Fear The FCS 2025 Week 8 Media Ballot

For the first time, I was invited to vote in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 for the 2025 season. I was beyond thrilled to accept the invitation, and like many others, I take the opportunity seriously. As part of the weekly process, I will provide some thoughts and reasoning for my top 25. Below is the Stats Perform Top 25 poll submitted after the week 8 games. The week 7 submission can be found here.

General Thoughts

There was a pair of changes inside the top 10 this week, but the biggest turmoil was at the bottom of the poll, thanks to a handful of teams falling out of the poll. There were over a dozen teams that were considered for the top 25 as a result of several upsets.

Week 8 Top 25

1. North Dakota State (7-0) – The Bison had a very slow start on the road against Indiana State and did not claim their first lead until the final two minutes of the first half. NDSU had a red zone interception on the opening drive, which ISU turned into a 97-yard touchdown drive. Following a weather delay at halftime, NDSU left no doubt, putting up 28 second half points to win 38-7. The Bison will want to make sure another slow start doesn’t happen going into next week’s Dakota Marker matchup at South Dakota State (7-0). No surprise that NDSU maintains the top spot.

2. South Dakota State (7-0) – SDSU went on the road and beat Murray State 35-14, but it was another lethargic display. Murray State actually outgained the Jacks 469-438, but the four turnovers by Murray State all occurred inside the SDSU 35-yard line. The performance by the Jacks should raise some concerns on both sides, with the offense sputtering in the first half and the defense giving up lots of yards. Perhaps South Dakota State was looking ahead to next week’s game against North Dakota State (7-0), which will take place in Brookings. SDSU keeps the second spot this week.

3. Tarleton State (8-0) – The Texans continued their perfect start by dominating West Georgia 45-10. Key starters returned to the lineup this week, including quarterback Victor Gabalis, running back Tre Page, and defensive back Kaysus Kurns. The defense took a notable step up by holding UWG to 219 total yards and forcing 5 turnovers. Tarleton State is continues to roll and is closing in on SDSU’s #2 spot if the Jacks continue to put up sluggish and underwhelming performances. The Texans will play at Eastern Kentucky (3-4) next week.

4. Montana State (5-2) – Montana State had a bye this week and will take a road trip to face Cal Poly (3-4) next week. The Bobcats remain in the fourth spot.

5. Montana (7-0) – I noted last week that Montana had a habit of starting slow in multiple games this year. Against Sacred Heart, they scored 22 points in the first quarter… but they forgot to keep the foot on the pedal. Sacred Heart was able to get the deficit down to 29-21 midway through the fourth quarter before Montana added two touchdowns in three minutes to win 43-21. Keali’i Ah Yat ended the game with 349 yards and 5 TDs on 27 of 33 passing and didn’t throw a pick. This may sound odd after dropping 43 points in a 3-score win, but the Grizzlies’ offense really needs to stop disappearing for long stretches of the game. Don’t be surprised if the team behind Montana jumps them in the future, even with the Grizzlies owning the head-to-head victory. Montana will play at Sacramento State (4-3) on Friday night next week.

6. North Dakota (5-2) – UND made quick work of Southern Illinois by establishing a 28-0 halftime lead, en route to a 38-19 win. The stats weren’t out of this world, but North Dakota just looked impressive. The run game totaled 311 yards on 50 carries (6.2 average), while the defense held DJ Williams to only 7 yards on the ground, well below the 61 yards per game he averaged entering the game. UND is up one spot this week as the team continues to look dangerous. North Dakota will welcome Indiana State (2-5) next week.

7. Tennessee Tech (7-0) – The Golden Eagles fell behind twice in the first before a late first half touchdown gave them a 17-14 lead. The second half was delayed multiple times due to inclement weather, but it didn’t seem to matter as TTU scored five TDs to win 52-28 against Lindenwood. TTU had 311 yards and 4 TDs rushing on 46 carries (6.8 average), while Kekoa Visperas had 173 yards and 3 TDs through the air. This was a good bounce back by the offense after some issues last week against Charleston Southern. The Golden Eagles drop one spot as North Dakota has been the more impressive team. Tennessee Tech will face Southeast Missouri State (3-4) at home next week.

8. Lehigh (7-0) – Lehigh didn’t have a game this week and will play at a struggling Fordham (1-6) next week. Lehigh maintains the eighth spot in this week’s poll.

9. UC Davis (5-1) – The Aggies were on a bye this week and will face a tough road trip at Northern Colorado (3-4) next week. UC Davis remains ninth this week.

10. Jackson State (5-1) – The Tigers had a bye this week and will take on Grambling State (4-3) in Las Vegas next week. Jackson State moves up one spot and into the top ten as Southern Illinois falls.

11. Harvard (5-0) – The Crimson had a potentially tricky game against Merrimack’s defense, but ultimately didn’t have much trouble in the 31-7 win. Harvard put up nearly 500 yards of offense, led by Jaden Craig’s 305 yards (he also had 1 TD pass and 1 INT). The run game was dangerous as well, with DJ Gordon rushing for 104 yards and 2 TDs on only 8 carries. This was a better offensive performance than last week’s against Cornell and the Crimson move up two spots with a pair of teams falling. Next up is a game at Princeton (3-2) next Saturday, with first place in the Ivy League up for grabs.

