Well, DII football fans can actually breathe a little bit this week. For the first time since Week 7, we have the same No. 1 atop the DII football Power 10 rankings for two consecutive weeks. In fact, after a tumultuous three weeks of massive, ranking-changing upsets and completely new-look Power 10s, this week was relatively stable with many of the top teams winning the games they needed.
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Before we get to the new-look Power 10, remember, these are my rankings. There is no committee or voting body coming up with these teams, just my spreadsheets, notes from coaches and a lot of deep diving into rosters and stats. I try to blend selection committee metrics — like strength of schedule, in-region record and PI — along with what I am seeing for an overall look at the landscape of DII football’s top teams. I try to explain why I make my choices in the article below.
The DII football Power 10: Week 11
No. 1 Ferris State | Previous: 1. Well, the Bulldogs escaped the No. 1 curse... barely. But that speaks to just how good Saginaw Valley State has been this season. Ferris State eked out the 27-24 victory. The Bulldogs aren't out of the woods yet with a pesky Davenport team next week to close the season. Should Ferris State win, the Bulldogs should keep that first-round bye with the No. 1 seed in Super Region Three.
No. 2 Grand Valley State | Previous: 2. The Lakers defense posted its second shutout of the season against a pretty solid Michigan Tech team. They totally dominated this one, holding Alex Fries and company to just 100 yards of total offense. Perhaps the best news for Grand Valley State was that quarterback Avery Moore was back under center and he both threw and rushed for a touchdown. The Lakers should finish the season an impressive 10-1 and cruise to a host seed in Super Region Three.
No. 3 Valdosta State | Previous: 3. The Blazers piled on a nice steady offensive attack, scoring 14 points in each of the first, second and third quarters to blow out Delta State and essentially eliminate the Statesmen from postseason hopes. The 20 points scored by Delta State was just the second time this season a team put up more than 14 points on this Blazers' defense. I think a win against West Florida next weekend to close out the season gets the Blazers to the top of Super Region Two.
No. 4 Kutztown | Previous: 4. Kutztown did what Kutztown does: The defense shut down West Chester in the first half and helped the Golden Bears cruise to a 31-13 victory. This defense — which is No. 2 in DII football — is a huge advantage in Super Region One, and truthfully, the way they have played, right now it looks like only Charleston (WV) can even challenge this unit.
No. 5 Harding | Previous: 5. Braden Jay and Andrew Miller spearheaded the flexbone offense in another blowout win this past Saturday. The two combined for 267 yards rushing with three touchdowns and Jay even completed the only pass for the Bisons, connecting on a 34-yard route with Darius Brown. The Bisons have the best scoring defense in DII football and have not allowed more than 17 points in any game this season. I am wondering if there is a chance we see an Ouachita Baptist/Harding rematch this November.
No. 6 CSU Pueblo | Previous: 6. The Thunderwolves defeated Colorado School of Mines by two scores, all but eliminating the two-time defending national runners-up from postseason contention. The win keeps CSU Pueblo in a tight race for the No. 1 spot in Super Region Four with Augustana (SD). Roman Fuller is the perfect quarterback for this offense — he feeds Reggie Retzlaff (who has had at least 137 yards receiving and one touchdown in three of his last four games) and hardly turns the ball over. In his last two games — which were must-wins against potential playoff teams Western Colorado and the Orediggers — he threw for 705 yards and eight touchdowns while completing 74% of his passes with zero interceptions. If he is clicking now, the Thunderwolves are in great shape.
No. 7 Charleston (WV) | Previous: 7. Stop the presses. Chavon Wright only scored two touchdowns this week. Of course, I kid, two touchdowns is a great week, but simply human for Wright. He now has 33 touchdowns in 10 games, which is four shy of the record set in 14 games. That said, this offense still scored a ton of points, dropping 63 as quarterback Ean Hamric hooked up with Marquan Herron three times for touchdowns. The Golden Eagles — who own a top-10 scoring offense in DII — have a big test in West Virginia State next week.
No. 8 Pittsburg State | Previous: 8. The Gorillas were on a bye, which could hurt their stock in the final regional rankings a tad with improved metrics by others that played, but it doesn't change the fact that this is one of the best teams in DII.
No. 9 Central Oklahoma | Previous: 9. The Bronchos live and die by the nail-biter, and they had another one on Sunday. For the second week in a row, they went down to the wire, fending off Washburn 28-27. Jett Huff and Terrill Davis connected for two more touchdowns (Davis now has 14 on the year) and the defense did just enough to improve to 9-1. And that's really the only concern for the Bronchos: This offense can score on anyone. Can the defense make the one big stop to win the game in Super Region Three?
No. 10 Augustana (SD)| Previous: 10 (tied). The Vikings defeated Sioux Falls in the Key to the City rivalry matchup and clinched at least a share of the NSIC title. That win was even larger when you consider Sioux Falls was in the Super Region Four standings and a playoff team. That keeps the Vikings in contention with CSU Pueblo for the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye. Jarod Epperson continues his resurgence, as he rushed for 202 yards, two touchdowns and continued to be tricky in the passing game, hauling in a 75-yard reception. Over the past five weeks, he has 699 yards rushing, 210 yards receiving and eight touchdowns.
First five (ish) out (in alphabetical order):
- UIndy: With both Emporia State and Saginaw Valley State losing, the Greyhounds — who have scored 111 points in the last two weeks — likely jump into the seven spot in Super Region Three.
- Minnesota State: Believe it or not, the Mavericks are not a sure-fire lock for the postseason just yet. Minnesota Duluth awaits, and the Bulldogs have been tricky for the Mavs, winning two of the last three meetings.
- Ouachita Baptist: The Tigers piled up 55 points and posted their second shutout of the season. They face a must-win against Henderson State in the Battle of the Ravine in a tightly contested Super Region Four.
- Slippery Rock: The Rock keeps winning and should close out the season doing just that against Bloomsburg next week. This is just the second time since 2018 that Slippery Rock isn't playing for the PSAC championship, but they are a lock for the postseason with a win.
- Western Colorado: The Mountaineers won again and improved to 9-1. They aren't completely out of the woods just yet with Colorado Mesa remaining, but even a close loss next weekend should keep the Mountaineers in the bracket.
- Wingate: This Bulldogs' defense has allowed just 37 points over the past six weeks. That includes three shutouts and holding then-No. 12 Lenoir-Rhyne to 10 points — the Bears' lowest output of the season. The Bulldogs get a rematch against Carson-Newman in the SAC championship game this weekend. The last time these two met on Sept. 21, the Bulldogs fell by three in overtime.
Just missed: Angelo State, Cal (PA), Carson-Newman, Central Missouri, West Alabama.
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