FCS Rankings: Montana State takes top spot, USD drops to No. 8
The selection committee released its final in-season rankings on Thursday, placing the Jackrabbits fourth and the Coyotes eighth ahead of the playoff bracket.
By Aiko Nakamura ·
The NCAA FCS Football Selection Committee released its final in-season rankings on Thursday, Nov. 5.
Montana State (8-1) leads the top-10, followed by Tarleton State (9-0) at No. 2. Stephen F. Austin (9-0) sits at No. 3. South Dakota State (7-2) holds the No. 4 spot, while Youngstown State (7-2) is No. 5.
The rankings shifted from the previous update three weeks ago. Youngstown State moved from No. 3 to No. 5, and Stephen F. Austin jumped from No. 4 to No. 3. South Dakota State rose from No. 5 to No. 4. No teams in the top five lost games during that period.
Northern Arizona (7-2) is No. 6, and Austin Peay (7-2) is No. 7. South Dakota (7-3) is No. 8, Tennessee Tech (8-1) is No. 9, and Lamar (7-2) is No. 10.
South Dakota entered the Oct. 31 loss to South Dakota State as the No. 8 team. The Coyotes had previously defeated Murray State and North Dakota. The committee used game results through Oct. 31 for this snapshot.
Teams ranked 1 through 8 will receive first-round byes. Teams ranked 9 through 16 will host first-round games on Thanksgiving weekend. The committee will announce the 24-team tournament field on Sunday, Nov. 22.
