The FCS playoff bracket looked quite different Saturday night than it did going into a wild, impactful final day of the regular season.
Just ask Montana State, which after a blowout loss to rival Montana may be turning the turkey into a side dish because of other priorities this coming week.
Better yet, ask Furman, which went from eyeing the No. 2 seed to losing to a one-win Wofford squad and dropping down considerably.
Plenty more changed the 24-team bracket, but we’ve looked into the crystal to project the potential field come Sunday when it is announced on an ESPNU selection show at 12:30 p.m. ET
Projected Bids by Conference
* – Projected automatic qualifier; other teams are projected as at-large selections
Big Sky (4): Idaho (8-3),*Montana (10-1), Montana State (8-3), Sacramento State (7-4)
Big South-OVC (2): *Gardner-Webb (7-4), UT Martin (8-3)
CAA (4): UAlbany (9-3), Delaware (8-3), Richmond (8-3), *Villanova (9-2)
MEAC (1): North Carolina Central (9-2)
Missouri Valley (5): North Dakota (7-4), North Dakota State (8-3), South Dakota (9-2), *South Dakota State (11-0), Southern Illinois (7-4)
Northeast (1): *Duquesne (7-4)
Patriot (2): Holy Cross (7-4), *Lafayette (9-2)
Pioneer (1): *Drake (8-3)
Southern (2): *Furman (9-2), Mercer (8-3)
Southland (1): *Nicholls (6-4)
United Athletic (1): *Austin Peay (9-2)
First Four Out: UC Davis (7-4), UIW (8-2), Central Arkansas (7-4), Western Carolina (7-4)
More Burst Bubble: Eastern Illinois (8-3), Youngstown State (7-4)
Projected Seeds
Top eight seeds receive first-round byes
1. South Dakota State (11-0)
2. Montana (10-1)
3. South Dakota (9-2)
4. Idaho (8-3)
5. UAlbany (9-3)
6. Furman (9-2)
7. Villanova (9-2)
8. North Dakota State (8-3)
Projected Pairings
Playoff games prior to the national championship are played at campus sites
North Carolina Central at Richmond winner at No. 1 seed South Dakota State
UT Martin at Austin Peay winner at No. 8 seed North Dakota State
Holy Cross at Delaware winner at No. 5 seed UAlbany
North Dakota at Sacramento State winner at No. 4 seed Idaho
Drake at Montana State winner at No. 3 seed South Dakota
Gardner-Webb at Mercer winner at No. 6 seed Furman
Duquesne at Lafayette winner at No. 7 Villanova
Nicholls at Southern Illinois winner at No. 2 seed Montana
Key Dates to Know
Playoff Selection Show: Sunday (12:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU)
First Round: Nov. 25
Second Round: Dec. 2
Quarterfinals: Dec. 8-9
Semifinals: Dec. 15-16
Championship Game: Jan. 7 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas (2 p.m. ET, ABC)