Each week, throughout the college football season, alumni, fans, media and the teams themselves look to the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll to see who is rising and moving within the national rankings.
The Big South-OVC Football Association loves to have teams ranked in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll, but the scenario involving UT Martin and Tennessee State appears best being answered on the field.
That’s what they’ll do Saturday when they square off in Nashville.
Two weeks ago, UT Martin was tied for No. 25 in the national media poll. Last week, Tennessee State grabbed the 25th spot, dropping the Skyhawks to the first spot outside the Top 25.
It remained the same way on Monday with Tennessee State (6-2) at No. 25 and UT Martin (5-3) just outside the poll.
Yeah, see you in Music City.
Both teams are looking up in the Big South-OVC standings and the Top 25 poll to Southeast Missouri (8-1), which for the second consecutive week was at No. 6 – its program’s all-time high. The Redhawks have a bye this week, keeping a close eye on UT Martin at Tennessee State.
The top three spots in the poll remained No. 1 North Dakota State (8-1), No. 2 Montana State (8-0) and No. 3 South Dakota State (6-2). UC Davis (7-1) rose one spot to No. 4 with South Dakota (6-2) dropping one to No. 5 following a 20-17, overtime loss at SDSU.
A national media panel selects the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll. 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.
(For more on the college football weekend, here is our FCS Week 9 Review)
Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll
1. North Dakota State (8-1, 5-0 MVFC), 1,387 points (43 of 56 first-place votes)
Previous Ranking: 1; Week 9: 59-6 win at Murray State; Week 10: Northern Iowa
2. Montana State (8-0, 4-0 Big Sky), 1,350 (13)
Previous Ranking: 2; Week 9: No game; Week 10: at Eastern Washington
3. South Dakota State (6-2, 3-1 MVFC), 1,290
Previous Ranking: 3; Week 9: 20-17 OT win over then-No. 3 South Dakota; Week 10: Murray State
4. UC Davis (7-1, 4-0 Big Sky), 1,196
Previous Ranking: 5; Week 9: No game; Week 10: Northern Colorado
5. South Dakota (6-2, 4-1 MVFC), 1,174
Previous Ranking: 4; Week 9: 20-17 OT loss at then-No. 3 South Dakota State; Week 10: No game
6. Southeast Missouri (8-1, 5-0 Big South-OVC), 1,106
Previous Ranking: 6; Week 9: 30-24 win over Gardner-Webb; Week 10: No game
7. Tarleton State (7-1, 4-0 UAC), 1,012
Previous Ranking: 8; Week 9: 27-17 win at Austin Peay; Week 10: Eastern Kentucky
8. Montana (6-2, 3-1 Big Sky), 941
Previous Ranking: 9; Week 9: 24-0 win at Northern Colorado; Week 10: at Cal Poly
9. UIW (6-2, 3-0 Southland), 904
Previous Ranking: 10; Week 9: 34-31 win at Southeastern Louisiana; Week 10: HCU
10. Idaho (6-3, 3-2 Big Sky), 860
Previous Ranking: 11; Week 9: 38-28 win over Eastern Washington; Week 10: No game
11. Central Arkansas (6-2, 3-1 UAC), 794
Previous Ranking: 12; Week 9: 24-19 win over North Alabama; Week 10: at Utah Tech
12. Mercer (7-1, 4-1 SoCon), 777
Previous Ranking: 14; Week 9: 44-34 win over then-No. 24 Western Carolina; Week 10: No. 23 ETSU
13. Villanova (6-2, 3-1 CAA), 708
Previous Ranking: 13; Week 9: 14-6 win over New Hampshire; Week 10: at Hampton
