James Madison Dukes ranking: 39/134
[Check out RJ Young’s ultimate 134 college football rankings here]
Conference ranking: 1st in Sun Belt (+750 to win conference)
Teams ahead of them: Auburn (38), Memphis (37), Rutgers (36), Louisville (35), Texas Tech (34)
Teams behind them: Appalachian State (40), Colorado (41), Liberty (42), Florida (43), Boise State (44)
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RJ’s take: In this edition of if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, we feature an 11-win Dukes team in 2023, that will be led by one of the most successful FCS coaches of the last five years in Bob Chesney.
While losing Curt Cignetti might feel a lot like spilling beer from your Yeti — the man went 52-9 in five years — Chesney ain’t a bad play for the Harrisonburg Boys of Falls. He’s done more with less. Chesney’s Holy Cross Crusaders played with some uptown, down-home, non-scholarship American Kids.
And he’s already getting good at this scholarship thing. He snatched Ayo Adeyi, who busted through 1,000 yards rushing on just 143 rushes at North Texas last year. Call that man Ayo Sticks because he’s a walking first down.
He’s brought in Dylan Morris — yeah, that one — brought over Jacob Dobbs, who had 123 tackles, including 12 for loss, at the Cross and added former Long Island DE Eric O’Neill, who hit like the tequila in your tea for 23.5 tackles for loss last year.
It’s Summertime, and Chesney is putting in that Shift Work. He led Holy Cross to its first ever FCS victory (2021), won four Patriot League titles from 2019 to 2022 and earned the program’s first win against an FBS program (UConn) in nearly 20 years in 2021. If I was a Duke, I might Feel Like a Rockstar.
James Madison’s Win Total Odds: Over 8 (-130) Under 8 (+100)
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