Underdog Dynasty
An unofficial The American, Conference USA, Sun Belt, and Independent football blog
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2026 Week 2 Preview: Penn State Nittany Lions @ Temple Owls
Game notes Setting the scene “We should play Penn State or Pitt every year.” These were words of Temple head coach K.C. Keeler, who envisions a regional future for his Owls. Penn State and Temple used to play regularly, meeting 21 out of 23 years from 1975 to 1997 and 10 out of 11 years […]
Two redemption arcs, one backfield: Sanford and Hughes recapture magic at Houston
When Re’Shaun Sanford II first arrived at fall camp at Houston in 2023, he was expected to play a significant role in the offense as a true freshman. But the Harker Heights, TX native never got the chance to see his anticipated true freshman season materialize. During fall camp, he suffered a torn ACL in […]
Every Former FCS Player on 2026 NFL Rosters
The NFL season starts tonight and all 32 teams have finalized their 53-man rosters for the upcoming season. A wide away of schools and conferences, as they always are, will be represented across the league this fall. That includes the FCS. In fact, there are 109 total players on NFL rosters (active or injured reserve/PUP […]
2026 Week 2 Preview: Rice Owls @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Game notes Setting the scene Notre Dame lived up to its ranking by dismantling Wisconsin in Week 1. As a result, it moved up one spot to No. 3 in the AP Poll. The Fighting Irish are expected to maintain that ranking this Saturday, entering Week 2 as 44.5-point favorites over Rice in their home […]
Tulane switches QBs for Week 2; names Kadin Semonza starter
The Tulane Green Wave have already made a quarterback change after one game. Following a 17-3 season opener loss at Duke, where the offense failed to reach the end zone for the first time since 2019, Tulane head coach Will Hall announced Kadin Semonza will start at quarterback Week 2 against South Alabama. Semonza replaces […]
SC State is the Best HBCU Team Out There and Second Might Not be Close
The reigning Celebration Bowl champs may only be two games into their 2026 season but they’ve also done a great job at showing why last year’s HBCU National Championship was no fluke. Chennis Berry has built a dominant program top-to-bottom over in Orangeburg; a team that doesn’t take losing well and doesn’t do a whole […]
Jennings lights up Florida State with 430 yards; SMU wins delayed game, 27-24
When the calendar shifted to Labor Day, 137 of the 138 FBS teams had already taken the field in the 2026 season. Then, there stood the SMU Mustangs, perched at No. 19 in the preseason AP Poll and patiently waiting to kick off a season of lofty expectations. But the anticipation on amplified as time […]
The best and worst of Week 1 in the American Conference
All 14 American Conference teams have now taken the field in the 2026 season. Eight of the 14 teams secured a victory in Week 1, with Memphis improving to a conference-best 2-0 after starting its season in Week 0. Here are the best and worst things that happened in the American in Week 1 of […]
Five takeaways from Week 1 of CUSA action
The 2026 season is underway for Conference USA. Jacksonville State and New Mexico State kicked off their respective seasons a week earlier in August, but all 10 teams took the field for Labor Day Weekend. In the 10-game slate, the conference captured five victories but has yet to upstage FBS competition this year. Here is […]
Louisiana Tech joins rare 80-point club in 2026 opener
Many teams are capable of scoring 80 points in their season openers. However, very few do. Teams will pull starters, pull second-stringers, throw in the scout team, and drain clock in effort to prevent the scoreboard from looking too ugly. Oftentimes, the scoring threshold teams to shoot for lies within the 70s. The 80s are […]
Tulane doomed by offense, penalties in 17-3 opener at Duke
Last September, Tulane vs. Duke later proved to be one of the most consequential non-conference results of the season. It ultimately determined a College Football Playoff spot. Had Duke upended the Green Wave in New Orleans, the Blue Devils would have secured a bid in the 12-team field. But Tulane defended home turf in 34-27 […]
Trench advantage lifts Cincinnati to 34-15 win over Boston College
Saturday afternoon in Nippert Stadium was the setting for a rematch of the 2019 Birmingham Bowl. In that postseason contest, the Cincinnati Bearcats overwhelmed the Boston College Eagles in the trenches en route to a 38-6 victory. Seven years later, not much changed. Cincinnati handled Boston College, 34-15, to win its 25th consecutive home opener. […]
FCS Week 1 Recap: Punching Up
The first full weekend of college football did not disappoint… at least not if you were a fan of some of the FCS teams out there. For the FBS, it was largely a different story. The subdivision did not back down from the big boys in Week 1. A handful of FCS teams took home […]