12. Villanova (5-2) – It really feels like Villanova is rounding into good form. The Wildcats have won 4 in a row, including the 56-14 destruction of Hampton. Villanova had a good run game (220 yards on 35 carries for a 6.3 average) and Pat McQuaide was extremely efficient, going 10 of 13 for 166 yards and 5 touchdowns. I think how Villanova is playing right now is enough to place them slightly ahead of Monmouth, and I think that’s the case even with a healthy Derek Robertson. The Wildcats move up three spots this week. Villanova has a home game next week against Albany (1-6).

13. Monmouth (6-1) – The Hawks finally had a game where the defense didn’t struggle mightily, but it wasn’t a perfect day. Monmouth defeated Stony Brook 49-21; however, Derek Robertson left the game with an injury in the second half. The Hawks still have weapons, but Robertson elevates the offense to a point that a backup simply can’t. If Robertson is out for an extended period of time, Monmouth has a very manageable schedule to end the season (four of the last five are currently at the bottom of the CAA). Now would be as good a time as ever for the defense to continue playing like this, even if Robertson returns quickly. The Hawks moved up one spot this week as Villanova leapfrogged them. Monmouth will have a road game at Hampton (2-5) next week.

14. Presbyterian (7-0) – Presbyterian didn’t have much of a struggle against Stetson in the 42-7 win. The Blue Hose were up 21-0 at halftime and allowed only one serious scoring chance in the first half. Collin Hurst ended with 236 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT on 19 of 27 passing, while the run game had 147 yards and 5 TDs on 33 carries. The Blue Hose move up three spots this week. Presbyterian will have a road trip next week to face Dayton (5-2).

15. Mercer (5-1) – The Bears were on a bye this week and will return to action with a relatively easy home game against VMI (1-6). Mercer continues to climb the polls, moving up three spots alongside Presbyterian.

16. Southern Illinois (4-3) – I’ve said it all season: Southern Illinois goes as DJ Williams goes. Right now, it’s not going well for the second straight week. Like NDSU last week, North Dakota was able to figure out how to slow down Williams, and the 28-0 halftime deficit was too much to overcome in the 38-19 loss. Williams had only 3 yards rushing on 7 carries, while having a rushing TD. SIU can be dangerous, but its ceiling isn’t high against the top of the MVFC (and likely the rest of the top tier of FCS teams). The Salukies drop six spots. Next week will be a home game against Northern Iowa (2-5).

17. Lamar (6-1) – For the second week in a row, Lamar needed last-minute heroics to win. Ben Woodard nailed a 57-yard field goal to lift Lamar to a 23-21 victory over UTRGV, which the Cardinals dominated statistically. Lamar had 357 yards compared to 189 for the Vaqueros, 20 first downs to UTRGV’s 12, and went 9 of 17 on third down (2 of 13 for UTRGV). Lamar had three turnovers, including one that was inside their own 10 and led to a TD for UTRGV. I’ll keep repeating it every week: Lamar had a razor-thin margin of error, even if this game was over a formidable first-year program like UTRGV. Lamar will play at Northwestern State (1-6) next week.

18. Rhode Island (6-2) – The Rhode Island offense has come alive over the last two weeks. This week, it was against an overwhelmed Albany team that provided no shortage of opportunities with four turnovers. Devin Farrell went 19 of 20 for 333 yards and 4 touchdowns as URI won 58-17. Rhody will need to clean up the penalties after committing 11 for 117 yards, but they move up three spots this week. The Rams will take on Bryant (2-5) at home next week.

19. Austin Peay (4-3) – The Governors had a bye this week and will welcome North Alabama (2-5) to Clarksville next week.

20. Youngstown State (4-3) – The Penguins finally jump into the Top 25 this week. Many others had them in their polls after the South Dakota State loss, but I waited to see the North Dakota game. The Penguins played okay in that game, even if the final score was 35-17, but UND has proven to be an elite team so far this season. The 40-35 win at Illinois State this week takes a hit since I dropped the Redbirds from the top 25, but Beau Brungard is really something special at QB for YSU. Brungard threw for 328 yards, ran for 200, and accounted for 5 total touchdowns against ISU. The run-in for the final five games is quite manageable to have a chance to reach the FCS playoffs, with games against Murray State, North Dakota State, Southern Illinois, Indiana State, and Northern Iowa. The game against Murray State (0-6) next week will be at home.

21. Lafayette (5-3) – The final score may have been 45-13, but Lafayette played pretty well against Oregon State. The Leopards let 13-10 in the second half and had just blocked a punt to get the ball inside OSU’s 40-yard line. Lafayette went for it on fourth down, but came up a yard short. After that, it was all Oregon State as they scored 35 straight to end the game. Even if Lafayette scores a TD on that drive, I don’t think the final result would have changed as long as OSU was committed to the QB change. It was still a good first half to build heading into the bye week and the Leopards move up four spots. Lafayette’s next game will be at Holy Cross on Saturday, November 1.

