Welcome to the FCS Playoff Casino, where we're placing our bets on the 24 teams we believe will make the 2026 playoffs after Week 7.

We're doubling down on Campbell, taking a chance on Weber State and refusing to cash out on Montana just yet.

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Last week, we handed out boarding passes to our projected playoff field. Since then, North Dakota has delivered a jackpot-worthy upset, South Dakota State has lost its place atop our bracket, and the NCAA selection committee has released its first Top 10 rankings.

The house has posted its odds, but we're still willing to make a few bets of our own.

The House Has Spoken: Official FCS Playoff Committee Rankings

Every casino has a house, and ours just posted its first odds board.

On Tuesday, Oct. 20, the NCAA Division I Football Championship Committee released its first Top 10 rankings of the 2026 season.

Here's the committee's official Top 10:

1. Montana State (6-1) - Big Sky
2. Tarleton State (7-0) - UAC
3. Youngstown State (6-2) - MVFC
4. Stephen F. Austin (7-0) - Southland
5. South Dakota State (5-2) - MVFC
6. North Dakota (6-2) - MVFC
7. Northern Arizona (6-2) - Big Sky
8. South Dakota (6-2) - MVFC
9. Austin Peay (6-2) - UAC
10. Harvard (5-0) - Ivy League

Montana State gets the house's biggest endorsement, despite undefeated Tarleton State sitting atop the AFCA Coaches Poll.

Youngstown State also receives a major vote of confidence at No. 3, ahead of undefeated Stephen F. Austin.

These aren't the final playoff seeds, but they give us a better idea of how the committee is evaluating teams.

Place Your Bets: FCS Playoff Predictions After Week 7

There are 24 spots available in the 2026 FCS playoffs, including 11 automatic qualifiers and 13 at-large selections.

The top 16 teams receive national seeds, with the first eight earning first-round byes.

Our projections consider records, strength of schedule, quality wins, conference championship races and how we expect the rest of the regular season to unfold.

Here's our latest betting slip.

Projected FCS Playoff Seeds 1-16

Projected Seed | AFCA Rank | Team | Conference | Bid Type

• 1 | No. 3 | Montana State | Big Sky | AQ
• 2 | No. 1 | Tarleton State | UAC | AQ
• 3 | No. 4 | Youngstown State | MVFC | AQ
• 4 | No. 2 | Stephen F. Austin | Southland | AQ
• 5 | No. 8 | North Dakota | MVFC | At-large
• 6 | No. 5 | South Dakota State | MVFC | At-large
• 7 | No. 7 | Northern Arizona | Big Sky | At-large
• 8 | No. 6 | South Dakota | MVFC | At-large
• 9 | No. 9 | Austin Peay | UAC | At-large
• 10 | No. 17 | Harvard | Ivy League | AQ
• 11 | No. 20 | East Tennessee State | SoCon | AQ
• 12 | No. 16 | Campbell | CAA | AQ
• 13 | No. 11 | Tennessee Tech | At-large
• 14 | No. 14 | Montana | Big Sky | At-large
• 15 | No. 12 | Lehigh | Patriot League | AQ
• 16 | No. 18 | Monmouth | CAA | At-large

Unseeded FCS Playoff Teams

AFCA Rank | Team | Conference | Bid Type

• No. 10 | Illinois State | MVFC | At-large
• No. 13 | Mercer | SoCon | At-large
• Unranked (RV) | Weber State | Big Sky | At-large
• No. 15 | Lamar | Southland | At-large
• No. 19 | Richmond | Patriot League | At-large
• Unranked (RV) | Southeast Missouri State | Ohio Valley | AQ
• Unranked | Long Island University | NEC | AQ
• Unranked (RV) | Marist | Pioneer | AQ

AFCA rankings are from the Oct. 19, 2026, FCS Coaches Poll. RV means receiving votes outside the Top 25.

The eight unseeded teams are listed in our projected selection order, not as official seeds 17-24.

That's our 24-team field: 11 conference champions, 13 at-large selections and eight first-round byes.

