Ferris State tops the final DII football Power 10 rankings of 2024

It's all over. For the third time in four years, the Ferris State Bulldogs not only won the national championship, but utterly dominated it. The win puts the Bulldogs atop the final DII football Power 10 rankings to end the season. 

DII FOOTBALL CENTRAL 

🏈 How the tournament was won
🏈 Harlon Hill winner and history

Here's your final reminder of 2024: 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 we saw 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. It is also very important to note that where a team finished in the tournament does not necessarily reflect where they will rank.

The final DII football Power 10 of 2024

No. 1 Ferris State | Previous: 1. What can we say about the Bulldogs? They lost their first game of the year to a Power 10 team and they lost one of their quarterbacks a week later —  a quarterback that accounted for 60 touchdowns in two seasons before the injury. Somehow, they got better each and every week of the season, especially considering the number of plus-.500 teams they played beginning in mid-October and concluding with Valdosta State.

They were arguably at their best in the tournament, defeating four top 10 teams by scores of 120 total points. Wrap your brain around that: Ferris State's average margin of victory in the DII football championship was 30 points per game against four teams you are about to read about. Pencil in the Bulldogs as your preseason No. 1 and a prime contender for a repeat run, especially if Carson Gulker is healthy and Harlon Hill Trophy finalist Trinidad Chambliss are both back under center. 

No. 2 Valdosta State | Previous: 3. The Blazers did what everyone else did in the playoffs... struggled against Ferris State. That doesn't take away what they accomplished this season. They were the last undefeated team standing, and if you look at their schedule, their playoffs started way back on Nov. 9, two weeks before the end of the regular season. They downed Delta State by 29 and West Florida by 21 to close the regular season and then Miles by 16, Virginia Union by 35 and Minnesota State by 14 once the tournament began Those are all really good football teams. So was Valdosta State. Sammy Edwards was sensational once again in another Harlon Hill Trophy finalist campaign and the running game came alive in the playoffs.

No. 3 Harding | Previous: 6. I get that this won't sit well with people, but Harding defended its title admirably and though the Bisons were on the wrong side of a lopsided Super Region Three championship, they utterly dominated Pittsburg State and Grand Valley State to get there. The Gorillas and Lakers were in the Power 10 all season — in fact, both reached No. 1 at one point — and Harding won those games by a combined 63 points. To judge the Bison's season on one game against that Ferris State buzzsaw is unwise. 

No. 4 Slippery Rock | Previous: First five out. The Rock rolled to the semifinals, and they upset No. 1 Kutztown and No. 3 Cal (PA) to do it. They then had Ferris State on the ropes until falling in that fourth-quarter comeback. The Rock put up 38 points on Ferris State — 14 more than anyone else scored on the Bulldogs this season — so between the upsets and the impressive showing for three-quarters of the semifinals, The Rock showed they can play with anyone in the division.

No. 5 Grand Valley State | Previous: 2. I can see people thinking this is high for the Lakers, but I would argue they could slot in as high as No. 4. So, why here? For starters, the Lakers ended the regular season with the third-highest KPI. If you favor , the Lakers were No. 1 in Super Region Three... even over Ferris State (the seeding was obviously decided by the head-to-head). Now, Pittsburg State had a slightly higher SoS, but I give the Lakers the edge there by getting to the second round and keeping the score slightly closer against that same Harding team. Were the Lakers as strong as in years past? Maybe not... but I liken them to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs aren't playing their best football, but they are winning games and playoff-bound per usual. You just can't mess with the Lakers' recipe. 

No.  6 Pittsburg State | Previous: 9. The Gorillas were solid all season long, with wins over Ferris State and Central Oklahoma — both of which found their way into these final Power 10 rankings. The Gorillas had the third toughest SoS in DII and still went 8-3. Did the season end the right way? Of course not, but Harding was also rolling for pretty much the whole season. This team was plenty good on both sides of the ball.

No. 7 Kutztown | Previous: 4. There is no denying that Kutztown was a strong ball club this year. The Golden Bears rolled through the PSAC East undefeated (again) and entered the second round a perfect 11-0. Last year, they ended Slippery Rock's season, but this year, The Rock got their revenge. This was one of the best defenses in DII football from start to finish — and over the past two seasons, if we're being honest. The inconsistencies in their offense is why they fell four spots. 