2026 Week 1 Preview: SMU Mustangs @ Florida State Seminoles
Game notes Setting the scene Labor Day Weekend is one of college football’s greatest spectacles. After Week 0 gives us a sneak preview of the season, we are spoiled with five consecutive days of college football. Wrapping up the weekend marathon is the annual Labor Day Monday night game. Florida State is a Labor Day […]
James Madison outduels Liberty in Napier’s debut, 20-13
James Madison made history in 2025, becoming the first-ever Sun Belt team to qualify for the College Football Playoff. But success came with a cost in the offseason. Head coach Bob Chesney left for UCLA, as did some of the Dukes’ top players including running back Wayne Knight and defensive end Sahir West. Starting quarterback […]
Jaylin Carter’s school record 4 TD lift Memphis over Arkansas State, 42-24
In Week 0, Memphis ushered in the Charles Huff era in spectacular fashion, showcasing the talent of the revamped defensive line. In Week 1, the Tigers continued their winning ways but a different aspect of the roster was the headliner. This time, they unleashed an offensive superstar. Running back Jaylin Carter, one of 17 Southern […]
Revamped North Texas roster can’t hang with reigning champ Indiana in 52-16 result
The North Texas Mean Green were ransacked by the transfer portal harder than almost any other college football program. After losing head coach Eric Morris to Oklahoma State, North Texas lost nearly the entirety of its production from a 12-2 team, including the nation’s leading passer Drew Mestemaker and rushing touchdowns leader Caleb Hawkins. Head […]
Tulsa stuns Oklahoma State again, spoils Eric Morris’ debut
Last September, Tulsa silenced the town of Stillwater, OK on a Friday night. The Golden Hurricane snapped a 10-game losing streak to Oklahoma State that dated back to the 90s. And they restructured Oklahoma State’s program in the process. Head coach Mike Gundy was fired in the midst of his 20th season, and Oklahoma State […]
Amare Thomas, run defense lead Houston to 33-20 win over Oregon State
It was the first college football Saturday in Houston, TX this fall, and the energy in the air felt different. Different, to the point where the Houston Cougars added swagger to their tunnel entrance, having the team run out behind a Houston-style “slab” sedan with extended wire rims known as “swangas”. The added fanfare comes […]
2026 Week 1 Preview: Boston College Eagles @ Cincinnati Bearcats
Game notes Setting the scene The third Big 12 vs. ACC matchup of the season kicks off Saturday afternoon from Nippert Stadium. It’s been seven seasons since Cincinnati hammered Boston College by 32 points in the 2019 Birmingham Bowl. The Bearcats have since moved to the Big 12, and they’re steadily acclimating to the league. […]
2026 Week 1 Preview: Arkansas State Red Wolves @ Memphis Tigers
Game notes Setting the scene The Paint Bucket Bowl returns. The non-conference rivalry between Memphis and Arkansas State is restored after a two-year hiatus. The two campuses sit 70 miles apart, with the Mississippi River sandwiched in between. Recently, Memphis has refused to pass the Paint Bucket to the Red Wolves. The Tigers have won […]
Week 1 FCS-over-FBS Upset Watch – SDSU, Tarleton State Top the List
Week 1 of college football arrives in bulk over the next four days and, while a good chunk of squads around the nation already have something in either the win or loss column, the vast majority of the FBS has not hit the field yet. That changes this weekend and a whole awful lot of […]
Missouri State vs. Texas A&M: Previewing the Aggies with Good Bull Hunting
Labor Day Weekend is as good as it gets for college football fans. Tailgates are back in session, stadiums open their doors for the first time in seven or eight months, and games are constantly airing from Thursday evening through Monday night. For some campuses, the first home game feels like a national holiday. That […]
2026 Week 1 Preview: Oklahoma State Cowboys @ Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Game notes Setting the scene A fateful Friday night in Stillwater altered the trajectory of college football in the state of Oklahoma. Oklahoma State won all 10 meetings with Tulsa from 1999 through 2024. But last September, the Golden Hurricane hushed the Boone Pickens Stadium crowd, dropping 19 consecutive points on the Cowboys to secure […]
2026 Week 1 Preview: Missouri State Bears @ Texas A&M Aggies
Game notes Setting the scene Missouri State is accustomed to playing in front of a crowd decked in maroon and white, but the Bears will encounter a larger sea of maroon and white than usual Saturday night in College Station. The program kicks off its second year of FBS membership in front of over 100,000 […]
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