Since the FCS has decided to make things interesting by beating a total of six FBS teams so far this year, we're producing an FCS Top 25 for the first time. The interesting questions are: how will those six teams do this year? Does beating an FCS team insure a strong season?
Here are the first three rankings of the year, starting with the pre-season poll which is nothing more than a listing of the top 25 FCS teams from the Strength Power Rating of 2009.
2010 SportsRatings FCS pre-season rankings
1. Villanova
2. William & Mary
3. Northern Iowa
4. Richmond
5. Southern Illinois
6. Elon
7. Montana
8. Jacksonville St
9. South Dakota St
10. Appalachian St
11. New Hampshire
12. James Madison
13. Delaware
14. Weber St
15. Liberty
16. Massachusetts
17. Eastern Washington
18. Pennsylvania
19. Northern Arizona
20. South Carolina St
21. Maine
22. Furman
23. Stephen F. Austin
24. Youngstown St
25. Southern Utah
Most of the teams in the pre-season ranking match up with those in the FCS pre-season coaches' poll. There are a few surprises and some obvious places where one can tell that due dilligence hasn't been done (Northern Iowa lost most of its offense this year and should be downgraded from #3), but that shouldn't matter over the long haul. This is just used as a starting point.
2010 SportsRatings FCS rankings after Week One
lw rnk Team rec important games
8 1. Jacksonville St 1-0 [email protected] 49-48
1 2. Villanova 0-1 [email protected] 31-24
3 3. Northern Iowa 0-0
5 4. Southern Illinois 1-0
4 5. Richmond 0-1 [email protected] 34-13
7 6. Montana 1-0
6 7. Elon 0-1 [email protected] 41-27
16 8. Massachusetts 1-0 wWMary 27-23
9 9. South Dakota St 0-0
10 10. Appalachian St 1-0
11 11. New Hampshire 1-0
12 12. James Madison 1-0
13 13. Delaware 1-0
15 14. Liberty 1-0
14 15. Weber St 0-1 [email protected] 38-20
2 16. William & Mary 0-1 [email protected] 27-23
19 17. Northern Arizona 1-0
18 18. Pennsylvania 0-0
17 19. Eastern Washington 0-1 [email protected] 49-24
-- 20. North Dakota St 1-0 [email protected] 6-3
20 21. South Carolina St 0-1 [email protected] 41-10
22 22. Furman 0-0
-- 23. Albany 1-0 [email protected] 3-0
23 24. Stephen F. Austin 0-1 [email protected] 48-7
24 25. Youngstown St 0-1 [email protected] 44-14
out:
25 -- Southern Utah 0-1 [email protected] 28-20
21 -- Maine 0-1 L Albany 3-0
Villanova nearly beat Temple but fell, while at the same time Jacksonville State famously upset Mississippi. That's enough for us to crown a new #1 early in the season. The other upset winner, North Dakota State, didn't register in the opening poll and Kansas ranked a lot lower pre-season than Ole Miss, but the Bison rumble in at #20. In general teams that lose to an FBS squad fall a notch.
The big intra-top-25 matchup saw Massachusetts beat former #2 William & Mary, vaulting the Minutemen into the top ten and dropping the Tribe to #16.
2010 SportsRatings FCS rankings after Week Two
lw rnk Team rec important games
12 1. James Madison 2-0 [email protected] 21-16
1 2. Jacksonville St 2-0 [email protected] 49-48
2 3. Villanova 1-1 [email protected] 31-24
3 4. Northern Iowa 1-0 wNDakotaSt 16-9
5 5. Richmond 0-1 [email protected] 34-13
4 6. Southern Illinois 1-1 [email protected] 35-3
7 7. Elon 1-1 [email protected] 41-27
8 8. Massachusetts 2-0 wWMary 27-23
13 9. Delaware 2-0 wSDakotaSt 26-3
10 10. Appalachian St 2-0
14 11. Liberty 2-0 [email protected] 27-23
11 12. New Hampshire 1-1 [email protected] 38-16
-- 13. Cal Poly 2-0 wMontana 35-33
9 14. South Dakota St 0-1 [email protected] 26-3
16 15. William & Mary 1-1 [email protected] 27-23
15 16. Weber St 1-1 [email protected] 38-20
17 17. Northern Arizona 1-1 [email protected] 41-20
18 18. Pennsylvania 0-0
6 19. Montana 1-1 [email protected] 35-33
19 20. Eastern Washington 1-1 [email protected] 49-24
21 21. South Carolina St 1-1 [email protected] 41-10
22 22. Furman 1-0
24 23. Stephen F. Austin 1-1 [email protected] 48-7; wAlbany 59-14
25 24. Youngstown St 1-1 [email protected] 44-14
20 25t North Dakota St 1-1 [email protected] 16-9; [email protected] 6-3
-- 25t South Dakota 1-1 [email protected] 38-7; [email protected] 41-38
-- 25t Gardner-Webb 2-0 [email protected] 38-37ot
out:
23 -- Albany 1-1 [email protected] 59-14
And after week two, we couldn't ignore James Madison's win over a pre-season top ten Hokie squad. Regardless of the conditions (following a huge Hokie loss, playing again in just 5 days) it's a win on par with Appalachian State's victory over Michigan. I have no problem putting the Dukes #1, making them the third different #1 in three weeks.
#2 Jacksonville State struggled with Tennessee-Chattanooga beating them just 21-17. That's not surprising since it follows their huge win over Mississippi. Also, Chattanooga took #10 Appalachian State to the wire in week one, 42-41, as the Mountaineers rallied from a 35-14 fourth-quarter deficit. The Mocs get the designation as the best 0-2 FCS teams and if they continue to play this well they'll be in the rankings at some point.
In play between FCS top 25 teams, Delaware moves into the top 10 after convincingly beating former #9 South Dakota State 26-3, while Cal Poly tripped up former #6 Montana 35-33 and enters at #13. Stephen F. Austin crushed Albany 59-14, sending the Great Danes out of the rankings. They had defeated Maine last week to enter.
Other than James Madison, three other teams beat FBS opponents. Liberty moves up to #11 for edging lowly FBS team Ball State, while South Dakota and Gardner-Webb both enter due to narrow wins over Minnesota and Akron respectively. They create a three-way tie at #25 between teams who won games with the FBS including North Dakota State who beat Kansas last week but were upended by #3 Northern Iowa last Saturday.
UMASS is beating UMich 10-3 in Q2!!
Beating Williams and Mary and Michigan? I want to see THEM at #1 next week if they hold on
Posted by: minutemen #1 | September 18, 2010 at 11:55 AM
It was never 10-3 it was 10-7 and then 17-7 UMass. Now its 17-14 at the half.
UM will dominate the second half but you keep dreaming
Posted by: shoelace for heisman | September 18, 2010 at 12:28 PM
HA! I spoke too soon. Another drive right before the half, another TD and UM is UP 21-17 at halftime.
Posted by: shoelace for heisman | September 18, 2010 at 12:33 PM