The nation's best.

Everybody's excited that the FCS playoffs
will be expanded to 24 teams in 2013.

Samford football will finish the 2011
regular season with a visit to 2011 BCS national champion Auburn.

Georgia Southern football has announced its
2012 schedule, which ends with a season-ending trip to the Unversity of
Georgia.

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) -

When Elon switches conferences next season, its
football program will have a new head coach.

Coastal Carolina listed standout wide receiver
Matt Hazel as questionable for Saturday's game at Elon with a shoulder injury
Monday.

Western Carolina completed its 2011 football
schedule by adding a home game against Coastal Carolina on Nov. 19, the final
Saturday of the regular season.

Western Carolina University will introduce a
new head football coach on Thursday and it reportedly will be Appalachian
State inside linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator Mark Speir.

Appalachian State wide receiver Brian Quick and
cornerbacks Asa Jackson of Cal Poly and Ryan Steed of Furman will participate
in the Senior Bowl Jan. 28 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

Appalachian State's 2011 football schedule is
highlighted by a visit to Virginia Tech and six home games for the sixth
consecutive season.

Derek Heyden, a senior safety for top-ranked
Georgia Southern, is out indefinitely with a non-life threatening neck injury
suffered against Western Carolina this past Saturday, the university announced
Monday.

The talk of the Southern Conference's offseason has been
about the impending departures of Appalachian State and Georgia Southern, and
to a lesser extent Elon, next season.

The top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide take
a break from FBS action this weekend, as they welcome FCS foe Chattanooga to
Tuscaloosa for the home finale at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

You've been tuning into some of your
favorite programs this month, expecting a season finale with a fun cliff-
hanger.