FCS Polls

[bigticket1]

I've read...cannot remember where but I'm looking for the source...that the FCS playoffs selection/seeding committee will not use the polls to determine seeding. They will be using a combination of sources including the Massey rating and a couple others (and, except for Massey, I know nothing about them). So I decided to check Massey. Here's the top 15-rated FCS teams by Massey as of 10/27/24:

1. NDSU
2. SDSU
3. Montana State
4. USD
5. UC Davis
6. Montana
7. Idaho
8. Missouri State
9. UND
10. Delaware
11. SE Missouri State
12. Incarnate Word
13. Tarleton State
14. Villanova
15. Mercer

I personally think USD should be in the top four. The two polls published on NCAA.com which I posted above, both moved UC Davis ahead of USD and from what I've read about UC Davis, they're good but probably not as good as the top four MVFC teams. USD belongs in the top four (and an argument could be made at this point in the season, that anything could happen in matchups between any of the top four MVFC teams).

As West River Jack noted, UC Davis will get tested in upcoming games against Montana and Montana State. (I reserve the right to revise my opinion after seeing those results!)

It will be interesting to see what happens to Montana. I think the Griz have figured it out and they're a dangerous team coach by a wily guy who cannot be overlooked. Nov 23 is the date set for the annual "Brawl"...this year the Griz travel to the Bobcats for the annual grudge match.

The remainder of the season for the top FCS teams will be fun to watch.

One of their other two that the committee can use is the KPI system, which I've never heard of. And that's probably because they have Dartmouth, Rhode Island and Drake rated at 2, 3 and 4 behind NDSU, with the Jacks at 5.

[JackJD]

One of their other two that the committee can use is the KPI system, which I've never heard of. And that's probably because they have Dartmouth, Rhode Island and Drake rated at 2, 3 and 4 behind NDSU, with the Jacks at 5.

I recall seeing that in the article I read. Dartmouth? Rhode Island? DRAKE? If a MVFC team failed to beat Drale by more than 50 points, something is terribly wrong.

[filbert]

I recall seeing that in the article I read. Dartmouth? Rhode Island? DRAKE? If a MVFC team failed to beat Drale by more than 50 points, something is terribly wrong.

Does anybody have a link to this KPI thing? Did anyone even hear about it before just now?

[filbert]

Does anybody have a link to this KPI thing? Did anyone even hear about it before just now?

Okay, found them, I guess.

https://faktorsports.com

I have comments. Most of them would get me banned from this site, and I OWN the damn site.

[bigticket1]

I recall seeing that in the article I read. Dartmouth? Rhode Island? DRAKE? If a MVFC team failed to beat Drale by more than 50 points, something is terribly wrong.

The KPI has Drake at 4 and JSD at 11. The Yotes beat Drake 42-3 in September.

[NorCalJack]

Sam Herder's predictions on seeding. Interesting read. Lots of football left to be played so things will change, we shall see.

https://herosports.com/fcs-football-...ctions-3-bzbz/

[Jackrabbit2012]

Sam Herder's predictions on seeding. Interesting read. Lots of football left to be played so things will change, we shall see.

https://herosports.com/fcs-football-...ctions-3-bzbz/

I like this bracket where we avoid USD, Idaho, and Montana in the quarterfinals.

[Prairiehaas]

Okay, found them, I guess.

https://faktorsports.com

I have comments. Most of them would get me banned from this site, and I OWN the damn site.

Obviously names in a hat or a dart board were not used to set these rankings. The KPI rankings in no way pass the eyeball test nor reflect any reasonable power ranking. This looks like an unfinished project. It would be very interesting to see what formula was used to calculate KPI.

[jbjack]

Futures still think the Jacks are #1:

https://x.com/SamHerderFCS/status/1852053903635796328

[JackJD]

SAGARIN’s computer analysis, through 11/2/24 games, continues to rank the Jacks as the #1 FCS team (#48 overall in NCAA Division 1).

