No. 5 and No. 10 lost. Two of the "first five out" teams also lost. Welcome to another week in the rollercoaster ride that is the 2025 DII football Power 10 rankings.
This week, UT Permian Basin continues its ascent up the Power 10 mountain with a statement 28-14 victory over then-No. 5 Angelo State. Cal (PA) was upset by Seton Hill, held to under 300 total yards without its star running back as the Griffons reeled off 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter for the big win. That means â although Ferris State and Harding remain locked in at the top â there was a shakeup in the Power 10 rankings this week.
DII football 101: Week 4 Power 10 | Player of the year watchlist | DII in the NFL
Remember, there is no voting committee for the Power 10 rankings. It is just me, my spreadsheets, and endless notes from coaches and other media members. It is an attempt to combine the coaches/media national polls with regional rankings that are based on metrics KPI, strength of schedule and common opponents, just to name a few.
The DII football Power 10: Week 5
No. 1 Ferris State | Previous: 1. The Bulldogs have won their past two games by a combined score of 143-0. It doesnât matter the competition, thatâs flat out impressive. Wyatt Bower has been nothing short of sensational (more on him in a few) and this defense is clicking; it doesnât seem like there is a game left on the schedule that Ferris State wonât plow through.
No. 2 Harding | Previous: 2. After Saturdayâs 65-0 thumping of East Central, the Bisons have outscored their opponents 224-26 through five games. They are averaging 430.8 rushing yards per game, which is tops in all divisions by more than 60 yards. Like Ferris State, there isnât a team remaining on Hardingâs schedule that the Bisons shouldnât beat.
No. 3 Kutztown | Previous: 4. The Golden Bears jump a spot after posting their second shutout of the season, dominating Shippensburg to a 49-0 victory. Judd Novak threw for three touchdowns, Steven Burhardt ran for 146 yards and two touchdowns and the defense scored yet again on a Michael LeMay 49-yard pick-six. This defense has allowed 31 points through five games and should control the tempo against Lock Haven next week.
No. 4 West Florida | Previous: 3. West Florida improved to 5-0 against Northeastern State. Marcus Stokes was on fire, completing 70 percent of his passes for 332 yards and four touchdowns. Harlon Hill hopeful Corey Scott had another nice game, catching nine passes for 96 yards. So, why do the Argos fall? Simply put, they beat Northeastern State 31-24 and this was a team they should have blown out.
No. 5 Minnesota Duluth | Previous: 7. The Bulldogs are just routing their opponents. Since their 17-14 upset of Minnesota State on Sept. 13, they have blown teams out in each of the past three weekends by at least two scores. This week, they dropped 63 points on 1-4 Southwest Minnesota State, which is exactly how a top 5 team should dominate. , and that is impressive enough a statement to jump into the top 5.
No. 6 UT Permian Basin | Previous: 9. The Falcons are off to the best start in program history after their minor upset over Angelo State on Saturday. They have now defeated a pair of teams that were in the top five when they played them, upsetting No. 5 Central Oklahoma on opening weekend. Quarterback Kanon Gibson is a gamer, and although he threw his first two interceptions of the season, he found a way to win by scoring three touchdowns on the ground. The Lone Star Conference is on the line in next week's showdown against Central Washington.
No. 7 Western Colorado | Previous: 6. There are two ways to look at this spot for the Mountaineers. They are appropriately ranked because they have pummeled the opposition to a 5-0 start outscoring those five teams 210-60 along the way. Or, you can say they may be a spot or two too high because they have done it against one of the softer strength of schedules in the top 25. I choose the former, because this is the team to beat in the RMAC, and being able to punch your ticket to the tournament with an automatic bid in the loaded Super Region Four says a lot.
No. 8 Pittsburg State | Previous: 8. Speaking of Super Region Four, the Gorillas are back on track and improved to 4-2 after defeating Nebraska-Kearney 23-6. That was the fifth game the Gorillas have played against a team receiving at least a few votes in the AFCA coaches poll and they are 3-2 in those matchups. If we are being honest, if the Gorillas were to play Central Oklahoma again â which they lost to by three on Sept. 16 â I think they win, and win big. What this team has done against a tough schedule is pretty remarkable.
No. 9 Angelo State | Previous: 5. The Rams may be penalized further in the national polls, but I still think they get another week in the top 10. They still have a pretty tough strength of schedule and are 4-1 to show for it. The have very favorable schedule over the next three weeks before their Nov. 1 showdown with Central Washington.
No. 10 Central Washington | Previous: First five out. For the record, this spot was very close. Minnesota State was also considered here. The Wildcats have yet to play a team with a winning record, but you can only play the schedule you are given. That said, they are absolutely thrashing the opposition, having scored 52, 91 and 58 over the past three weekends (yes, that said 91). This is the first real DII test of the season as they head to Odessa for a showdown with UTPB. We'll see if this pick is wearing high-scoring-colored glasses or if the Wildcats are the real deal.
The first five out (in alphabetical order)
- Augustana (SD): The Vikings played their first opponent with a winning record and barely eked out a victory, sneaking past Sioux Falls 29-28 with a last-minute touchdown. That is what kept the 6-0 Vikings out of the top 10.
- CSU Pueblo: Your weekly reminder that the ThunderWolves are a blocked extra point away from a 6-0 record and that is the only thing keeping them out of the top 10. Reggie Retzlaff and Roman Fuller are good at football.
- Grand Valley State: You may have forgotten that the Lakers play football with two-straight off weeks, but Davenport was quickly reminded that they do. GVSU returned to action with an impressive 37-14 victory.
- Minnesota State: Minus the 17-14 loss to now-No. 5 Minnesota Duluth, the Mavericks have been tough to beat. They have three very winnable games in a row before their Nov. 8 matchup with Augustana (SD).
- Virginia Union: Curtis Allen is a superstar, and the Panthers look to be in the driver's seat in the CIAA. They have a big top 25 win over Johnson C. Smith and the 44-34 victory over Winston-Salem State on Saturday was tremendous in the CIAA standings.
Player of the week
Offensive player of the week: Curtis Allen, Virginia Union. JayJay Jordan (247 rush yards, three touchdowns) could have earned this week's honors had Slippery Rock won. However, Panthers head coach Alvin Parker is a running back whisperer, and he's got the latest and greatest in Allen. This is the second-straight week Allen gets the nod, rushing for 249 yards and four touchdowns in a must-win situation against Winston-Salem State. He has run for 527 yards and six touchdowns in the past two weeks and should feast on Elizabeth City State's rushing defense next week that allows 175.0 yards per game on the ground.
Defensive player of the week: Delta State defense. This may be a little bit of a cop out, selecting an entire unit, but this squad hasn't allowed a touchdown in 10 straight quarters. This week, they posted their second-consecutive shutout, recorded a safety, three sacks, a fumble recovery, two interceptions and held Barton to 114 total yards of offense. This team is cooking.
Freshman of the week: Wyatt Bower, Ferris State. Ferris State entered the half up 42-0, and Bower was responsible for every score. In the first half he rushed for a touchdown and completed 75 percent of his passes for 327 yards and five touchdowns, including a 63-yard bomb to his twin brother Tarick. The Bulldogs are rolling, and Bower is just the latest in a long line of successful DII quarterbacks.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCAA or its member institutions.
