[FCS Poll] North Dakota State No. 1 Seed Heading Into FCS Playoffs
November 25, 2019
The only undefeated team left in FCS football after the 2019 regular season ended on Saturday earned the No. 1 overall seed in the FCS playoffs. North Dakota State, who still sits No. 1 in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, beat No. 25t Southern Illinois, 21-7, to finish the regular season at 12-0. They have a 32-2 record in the playoffs over the past nine years including national championships in seven of the past eight seasons.
The Top 5 has a new look this week thanks to losses by Montana and South Dakota State. James Madison still sits No. 2 and is 11-1 after a 55-21 victory over Rhode Island. Sacramento State moves up one spot to No. 3 after its 27-17 win over UC Davis while Weber State jumped up three places to No. 4 after a 38-10 victory over Idaho State. Montana State also moved up three spots after handing their in-state rival, Montana, a 48-14 loss. The Grizzlies fell five places to No. 8.
The first round of the playoffs will feature four Top 25 matchups. First is No. 9 Kennesaw State, who travels to Southern Conference champion and No. 15 ranked Wofford. No. 10 Villanova also hits the road, traveling south to Hammond, Louisiana, to face No. 24 Southeastern Louisiana. No. 13 Southeast Missouri State, co-champions of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC), will play host to No. 14 Illinois State while No. 16 Furman travels to the other OVC co-champion, No. 17 Austin Peay, who is making their first appearance in the FCS playoffs.
2019 American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches’ Poll – November 25, 2019
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 11 Next Game
1 North Dakota St. (26) 12-0 650 1 D. No. 25t Southern Illinois, 21-7 Dec. 7 TBD
2 James Madison 11-1 624 2 D. Rhode Island, 55-21 Dec. 7 TBD
3 Sacramento St. 9-3 596 4 D. UC Davis, 27-17 Dec. 7 TBD
4 Weber St. 9-3 567 7 D. Idaho St., 38-10 Dec. 7 TBD
5 Montana St. 9-3 545 8 D. No. 3 Montana, 48-14 Dec. 7 TBD
6 Northern Iowa 8-4 451 10 D. Western Illinois, 38-7 Nov. 30 vs. San Diego
7 Central Arkansas 9-3 448 11 D. UIW, 52-35 Dec. 7 TBD
8 Montana 9-3 441 3 Lost to No. 8 Montana St., 48-14 Dec. 7 TBD
9 Kennesaw St. 10-2 421 9 D. Gardner-Webb, 42-14 Nov. 30 at No. 15 Wofford
10 Villanova 9-3 401 14 D. Delaware, 55-33 Nov. 30 at No. 24 Southeastern Louisiana
11 Monmouth (N.J.) 10-2 391 12 D. Hampton, 48-13 Nov. 30 vs. Holy Cross
12 South Dakota St. 8-4 356 5 Lost to South Dakota, 24-21 Dec. 7 TBD
13 Southeast Missouri St. 9-3 327 16 D. Murray St., 31-24 Nov. 30 vs. No. 14 Illinois St.
14 Illinois St. 8-4 322 6 Lost to Youngstown St., 21-3 Nov. 30 at No. 13 Southeast Missouri St.
15 Wofford 8-3 317 17 D. The Citadel, 31-11 Nov. 30 vs. No. 9 Kennesaw St.
16 Furman 8-4 281 15 D. Point, 64-7 Nov. 30 at No. 17 Austin Peay
17 Austin Peay 9-3 248 19 D. Eastern Illinois, 35-7 Nov. 30 vs. No. 16 Furman
18 Central Connecticut St. 11-1 246 18 D. Duquesne, 43-10 Nov. 30 at Albany
19 Nicholls 8-4 172 23 D. No. 22 Southeastern Louisiana, 28-27 Nov. 30 vs. North Dakota
20 Dartmouth 9-1 139 21 D. Brown, 29-23 Season Complete
21 Florida A&M 9-2 117 13 Lost to Bethune-Cookman, 31-27 Season Complete
22 North Carolina A&T 8-3 94 24 D. North Carolina Central, 54-0 Dec. 21 vs. SWAC Champion
23 Yale 9-1 72 25t D. Harvard, 50-43 2OT Season Complete
24 Southeastern Louisiana 7-4 47 22 Lost to No. 23 Nicholls, 28-27 Nov. 30 vs. No. 10 Villanova
25 Southern Illinois 7-5 38 25t Lost to No. 1 North Dakota St., 21-7 Season Complete
Dropped Out: Towson (20)
Others Receiving Votes: North Dakota, 37; Albany, 30; Towson, 23; San Diego, 10; Alcorn St., 9; Eastern Washington, 9; Princeton, 7; South Carolina St., 6; UT Martin, 5; Holy Cross, 3.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
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The only undefeated team left in FCS football after the 2019 regular season ended on Saturday earned the No. 1 overall seed in the FCS playoffs. North Dakota State, who still sits No. 1 in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, beat No. 25t Southern Illinois, 21-7, to finish the regular season at 12-0. They have a 32-2 record in the playoffs over the past nine years including national championships in seven of the past eight seasons.