This season's Big 4 in FCS, SDSU, NDSU, Montana State and USD, remain the top 4 FCS teams after Sagarin’s computer crunched the numbers. A couple observations:
--USD moves up two places after a bye weekend. Good work if you can get it. Looks like the Portland State Covid cancellation isn't being held against the Coyotes by Sagarin's computer (and it shouldn't...Yotes went ready to play and very likely would have notched a comfortbable win).
--(Picture Montana Coach Bobby Hauck in Jack Nicholson's role in The Shining: "I'm back!!") Montana returns to the top 100 overall, slipping in to 99, familiar Sagarin territory for the Griz. Teams remaining on the Griz schedule better bring Bear Repellant…talking to you, UC Davis and maybe even you, Montana State.

Here is the listing of the top 10 FCS football teams according to Sagarin this week. http://sagarin.com/sports/cfsend.htm

Columns, left to right, are: Current Sagarin D1 rank; School; last week’s Sagarin D1 rank.
48 SDSU (45)
54 NDSU (47)
71 Montana State (73)
75 USD (77)
99 Montana (106)
103 UC Davis (115)
110 Missouri State (113)
117 Incarnate Word (116)
121 UND (112)
122 Tennessee Martin (121)

Warning to lesser beings: As the season is in the final approach to playoffs, the wisdom of the Sagarin algorithm emerges. With the team keeping its focus on the "Last Play" mantra, nobody dare count out the Jackrabbits!

[JackJD]

Here's the Stats Perform Poll from NCAA.com, released 11/4/24. As of this post, the FCS Coaches poll hasn't been updated.

1	North Dakota State (43)	9-1	1387	1
2	Montana State (13)	9-0	1352	2
3	South Dakota State	7-2	1288	3
4	UC Davis	8-1	1213	4
5	South Dakota	6-2	1157	5
6	Southeast Missouri	8-1	1107	6
7	Montana	7-2	1009	8
8	UIW	7-2	950	9
9	Idaho	6-3	930	10
10	Mercer	8-1	929	12
11	Rhode Island	8-1	829	14
12	Villanova	7-2	799	13
13	Richmond	7-2	683	16
14	Tarleton State	7-2	680	7
15	Abilene Chrstian	6-3	650	17
16	Central Arkansas	6-3	447	11
17	Stony Brook	7-2	444	20
18	Illinois State	6-3	411	21
19	UT Martin	6-3	349	NR
20	William & Mary	6-3	290	24
21	North Dakota	5-4	246	15
22	Western Carolina	5-4	160	24
23	Chattanooga	5-4	158	18
24	Harvard	6-1	153	NR
25	Duquesne	6-2	102	NR

Others Receiving Votes (schools listed on two or more ballots): Jackson State (7-2, 5-0 SWAC), 89; North Carolina Central (6-3, 2-1 MEAC), 74; ETSU (5-4, 3-2 SoCon), 61; Northern Arizona (5-4, 3-2 Big Sky), 55; Stephen F. Austin (6-3, 4-2 Southland), 54; South Carolina State (6-2, 2-0 MEAC), 48; Dartmouth (6-1, 3-1 Ivy), 37; Drake (6-1, 5-0 Pioneer), 28; Southeastern Louisiana (5-5, 4-1 Southland), 13; Tennessee State (6-3, 3-2 Big South-OVC), 12; Southern Utah (4-5, 3-2 UAC), 3

[JackJD]

Here's the FCS Coaches Poll through 11/3/24, available on NCAA.com:

1	North Dakota State (24)	9-1	648	1
2	Montana State (2)	9-0	622	2
3	South Dakota State	7-2	599	3
4	UC Davis	8-1	568	4
5	South Dakota	6-2	523	5
6	Southeast Missouri State	8-1	493	6
7	Montana	7-2	484	8
8	UIW	7-2	452	10
9	Richmond	7-2	411	12
10	Rhode Island	8-1	372	14
11	Villanova	7-2	368	13
12	Idaho	6-3	357	11
13	Mercer	8-1	348	16
14	Tarleton State	7-2	320	7
15	Missouri State	7-2	274	17
16	ACU	6-3	249	18
17	Illinois State	6-3	224	19
18	Stony Brook	7-2	202	20
19	Central Arkansas	6-3	201	9
20	Jackson State	7-2	144	23
21	William & Mary	6-3	134	24
22	UT Martin	6-3	99	NR
23	North Dakota	5-4	83	15
24	Duquesne	6-2	71	NR
25	Harvard	6-1	27	NR

Others Receiving Votes: South Carolina St., 23; North Carolina Central, 22; Dartmouth, 18; Butler, 16; Stephen F. Austin, 15; Florida A&M, 14; Austin Peay, 11; Drake, 11; Columbia, 9; Western Carolina, 9; Chattanooga, 7; Northern Arizona, 7; Robert Morris, 6; Tennessee St., 4; Indiana St., 3; Lamar, 1; Southeastern Louisiana, 1.

