Bowling Green kicks off Year 2 under Eddie George by hosting an FCS team that just made the quarterfinals and landed the No. 1-ranked transfer class in the entire subdivision. That's not your typical September appetizer.
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Best BetTarleton State
Tarleton State enters as an FCS quarterfinalist with the country's top-rated transfer class, while Bowling Green is coming off a 4-8 debut season under Eddie George. The gap in program momentum favors the visitors here, even accounting for the usual FBS athleticism edge in a Week 1 buy game.
Tarleton State
+12-2 record, FCS quarterfinalist a year ago
+No. 1-ranked transfer class in the FCS nationally
+Program hasn't had a losing look since moving up
−Lost starting QB, top RB, and top WR
−Entirely new offensive identity untested together
−First real FBS test for the reshaped roster
Bowling Green
+Austyn Dendy emerging as focal-point running back
+Eriq George anchoring a defense that kept games close
+Home opener at Doyt L. Perry Stadium
−Finished 4-8, just 2-6 in MAC play in 2025
−Brutal opening month with 0-5 start plausible
−Still building continuity in Eddie George's second year
Tarleton State isn't your average FCS visitor. The Texans went 12-2 last year, shared the United Athletic Conference title, and pushed into the FCS quarterfinals — the natural next step in a program that has done nothing but win since jumping to Division I. The catch: they lost quarterback Victor Gabalis, running back Tre Page III, and receiver Cody Jackson off that team, forcing a near-total offensive reload heading into Saturday, September 5.
Tarleton answered that turnover by going bigger than anyone else in the FCS. The Texans brought in a 63-man signing class — 54 transfers, including 17 from the FBS level — that recruiting site AthLinkd rated the No. 1 class in the entire subdivision. Former North Dakota receiver B.J. Fleming, who caught 48 balls for over 800 yards a year ago, headlines the new faces trying to replace what walked out the door.
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TAR Tarleton State
BGSU Bowling Green
Bowling Green, meanwhile, is still finding its footing. Eddie George's debut season ended 4-8 overall and 2-6 in the MAC, with the signature moment a wild comeback win over Toledo after trailing 21-0. The Falcons open their 2026 slate against a loaded FCS team before a schedule that could realistically start 0-5 — not exactly the softest launch for a program trying to turn the corner.