14. Rhode Island (7-1, 4-0 CAA), 705
Previous Ranking: 15; Week 9: 24-14 win over Maine; Week 10: Monmouth
15. North Dakota (5-3, 2-2 MVFC), 645
Previous Ranking: 7; Week 9: 41-40 OT loss at Youngstown State; Week 10: at Indiana State
16. Richmond (6-2, 4-0 CAA), 566
Previous Ranking: 18; Week 9: 41-14 win at Bryant; Week 10: Towson
17. Abilene Christian (5-3, 4-1 UAC), 512
Previous Ranking: 17; Week 9: No game; Week 10: Southern Utah
18. Chattanooga (5-3, 4-1 SoCon), 452
Previous Ranking: 19; Week 9: 31-10 win over VMI; Week 10: at Western Carolina
19. North Carolina Central (6-2, 2-0 MEAC), 263
Previous Ranking: 20; Week 9: 16-7 win over Morgan State; Week 10: at South Carolina State
20. Stony Brook (6-2, 3-1 CAA), 259
Previous Ranking: NR; Week 9: 35-13 win over then-No. 16 William & Mary; Week 10: at Bryant
21. Illinois State (5-3, 2-2 MVFC), 241
Previous Ranking: 21; Week 9: No game; Week 10: Youngstown State
22. Dartmouth (6-0, 3-0 Ivy), 227
Previous Ranking: 22; Week 9: 24-21 win at Columbia; Week 10: Harvard
23. ETSU (5-3, 3-1 SoCon), 199
Previous Ranking: 23; Week 9: 24-7 win at Wofford; Week 10: at No. 12 Mercer
24. William & Mary (5-3, 3-2 CAA), 170
Previous Ranking: 16; Week 9: 35-13 loss at Stony Brook; Week 10: at North Carolina A&T
25. Tennessee State (6-2, 3-1 Big South-OVC), 137
Previous Ranking: 25; Week 9: No game; Week 10: UT Martin
Dropped Out: Western Carolina (24)
Others Receiving Votes (schools listed on two or more ballots): UT Martin (5-3, 2-1 Big South-OVC), 119; Duquesne (5-2, 3-0 NEC), 47; Harvard (5-1, 2-1 Ivy), 37; Northern Arizona (4-4, 2-2 Big Sky), 27; Jackson State (6-2, 4-0 SWAC), 25; Western Carolina (4-4, 3-1 SoCon), 21; Lamar (5-3, 2-1 Southland), 9; Drake (5-1, 4-0 Pioneer), 8; Stephen F. Austin (5-3, 3-2 Southland), 8; Southern Utah (4-4, 3-1 UAC), 7; Florida A&M (4-3, 2-1 SWAC), 4
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Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Voters – Stats Perform: Craig Haley, Gary Reasons. Big Sky Conference: Doug Kelly, Tyson Rodgers, Larry Weir. Big South-OVC Football Association: Mike Bradd, Kyle Schwartz, Mark Simpson. CAA Football: Roger Brown, Matt Harmon, Rob Washburn. Ivy League: JJ Klein, Craig Larson. Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference: Kendrick Lewis, Alysse Scripter. Missouri Valley Football Conference: Dom Izzo, Mike Kern, Randy Reinhardt. Northeast Conference: Sarah Boissonneault, Brian Cleary. Patriot League: Eric Malanoski, Ryan Sakamoto. Pioneer Football League: Cody Bush, Larry Hansgen. Southern Conference: Scott Keeler, Andrew Miller, Ralan Wardlaw. Southland Conference: Matthew Bonnette, James Dixon, James Hill. Southwestern Athletic Conference: Ronnie Johnson, Joshua Padilla. United Athletic Conference: Brian Morgan, Benjamin Ray, Jake Withee. National Representatives: Sean Anderson, Stan Becton, Zack Carlton, Gene Clemons, Riley Corcoran, Joe DeLeone, Steven J. Gaither, Sam Herder, Emory Hunt, Kyle Kensing, Brandon Lawrence, Zach McKinnell, Brian McLaughlin, Jon Passman, Omar Rashon Borja, Ryan Roberts, Kent Schmidt, Phil Sokol, Reggie Thomas, Ralph Ventre, Jamie Williams.
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