Earning a seed in the FCS playoffs is a big deal for teams. It gives the top eight teams a bye week and guarantees home-field advantage in the second round.
Kennesaw State at #7 ETSU
Going into this matchup, Kennesaw State is actually favored by 2.5 points. Kennesaw has the deffense to keep ETSU's Quay Holmes and Jacob Saylors at bay. This will be the closest contest in the second round in a battle of the trenches.
Southeastern Lousiana at #3 James Madison
SLU's Cole Kelley is a mobile QB who is going to look to take advantage of JMU's secondary. This game has the potential to light up the scoreboard, but don't expect an upset at JMU.
Holy Cross at #5 Villanova
Holy Cross' defense can turn games into an ugly low-scoring game that causes the opposing team's offense to not find their rhythm. However, Villanova would have to play its worst game of the year in order to lose this one.
UT Martin at #8 Montana State
Some would call UT Martin the sleeper of the first round and proved everyone wrong by winning against Missouri State. However, Montana State is not Missouri State, they are a more physical and disciplined team. UT Martin would need to overcome a lot in order to pull this upset.