Today, the 2025 FCS playoffs begin with eight first-round games taking place. Three contests kick off at noon ET, and that trio of matchups includes Yale vs. 15th-seeded Youngstown State.
This season, the Ivy League awarded an automatic bid to the FCS playoffs for the first time. Yale (8-2, 6-1 Ivy League) claimed it with a 45-28 win over 9-0 Harvard (who still earned an at-large berth) in New Haven last weekend.
Youngstown State (8-4, 5-3 Missouri Valley Football Conference), meanwhile, received an at-large berth after closing out the regular season with three consecutive wins.
The winner of Yale vs. Youngstown State will advance to face second-seeded Montana State next weekend. While the Bobcats are one of the favorites to reach the championship game, Yale and Youngstown State do not enter the playoffs with high expectations.
The Bulldogs are as significant a part of college football history as the likes of Alabama, Michigan, Notre Dame, and Ohio State, but that only counts for so much in the current era.
Youngstown State also doesn’t currently occupy the space in the spotlight that it once did. Under Jim Tressel, Youngstown State was the best of the FCS in the 1990s, winning four national championships (1991, 1993, 1994, and 1997) and finishing runner-up in 1992 and 1999.
However, this will be just the program’s fourth appearance in the playoffs since Tressel departed for Ohio State after the 2000 season. Most recently, the Penguins reached the second round in 2023, defeating Duquesne in the first round before losing to Villanova in the second round.
Who will make the trek to Bozeman, Montana next week? Read on for our Yale vs. Youngstown State prediction and picks, as well as the best betting odds from top online sportsbooks such as BetOnline.
Yale vs. Youngstown State Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Over/Under |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yale | +4 (-125) | n/a | Over 61.5 (-115) |
| Youngstown State | -4 (-105) | n/a | Under 61.5 (-115) |
Yale vs. Youngstown State Prediction and Picks
Prediction: Youngstown State to win
Other than last weekend’s bid-clinching crushing of the Crimson, the only other playoff team that the Bulldogs have faced this season is fifth-seeded (and undefeated) Lehigh, who defeated Yale 31-13 on October 4.
By comparison, Youngstown State is a part of a conference that has five other representatives in the playoffs. The Penguins played four of those teams, losing one-score games to South Dakota State (pre-Chase Mason injury) and North Dakota State, losing at North Dakota, and winning at Illinois State. They also defeated Southern Illinois, who was an at-large contender until late in the season, and lost 41-24 at Michigan State on September 13.
Having played so much tough competition makes Youngstown State one of the more intriguing at-large teams in the FCS playoff bracket. Were they not paired with Montana State, they would be worthy of consideration as a potential sleeper pick to reach at least the quarterfinals.
They also have the most prolific quarterback in the FBS or FCS in junior signal-caller Beau Brungard.
In 12 games, Brungard has completed 69.0% of his passes for 2,913 yards and 23 touchdowns (with only three interceptions), run for 1,378 yards and 24 touchdowns (at 6.1 yards per attempt), and even caught a touchdown pass.
Can Yale stiffen up enough to have a shot vs. Youngstown State? The Bulldogs enter the playoffs ranked 23rd in the FCS in yards allowed per game (329.1), eighth in rushing yards allowed per attempt (3.13) and passing efficiency defense. Also, they were the first team to hold Harvard under 30 points all season long.
However, I like the Penguins in this one. Brungard is a beast, and Youngstown State has averaged 42.8 points per game at home this season. I think they will be a bit too much for Yale in this one.
Yale vs. Youngstown State Picks
Youngstown State -4 (-105 at BetOnline)
Yale/Youngstown State Over 61.5 (-115 at BetOnline)
Yale’s offense can’t be overlooked in this matchup. Quarterback Dante Reno (a transfer from South Carolina and son of Yale head coach Tony Reno) has had a solid season, running back Josh Pitsenberger has five consecutive 100-yard games and eight total this season, and receiver Nico Brown (60 catches, 978 yards, 10 TD) has six 100-yard games, including three in a row entering today’s game vs. Youngstown State.
I think we will see both teams put up some points in this one, but it will ultimately be the Penguins waddling on to the second round and a matchup with Montana State.
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