[JackJD]

It's been noted in prior posts in this thread, that the selection committee will be using Massey rating in addition to other sources, to assist in setting up the brackets, rankings etc. for FCS playoffs. Here's the Massey FCS rankings after this past weekend's games. NDSU and SDSU still 1 and 2 in the Massey rankings and that's important.

Here's the top 15 ranked FCS teams according to Massey's computer...this ranking made after the 11/2/24 games. to read more, here's the link: https://masseyratings.com/cf2024/fcs/ratings

Here's the top 15-rated FCS teams by Massey as of 10/27/24:

1. NDSU
2. SDSU
3. Montana State
4. USD
5. UC Davis
6. Montana
7. Idaho
8. Missouri State
9. Mercer
10. Delaware
11. Villanova
12. SE Missouri State
13. Rhode Island
14. Incarnate Word
15. North Dakota

[Prairiehaas]

SAGARIN’s computer analysis, through 11/2/24 games, continues to rank the Jacks as the #1 FCS team (#48 overall in NCAA Division 1).

This season's Big 4 in FCS, SDSU, NDSU, Montana State and USD, remain the top 4 FCS teams after Sagarin’s computer crunched the numbers. A couple observations:
--USD moves up two places after a bye weekend. Good work if you can get it. Looks like the Portland State Covid cancellation isn't being held against the Coyotes by Sagarin's computer (and it shouldn't...Yotes went ready to play and very likely would have notched a comfortbable win).
--(Picture Montana Coach Bobby Hauck in Jack Nicholson's role in The Shining: "I'm back!!") Montana returns to the top 100 overall, slipping in to 99, familiar Sagarin territory for the Griz. Teams remaining on the Griz schedule better bring Bear Repellant…talking to you, UC Davis and maybe even you, Montana State.

Here is the listing of the top 10 FCS football teams according to Sagarin this week. http://sagarin.com/sports/cfsend.htm

Columns, left to right, are: Current Sagarin D1 rank; School; last week’s Sagarin D1 rank.
48 SDSU (45)
54 NDSU (47)
71 Montana State (73)
75 USD (77)
99 Montana (106)
103 UC Davis (115)
110 Missouri State (113)
117 Incarnate Word (116)
121 UND (112)
122 Tennessee Martin (121)

Warning to lesser beings: As the season is in the final approach to playoffs, the wisdom of the Sagarin algorithm emerges. With the team keeping its focus on the "Last Play" mantra, nobody dare count out the Jackrabbits!

Just for reference, at this point of the season last year Sagarin had the Jackrabbits at #29 in D1 football.

I checked back on JD's posts from last season. Sagarin had MtSt at #62, NDSU at #78, Mt at #97 and USD at #132. Not only is SDSU ranked a bit lower than last season, at this point, with the exception of Montana the others are ranked higher.

[JackJD]

SAGARIN through November 9, 2024 — the all-wise Sagarin Computer is liking the Jacks even more after the UND game. .Below is the listing of the top 10 FCS compared to all of D-1, FBS and FCS. .


http://sagarin.com/sports/cfsend.htm


Columns, left to right, :Overall Sagarin D1 ranking; School; last week's Sagarin rank...


38 SDSU (41)
55 NDSU (56)
66 Montana State (76)
69 USD (81)
95 UC-Davis (117)
108 Missouri State (113)
109 Montana (106)
113 Incarnate Word (112)
121 Tennessee-Martin (?)
123 Idaho (?)

Where did UND go? Dropped like a lead balloon down to 131 (from 102 last week).

Go Jacks!