[FCS Poll] Sam Houston Ends the Regular Season Where They Started
November 22, 2021
Defending national champion Sam Houston ends the regular season where they started, at No. 1 in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The only undefeated team left in FCS, the Bearkats moved to 10-0 after a dominant 35-9 victory over Abilene Christian. Sam Houston received the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs and will await the winner of No. 15 UIW and No. 19 Stephen F. Austin on December 4th.
RELATED ARTICLE: [FCS Poll] Mercer Enters AFCA Top 25 After Big Win
Seven other teams received first-round byes in the 2021 playoffs. They are No. 2 James Madison, No. 3 North Dakota State, No. 5 Montana, No. 7 Villanova, No. 8 East Tennessee State, No. 9 Montana State and No. 12 Sacramento State. The Missouri Valley Football Conference got six teams in the playoffs for the first time ever, while the Big Sky Conference earned a league-record five bids. The only other conference to have six teams in the FCS playoffs was the Colonial Athletic Association in 2018.
Holy Cross and Northern Iowa both re-enter the poll in the final week of the regular season. The No. 24 Crusaders won the Patriot League and will host Sacred Heart in the first round of the playoffs. This is Holy Cross’ first home playoff game since 1983. No. 25 Northern Iowa received an at-large bid and will travel to No. 6 Eastern Washington in their first-round game.
American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – November 22, 2021
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 12 Next Game
1 Sam Houston (27) 10-0 675 1 D. Abilene Christian, 35-9 Dec. 4 TBD
2 James Madison 10-1 647 2 D. Towson, 56-10 Dec. 4 TBD
3 North Dakota St. 10-1 619 4 D. No. 16 South Dakota, 52-24 Dec. 4 TBD
4 Kennesaw St. 10-1 561 5 D. No. 24 Monmouth (N.J.), 49-17 Nov. 27 vs. Davidson
5 Montana 9-2 556 7 D. No. 3 Montana St., 29-10 Dec. 3 TBD
6 Eastern Washington 9-2 543 6 D. Portland St., 42-28 Nov. 27 vs. No. 25 Northern Iowa
7 Villanova 9-2 496 9 D. Delaware, 21-13 Dec. 3 TBD
8 East Tennessee St. 10-1 477 10 D. No. 23 Mercer, 38-35 Dec. 4 TBD
9 Montana St. 9-2 447 3 Lost to No. 7 Montana, 29-10 Dec. 4 TBD
10 Missouri St. 8-3 404 14 D. Dixie St., 55-24 Nov. 27 vs. No. 13 UT Martin
11 South Dakota St. 8-3 401 13 D. North Dakota, 24-21 Nov. 27 vs. No. 16 UC Davis
12 Sacramento St. 9-2 377 18 D. No. 11 UC Davis, 27-7 Dec. 4 TBD
13 UT Martin 9-2 304 8 Lost to Southeast Missouri, 31-14 Nov. 27 at No. 10 Missouri St.
14 Jackson St. 10-1 301 17 D. Alcorn St., 24-10 Dec. 4 vs. Prairie View A&M
15 UIW 9-2 265 19 D. Houston Baptist, 55-14 Nov. 27 vs. No. 19 Stephen F. Austin
16 UC Davis 8-3 261 11 Lost to No. 18 Sacramento St., 27-7 Nov. 27 at No. 11 South Dakota St.
17 Southeastern Louisiana 8-3 197 12 Lost to Nicholls, 45-42 Nov. 27 vs. No. 22 Florida A&M
18 Princeton 9-1 191 20 D. Penn, 34-14 Season Complete
19 Stephen F. Austin 8-3 178 22 D. Lamar, 42-6 Nov. 27 at No. 15 UIW
20t. Dartmouth 9-1 175 21 D. Brown, 52-31 Season Complete
20t. South Dakota 7-4 175 16 Lost to No. 4 North Dakota St., 52-24 Nov. 27 vs. No. 23 Southern Illinois
22 Florida A&M 9-2 156 25 D. Bethune-Cookman, 46-21 Nov. 27 at No. 17 Southeastern Louisiana
23 Southern Illinois 7-4 144 15 Lost to Youngstown St., 35-18 Nov. 27 at No. 20t South Dakota
24 Holy Cross 9-2 80 NR D. Bucknell, 45-6 Nov. 27 vs. Sacred Heart
25 Northern Iowa 6-5 29 NR D. Western Illinois, 41-3 Nov. 27 at No. 6 Eastern Washington
Dropped Out: Mercer (23), Monmouth (N.J.) (24)
Others Receiving Votes: Eastern Kentucky, 26; Mercer, 26; Chattanooga, 14; Monmouth (N.J.), 12; Davidson, 8; Harvard, 8; Elon, 5; Nicholls, 5; Sacred Heart, 4; Rhode Island, 3; Maine, 2; Weber St., 2; Austin Peay, 1.
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.
« « Previous PostNext Post » »
Defending national champion Sam Houston ends the regular season where they started, at No. 1 in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The only undefeated team left in FCS, the Bearkats moved to 10-0 after a dominant 35-9 victory over Abilene Christian. Sam Houston received the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs and will await the winner of No. 15 UIW and No. 19 Stephen F. Austin on December 4th.
