The DII football regular season is officially in the books. Conference champions were crowned and Ferris State kept winning, leading to just some slight changes in the DII football Power 10 rankings as the selection show nears (you can watch Sunday, Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. ET on krikya18.com).
If you have been paying attention to , you'll notice with CSU Pueblo leaping up yet another spot this week, all four projected No. 1 seeds are in the top 5 of the Power 10. Keep in mind, while that sounds like a no-brainer, it is not always the case with how deep Super Region Two and Three tend to run. In a season like few others, where upsets ran rampant and we had four different No. 1 teams in a span of four weeks, we are truly seeing some dominating football teams this year.
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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. This will also be the final Power 10 rankings until after the championship game.
The DII football Power 10: Week 12
No. 1 Ferris State | Previous: 1. The Bulldogs took down Davenport and improved to 4-1 against teams with a plus-.500 record. They also had a win against Ashland earlier in the season, which may have played its way into the tournament this past Saturday. The Bulldogs have a top-10 scoring defense in DII and despite a lopsided loss on opening day to Pittsburg State, have yet to lose since and are rolling into what should be the first-round bye in Super Region Three.
No. 2 Grand Valley State | Previous: 2. I know I'm higher on the Lakers than the other polls, but the only blemish on their record is a loss to the No. 1 team in DII football. The Lakers went 5-1 against teams with a winning record and similarly to their GLIAC foe, have a top-10 scoring defense. If my bracket projections are correct, the Lakers will have a host seed and home-field advantage for the first couple of rounds. Lubbers Stadium in November is not a fun place for opponents to play.
No. 3 Valdosta State | Previous: 3. The Blazers have played one close football game this entire season, and that was an eight-point victory back on Oct. 12. The Blazers have outscored its opponents 431 to 91 behind a top-5 scoring offense (fifth at 44.8 points per game) and top-5 scoring defense (No. 5 at 9.1 points per game allowed). Defeating Delta State and West Florida by a combined 50 points to close the season was the exclamation point to yet another undefeated regular-season run.
No. 4 Kutztown | Previous: 4. The Golden Bears ran the table in 2024 and their only loss since Sept. 16, 2023, is in the national semifinals. My projections have Kutztown in the No. 1 spot for Super Region One and we should all hope we get a Charleston (WV) vs. Kutztown matchup down the road. That would pit the Golden Bears' No. 2 defense in DII against one of the most explosive offenses in the division. Kutztown goes as far as its defense takes it.
No. 5 CSU Pueblo | Previous: 6. The ThunderWolves won their first RMAC title since 2014. Do you know what happened then? If you guessed the ThunderWolves won the national championship, give yourself a pat on the back. This team is cruising, and even when it faced adversity this past weekend — trailing 21-7 at the half — they showed they had no fear and came storming back with a 24-0 third quarter. This team has plenty of signature wins, the No. 1 scoring offense in the RMAC at 41.7 points, Howard Russell V and Reggie Retzlaff give them two superstars on offense and run an aggressive defense that can turn the tide of a game on a single drive.
No. 6 Harding | Previous: 5. The Bisons ran for 433 yards and seven touchdowns in yet another lopsided victory. They have the top scoring offense and defense in DII football and have run for an absurd 4,174 yards and 53 touchdowns. Their lone loss in the last two seasons was a tightly contested battle a few weeks back against Ouachita Baptist. Super Region Three is a gauntlet, and if my projections are right, Harding will be on the road, so being able to control the tempo and clock with that flexbone offense and stingy defense could get the Bisons back to the semifinals.
No. 7 Charleston (WV) | Previous: 7. While this offense is technically the fifth-best in DII statistically, I think it may very well be the most explosive in DII. Chavon Wright tied the single-season rushing touchdown record with 37 behind a 2,000-yard campaign, but in the last two weeks, quarterback Ean Hamric has been dynamite, throwing for 434 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions, while rushing for two additional scores. If this defense can slow down Kutztown — which the two should very likely meet — they are heading to the semifinals.
No. 8 Central Oklahoma | Previous: 9. So, here's where it gets dicey. The Bronchos lost to Pittsburg State, so in the regional rankings, that gives the Gorillas the edge. However, in the Power 10 rankings, the MIAA champs — the first time the Bronchos have won the MIAA, mind you — have the edge. They defeated an Emporia State team that was in the playoff hunt to close the season and, if Charleston (WV) isn't the best offense in the land, then the Bronchos are. In a tricky Super Region Three, where six of the top seven are right here inside the Power 10, it will be interesting to see how that offense handles some of the best defenses in all DII football.
No. 9 Pittsburg State | Previous: 8. How about the day for Luke Niggemann who had a pair of rushing touchdowns and scored on a blocked punt in the Gorillas 23-7 win over Northwest Missouri State? This team has a lot of balance on both sides of the ball, so don't be fooled if no one stands out statistically because everyone carries the load. If and Pittsburg State has earned another host seed at No. 3, that is a huge advantage for the Gorillas who has won each of its postseason home games in the past two seasons.
No. 10 Ouachita Baptist| Previous: First five out. The Tigers closed the season in the Battle of the Ravine with a much-needed win over Henderson State, eliminating the Reddies' slim hopes of a postseason berth. This spot was close between the Tigers and Western Colorado, but the Tigers are undefeated against teams with a winning record, have a higher strength of schedule, and a higher KPI, so this is a spot where I leaned on the metrics. My projections have the Tigers with a host seed, but we shall see how that plays out.
First five (ish) out (in alphabetical order):
- Augustana (SD): The Vikings lost to Bemidji State, but the Beavers are now a tournament team. It hurts, but not enough to take the Vikings out of the equation.
- UIndy: The Greyhounds are 10-1 and make it seven out of seven for my projected Super Region Three teams in the Power 10 conversation. Finishing the season by scoring at least 52 points in each of their last three games helps.
- Slippery Rock: The Rock rolled Bloomsburg in their finale and are heading to the playoffs yet again. Excluding the PSAC championship game, the Rock has not had more than one loss in the regular season since 2017.
- Western Colorado: The Mountaineers closed the season against Colorado School of Mines, CSU Pueblo, Chadron State and Colorado Mesa — three of which are in the Super Region Four rankings — and went 3-1, proving this team is the real deal.
- Wingate: The Bulldogs avenged their lone loss of the season, defeating Carson-Newman in the SAC championship game and staying in contention for the No. 1 seed in Super Region Two. This defense is insane and allowed just 84 total yards on Saturday.
Just missed: Angelo State, Cal (PA), Central Missouri, Minnesota State, West Alabama.
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