In the FCS Huddle: Highlight games of 2012 FCS season
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The eye doctor gave some advice about the blurry vision.
He said to stop looking at the entire 2012 FCS schedule for hours upon end.
Sorry, just a habit. But with 122 teams anxiously waiting to kick off their season, somebody has to bring the national schedule into focus.
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If you don't mind paying for the bifocals, here's the top games to look forward to this season:
CONFERENCE
Bethune-Cookman at South Carolina State (Sept. 8) - At least on paper, the biggest game of the MEAC season is its first one.
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Jacksonville State at Eastern Kentucky (Sept. 22) - Washaun Ealey versus Matt Denham. Not a bad matchup of running backs.
Montana at Eastern Washington (Sept. 29) - Roll out the red carpet for the Griz running game against Eastern's passing attack.
Grambling State at Alabama A&M (Sept. 29) - It's a rematch of the 2011 SWAC Championship Game. Will Doug Williams and the Grambling assistant coaches have their bonuses by then?
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North Dakota State at Northern Iowa (Sept. 29) - UNI has a brutally tough schedule in September, but oh will the Missouri Valley get fun if the Panthers beat the defending FCS champion Bison.
Youngstown State at North Dakota State (Oct. 6) - A week later, North Dakota State takes on the only team to beat it last season.
Towson at James Madison (Oct. 6) - After the two CAA teams did not face each other last year, Towson running back Terrance West gets his first look at James Madison's powerful defense.
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San Diego at Drake (Oct. 6) - Collecting frequent flyer miles must be a hobby in the Pioneer Football League. These two teams shared the league title last year.
Appalachian State at Georgia Southern (Nov. 3) - The FCS' No. 1-ranked team has lost on the road in each of the last two meetings (ASU in 2010 and GSU last year).
Stony Brook at Liberty (Nov. 10) - The last five Big South titles have included at least one of these conference powers.
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Bonus Matchups (hey, they're basically just as good)
Delaware at New Hampshire (Sept. 29) - This game will go a long way in showing if coach K.C. Keeler has the visiting Blue Hens back in the national title picture this season.
Southern Utah at Montana (Oct. 13) - If a team is going to come out of Missoula with a win, it needs a quarterback like Southern Utah's Brad Sorensen.
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Albany at Duquesne (Nov. 10) - Albany's win over Duquesne last year was decisive, although the two teams went on to share the Northeast Conference title.
Old Dominion at James Madison (Nov. 17) - No doubt this season-ending game will factor into the CAA Football title. Will it be ODU's final CAA game?
RIVALRY (Beyond Conference!)
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UC Davis at Cal Poly (Sept. 22) - How is this for weird? The former Great West powers play their first Big Sky game against each other.
Sam Houston State-Stephen F. Austin (Oct. 6) - The Battle of the Piney Woods will feature offensive fireworks.
Norfolk State at Hampton (Oct. 13) - Maybe the losing team can be forced to walk home across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.
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Alabama A&M-Alabama State (Oct. 27) - The Magic City Classic will draw the biggest FCS crowd of the season ... again.
South Dakota State at North Dakota State (Nov. 10) - The Dakota Marker trophy is so cool - a model replica of the quartzite monuments that were used to delineate the border between North and South Dakota.
Montana State at Montana (Nov. 17) - Think these sides will exchange Christmas cards?
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Lafayette-Lehigh (Nov. 17) - Lafayette leads the series but has dropped four straight meetings in college football's most played series (which turns 148).
Harvard-Yale (Nov. 17) - Speaking of recent dominance, Harvard has won five straight and 10 of the last 11 meetings in "The Game."
Bethune-Cookman at Florida A&M (Nov. 17) - This annual meeting at the neutral Citrus Bowl feels like a bowl game but with playoff implications. Take that, FBS.
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Grambling State at Southern (Nov. 24) - So much pageantry at the Louisiana Superdome, but Grambling State has won each of the last four meetings by at least two touchdowns.
NON-CONFERENCE
Bethune-Cookman at Alabama State (Sept. 2) - B-C returns to the MEAC-SWAC Challenge off a 63-14 pounding of Prairie View A&M last year.
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Montana at Appalachian State (Sept. 8) - This is better than Montana going to the University of Tennessee last September.
Montana State at Drake (Sept. 8) - Montana State sixth-year coach Rob Ash is the winningest coach in Drake history (125 wins from 1989-2006).
Central Arkansas at Murray State (Sept. 8) - UCA won a game in the playoffs last year. That's where Murray State and QB Casey Brockman want to get to this season.
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Stephen F. Austin at Montana State (Sept. 15) - SFA's last trip to the state of Montana ended with a 51-0 loss to Montana. The Bobcats don't plan to be any more accommodating.
McNeese State at Weber State (Sept. 15) - John L. Smith will coach as many wins at Weber State as he will at McNeese State.
San Diego at Harvard (Sept. 15) - With the Patriot League going to athletic scholarships in 2013, matchups between the Pioneer and Ivy leagues will become more frequent. This one matches defending champions.
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Eastern Kentucky at Coastal Carolina (Sept. 15) - Both teams play tough September schedules, so this is one neither wants to let get away.
Lehigh at Liberty (Sept. 22) - This was a better matchup last season.
The Citadel at VMI (Nov. 10) - Don't overlook the 68th renewal of the Military Classic of the South.
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FBS
Southern Utah at Utah State (Aug. 30) - Will this one jump-start the FCS season on opening night?
Jacksonville State at Arkansas (Sept. 1) - Gamecocks coach Jack Crowe used to be the Arkansas coach.
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Appalachian State at East Carolina (Sept. 1) - Future Conference USA opponents?
North Dakota State at Colorado State (Sept. 8) - Reigning FCS champions have a way of hanging with, or beating, FBS opposition.
New Hampshire at Minnesota (Sept. 8) - Well, we know how New Hampshire beats FBS teams and Minnesota loses to FCS teams.
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Bethune-Cookman at Miami, Fla. (Sept. 15) - The visiting Wildcats have their share of FBS transfers.
Sam Houston State at Baylor (Sept. 15) - No RG3 here, but the visiting Bearkats feature star players.
Stony Brook at Army (Sept. 29) - Here's hoping they combine for 1,000 rushing yards.
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Towson at LSU (Sept. 29) - It's just cool to say you're playing in Death Valley.
Georgia Southern at Georgia (Nov. 17) - Alabama's defending FBS national championship squad will vouch for GSU's triple option.