2005 I-AA playoffs Round One

Sixteen teams will meet for the 2005 I-AA playoffs. They are:

First Round (Home teams listed first) :

GAME 1: (1) New Hampshire vs Colgate
GAME 2: Northern Iowa vs Eastern Washington

GAME 3: Montana vs Cal Poly
GAME 4: (4) Texas State vs Georgia Southern

GAME 5: (3) Hampton vs Richmond
GAME 6: Furman vs Nicholls State

GAME 7: Eastern Illinois vs Southern Illinois
GAME 8: (2) Appalachian State vs Lafayette

Mark Coulson of I-AA.org has the first of many playoff articles here

My picks in the First Round are:

1. UNH over Colgate. The Wildcats just have too much firepower for the Raiders
2. EWU over Northern Iowa. Eastern Washington has a great passing game.
3. Montana over Cal Poly. Montana has been inconsistent, but has a great home field advantage.
4. GSU over Texas State. GSU has far greater playoff experience
5. Richmond over Hampton. Richmond plays the tougher schedule
6. Furman over Nichols State. Furman is the better team and have the home field advantage
7. Eastern Illinois over Southern Illinois. The Salukis have folded frequently in the first round.
8. Appalachian State over Lafayette. The Leopards are outclassed in this game.