing 13-6 to South Carolina State. Hampton is exceptionally balanced, with 1,933 yards rushing and 1,936 through the air. The Pirates shine on defense, limiting teams to just 12.1 points a game. Hampton's defense will have its work cut out against Santos, but should be able to get the job done. John: Hampton 31, New Hampshire 27. Fritz: New Hampshire 36, Hampton 28.
• Illinois State (8-3) at Eastern Illinois (8-4): It's a battle of bridesmaids, fierce rivals and the only rematch in the first round. Illinois State finished second in the Gateway despite losing its final game of the regular season to Northern Iowa. Eastern Illinois was the runner-up in the Ohio Valley. Illinois State beat Eastern Illinois 44-30 in September in the oldest football rivalry in the state. It was the 94th meeting. That first game was at Illinois State, however, and Eastern Illinois has won six of its last seven games. The Gateway is a tougher conference, and Illinois State proved it was the better team the first time around. But beating a team twice in one season is always difficult, especially when you have to do it on their field. John: Eastern Illinois 38, Illinois State 35. Fritz: Eastern Illinois 27, Illinois State 18.
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