{ "meta": { "service": "Versus Sports Simulator", "about": "The FCS playoff field the Versus Sports Simulator ratings produce for the end of the season, on team strength alone.", "disclaimer": "A projection produced by the Versus Sports Simulator ratings, not the selection committee's field. The committee picks the real field once the regular season ends.", "sport": "College football", "division": "FCS", "season": "2026-2027", "week": 1, "isLatestWeek": false, "ratingsDate": "2026-08-31", "view": { "pickedBy": "versus", "fieldAsOf": "end-of-season", "description": "The FCS playoff field the Versus Sports Simulator ratings produce for the end of the season, on team strength alone." }, "url": "https://www.versussportssimulator.com/college-football/fcs/playoff-projection/2026/week-1.json?by=versus", "htmlUrl": "https://www.versussportssimulator.com/college-football/fcs/playoff-projection/2026/week-1?by=versus", "license": "Free to quote with attribution to Versus Sports Simulator and a link to https://www.versussportssimulator.com/college-football/fcs/playoff-projection/2026/week-1?by=versus" }, "format": { "fieldSize": 24, "byes": 8, "seededThrough": 16, "automaticBids": 11 }, "field": [ { "seed": 1, "seeded": true, "bye": true, "team": "Montana St", "abbreviation": "MTST", "conference": "Big Sky", "bidType": "automatic", "bidDetail": "Big Sky champion", "conferenceTitleChance": 79.2, "record": "11-1", "gamesPlayed": 12, "currentRank": 1, "versusRank": 1, "strengthOfScheduleRank": 22, "strengthOfRecordRank": 1, "playoffChance": 100 }, { "seed": 2, "seeded": true, "bye": true, "team": "South Dakota St", "abbreviation": "SDS", "conference": "Missouri Valley", "bidType": "automatic", "bidDetail": "Missouri Valley champion", "conferenceTitleChance": 35.2, "record": "10-2", "gamesPlayed": 12, "currentRank": 3, "versusRank": 2, "strengthOfScheduleRank": 28, "strengthOfRecordRank": 3, "playoffChance": 97.7 }, { "seed": 3, "seeded": true, "bye": true, "team": "Montana", "abbreviation": "MONT", "conference": "Big Sky", "bidType": "at-large", "bidDetail": "At-large", "conferenceTitleChance": null, "record": "9-3", "gamesPlayed": 12, "currentRank": 2, "versusRank": 3, "strengthOfScheduleRank": 17, "strengthOfRecordRank": 5, "playoffChance": 97.5 }, { "seed": 4, "seeded": true, "bye": true, "team": "Tarleton St", "abbreviation": "TAR", "conference": "UAC", "bidType": "automatic", "bidDetail": "UAC champion", "conferenceTitleChance": 58.9, "record": "10-2", "gamesPlayed": 12, "currentRank": 5, "versusRank": 4, "strengthOfScheduleRank": 66, "strengthOfRecordRank": 6, "playoffChance": 99.6 }, { "seed": 5, "seeded": true, "bye": true, "team": "North Dakota", "abbreviation": "UND", "conference": "Missouri Valley", "bidType": "at-large", "bidDetail": "At-large", "conferenceTitleChance": null, "record": "9-3", "gamesPlayed": 12, "currentRank": 8, "versusRank": 5, "strengthOfScheduleRank": 15, "strengthOfRecordRank": 2, "playoffChance": 95.1 }, { "seed": 6, "seeded": true, "bye": true, "team": "Illinois St", "abbreviation": "ILST", "conference": "Missouri Valley", "bidType": "at-large", "bidDetail": "At-large", "conferenceTitleChance": null, "record": "9-3", "gamesPlayed": 12, "currentRank": 4, "versusRank": 6, "strengthOfScheduleRank": 37, "strengthOfRecordRank": 4, "playoffChance": 94.9 }, { "seed": 7, "seeded": true, "bye": true, "team": "South Dakota", "abbreviation": "SDAK", "conference": "Missouri Valley", "bidType": "at-large", "bidDetail": "At-large", "conferenceTitleChance": null, "record": "8-4", "gamesPlayed": 12, "currentRank": 6, "versusRank": 7, "strengthOfScheduleRank": 20, "strengthOfRecordRank": 10, "playoffChance": 82 }, { "seed": 8, "seeded": true, "bye": true, "team": "UC-Davis", "abbreviation": "UCD", "conference": "Big Sky", "bidType": "at-large", "bidDetail": "At-large", "conferenceTitleChance": null, "record": "8-4", "gamesPlayed": 12, "currentRank": 7, "versusRank": 8, "strengthOfScheduleRank": 35, "strengthOfRecordRank": 12, "playoffChance": 89.1 }, { "seed": 9, "seeded": true, "bye": false, "team": "Youngstown St", "abbreviation": "YSU", "conference": "Missouri Valley", "bidType": "at-large", "bidDetail": "At-large", "conferenceTitleChance": null, "record": "7-4", "gamesPlayed": 11, "currentRank": 10, "versusRank": 9, "strengthOfScheduleRank": 16, "strengthOfRecordRank": 8, "playoffChance": 40.9 }, { "seed": 10, "seeded": true, "bye": false, "team": "Stephen F. 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