Bye week fell at a fortuitous time for the Villanova Wildcats. 

Coming off an impressive win over Coastal Athletic Association-leading Elon, Villanova got to heal some physical wounds on a Saturday marked with upsets around the Football Championship Subdivision. The Wildcats also got to watch the Philadelphia Phillies in their pursuit of a second straight World Series, facing the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League Championship Series, Villanova coach Mark Ferrante said. 

With an ear out of the pennant chase, Villanova also continued its work toward some fall classics of its own. The Wildcats are in the thick of the FCS Playoffs race with about a month remaining before Selection Sunday. 

Much can and will change in the final four weeks to whittle the field down to 24, but in the meantime, the bubble appears to be as stacked as any in the tournament's history. 

Looking at current records and games to come…

The FCS playoffs may set a record with the most 7-win teams left out of the bracket (idk what the record is, but there will be plenty this year)

— Sam Herder (@SamHerderFCS) October 23, 2023

Forecasting the crowded (and clouded) picture ahead of the final four weeks offers the following scenarios: 

Big Sky 

Automatic: Montana State 

At-Large: Montana, Idaho, Sacramento State, UC Davis  

On The Bubble: Eastern Washington, Idaho State 

After surviving a tough road test Week 8 at Sacramento State, Montana State sits in sole possession of first-place in the Big Sky and well-positioned to have homefield advantage all the way to Frisco. 

Given the frigid temperatures typical of Bozeman, Montana, in late November and into December, Bobcat Stadium is a tremendous homefield advantage, indeed. 

The final month of the Big Sky schedule sees a number of potentially playoff-altering games, including a stretch for Sacramento State visiting both Montana and UC Davis, as well as hosting suddenly hot Idaho State. With a win over Eastern Washington and a near-miss at Montana, the Bengals have proven capable of hanging with upper-echelon Big Sky teams and thus a potential dark horse to go on a run in the final month. 

🔥 Throwin' Idahoans 🔥 pic.twitter.com/zNIL7fQ8ji

— Idaho State Football (@BengalGridiron) October 23, 2023

Big South/OVC

Automatic: UT Martin 

At-Large: None 

On The Bubble: Tennessee State

UT Martin continues to roll against FCS competition, improving to 6-0 vs. the subdivision with a Week 8 shutout of Charleston Southern. The Skyhawks are tied atop the Big South/OVC alliance with Southeast Missouri State, and the two face on Nov. 11. 

For SEMO, currently sitting at 3-4, beating UT Martin and winning the automatic bid is the RedHawks' likely only path to the playoff. Tennessee State, however, could realistically make a run at an at-large berth. Under coach Eddie George, the Tigers are 5-2 with their lone blemishes coming against Notre Dame and a competitive game against UTM. 

𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 🔒💪🏿

First shutout since 2⃣0⃣2⃣1⃣#RoarCity x #GUTS pic.twitter.com/DwmkPz0ejg

— Tennessee State Football (@TSUTigersFB) October 24, 2023

Should Tennessee State win out to finish 9-2, it will have a compelling case for the postseason. 

CAA

Automatic: Delaware

At-Large: UAlbany, Villanova, New Hampshire 

On The Bubble: Campbell, Elon, Monmouth, Rhode Island, Richmond, William & Mary  

The parity and unpredictable defining the CAA early on has nine of its 15 teams sitting at at least four wins heading into Week 9. Delaware has positioned itself nicely for a playoff berth whether it wins the automatic bid or not, currently at 6-1 without a loss in FCS play. 

Five-win teams Villanova and UAlbany have each scored a signature win thus far and performed well against FCS competition overall. If the playoff field was made today, the Wildcats and Great Danes likely make the cut; so, too, does New Hampshire. 

UNH boasts the second-best Sagarin rating of any CAA team, behind only Delaware, and its bounce-back win over UAlbany gave New Hampshire a signature on its resume. 

The conference's bubble as it stands heading into the final weekend of October is especially crowded with three-and-four-win teams, and a five-win squad in Richmond. The Spiders may be the most difficult at-large team to evaluate of any in the country by virtue of their complete offensive transformation in the past month. 

A UR team that struggled to score points in non-conference play and in its lone CAA loss to Hampton has been rejuvenated with freshman Camden Coleman sharing quarterbacking duties with a now-healthy Kyle Wickersham. If the Spiders finish 8-3 but don't win the automatic bid, how their resume is evaluated could offer some interesting insight into the committee's view of teams' season-long evolution. 

Another potentially fascinating case-study could be Towson. The Tigers' second-half comeback to down William & Mary complicates the road back to the Playoffs for the Tribe, but more pertinent for Towson under first-year coach Pete Shinnick is that his team boasts road wins over each of the CAA's 2022 co-champions. 

Towson improved to 3-4 overall heading into a Week 9 rivalry matchup with Delaware. Any shot at the postseason the Tigers might have is contingent on winning out, obviously starting against an excellent Blue Hens team. 

