By BJ Bennett
SouthernPigskin.com

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Four conferences teams, The Citadel, Wofford, Chattanooga and Samford, were all selected for the FCS playoffs.

nThere have been a number of successful Saturdays this fall for the Southern Conference, but history, for the league, was made on Sunday. Four conferences teams, The Citadel, Wofford, Chattanooga and Samford, were all selected for the FCS playoffs, the first time the league has had that many members advance to the postseason. Of programs with a current multi-year eligible affiliation with the SoCon, half of them are in the national pool.

nAs times have changed, the tradition of the Southern Conference has not. Teams take the field with a standard that dates back almost 100 years. A league with roots dating to 1921 continues to grow, as shown by the featured placement in the bracket and the now-expanding schedules for multiple teams. In addition to setting a new record for those involved, the SoCon now has more participants in the playoffs this season than in the previous two years combined.

nOutright league champion The Citadel earned an opening round bye with the national number six seed after a perfect 10-0 run through the FCS and just one loss overall, coming the final week of the regular season at North Carolina. First-year head Brent Thompson rewrote the record books with the Bulldogs this fall, peaking inside the national top five in the polls. The Citadel ranks second in the country with 358.5 yards rushing per game. Perhaps most impressively, the Bulldogs have shown a remarkable poise in close contests, going 5-0 in games decided by seven points or less.

nFour consecutive league wins bolstered Wofford’s resume down the home stretch. The Terriers were often at their best against the top foes they faced and a title was very much within their reach; Wofford’s two FCS losses came by a total of just five points. Allowing less than 270 yards per game, the Terriers boast one of the game’s top defenses and showcase the second-ranked rush defense in the nation. Veteran head coach Mike Ayers has won at least eight games for the eleventh time in Spartanburg. Wofford will host Charleston Southern.xc2xa0xc2xa0

nChattanooga is in the playoffs for the third straight season as Russ Huesman has developed the Mocs into a perennial contender. After six conference wins, Chattanooga actually led Alabama in the second quarter over the weekend. The Mocs rank number one in FCS football in pass defense, giving up merely 139 yards per game through the air. In each of the past two years, Chattanooga has won at least a game in the postseason and will next welcome Weber State to the Appalachians.xc2xa0xc2xa0xc2xa0xc2xa0

nA strong overall resume for Samford, which featured a non-conference victory at Central Arkansas and an impressive showing at Mississippi State, overshadowed a final week upset loss at East Tennessee State. Featuring Chris Hatcher’s up-tempo scheme, the Bulldogs have the nation’s third most-productive passing attack at over 347 yards per game. Samford will be the lone league member on the road in round one, playing at Youngstown State.xc2xa0xc2xa0xc2xa0xc2xa0

nAhead of the start of the playoffs, the SoCon has four teams slotted in the latest STATS FCS poll: The Citadel (6), Chattanooga (11), Wofford (19) and Samford (23).

nGetting to the postseason, over the years, has been just the beginning for the Southern Conference. League teams have compiled a 103-66 playoff record all-time, a winning rate of nearly 61%, the best mark of any FCS conference.

nAs the SoCon settles into season number two, it does so with a championship measure that has withstood generations. There is a proud precedence here, a path through the playoffs lined with lore. With another playoff field set, a record four league teams are poised for their run at history.