What is the Colonial Athletic Association going to do for an encore this season?

It's going to be difficult for the conference to put five teams in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs as it did in 2007.

Two of them reached the semifinals, and Delaware gained the championship game before losing to three-time winner Appalachian State.

"I think you're going to see a repeat of that," said Villanova coach Andy Talley, whose 7-4 squad was edged by 7-4 New Hampshire for a spot in the 16-team playoffs.

"If you take a look at the track record of the league, in the last six or seven years, in terms of teams that have won the national championship and been in the semifinals, I think our record speaks for itself."

The CAA claimed national titles in 2003 (Delaware) and 2004 (James Madison) and was runner-up in 2006 (Massachusetts) and 2007 (Delaware).

"With so many teams this year having 17, 18, 19 starters back, you have the opportunity to have a number of teams with eight wins," said Talley, whose 2002 club reached the national semifinals.

With the 2008 season beginning today for two teams and many others on Saturday, there are several reasons why the league could equal last year's run in the FCS playoffs.

Outstanding quarterbacks. The league has at least seven, and they will be instrumental in another excellent season for the CAA.

Start with Massachusetts' Liam Coen, the preseason offensive player of the year, and go down the line with James Madison's Rodney Landers, Richmond's Eric Ward, Towson's Sean Schaefer and Villanova's Antwon Young.

"There's a lot of 'em and we have to play just about every one," JMU coach Mickey Matthews said.

You can throw William and Mary's Jake Phillips and Northeastern's Anthony Orio into the mix, though neither is expected to lead their team to the postseason. Ohio State transfer Rob Schoenhoft could make an impact at Delaware.

"I think this is the year when those kinds of quarterbacks can really change the course of a game," Talley said. "You may really see some upsets as this season moves along."

Veteran coaches. The league is full of them, led by Talley, Matthews, Don Brown of UMass., K.C. Keeler of Delaware, Sean McDonnell of New Hampshire and Jimmye Laycock of William and Mary.

One rookie, Mike London of Richmond, is expected to be among the league's elite because he has inherited 16 starters, eight on each side of the ball.

Tough venues. There aren't many, but enough to assure that some of the top teams will win enough to reach the postseason. Delaware, JMU, Villanova, New Hampshire and UMass can be tough places to play.

UR Stadium hasn't always been tough on visitors but it was last year and should be again this season.

It's no coincidence that six CAA schools were ranked in the Sports Network's preseason poll, led by Richmond at No. 4 and UMass at No. 5. The Minutemen are favored to win the CAA title and the North Division, while the Spiders were picked by some to capture the South Division crown.

There's no question the conference will make its presence felt. It's just a matter of how many schools will be pursuing the FCS championship when the playoffs begin in late November.
Contact John Packett at (804) 649-6313 or jpackett@timesdispatch.com.