CSN West

With the Gridiron Power Index (GPI) released this week, I will project the playoff field based this week on who should be the 20 playoff teams. I have also projected what the first and second round games will be.

Based on the GPI, the following would be the 20 teams (listed in bold):
1. N Dakota St (1.00) MVFC
2. Montana St (5.00) BSC
3. E Washington (5.43) At-Large #1
4. Old Dominion (6.00) CAA
5. Cal Poly (6.57) At-Large #2
6. Youngstown St (7.29) At-Large #3
7. Ga Southern (7.43) SoCon
8T. James Madison (9.14) At-Large #4
8T. Wofford (9.14) At-Large #5
10. Harvard (11.86) Not Eligible
11. Northern Arizona (13.00) At-Large #6
12. S Dakota St (15.00) At-Large #7
13. Sam Houston St (16.00) SLC
14. Appalachian St (16.57) At-Large #8
15. Stony Brook (17.00) Big South
16. Illinois St (17.71) At-Large #9
17. Cent Arkansas (18.86) At-Large #10
18. Tennessee St (19.14) OVC
19. McNeese St (19.71)
20. Northern Iowa (20.14)
21. Albany (20.57) NEC
22. New Hampshire (20.71)
23. E Kentucky (21.57)
24. Samford (21.71)
25. Indiana St (22.86)
27T. Lehigh (27.00) Patriot
45T. Bethune-Cookman (40.00) MEAC

With these teams, this is how I would see the playoff matchups:
1st Round
Bethune-Cookman @ Appalachian St.
Lehigh @ Stony Brook
Albany @ Illinois St.
Tennessee St. @ Central Arkansas

2nd Round
UCA/Tenn. St @ #1 N. Dakota St.
Albany/Ill. St. @ #2 Montana St.
Lehigh/SBU @ #3 E. Washington
B-CU/App. St. @ #4 Old Dominion
Sam Houston St. @ #5 Cal Poly
S. Dakota St. @ Ga Southern
N. Arizona @ Youngstown St.
Wofford @ James Madison

That gives the following breakdown per conference:
MVFC 4
Big Sky 4
SoCon 3
CAA 2
Southland 2
Big South 1
OVC 1
NEC 1
Patriot 1
MEAC 1

Each week, I will do this projection before the announcement in November.