My FCS Top 25, 9/26/2011

Below the flip, see my Top 25 for this week. (more)
1: Georgia Southern Eagles
2: Northern Iowa Panthers
3: North Dakota State Bison
4: New Hampshire Wildcats
5: Wofford Terriers
6: Appalachian State Mountaineers
7: Richmond Spiders
8: Montana State Bobcats
9: James Madison Dukes
10: Lehigh Mountain Hawks
11: South Carolina State Bulldogs
12: Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens
13: Southern Illinois Salukis
14: Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks
15: Chattanooga Mocs
16: Southern Utah Thunderbirds
17: Yale Bulldogs
18: William & Mary Tribe
19: South Dakota Coyotes
20: Sam Houston State Bearkats
21: Holy Cross Crusaders
22: McNeese State Cowboys
23: Indiana State Sycamores
24: Monmouth Hawks
25: Harvard Crimson

Three quick hits about my Top 25 this week:

1. William & Mary's free fall through the Top 25 continues. After being rated as a Top 5 team by many in the preseason, the Tribe's free-fall to a 2-2 record - including a squeaker against D-II New Haven at home - has them still ranked in my Top 25, but just. You openly wonder if they might even drop further unless they right the ship in a big way against another CAA team, 1-3 Villanova, who also fell out of the Top 25 earlier in the year. Even a narrow win might not be enough to stem their slide.

2. It was a huge week for FCS upsets over FBS teams last week, and it showed with two newcomers to my Top 25. Southern Utah's delicious 41-16 upset over UNLV put them at No. 16 in my poll, after their delicious upset of former Griz head coach Bobby Hauck. And Sam Houston State (No. 20)'s 48-45 overtime upset over New Mexico caused not only the Lobos to be embarrassed - it was the last straw in the Mike Locksley coaching era. Humiliating FBS teams are a great way to get into anyone's Top 25.

3. Monmouth - yes, that Monmouth, that faced off against Lehigh on opening weekend - is quietly 2-1, with wins against Villanova of the CAA and NEC title contender Central Connecticut State. With only 1-3 Colgate left on the non-conference schedule, their toughest NEC opponent out of the way, and an extremely favorable home NEC schedule, it's not hard to see the Hawks soaring into a lot of Top 25's in the weeks to come - and, very realistically, a NEC championship.

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