FCS Football Top 25: Zach McKinnell's Week 4 Ballot

Zachary McKinnell | Sep 16, 2024

Troy Babbitt-Imagn Images

I am honored to represent FCS Football Central as one of the 56 voters in the FCS Stats Perform Top 25 for the 2024 season. As I have over the past few seasons, I will release my official ballot each week and explain my reasoning behind the rankings throughout the season.

Below is my Week 4 ballot for the 2024 FCS football season.

25. Rhode Island (2-1)
24. Elon (1-2)
23. Western Carolina (1-2)
22. Florida A&M (2-1)
21. Chattanooga (0-3)
20. Lamar (2-1)
19. Lafayette (2-1)
18. Illinois State (2-1)
17. Tarleton State (2-1)
16. SEMO (2-1)
15. Incarnate Word (1-2)
14. William & Mary (2-1)
13. UC Davis (2-1)
12. Mercer (3-0)
11. Southern Illinois (2-1)
10. Montana (2-1)
9. Sacramento State (1-2)
8. North Dakota (2-1)
7. Villanova (3-0)
6. South Dakota (1-1)
5. Central Arkansas (2-1)
4. North Dakota State (2-1)
3. South Dakota State (2-1)
2. Montana State (3-0)
1. Idaho (2-1)

Honorable Mentions: Abilene Christian, Southern Utah, Weber State, Jackson State, ETSU

Analysis:

Dropped: Southern Utah, Youngstown State, Weber State, Nicholls

Added: Lamar, Western Carolina, Rhode Island, Lafayette

As I said last week, multiple teams have an argument for the No. 1 spot in this week's Top 25. I decided to move Idaho into the top spot after an impressive win against UAlbany. The Vandals have the best resume in FCS football, which includes an FBS win and a dominant Top 25 win over the Great Danes. The Vandals have achieved all this with a backup quarterback after losing starter Jack Layne in a competitive Week 1 loss to Oregon.

Montana State jumped to No. 2 as one of the only FCS teams with a 3-0 record this season. The Bobcats have an FBS win against New Mexico and have looked dominant over a pair of overmatched opponents. The difference is that Montana State did what top FCS teams do against weaker opponents... Dominate. That gives the Bobcats the edge over the Bison and Jackrabbits.

South Dakota State and North Dakota State drop after unimpressive performances in Week 3. Last week, I said these Top 25 ballots should be a snapshot of which teams are the best in FCS football. The Jackrabbits get the nod for the No. 3 spot due to a Top 25 win over Incarnate Word last week but looked sluggish against an overmatched Division II opponent this weekend. North Dakota State escaped against ETSU after trailing by 12 points late in the fourth quarter. The Bison deserve credit for finding a way to win despite a poor performance, but they have the weakest resume of the Top 4 teams. Voters should not overreact to one performance, but Idaho and Montana State have been more impressive this season.

I was already higher on Mercer than most voters, and the Bears made a statement in a road victory over Chattanooga. The Bears have dominated their first three opponents, allowing 5.0 points per game and less than 195 yards of total offense. Mercer looks like the best team in the SoCon and could be primed to make back-to-back appearances in the FCS Playoffs.

Central Arkansas moved into the Top 5 after an impressive win over Austin Peay. The Bears should be 3-0 with an FBS win after an atrocious call by the replay official, which allowed Arkansas State to escape in Week 1. This team will be tested in upcoming games against Abilene Christian and Lamar, but through the first three weeks, the Bears have lived up to the preseason hype.

Sacramento State moves ahead of Montana after a ranked win over Nicholls State. The Hornets get the edge until Montana defeats a quality opponent, which could be this weekend as Western Carolina travels to Missoula. Villanova dropped a few spots after escaping an upset against Towson. The Tigers missed two field goals in the final three minutes but raised plenty of questions about Villanova after a lackluster performance.

Lamar enters the Top 25 for the first time this season after an upset win over Weber State. The Cardinals are 2-1, with their only loss coming against Texas State, one of the country's best Group of Five teams. Chattanooga remains ranked after a 10-3 loss to Mercer this weekend. The Mocs have had a brutal stretch of games to start the season, playing two FBS programs and a Top 25 conference opponent. After a much-needed bye week, the Mocs can elevate in the rankings with critical games against Portland State, ETSU, and Furman.

Rhode Island takes the final spot on my ballot after an impressive win over Campbell, who upset Western Carolina last weekend. The Rams are 2-0 against FCS competition, defeating Holy Cross and Campbell. Quarterback Devin Farrell has looked the part, passing for over 400 yards and five total touchdowns against FCS opponents.

Youngstown State falls out of the rankings after a stunning upset loss to Duquesne. The Penguins are 1-2, with their only win coming against Valparaiso, which is not enough to have any confidence in this program. Nicholls also dropped out of the Top 25 after losing to Sacramento State, which was never competitive. The Colonels could still be one of the best teams in the Southland but do not have enough to compete with the best teams in the FCS.

More FCS Football News

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Week 3 FCS Football Top 25 Scoreboard
Behind The Numbers: Week 2 FCS Football Review
FCS Football Recap: Week 2 Takeaways
Behind The Numbers: Week 1 FCS Football Review

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