Week 3 was an exciting one for the FCS, as North Dakota State defeated then-No. 15 Iowa 23-21. In addition, No. 2 Richmond and No. 5 Illinois State were upset this weekend, losing to Stony Brook and Eastern Illinois, respectively.
Will these games impact this week’s FCS Top 10 poll? Check out the results below to find out.
| Rank | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota State (4) | 40 |
| 2 | Eastern Washington | 35 |
| 3 | Montana | 28 |
| 4 | Sam Houston State | 21 |
| 5 | Jacksonville State | 15 |
| 6 | Chattanooga | 11 |
| tie | Northern Iowa | 11 |
| 8 | James Madison | 9 |
| 9 | Albany | 8 |
| 10 | Charleston Southern | 7 |
| Tie | Richmond | 7 |
| Tie | Illinois State | 7 |
| Others receiving votes: Eastern Illinois 4, Western Illinois 4, Stony Brook 4, Harvard 4, Villanova 3, William and Mary 2 | ||
| Voters: Kevin Causey, Bart Doan, Terry Johnson, Hokiesmash from allsportsdiscussion.com | ||
Notes and Observations
- As always, remember these standings are fluid, and will change from week-to-week.
- North Dakota State received all four first-place votes this weekend after upsetting the Iowa Hawkeyes on the road. As Bart Doan pointed out, the Bison are 6-0 against the FBS since 2010.
- Quality wins are important to our panel, which is why Eastern Washington is listed at No. 2 in this week’s poll. If you missed the gutsy play call that led to the Eagles’ victory over Northern Iowa, be sure to check it out.
- The last bullet point also explains why Richmond and Illinois State remain in our rankings this week. Sure, both teams lost this weekend, but since each owns a victory over an FBS opponent, they’ve earned the right to remain in the top 10… for now.
- Chattanooga made the biggest move this week, jumping from No. 10 to No. 6. However, our voters are still split on Mocs, as they didn’t appear in the top 10 on two ballots.
- While our panel agreed on the top four teams, there were differing opinions on teams 5-10, with fourteen different squads receiving consideration. Expect that trend to continue throughout the season since there are so many solid teams.
