Soccer (FIFA)
fromESPN.com
1 week agoFirst playoff Brawl of the Wild headlines FCS semifinal showdowns
Montana State hosts Montana in the FCS semifinals, a high-stakes rivalry rematch with heavy ticket demand and national-title implications.
The 2009 FCS championship game pitted Bobby Hauck's top-ranked Montana Grizzlies, six-time finalists (and two-time champions) over the previous 15 seasons, against Andy Talley's second-seeded Villanova Wildcats. Montana took a 14-3 lead, but Villanova seized control with a 20-0 run and two touchdowns from MVP Matt Szczur. Montana scored late but couldn't recover a late onside kick, and a first-down run by Szczur sealed Villanova's first national title.
It's conference championship weekend ... a thing that matters! Right? There are rematches and gritty duels and a 1 vs. 2 matchup between undefeated juggernauts and no one can be bothered to give much of a shit about any of it. Is it the expanded playoff's fault? Have they really ruined conference championships the way they ruined the bowls and threaten to ruin the regular season as a whole? It's hard to disagree with that idea.