Ferris State and Harding entered the 2025 DII football season as No. 1 and No. 2 in the preseason Power 10 rankings. Four months later, that’s exactly where the two finish, never once relinquishing their spots atop the rankings in any of the national polls the entire season.
RECAP: Ferris State wins the 2025 DII football championship | Most titles in DII history
The two faced off in the national championship, and Ferris State did what Ferris State does best. The Bulldogs and Bisons battled in a close first half, but the Bulldogs clamped down and ran away for their fourth title in five years. That helps them become the first 16-win team and first team in the history of the Power 10 rankings to start the season at No. 1 and never move from the slot. Harding, although it fell short of a championship, became the first team to stay at No. 2 for all 17 weeks.
Remember that these are my rankings, where I attempt to combine the selection metrics with what I saw on the field for a ranking that falls somewhere between the national media polls and the regional rankings. It is also important to note that how a team finished in the tournament is not necessarily how they are ranked. With regionalization in DII, many of the best teams don’t get a chance to go far because they have to play a Ferris State or Harding before the semifinals — and therefore cannot be penalized for that. I also relied much less on KPI than I did during the regular season.
The final DII football Power 10 rankings
No. 1 Ferris State | Previous: 1. The Bulldogs are now in the conversation for the greatest dynasty in DII football history. The Northwest Missouri Bearcats of the mid-2000s won four national championships and lost four in a 12-year span. Their rival Grand Valley State won four in five years from 2002-06, and North Alabama had a three-peat. However, these Bulldogs proved this year that they aren't close to slowing down. They lost eight integral pieces in the transfer portal heading into the season (one being Trinidad Chambliss, who led Ole Miss to an FBS playoff victory on the very same day Ferris repeated), and with an array of freshmen and transfers of their own, they put together arguably the most dominant season of any of the previous three national championships. Tony Annese simply doesn't know how to lose.
No. 2 Harding | Previous: 2. Harding losing by three scores to Ferris State does not define its season. This was a team that powered its way through a tough schedule and tougher Super Region Four and never trailed a football game. They were then inexplicably forced to go on the road in the semifinals and utterly dominated the second-best defense in DII football (the Bisons were No. 1). Andrew Miller rewrote program history on the ground. Harding fell 57 yards short of 7,000. That's a record that seems unbreakable... until Paul Simmons finds a way to run for 7,000.
No. 3 Kutztown | Previous: 3. The big news for the Golden Bears was that Judd Novak announced he was returning in 2026, which means I will predict right now that Kutztown is national semifinals bound once again. The Golden Bears will have their Harlon Hill finalist back under center for one more run, and all Novak has done is go 37-5 with two trips to the semifinals in his three seasons at the helm. This defense will continue to dominate a softer Super Region One, and their 2025 numbers speak for themselves. Kutztown is now a national power, and it deserves to be ranked as such.
No. 4 Minnesota State | Previous: NR. Yes, I have the Mavericks this high. Why? They looked like they were slumping heading into the tournament, but once again showed what makes the Mavericks a national power. They defeated UIndy which — by the metrics and eye test — was a power all season, and although they lost, they scored the most points on Ferris State in the tournament. This team went through roster turnover and an injury to a preseason All-American, and at the end of the day, did what they always seem to do: make a deep run in the DII football championship.
No. 5 UT Permian Basin | Previous: NR. The metrics do not do this Falcons team justice. Full stop. Sure, they lost big to Central Washington, which ultimately cost them the Lone Star Conference, but look what they did in the tournament. They dominated No. 3-seeded CSU Pueblo in a 37-24 upset, pulled off that thrilling fourth quarter comeback against Western Colorado and then put the first scare into Harding all season, falling 34-28 and faring far better than even mighty Kutztown did against the Bisons. The Falcons scored points (nearly 40 a game), held opponents in check, and looked utterly dominant before the Central Washington loss and finished out the season the same way. Sometimes, you have to throw out metrics and let the football do the talking, and the Falcons did just that.
No. 6 Newberry | Previous: First five out. Historically speaking, Super Region Two is a championship powerhouse, with Valdosta State and West Florida spending a lot of time in McKinney, Texas the past few years. The Wolves made it out of Super Region Two and made their first-ever trip to the national semifinals, and it was not an easy road. They battled to the wire to upset No. 2 West Florida and then erased a 21-3 deficit against No. 1 Albany State (GA) and that tough defense to advance. Reed Charpia was a Harlon Hill finalist, and the Wolves, as one of the biggest turnarounds of 2025, were one of the best stories of the season.
No. 7 Albany State (GA) | Previous: NR. The Golden Rams had a season to remember. They earned the No. 1 seed in Super Region Two and took down both Valdosta State and then Benedict (for a third time, mind you) to make the super region finals, where victory seemingly disappeared from their grasp to Newberry. They were powered by one of the best defenses in DII, finishing No. 1 in total defense and team passing efficiency defense while having the third-best scoring defense and fourth-best rushing defense in the division. We already know Albany State (GA) will look a lot different next season, but for 2025, the Golden Rams were a force to be reckoned with.
