September will end with reigning national champion Sam Houston sitting atop the Stats Perform FCS Top 25, but with a number of impressive teams bearing down in the national media rankings.
None of the top 16 ranked teams has suffered a loss to an opponent below the FBS level, and all of the ranked teams have only one combined loss outside FBS opponents or to teams that are currently in the Top 25.
Wow, indeed.
On Monday, the top seven teams didn’t change after this past week’s action, with the first move being unbeaten UC Davis’ four-spot rise to No. 8 following a Big Sky win at nationally ranked Weber State. Rhode Island (21), UT Martin (23) and UIW (24) joined the Top 25 for the first time this season.
A national media panel selects the Stats Perform FCS Top 25. A first-place vote is worth 25 points, a second-place vote 24 points, all the way down to one point for a 25th-place vote.
Stats Perform FCS Top 25 (Sept. 27)
1. Sam Houston (3-0, 1-0 AQ7), 1,208 points (32 first-place votes)
Previous Ranking: 1; Week 4 Result: 45-35 win at then-No. 25 Central Arkansas
2. South Dakota State (3-0, 1-0 Missouri Valley), 1,195 (10)
Previous Ranking: 2; Week 4 Result: 44-0 win at Indiana State
3. James Madison (3-0, 1-0 CAA), 1,162 (5)
Previous Ranking: 3; Week 4 Result: Open week
4. Montana (3-0, 1-0 Big Sky), 1,089 (3)
Previous Ranking: 4; Week 4 Result: 39-7 win over Cal Poly
5. North Dakota State (3-0, 0-0 Missouri Valley), 1,070
Previous Ranking: 5; Week 4 Result: Open week
6. Eastern Washington (4-0, 1-0 Big Sky), 964
Previous Ranking: 6; Week 4 Result: 50-21 win at Southern Utah
7. Southern Illinois (3-1, 1-0 Missouri Valley), 909
Previous Ranking: 7; Week 4 Result: 35-17 win over Illinois State
8. UC Davis (4-0, 1-0 Big Sky), 859
Previous Ranking: 12; Week 4 Result: 17-14 win at then-No. 14 Weber State
9. Delaware (2-1, 1-0 CAA), 842
Previous Ranking: 8; Week 4 Result: Open week
10. North Dakota (2-1, 0-0 Missouri Valley), 785
Previous Ranking: 10; Week 4 Result: Open week
11. Montana State (3-1, 1-0 Big Sky), 757
Previous Ranking: 13; Week 4 Result: 30-17 win at Portland State
12. Villanova (3-1, 1-0 CAA), 692
Previous Ranking: 11; Week 4 Result: 38-17 at Penn State
13. ETSU (4-0, 1-0 Southern), 637
Previous Ranking: 15; Week 4 Result: 55-48 OT win at Samford
14. Southeastern Louisiana (2-1, 0-0 Southland), 574
Previous Ranking: 16; Week 4 Result: Open week
15. Northern Iowa (2-1, 0-0 Missouri Valley), 528
Previous Ranking: 17; Week 4 Result: Open week
16. Missouri State (2-1, 1-0 Missouri Valley), 527
Previous Ranking: 18; Week 4 Result: 31-23 win over South Dakota
17. Jacksonville State (2-2, 0-0 AQ7), 352
Previous Ranking: 9; Week 4 Result: 34-31 loss to UT Martin
18. VMI (3-1, 1-0 Southern), 338
Previous Ranking: 22; Week 4 Result: 31-23 win over Wofford
19. Weber State (1-3, 0-1 Big Sky), 319
Previous Ranking: 14; Week 4 Result: 17-14 loss to then-No. 12 UC Davis
20. Kennesaw State (2-1, 0-0 Big South), 225
Previous Ranking: 23; Week 4 Result: Open week
21. Rhode Island (3-0, 1-0 CAA): 184
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked; Week 4 Result: Open week
22. Richmond (2-2, 0-1 CAA), 130
Previous Ranking: 24; Week 4 Result: 21-10 loss at Virginia Tech
23. UT Martin (3-1, 0-0 Ohio Valley), 124
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked; Week 4 Result: 34-31 win at Jacksonville State
24. UIW (3-1, 1-0 Southland), 120
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked; Week 4 Result: 31-0 win over McNeese
25. New Hampshire (3-1, 2-0 CAA), 116
Previous Ranking: 21; Week 4 Result: 77-7 loss at Pittsburgh
Dropped Out: Austin Peay (19), Monmouth (20), Central Arkansas (25)
Others Receiving Votes (schools listed on two or more ballots): Austin Peay 86, Alabama A&M 85, Holy Cross 74, Stephen F. Austin 71, Monmouth 35, Central Arkansas 33, Nicholls 33, Murray State 26, Jackson State 22, Chattanooga 20, Duquesne 13, Mercer 11, Princeton 11, Samford 7, South Dakota 6, Eastern Kentucky 4
Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Voters – Stats Perform: Craig Haley, Gary Reasons. ASUN: Patrick McCoy, Mike Parris. Big Sky Conference: Doug Kelly, Tyson Rodgers, Larry Weir. Big South Conference: Brian Cleary, Matt Harmon, Mark Simpson. CAA Football: Scott Klatzkin, Greg Madia, Rob Washburn. Ivy League: Rick Bender, Craig Larson. Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference: Bill Hamilton, Maurice Williams. Missouri Valley Football Conference: Dom Izzo, Mike Kern, Randy Reinhardt. Northeast Conference: Tad Maury, Ralph Ventre. Ohio Valley Conference: Neal Bradley, Kyle Schwartz. Patriot League: Eric Malanowski, Ryan Sakamoto. Pioneer Football League: Cody Bush, Jack Cronin. Southern Conference: David Fox, Jeff Hartsell, Phil Perry. Southland Conference: Zack Carlton, Josh Yonis. Southwestern Athletic Conference: Ronnie Johnson, Travis Jarome, Andrew Roberts. Western Athletic Conference: Josh Criswell, Chris Thompson. National Representatives: Josh Buchanan, Riley Corcoran, Sam Herder, Emory Hunt, Brett Huston, Kyle Kensing, Brandon Lawrence, Jon Passman, Lawrence Smith, Phil Sokol, Reggie Thomas, Jamie Williams.