By Robbie Ross
SouthernPigskin.com

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Previewing the SoCon teams’ playoff matchups.

• The Southern Conference earned four bids to the FCS playoffs, an all-time high for the league.0 The Southern Conference has the most wins at 103 in the playoffs of all FCS leagues.0 SOCON teams are 4-1 in the opening round of the playoffs since 2013 when the current bye format has been in place.0 Of the SOCONxe2x80x99s nine football playing members seven of them have made at least one appearance in the FCS Playoffs with only Mercer and VMI not having an appearance.0 SoCon teams are 10-10 against the Big Sky in the playoffs and own a 13-8 advantage over the Missouri Valley. League teams are 2-1 against the Big South in the playoffs.
• The Citadel earned a first-round bye in the FCS playoffs by being awarded the 6th overall seed in the 24-team tournament.0 The Citadel will host a second-round game next Saturday, the winner between Wofford and Charleston Southern.0 The Citadel won the Southern Conference Title outright going 8-0 in league games and 10-1 overall with their only loss to ACC foe North Carolina.0
• The Citadelxe2x80x99s Brent Thompson was named the leaguexe2x80x99s coach of the year after former coach Mike Houston took home the same honor last season. Thompson becomes the first coach to win the award in his first season since Paul Johnson at Georgia Southern in 1997.0 Chattanoogaxe2x80x99s Keionta Davis earned the leaguexe2x80x99s defensive player of the year award, marking the fourth time in the last five years the award has gone to a Moc. His former teammate Davis Tull earned the award in 2012, 2013 and 2014.0 Chattanooga led all schools with 11 all-conference selections. The Citadel placed 10 on the all-conference teams, while Samford had nine and Wofford earned eight honorees.

FCS Playoff First Round Games (All Times Eastern):
St. Francis (PA) at Villanova, Villanova, PA, 2:00, ESPN3
Charleston Southern at WOFFORD, Spartanburg, SC, 2:00, ESPN3
Weber State at CHATTANOOGA, Chattanooga, TN, 2:00, ESPN3
Lehigh at New Hampshire, Durham, NH, 2:00, ESPN3
N Carolina A&T at Richmond, Richmond, VA, 2:00, ESPN3
Illinois State at Central Arkansas, Conway, AR, 3:00, ESPN3
SAMFORD at Youngstown State, Youngstown, OH, 5:00, ESPN3
San Diego at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA, 7:00, ESPN3