Our Riskiest Wagers: Last Four In

These are the four lowest-ranked at-large teams in our projected field. One bad Saturday could change their postseason outlook.

• Mercer
• Weber State
• Lamar
• Richmond

We're taking a chance on Weber State's recent Big Sky results and sticking with Lamar despite its loss. Richmond and Mercer remain in the field, but those final at-large spots are far from secure.

Bets We're Passing On: First Four Out

These four teams are the closest to cracking our projected 24-team field.

• Bryant
• UC Davis
• Chattanooga
• Abilene Christian

Bryant's unbeaten CAA record makes it our toughest exclusion, while UC Davis falls out after losing 38-17 to Southern Utah. We're passing on these four for now, but that could change after Week 8.

Doubling Down: Two FCS Playoff Bets We're Not Abandoning

We're sticking with Campbell and Montana, even if neither is a particularly safe bet right now.

Still Rockin' With The Camels

Campbell improved to 6-1 with a 24-20 victory over Towson, while Monmouth defeated New Hampshire 42-21 to move to 4-0 in conference play.

We've backed Campbell to win the CAA for multiple weeks, and we're sticking with the Camels despite Monmouth's unbeaten conference record.

Campbell hosts Monmouth on Saturday, Nov. 21, in the regular-season finale. That game could decide the CAA championship and its automatic FCS playoff bid.

Don't Wake The Bear

Montana is a considerably riskier wager.

The Grizzlies were our projected No. 2 seed after Week 5, fell to No. 7 in last week's Airport edition and now sit at No. 14 following consecutive losses to Big Sky opponents Northern Arizona and Idaho.

We've dropped Montana 12 positions in two editions, but we're not throwing away our previous evaluation of the Grizzlies after two bad Saturdays.

If the selection committee can put Montana State at No. 1 despite its loss to Idaho, we're willing to keep Montana in our projected field.

North Dakota Hits The Jackpot

Last week, we projected North Dakota as the No. 14 seed.

Then the Fighting Hawks beat the nation's top-ranked team.

North Dakota defeated South Dakota State 21-10 on Oct. 17, earning its first victory over an FCS No. 1 since moving to Division I.

We're moving North Dakota up nine positions to No. 5, ahead of South Dakota State despite the selection committee ranking the Jackrabbits higher.

South Dakota State drops from our previous No. 1 projection to No. 6.

The house still likes the Jackrabbits slightly more. We're putting our chips on the team that won the head-to-head matchup.

The Long-Shot Bet: We're Buying Into Weber State

Every casino needs a long shot. Ours is Weber State.

The Wildcats weren't included in our projected playoff field last week, but their recent Big Sky results have changed our minds.

Weber State defeated Idaho State 27-20 last weekend, improving to 5-3 overall and 4-1 in conference play.

That puts the Wildcats alongside Northern Arizona at the top of the Big Sky standings entering Week 8.

We're still projecting Montana State to win the conference, but Weber State's 4-1 conference record deserves attention.

The Wildcats also benefit from UC Davis losing 38-17 to Southern Utah last weekend.

Is it a gamble? Absolutely. But we're willing to give Weber State a spot in our projected field.

How Do The FCS Playoffs Work In 2026?

The 2026 NCAA Division I FCS playoffs feature 24 teams competing in a single-elimination bracket.

Eleven eligible conference champions receive automatic bids, while 13 additional teams are selected at-large.

The selection committee seeds the top 16 teams, with the first eight receiving byes into the second round.

Seeds 9-16 play in the opening round against unseeded opponents, with geography playing a role in determining those matchups.

The complete playoff field will be announced on Selection Sunday, Nov. 22, with the first round scheduled for Nov. 28.

How Can I Watch College Football On FloCollege In 2026?

Fans can watch FCS, Division II and Division III college football games live and on demand on FloCollege throughout the 2026 season.

Visit the FloFootball college football schedule for upcoming games, kickoff times and streaming information.

What College Football Games Are On FloCollege?

FloCollege streams FCS, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III college football games throughout the 2026 season.

The schedule changes each week. Fans can view the latest FloFootball schedule for upcoming matchups and streaming information.

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