FCS Top-25: Zach McKinnell's Week 11 Ballot

Zach McKinnell's Week 11 ballot for the FCS Stats Perform Top-25 after an exciting weekend of FCS football

I am honored to represent FCS Football Central as one of the 56 voters in the FCS Stats Perform Top-25 for the 2023 season. Each week I will release my official ballot and explain the biggest movers in our FCS Top 25 each week throughout the season.

Week 11 Top-25 Ballot

25. Richmond (7-3)

Week 11: 38-24 win against Elon

24. North Dakota (6-4)

Week 11: 14-10 loss against No. 6 South Dakota

23. Northern Iowa (6-4)

Week 11: 35-16 loss against Missouri State

22. Tarleton State (8-3)

Week 11: 31-30 win against Abilene Christian

21. Harvard (8-1)

Week 11: 25-23 win against Penn

20. UT Martin (8-2)

Week 11: 41-14 win against Southeast Missouri State

19. Southern Illinois (6-4)

Week 11: 34-10 loss against No. 12 North Dakota State

18. Youngstown State (6-4)

Week 11: 34-0 loss against No. 1 South Dakota State

17. Mercer (8-3)

Week 11: 28-21 win against Samford

16. Chattanooga (7-3)

Week 11: Bye Week

15. North Carolina Central (8-2)

Week 11: 50-20 loss against Howard

14. Florida A&M (9-1)

Week 11: 28-0 win against Lincoln (PA)

13. Austin Peay (8-2)

Week 11: 30-17 win against Utah Tech

12. Sacramento State (7-3)

Week 11: 41-30 win against Cal Poly

11. Western Carolina (7-3)

Week 11: 58-7 win against East Tennessee State

10. North Dakota State (7-3)

Week 11: 34-10 win against No. 11 Southern Illinois

9. Delaware (8-2)

Week 11: 45-7 win against Campbell

8. Villanova (8-2)

Week 11: 33-10 win against Towson

7. UAlbany (8-3)

Week 11: 38-20 win against Stony Brook

6. Idaho (7-3)

Week 11: 31-29 loss against Weber State

5. South Dakota (8-2)

Week 11: 14-10 win against No. 10 North Dakota

4. Montana State (8-2)

Week 11: 57-14 win against Eastern Washington

3. Furman (9-1)

Week 11: 37-3 win against VMI

2. Montana (9-1)

Week 11: 34-10 win against Portland State

1. South Dakota State (10-0)

Week 11: 34-0 win against No. 22 Youngstown State

Honorable Mentions: Incarnate Word (7-2), Holy Cross (6-4), Lafayette (8-2), Central Arkansas (7-3), Gardner-Webb (6-4)

Analysis On Week 11 Ballot

Dropped: Central Arkansas
Added: Richmond

Richmond enters the rankings for the first time this season as the Spiders have won five consecutive games, including impressive wins over Elon and Rhode Island. Central Arkansas falls just outside the Top 25 to make room for Richmond. I give the Spiders an advantage due to a ranked win on their resume, while Central Arkansas has not defeated a ranked team this season.

North Carolina Central drops from No. 7 to No. 15 after a shocking upset loss to Howard on the road. The Eagles are 7-1 against FCS competition, including a ranked road win over Elon earlier this season. This team could earn an at-large bid if Howard clinches the MEAC title with a win over Morgan State this weekend. 

Austin Peay jumped into the Top 15 after winning eight consecutive games after an 0-2 start to the season. The Governors are 8-1 against FCS competition with the only loss coming Week 1 against Southern Illinois. Florida A&M makes the jump to No. 14 as the Rattlers remain undefeated against FCS opponents. The Rattlers may have a questionable strength of schedule but have defeated six of seven FCS opponents by 10 points or more. 

Idaho drops from No. 3 to No. 6 after an upset loss to Weber State this weekend. The Vandals still have three ranked wins, an FBS win over Nevada, and the No. 7 strength of schedule in the country. Idaho is 2-2 over the last four games after the loss weekend, but the resume is still one of the best in the country. This team needs a win over Idaho State to solidify a top seed in the postseason.

North Dakota State returns to the Top 10 after an impressive 34-10 win over No. 11 Southern Illinois. The Bison lacked a signature win entering this weekend, but earned that ranked win over the Salukis. NDSU is now 7-3 vs. FCS opponents with a ranked win and Top-20 strength of schedule. A win over Northern Iowa next weekend could be enough for the Bison to sneak into the No. 8 seed for the FCS Playoffs. 

A trio of CAA teams, who are all 8-1 vs. FCS opponents, are ranked at No. 8-10. UAlbany has the most impressive resume with two ranked wins, a head-to-head win over Villanova, and the No. 36 strength of schedule. Villanova gets the edge over Delaware for the No. 9 spot, but that will be settled this weekend as the Blue Hens host the Wildcats for the season finale. Villanova has the better strength of schedule and had an impressive 21-0 win over Elon a few weeks ago, while Delaware fell to Elon last weekend. 

FCS Football Recap: Week 11 Takeaways