Sam Houston looks to return to NCAA FCS playoffs in 2018

SHSU may have to face James Madison and North Dakota State in possible 2018 playoff run.

The Sam Houston State Bearkats
hope to continue their winning ways in 2018.
Photo by Darla S Tamulitis,
La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2018, All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2018 All Rights Reserved.

HOUSTON, TEXAS (August 6, 2018) With the 2018 Southland Conference football season kicking off in just over three weeks, the objective of every member school will to be win the conference title and advance to the NCAA Division 1 Championships playoffs

Sam Houston State is picked to win the Southland Conference in 2018. The Bearkats earned 10 first-place votes and 187 points to nab the top spot. If Sam Houston State does advance into the playoffs, there are two teams they will have to face, somewhere in the bracket, that have given them fits over the years. Those

Photo by Darla S Tamulitis,
La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2018, All Rights Reserved

two teams are the James Madison Dukes and the North Dakota State Bison. These two teams battled for the national title in 2017, with the No. 2 Bison downing the No. 1 Dukes 17-13 in at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas on January 6, 2017.

The Bearkats have faced both the Bison and the Dukes in past playoff appearances; with the latest coming in 2017. In the semi-final game on December 15, North Dakota State gave Sam Houston their second defeat of the season, with a 55-13 effort, knocking them out of the playoffs. The Bearkats have made 11 appearances in the playoffs, including a 2016 run, where they advanced to the semi-finals; dropping a 65-7 decision to James Madison. The Dukes when on to win the national championship with a 28-14 win over No. 13 Youngtown State.

Photo by Darla S Tamulitis,
La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2018, All Rights Reserved

Sam Houston is returning 14 starters from 2017, including seven on each side of the ball. Seven players were named to the preseason All-Southland team, including five on the first team. They kickoff their season on Saturday, September 8 against Prairie View A&M. James Madison is picked as the favorite in the Colonial Athletic Association, receiving 21 of 24 first-place votes. JMU had won a program and CAA-record 26 straight games between the 2016 and 2017 seasons, which ranks second all-time in FCS history.

North Dakota State returns 13 starters from their 2017 team that won the national title. The Bison have won six FCS championship in the last seven years and are a favorite to win in 2018. In fact, The North Dakota State in ranked No. 1 in final FCS Coaches poll (January 9, 2018), followed by James Madison and Sam Houston State. In the STATS FCS Top 25 ranking (August 6, 2018), SDSU is ranked first, JMU is second, with SHSU placing fourth.

The previous two years, James Madison and North Dakota State ended Sam Houston State's playoff run. If history is any indication of things to come, the Bearkats will likely face one of these two teams in the 2018 playoffs.