FCS Football Top 25: Zach McKinnell's Week 8 Ballot

Zachary McKinnell | Oct 14, 2024

Ron Chenoy-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 8 ballot for the 2024 FCS football season.

25. Dartmouth (4-0)
24. Richmond (4-2)
23. Western Carolina (3-3)
22. North Carolina Central (5-2)
21. Stephen F. Austin (4-2)
20. UT Martin (4-3)
19. William & Mary (4-2)
18. Abilene Christian (4-3)
17. Rhode Island (5-1)
16. ETSU (4-3)
15. Montana (5-2)
14. Chattanooga (3-3)
13. North Dakota (4-2)
12. Central Arkansas (5-2)
11. Tarleton State (6-1)
10. Incarnate Word (4-2)
9. Idaho (4-3)
8. SEMO (6-1)
7. UC Davis (6-1)
6. Mercer (6-0)
5. Villanova (5-1)
4. South Dakota (5-1)
3. Montana State (7-0)
2. North Dakota State (6-1)
1. South Dakota State (5-1)

Honorable Mentions: Florida A&M, Duquesne, New Hampshire, Towson, Tennessee State

Analysis:

Dropped: Sacramento State, Weber State, Northern Arizona

Added: Dartmouth, Western Carolina, Stephen F. Austin

I decided to keep my Top 3 the same despite Montana State making a statement with a dominant win over Idaho. All three teams are undefeated against FCS competition and have notable ranked victories. I give the edge to South Dakota State as the Jacks hold an impressive win over Incarnate Word and have faced the toughest strength of schedule of these three teams.

North Dakota State has ranked wins over Illinois State and North Dakota, while wins over Tennessee State and ETSU have aged better than expected. The debate for the No. 1 spot will be settled this weekend in the Fargodome as the Bison host the Jackrabbits.

Mercer continues to rise in my ballot, jumping UC Davis for the No. 6 spot. The Bears have two ranked wins on their resume, both on the road against conference opponents. Even without starting quarterback DJ Smith, the Bears continued to dominate with a win over Princeton. If Mercer can secure wins over Samford, Western Carolina, and ETSU in the next three weeks, the Bears may secure a spot in the Top 5 of my ballot.

Incarnate Word moves back into the Top 10 after an impressive victory over Nicholls. The Cardinals have won three consecutive games, including a 38-14 victory over Northern Arizona. Chattanooga is another riser, jumping to No. 13 after a dominant victory over Furman. The Mocs are 3-1 against FCS competition, with their only loss coming against Mercer earlier this season.

Abilene Christian jumped into the Top 10 last week, but a stunning loss to North Alabama drops the Wildcats to No. 18 in this week's ballot. The Wildcats are 4-2 against FCS competition, including a win over Central Arkansas, but this week's loss was a massive blow to their resume for a potential seed in the FCS Playoffs.

Following a ranked victory over Lamar, Stephen F. Austin makes its first appearance in my ballot. The Lumberjacks are 3-1 against FCS opponents and have continued to improve each week. Dartmouth also moved into my ballot as the only remaining undefeated team in the Ivy League.

Sacramento State and Weber State both drop outside the Top 25 after losses to unranked opponents. The Hornets collapsed against Eastern Washington, while the Wildcats lost to a winless Northern Colorado program. Northern Arizona has faced four consecutive ranked opponents, but the Lumberjacks are 2-3 against FCS competition, which is not good enough to receive a spot in the Top 25. Their win over Sacramento State has aged poorly, which weakens their resume even more.

More FCS Football News

FCS Football Recap: Week 7 Takeaways
Week 7 FCS Football Preview & Predictions
Behind The Numbers: 2024 FCS Midseason Review
FCS Football Playoff Picture: Oct. 8 (Week 7)

Follow all of FCS Football Central's coverage throughout the season on X, Facebook, and YouTube.