Beating another ranked opponent, and this time the CAA leader, wouldn't be enough to put Towson in the driver's seat for an automatic bid — losses to Monmouth and UAlbany have the Tigers two games behind UD — but it would give TU one of the most top-loaded resumes in the nation. 

MVFC

Automatic: South Dakota State 

At-Large: South Dakota, North Dakota State, Southern Illinois, North Dakota, Northern Iowa 

On The Bubble: Illinois State, Youngstown State 

Reigning national champion South Dakota State continues hopping along as the clear-cut No. 1 overall seed. The overall Missouri Valley Football Conference outlook provides less clarity, however: North Dakota, for example, blasted North Dakota State in Week 7 to put itself not just in the playoff conversation but potential top-eight seeding. 

Losing in a shutout the following week to Northern Iowa lessened the Fighting Hawks remaining margin for error, while elevating the Panthers squarely into the playoff mix. Northern Iowa's four wins include a rout of suddenly surging Idaho State and defeats of fellow postseason hopefuls UND and Youngstown State. 

NEC

Automatic: Duquesne 

At-Large: None

On The Bubble: None 

Duquesne took a big step toward landing in the Playoffs last week with a win over reigning Northeast Conference champion Saint Francis, which came into Week 8 tied with the Dukes atop the standings.

Patriot

Automatic: Lafayette 

At-Large: Holy Cross 

On The Bubble: Fordham 

Perhaps the biggest upset in a Week 8 featuring a variety of them was Lafayette's 38-35 defeat of a Holy Cross team that has dominated the Patriot League in recent years. The Leopards weathered a remarkable 330-yard, three-touchdown rushing performance from Crusaders quarterback Matthew Sluka, getting 229 yards and two touchdowns on their end from Jamar Curtis. 

Lafayette earned sole possession for first place in the Patriot with the win. Holy Cross remains squarely in the playoff chase, but with losses to both the Leopards and Harvard, the Crusaders cannot afford another blemish and still make the field. 

Fordham looms as the Patriot's third team in the playoff picture. The Rams are in position to steal the automatic bid, kicking off a key push in the final month in Week 9 at home vs. Holy Cross. Fordham travels to Lafayette on Nov. 11. However, a loss to a surprising Georgetown team clouds Fordham's at-large chances should the Rams split with Lafayette and Holy Cross. 

Pioneer

Automatic: Davidson 

At-Large: None

On The Bubble: None 

The Pioneer Football League has been a one-bid conference it first started receiving an automatic invitation to the FCS Playoffs with expansion more than a decade ago. Davidson claimed the berth in two of the previous three seasons, and could again this season — but not without controversy. 

The Wildcats are tied atop the conference at 4-0 with Drake, but the two do not play each other. The Bulldogs draw 4-1 Marist and a good Butler team to close out their regular-season slate, while Davidson does not face any remaining opponent with a league record above .500. 

Southern

Automatic: Furman 

At-Large: Western Carolina, Chattanooga 

On The Bubble: Mercer 

𝑬𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅, 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏 🎥#FUAllTheTime I #EliteIsTheStandard pic.twitter.com/0opyBDhfs7

— Furman Football (@PaladinFootball) October 24, 2023

Furman stated its case for homefield consideration through at least the national quarterfinals with an emphatic win last week over SoCon counterpart Western Carolina. Despite the setback, WCU remains in solid position for an at-large bid to the Playoffs, the program's first postseason appearance since reaching the National Championship Game in 1983. 

The Wildcats are one of four SoCon teams with at least five wins heading into the final four weeks, joining 6-2 Chattanooga and 5-3 Mercer. Mercer is seeking its first-ever appearance in the FCS Playoffs, a pursuit that faces a critical test in Week 9 when the Bears meet Western Carolina. 

Southland 

Automatic: UIW 

At-Large: None 

On The Bubble: None 

UIW, which has become a playoff fixture in recent years, is No. 4 in the Top 25 ahead of Week 9. That means homefield advantage through the quarterfinals, if the selection committee follows the mindset of pollsters. 

However, the Southland Conference is looking at a potential — if not likely — one-bid scenario. Lamar and Nicholls are both tied atop the Southland with UIW at 3-0, though are 4-3 and 3-3 overall on the season. Lamar's home date with UIW in Week 9 likely makes or breaks any hope the Beaumont-based Cardinals have of making the Playoffs. 

Nicholls gets UIW on the road on Nov. 4. The Southland's playoff fate could well be determined by the end of that contest. 

UAC 

Automatic: Central Arkansas

At-Large: None

On The Bubble: Austin Peay 

Right now, UAC-leading Central Arkansas and Austin Peay are interchangeable as far as the automatic and on the bubble selection's for the first-year conference. Both are undefeated in league play at 2-0, are 5-2 overall, and neck-and-neck in Sagarin ratings. 

The schedule works out perfectly where, if both continue their ongoing winning streaks, they meet in the final week of the regular season with the UAC championship and guaranteed berth in the FCS Playoffs at stake.