I'm excited to represent FCS Football Central as one of the voters in the FCS Stats Perform Top 25 again for the 2026 season.
As I have done over the past few years, I will release my weekly ballot and explain my reasoning behind my selections throughout the season. I believe voters should be transparent and justify their rankings every week. It gives fans important insights into how they analyze teams and build their ballots week-to-week.
Below is my Week 6 ballot for the 2026 FCS football season.
25. Mercer
24. Monmouth
23. Stony Brook
22. Morgan State
21. Idaho State
20. Colgate
19. Illinois State
18. Tennessee Tech
17. North Dakota
16. Northern Iowa
15. UC Davis
14. Harvard
13. ETSU
12. Campbell
11. Austin Peay
10. South Dakota
9. Lamar
8. Lehigh
7. Montana
6. Northern Arizona
5. Montana State
4. Stephen F. Austin
3. Youngstown State
2. Tarleton State
1. South Dakota State
Honorable Mentions: Yale, Abilene Christian, Richmond, North Alabama, West Florida
Analysis:
Before I jump into my new rankings, I wanted to offer an important reminder that these are week-to-week rankings. I don't care where your favorite team ranked last week, so it's a new ballot every week, especially since we get a ton of new data to consider after each weekend of games. Therefore, it's pointless to say, "Team A only dropped 5 spots, while Team B dropped 8 spots," because that's not even a factor when I build these weekly rankings.
My ballot isn't a projection of what's going to happen in three weeks or what I think is going to happen in the postseason. It's truly a snapshot of who I believe are the Top 25 teams in FCS football right now. I try to balance resume, on-field performance, the eye test, injuries, and multiple other factors. It's also important to remember that if you think a team is too low, then they can go prove it on the field, and if they do, then they'll move up in the following weeks. Let's dive into my ballot after Week 6.
Northern Arizona skyrockets into the Top 10 after an impressive win over Montana. The Lumberjacks are now 5-1 against the FCS, with their only loss coming in Bozeman against Montana State. They have ranked wins over Montana and Idaho State, along with a quality win over Incarnate Word in non-conference play. Not only do they have the head-to-head win, their resume is also better than Montana's right now, which earns them a spot above the Griz
As for Montana, the Grizzlies are still 5-1 against the FCS, with their only loss coming on the road to a very good NAU team. I'm not overly concerned about this team moving forward, especially as the defense starts to get healthy again, plus the offense looked elite once again, even in a loss. The Griz also have a ranked win over UC Davis, which gives them the edge over some of the other teams in the back end of the Top 10.
I know some people have questioned where Montana State should be after its loss to Idaho, especially since the Vandals lost another game this past weekend. I still think the Bobcats should be Top 5 because of the head-to-head win over NAU, plus their FBS win gives them a much better resume than any of the other teams behind them. Was their loss to Idaho the worst loss in the Top 10? Yes, but that's not the only data point we have to evaluate, and when considering all the data, they should obviously be above NAU and Montana right now.
I questioned Tarleton State last week after some shaky performances, but the Texans responded in a big way with a road win over Austin Peay. Outside of SDSU's win over Youngstown State, I think it may be the most impressive win of the other Top 5 teams, which pushed them slightly above YSU in my ballot. I kept Austin Peay just outside the Top 10 because the Govs are still 5-1 against the FCS, and this weekend's game was truly a battle between two of the best teams in the UAC.
I may be one of only a few voters who truly dropped North Dakota after an upset loss to Northern Iowa. I just don't see how any voters put this team in the Top 15 with their current resume. Yes, they are 5-1 against the FCS, and on paper, they are extremely talented, but I've seen way too many shaky performances to just overlook what they've put on film. We've seen turnovers, poor overall execution, and inconsistent offensive production in multiple games, and it finally cost them against UNI. Plus, quarterback Jerry Kaminski went down with an injury, and without him, I don't think this is a Top 15 team in the country right now.
Northern Iowa elevates into the Top 20 for the first time this season after back-to-back ranked wins over North Dakota and Illinois State. The Panthers have a bad loss to Eastern Washington, but have completely flipped the script over their past two games. I still don't know if this team is a legit contender, but right now, based on their resume, they deserve to be ranked where they are, especially over Illinois State and UND, neither of which has a ranked win this season.
Am I 100% sold on Mercer? No, but the Bears just keep finding ways to win games, which I have to respect. They now have quality wins over Abilene Christian and Western Carolina, while their only loss came against Furman, in which they turned the ball over five times and only lost by seven points. They've shown to be one of the Top 25 teams in the country and could be a real team to watch in the SoCon race.
Idaho State is on the bubble for me right now, especially after a questionable loss to Cal Poly. The Bengals remain in the rankings due to their FBS win, but if they have a shaky performance against Weber State this weekend, they'll be a team I won't hesitate to drop. It seems to be the same story every season. They receive the preseason hype, make a little bit of noise, then revert back into a middle-of-the-pack Big Sky program. It's time to prove they belong among the Top 25 teams in FCS football.
I was ahead of the curve on Morgan State last week, and the Bears got another non-conference win over Robert Morris in Week 6. They move to 4-0 against the FCS, with three of their wins coming on the road, including a win over Villanova two weeks ago. They are the best team in HBCU football right now, especially as Cameron Edge continues to play high-level football at the quarterback spot.
I'm not sure why other voters aren't as high on Youngstown State as I am. They are 5-1 against the FCS with two ranked wins, both by 12 or more points. Their only loss is a one-score loss in Brookings to the No. 1 team in the country. The Penguins pass the resume and eye test, so I think a lot of voters are missing the mark here by not having this team inside their Top 5, or even Top 3.
Harvard elevates into the Top 15 after an impressive win against Cornell on the road. The Crimson had a tough offensive start, but now with the offense clicking and the defense continuing to be a bright spot, this team is starting to look dangerous. They already have a ranked win over Colgate, plus three road wins in their first four games.
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