22. Abilene Christian (4-4) – Just a week after finally winning a road game, ACU fell victim once again at Southern Utah. SUU has been a thorn for all their opponents this year and they finally broke through for the second win of the season. The turnover bug struck ACU this week as they had four turnovers, with SUU turning those into 21 points. The final turnover sealed the 31-24 loss for Abilene Christian, and they fall 10 spots this week. ACU has a bye next week before Tarleton State comes to town.

23. Penn (4-1) – The Quakers make an appearance in the poll this week after defeating Columbia 35-21 to move to 4-1. Penn has wins against Stonehill, Dartmouth, Marist, and Columbia, while the lone loss came on the road against top 10 Lehigh (44-30). Liam O’Brien has guided Penn’s offense and has proven to be a dual threat this year, but he will need to cut down on the interceptions (he has 5 on the season and thrown at least one in four of the five games). Penn will have a big road game at Yale (3-2) next week.

24. Southeastern Louisiana (5-2) – The Lions are in the top 25 after making quick work of Northwestern State by building a 28-0 halftime lead and going on to win 49-0. SELA doesn’t have the greatest resume at this point, with wins over McNeese, Mississippi Valley State, Murray State, Northwestern State, and UTRGV. The final one is their best as the Vaqueros sit at 5-2 overall and made Lamar work for a 23-21 win this week. We’ll find out how good the Lions are in November when they face the meat of their schedule.. Southeastern Louisiana will play at Houston Christian (2-5) next week.

25. Western Carolina (5-3) – The Catamounts crack the top 25 this week. WCU started 0-3, but reeled off five straight wins with the change to Taron Dickens at QB. It’s the same story we’ve witnessed with the other 4-0 SoCon squad, Mercer. Dickens has been excellent in his five starts: 1,976 yards passing, 22 TDs, only 1 INT, and he has completed nearly 80% of his passes (79.9%). The problem for WCU is the defense, which just hasn’t been good. The Catamounts will have a bye week next week before playing at Chattanooga on Saturday, November 1.

Teams That Dropped Out, Other Notables, and FCS Playoff Top 10 Thoughts

Four teams dropped off my ballot this week: #16 Illinois State, #20 Brown, #22 Gardner-Webb, and #24 West Georgia.

There’s no getting around it that Illinois State’s (3-3) defense is just not good. Yes, losing wide receiver Daniel Sobkowicz hurt the offense and the ability to extend drives. Yes, Beau Brungard is a very good dual-threat quarterback for Youngstown State. But Brungard threw a career high against ISU this week (328 yards, 2 TDs, and 1 INT), and that comes on the heels of Murray State’s offensive explosion last week. There’s only so much Tommy Rittenhouse (5 touchdowns, but also 2 interceptions) and the offense can do. The offense has scored 35+ points in four of the last five games, but ISU has given up 30+ points in five straight games. They’re not a top 25 team right now, in my opinion.

After jumping into last week’s poll, Brown (3-2) fell back out this week. The Bears lost 40-21 at home to Princeton, with James Murphy having a rough game (173 yards, no touchdowns, and 3 interceptions). Brown built goodwill after the upset win against Rhode Island, but that’s gone, at least for this ballot.

Gardner-Webb (4-3) also dropped out of the poll. I commented last week that Gardner-Webb hadn’t put together a complete performance. That changed this week, but in the worst way possible. The Bulldogs lost 37-7 at home to UT Martin, were outgained 408 to 307, and had 4 turnovers in a dismal performance.

West Georgia (5-3) is out after suffering a third straight loss. I get it, those three losses were against top 25 opponents (Austin Peay, Abilene Christian, and Tarleton State), but I can’t ignore the offensive woes of the last 2+ games. The Wolves have a manageable schedule for the final three games: home to Central Arkansas (3-4), at North Alabama (2-5), and home to Utah Tech (1-6). They’ll need to find the offense again to avoid additional losses.

Multiple teams were considered to jump into the poll this week as well. In no particular order, Alabama State (4-2), Dartmouth (4-1), Duquesne (5-3), North Carolina Central (5-2), Northern Arizona (4-3), and Stephen F. Austin (5-2) were given some thought for inclusion. In some weeks, the list is small, but when there are many changes like this week, it can grow quickly.

The Division I Football Championship Committee revealed one of its two in-season top 10 rankings last week for games through Week 7. It was mostly as expected: North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Tarleton State, Montana State, Montana, UC Davis, Lehigh, North Dakota, Monmouth, and Tennessee Tech. The top 5 matched the ballot I submitted for Week 7, with some differences in spots 6 through 10. I don’t think there’s much to be angry about at this point because it’s midway through the season, and plenty will change. I personally didn’t have Monmouth as a top 10 team for Week 7, but I don’t think their inclusion is egregious, keeping in mind this was before the Derek Robertson injury. The second in-season rankings will be released on Wednesday, November 5.

Photo Credit to Youngstown State University Athletics