Now that the regular season has concluded, and the draws are set, our staff decided to rank the top 10 teams heading into the FCS Playoff.
Unlike the College Football Playoff Selection Committee, we’ll let the teams settle the issue on the gridiron, and release the final rankings when all of the games are in the books. Be sure to check back in after the championship game on January 7 for the final installment of the TSS FCS Top 10 poll.
| Rank | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota State (3) | 39 |
| 2 | Eastern Washington | 35 |
| 3 | Sam Houston State (1) | 34 |
| 4 | Jacksonville State | 26 |
| 5 | James Madison | 25 |
| 6 | The Citadel | 12 |
| tie | South Dakota State | 12 |
| 8 | North Dakota | 8 |
| 9 | Richmond | 6 |
| 10 | San Diego | 4 |
| tie | North Carolina Central | 4 |
| tie | Charleston Southern | 4 |
| tie | Central Arkansas | 4 |
| Others receiving votes: Chattanooga 3, North Carolina A&T 2, Coastal Carolina 1 | ||
| Voters: Kevin Causey, Bart Doan, Terry Johnson, Hokiesmash from allsportsdiscussion.com | ||
Notes and Observations
- As always, remember that these rankings are fluid, and will change from week-to-week.
- It doesn’t happen often, but our panel actually agreed with an NCAA Selection Committee. Although our staff would have seeded a few of the teams differently, we agreed on the top eight teams, which will receive a bye in the first round of the playoffs.
- North Dakota State held on to the top spot this week, receiving three of four first-place votes.
- Sam Houston State received one first-place vote after finishing the 2016 campaign with a perfect record. The Bearkats capped off the regular season with a win over Central Arkansas last Saturday.
- The Bears — who defeated current Sun Belt leader Arkansas State earlier this season — finished the year tied for 10th in our poll.
- North Carolina Central cracked the rankings this week by virtue of its impressive 42-21 win over North Carolina A&T. The victory clinched the school’s first outright MEAC championship, and earned the team a spot in the Celebration Bowl.
- While the loss knocked the Aggies out of our rankings, it didn’t stop them from making the FCS Playoffs. A&T will face No. 9 Richmond in what should be one of the better first round games this weekend.