No. 8 CSU Pueblo | Previous: 5. I get it — the ThunderWolves lost their lone playoff game, but let's not kid ourselves. That was a tightly fought contest until the cardiac kids of Minnesota State walked it off (or kicked it off, as the case may be). This team handled nationally ranked and regionally ranked competition all season long, and their only regular-season loss was by a field goal to Grand Valley State. CSU Pueblo may have not made it to the Super Region Four championship, but it was a strong contender all year.

No. 9 Minnesota State| Previous: Just missed. You know what gets the Mavericks this high? Part of it is that they played the toughest schedule in DII football and made it to the semifinals. The other half is how they won those tournament games on the way to the semifinals. They also put up the second most points on this stout Blazers' defense all season. I don't care that they had four losses, this was a weird year where we had just two undefeated teams for pretty much the last quarter of the season. This team was resilient and didn't shy away from the spotlight. Matthew Jaeger is probably a Mankato folk hero now. 

No. 10 Central Oklahoma | Previous: 8. If the Bronchos didn't let up 78 points in the second round, they would probably be a bit higher. That was really the Bronchos Achilles this season, as the defense allowed a ton of points. Fortunately, this was one of the best — and at the very least, most explosive — offenses in DII, often able to get the last score and secure the win. That didn't work against Ferris State... but to be fair, it didn't work for many against Ferris State.

The next 10 (in alphabetical order): This spot is typically reserved for "the first five out," but with the season coming to a close, I wanted to be sure to shine light on the many deserving teams. What separated teams 13-20 was so marginal, I doubled up for the finale.

• Ashland: The Eagles played one of the toughest schedules in DII and were seconds away from making their first-ever trip to the quarterfinals. This team had it.
• Bemidji State: There is something to be said about what is happening in Beaver Country. Four straight years to the tournament, each one of those years winning their first-round game, and this year — even after losing Harlon Hill Trophy candidates, mind you — finally won that elusive second-round game. The Beavers have built a perennial top-25 team and are deserving of the lofty ranking. 
• Cal (PA): The Vulcans played the second toughest SoS in DII and simply ran into a Slippery Rock team that seemed destined for the semifinals. Let's not forget, they also beat Slippery Rock 28-7 earlier in the season. 
• Central Missouri: The Mules finished strong, winners of six straight including victories over Pittsburg State, Emporia State and the Heritage Bowl win over UT Permian Basin. Zach Zebrowski was the best quarterback in the division again. This team was way better than the three losses may indicate. 
• Charleston (WV): The Golden Eagles had Chavon Wright run to historic numbers, but a first-round loss saw them slip out of the top 10. Still, this team put up big numbers all season in dominating the MEC. 
• Miles: The Golden Bears started 0-1 against DII competition and then rolled the SIAC, being one of the more exciting defenses to watch and leading DII in turnovers gained. They made program history by winning their first tournament game as well. 
• Ouachita Baptist: When your resume has a win against Harding, you had a great season. The Tigers were either No. 11 or 12 if I ranked this portion numerically as they had the fifth-best performance index in Super Region Three per Inkblot Sports. 
• Virginia Union: It was a historic season for the Panthers as they won not only their first playoff game, but also their second. Jada Byers was one of the best running backs in DII, and after their third straight appearance in the tournament, it's clear Dr. Alvin Parker has a quality program.
• West Alabama: The Tigers were one of the teams I saw up close and personal this season, and they were well-rounded on both sides of the ball. I would have loved to see what would have happened if that Valdosta State game wasn't canceled. 
• Western Colorado: The Mountaineers were solid all season, and when your only two losses are against CSU Pueblo and Bemidji State, you did just fine. Quarterback Drew Nash improved in every aspect of his game, and if he's back, will be one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in DII next year. 
• Wingate: This defense was filthy all year long. The Bulldogs also had the top KPI in DII and the top PI in Super Region Two over Valdosta State. You could argue I have them too low despite that playoff loss and I would be all ears. 

The best of the rest: Angelo State, Augustana (SD), Carson-Newman, Central Washington, East Stroudsburg, Fort Hays State, UIndy, Lenoir-Rhyne, New Haven, Wingate