RELATED ARTICLE: [FCS Poll] Mercer Enters AFCA Top 25 After Big Win
Seven other teams received first-round byes in the 2021 playoffs. They are No. 2 James Madison, No. 3 North Dakota State, No. 5 Montana, No. 7 Villanova, No. 8 East Tennessee State, No. 9 Montana State and No. 12 Sacramento State. The Missouri Valley Football Conference got six teams in the playoffs for the first time ever, while the Big Sky Conference earned a league-record five bids. The only other conference to have six teams in the FCS playoffs was the Colonial Athletic Association in 2018.
Holy Cross and Northern Iowa both re-enter the poll in the final week of the regular season. The No. 24 Crusaders won the Patriot League and will host Sacred Heart in the first round of the playoffs. This is Holy Cross’ first home playoff game since 1983. No. 25 Northern Iowa received an at-large bid and will travel to No. 6 Eastern Washington in their first-round game.
American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – November 22, 2021
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 12 | Next Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sam Houston (27) | 10-0 | 675 | 1 | D. Abilene Christian, 35-9 | Dec. 4 TBD |
| 2 | James Madison | 10-1 | 647 | 2 | D. Towson, 56-10 | Dec. 4 TBD |
| 3 | North Dakota St. | 10-1 | 619 | 4 | D. No. 16 South Dakota, 52-24 | Dec. 4 TBD |
| 4 | Kennesaw St. | 10-1 | 561 | 5 | D. No. 24 Monmouth (N.J.), 49-17 | Nov. 27 vs. Davidson |
| 5 | Montana | 9-2 | 556 | 7 | D. No. 3 Montana St., 29-10 | Dec. 3 TBD |
| 6 | Eastern Washington | 9-2 | 543 | 6 | D. Portland St., 42-28 | Nov. 27 vs. No. 25 Northern Iowa |
| 7 | Villanova | 9-2 | 496 | 9 | D. Delaware, 21-13 | Dec. 3 TBD |
| 8 | East Tennessee St. | 10-1 | 477 | 10 | D. No. 23 Mercer, 38-35 | Dec. 4 TBD |
| 9 | Montana St. | 9-2 | 447 | 3 | Lost to No. 7 Montana, 29-10 | Dec. 4 TBD |
| 10 | Missouri St. | 8-3 | 404 | 14 | D. Dixie St., 55-24 | Nov. 27 vs. No. 13 UT Martin |
| 11 | South Dakota St. | 8-3 | 401 | 13 | D. North Dakota, 24-21 | Nov. 27 vs. No. 16 UC Davis |
| 12 | Sacramento St. | 9-2 | 377 | 18 | D. No. 11 UC Davis, 27-7 | Dec. 4 TBD |
| 13 | UT Martin | 9-2 | 304 | 8 | Lost to Southeast Missouri, 31-14 | Nov. 27 at No. 10 Missouri St. |
| 14 | Jackson St. | 10-1 | 301 | 17 | D. Alcorn St., 24-10 | Dec. 4 vs. Prairie View A&M |
| 15 | UIW | 9-2 | 265 | 19 | D. Houston Baptist, 55-14 | Nov. 27 vs. No. 19 Stephen F. Austin |
| 16 | UC Davis | 8-3 | 261 | 11 | Lost to No. 18 Sacramento St., 27-7 | Nov. 27 at No. 11 South Dakota St. |
| 17 | Southeastern Louisiana | 8-3 | 197 | 12 | Lost to Nicholls, 45-42 | Nov. 27 vs. No. 22 Florida A&M |
| 18 | Princeton | 9-1 | 191 | 20 | D. Penn, 34-14 | Season Complete |
| 19 | Stephen F. Austin | 8-3 | 178 | 22 | D. Lamar, 42-6 | Nov. 27 at No. 15 UIW |
| 20t. | Dartmouth | 9-1 | 175 | 21 | D. Brown, 52-31 | Season Complete |
| 20t. | South Dakota | 7-4 | 175 | 16 | Lost to No. 4 North Dakota St., 52-24 | Nov. 27 vs. No. 23 Southern Illinois |
| 22 | Florida A&M | 9-2 | 156 | 25 | D. Bethune-Cookman, 46-21 | Nov. 27 at No. 17 Southeastern Louisiana |
| 23 | Southern Illinois | 7-4 | 144 | 15 | Lost to Youngstown St., 35-18 | Nov. 27 at No. 20t South Dakota |
| 24 | Holy Cross | 9-2 | 80 | NR | D. Bucknell, 45-6 | Nov. 27 vs. Sacred Heart |
| 25 | Northern Iowa | 6-5 | 29 | NR | D. Western Illinois, 41-3 | Nov. 27 at No. 6 Eastern Washington |
Dropped Out: Mercer (23), Monmouth (N.J.) (24)
Others Receiving Votes: Eastern Kentucky, 26; Mercer, 26; Chattanooga, 14; Monmouth (N.J.), 12; Davidson, 8; Harvard, 8; Elon, 5; Nicholls, 5; Sacred Heart, 4; Rhode Island, 3; Maine, 2; Weber St., 2; Austin Peay, 1.
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.