The Top 5 has a new look this week thanks to losses by Montana and South Dakota State. James Madison still sits No. 2 and is 11-1 after a 55-21 victory over Rhode Island. Sacramento State moves up one spot to No. 3 after its 27-17 win over UC Davis while Weber State jumped up three places to No. 4 after a 38-10 victory over Idaho State. Montana State also moved up three spots after handing their in-state rival, Montana, a 48-14 loss. The Grizzlies fell five places to No. 8.
The first round of the playoffs will feature four Top 25 matchups. First is No. 9 Kennesaw State, who travels to Southern Conference champion and No. 15 ranked Wofford. No. 10 Villanova also hits the road, traveling south to Hammond, Louisiana, to face No. 24 Southeastern Louisiana. No. 13 Southeast Missouri State, co-champions of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC), will play host to No. 14 Illinois State while No. 16 Furman travels to the other OVC co-champion, No. 17 Austin Peay, who is making their first appearance in the FCS playoffs.
2019 American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches’ Poll – November 25, 2019
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 11 | Next Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota St. (26) | 12-0 | 650 | 1 | D. No. 25t Southern Illinois, 21-7 | Dec. 7 TBD |
| 2 | James Madison | 11-1 | 624 | 2 | D. Rhode Island, 55-21 | Dec. 7 TBD |
| 3 | Sacramento St. | 9-3 | 596 | 4 | D. UC Davis, 27-17 | Dec. 7 TBD |
| 4 | Weber St. | 9-3 | 567 | 7 | D. Idaho St., 38-10 | Dec. 7 TBD |
| 5 | Montana St. | 9-3 | 545 | 8 | D. No. 3 Montana, 48-14 | Dec. 7 TBD |
| 6 | Northern Iowa | 8-4 | 451 | 10 | D. Western Illinois, 38-7 | Nov. 30 vs. San Diego |
| 7 | Central Arkansas | 9-3 | 448 | 11 | D. UIW, 52-35 | Dec. 7 TBD |
| 8 | Montana | 9-3 | 441 | 3 | Lost to No. 8 Montana St., 48-14 | Dec. 7 TBD |
| 9 | Kennesaw St. | 10-2 | 421 | 9 | D. Gardner-Webb, 42-14 | Nov. 30 at No. 15 Wofford |
| 10 | Villanova | 9-3 | 401 | 14 | D. Delaware, 55-33 | Nov. 30 at No. 24 Southeastern Louisiana |
| 11 | Monmouth (N.J.) | 10-2 | 391 | 12 | D. Hampton, 48-13 | Nov. 30 vs. Holy Cross |
| 12 | South Dakota St. | 8-4 | 356 | 5 | Lost to South Dakota, 24-21 | Dec. 7 TBD |
| 13 | Southeast Missouri St. | 9-3 | 327 | 16 | D. Murray St., 31-24 | Nov. 30 vs. No. 14 Illinois St. |
| 14 | Illinois St. | 8-4 | 322 | 6 | Lost to Youngstown St., 21-3 | Nov. 30 at No. 13 Southeast Missouri St. |
| 15 | Wofford | 8-3 | 317 | 17 | D. The Citadel, 31-11 | Nov. 30 vs. No. 9 Kennesaw St. |
| 16 | Furman | 8-4 | 281 | 15 | D. Point, 64-7 | Nov. 30 at No. 17 Austin Peay |
| 17 | Austin Peay | 9-3 | 248 | 19 | D. Eastern Illinois, 35-7 | Nov. 30 vs. No. 16 Furman |
| 18 | Central Connecticut St. | 11-1 | 246 | 18 | D. Duquesne, 43-10 | Nov. 30 at Albany |
| 19 | Nicholls | 8-4 | 172 | 23 | D. No. 22 Southeastern Louisiana, 28-27 | Nov. 30 vs. North Dakota |
| 20 | Dartmouth | 9-1 | 139 | 21 | D. Brown, 29-23 | Season Complete |
| 21 | Florida A&M | 9-2 | 117 | 13 | Lost to Bethune-Cookman, 31-27 | Season Complete |
| 22 | North Carolina A&T | 8-3 | 94 | 24 | D. North Carolina Central, 54-0 | Dec. 21 vs. SWAC Champion |
| 23 | Yale | 9-1 | 72 | 25t | D. Harvard, 50-43 2OT | Season Complete |
| 24 | Southeastern Louisiana | 7-4 | 47 | 22 | Lost to No. 23 Nicholls, 28-27 | Nov. 30 vs. No. 10 Villanova |
| 25 | Southern Illinois | 7-5 | 38 | 25t | Lost to No. 1 North Dakota St., 21-7 | Season Complete |
Dropped Out: Towson (20)
Others Receiving Votes: North Dakota, 37; Albany, 30; Towson, 23; San Diego, 10; Alcorn St., 9; Eastern Washington, 9; Princeton, 7; South Carolina St., 6; UT Martin, 5; Holy Cross, 3.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