No. 8 UIndy | Previous: 9. This is where is gets dicey, as teams Nos. 8-12 are separated by a hair. And the way super region play is set up, comparing numbers across super regions is not always fair. Here’s what we know. Gavin Sukup, a Harlon Hill trophy finalist, led one of the most potent offenses all season long. The Greyhounds scored 45 or more points in eight of their 11 wins. They were driving for the game-tying score in the tournament until Minnesota State picked it off with seconds remaining to end the Greyhounds' season, so even in defeat, they were right there. The Greyhounds are without question a top-10 team.
No. 9 Pittsburg State | Previous: 6. The Gorillas’ season ended in the second round of the playoffs to Harding, but when you think about it, they really started their playoffs a week earlier in a dominant 27-14 win over Northwest Minnesota State to capture a share of the MIAA title. The Gorillas did what they had to do this year, and after starting 0-2 (including battling Ferris State better than most on opening day), the Gorillas ran off 10 straight wins before losing to Harding… like almost every other team that played the Bisons this season.
No. 10. Central Washington | Previous: 4. I know what people are going to say. How in the world is Western Colorado ranked below Central Washington when the Mountaineers upset the Wildcats in the tournament. Well, it is because you can’t let a single game define a season. Central Washington went undefeated in DII up until that stunning loss, so the metrics blew all the RMAC teams out of the water. The Wildcats also won a tricky Lone Star Conference by defeating three nationally ranked teams along the way. Did that first-round upset sting? Absolutely, but this team was strong all season long.
The next 10 (in alphabetical order)
- Ashland. This was one of the better defenses in DII led by the krikya18.com co-defensive player of the year (more on that in a bit).
- Benedict. The second of two SIAC teams that made it to the second round in a historic tournament for HBCUs. Take away Albany State and the Tigers were undefeated.
- CSU Pueblo. The ThunderWolves were hands down the best team in the RMAC and beat both Western Colorado and Chadron State to prove it. Can they win a tournament game is the big question left to be answered, likely as soon as next year.
- Findlay. The Oilers were a tough defense that had big wins over UIndy and Ashland before running into the buzzsaw that is Minnesota State in the postseason.
- Frostburg State: The Bobcats were impressive from start to finish in a historic season. Taking down Johnson C. Smith and Cal (PA) in the tournament proved they were for real in 2025.
- Johnson C. Smith. The Golden Bulls were stunned in the first round by Frostburg State but turned in a historic season behind a dominating victory over Virginia Union in the CIAA championship.
- Minnesota Duluth. The Bulldogs were in it all year, picking up that early season victory over Minnesota State to help win the NSIC. That Ashland defense found a way to do something not most teams could: stop Kyle Walljasper.
- Northwest Missouri State: The Bearcats made great progress in quick time in 2025, and it’s safe to say they are back. What held them out of the Power 10 was a 3-3 record against winning teams.
- Western Colorado. The Mountaineers had a strong season, but just one win over Chadron State or CSU Pueblo would have helped them crack the top 10, especially after the upset of Central Washington.
- West Florida: I had the Argos as the team to beat in Super Region Two from Day 1. They lost the GSC to Valdosta State and were bumped in the second round by Newberry. Those are two games that needed to be won to be in the top 10.
The final 10 (in alphabetical order: Cal (PA), Carson-Newman, Chadron State, Delta State, Grand Valley State, MSU Moorhead, Northeastern State, Valdosta State, Virginia Union, Wingate
Offensive player of the year: Curtis Allen, Virginia Union
Allen was the first running back to win the Harlon Hill Trophy in a decade, so that alone tells you how strong his season was. He was the first player in CIAA and DII HBCU history to win the award and was unstoppable for the entire season. He ran for at least 108 yards in every game and scored multiple touchdowns in 12 of his 14 games while scoring at least once in all 14 games. He finished second in college football with 2,409 yards and first with 30 touchdowns. It was one of the most dominating seasons we've ever seen.
Co-defensive player of the year: Justin Payoute, Ferris State, and Michael Shimek, Ashland
Payoute anchored the secondary for Ferris State and was a ball hawk, especially down the stretch. He led DII with nine interceptions and was an unstoppable force in the tournament, recording two interceptions in both the quarterfinals and semifinals. Shimek led DII with 17.5 sacks. His consistent pressure helped the Eagles become, statistically speaking, one of the best defenses in DII, finishing No. 4 in total defense and No. 9 in scoring defense.
Co-freshman of the year: Noah Dobert, Northern Michigan, and Jeffery Jones, New Mexico Highlands
How do you separate these two fabulous freshmen? Jones finished third in DII in rushing with 1,723 yards, while Dobert was right behind him in fourth with 1,656 yards. They tied for 14th in DII with 15 touchdowns apiece. They both had three games surpassing 200 yards, with Jones’ best game totaling 385 yards and four touchdowns, while Dobert’s best game was 407 yards and four touchdowns. It’s fun when you get a breakthrough rookie running back, but it was a gift to have two explode on the scene like this.
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