According to ESPNU’s Bracketbusters website, the pairings will be released tomorrow for the 10th annual three day event. This season BracketBusters has increased its number of teams from 114 to 142. This makes it incredibly difficult to guess who Appalachian might be matched up against. There are only 13 games that will be televised either by ESPN, ESPN2 or online by ESPN3. I have no doubts in my mind that Appalachian will not be in one of those televised games. In the past, those teams that are not selected for a televised game will normally be paired according to overall record and geographic proximity to each other. Below I have compiled a list of 12 teams that I think Appalachian could be matched up with in random order.

Boston University (11-12)

Liberty (8-15)

Presbyterian (8-13)

UNC-Asheville (16-7)

James Madison (10-12)

UNC-Wilmington (8-13)

Wright State (11-12)

Fairfield (10-10)

Siena (10-10)

Tennessee State (13-10)

Morehead State (12-11)

Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne (10-11)

Remember, the team that Appalachian hosts this year, they will play on the road later in 2012 as part of the 2012-2013 season. In the past, geography has played a major key in this game when Appalachian’s record was right around .500, like it is this season. Appalachian’s most heralded appearance in this event was a victory in 2007 over Wichita State. Since, Appalachian has played Niagra (2008), Winthrop (2009), Tennessee Tech (2010) and High Point (2011). I have seen two websites  projecting UC-Davis and Central Arkansas as possible opponents. If I had to narrow my list to three teams from the above list, I would choose James Madison, Liberty & UNC-Wilmington.

2/2/2012

After all the prognosticating, I was dead wrong and not even close to predicting Appalachian’s Bracketbuster opponent. I discounted all teams that Appalachian had ever played in the event, which in the end, was the absolute wrong approach. It has become obvious over the years, when out of conference teams are matched up for FCS football playoffs or Bracketbusters, the powers that be love to matchup the Southern Conference and the Big South. Appalachian drew the Winthrop Bulldogs for a 2pm tipoff on February 18th in Boone. Appalachian lost the actual BracketBuster game in Rock Hill in 2009, but returned the favor the following season in Boone with a nineteen point victory.