| Rank | Team | Comments | Prior | |
| 1 |  | James Madison | JMU (6-0) took care of Villanova in front of the GameDay Nation. Rivalry game at W&M comes next week. | 1 |
| 2 |  | North Dakota State | NDSU (6-0) outlasts YSU. Now, another top ten home game with Western Illinois. Ho-hum for the Fargo Domers! | 2 |
| 3 |  | South Dakota | Coyotes (6-0) lay a crushing defeat on Indiana State. Taking no prisoners right now. They go to Illinois State next. | 3 |
| 4 |  | Jacksonville State | JSU (5-1) continues to turn OVC foes away. This next road trip to Eastern Illinois might be their toughest remaining. | 4 |
| 5 |  | Wofford | Terriers (6-0) ended The Citadel's final dreams of a SoCon repeat. A home win against Samford will all but sew it up for 2017. | 6 |
| 6 |  | Central Arkansas | UCA (5-1) barely escapes Stephen F. Austin. They go to Northwestern State next, who almost beat SHSU. | 7 |
| 7 |  | Sam Houston State | SHSU (5-1) was nearly demonized by Northwestern State. A home game with Lamar might be a great remedy. | 8 |
| 8 |  | Western Illinois | WIU (5-1) started poorly with Missouri State. Seems like this teams modus oporendi. Big travel date in Fargo next week. | 10 |
| 9 |  | Eastern Washington | EWU (5-2) remains hot, torching Montana State. Monster tilt at Southern Utah on next week's horizon. | 14 |
| 10 |  | Richmond | Richmond (4-2) tamed Towson. Another road game next against a Delaware team who is looking like a contender again. | 15 |
| 11 |  | South Dakota State | SDSU (4-2) slipped up, bad. The home loss to UNI may cost them later. They need this roadie at Missouri State to get going. | 5 |
| 12 |  | Elon | Elon (5-1) had this week off and will look to put the rest to work at Rhode Island. | 17 |
| 13 |  | Monmouth | Monmouth (5-1) had the week off. They need to beat Liberty at home to stake their claim as the Big South's best. | 18 |
| 14 |  | Stony Brook | Stony Brook (5-2) got a signature win over New Hampshire. Now they'll take a bye before going to Richmond. | 21 |
| 15 |  | New Hampshire | Wildcats (4-2) must have stayed in bye mode against Stony Brook. Better wake up before Towson comes to town. | 9 |
| 16 |  | Weber State | WSU (4-2) lost to SUU. Now they have a road game with 0-6 Cal Poly, who runs the triple option and a week off. Look out! | 12 |
| 17 |  | Youngstown State | YSU (3-3) lost at NDSU, ok. This might be the best 3-3 team in the nation. They play at UNI next, who could say the same thing. | 11 |
| 18 |  | McNeese | Cowboys (5-1) had the week off. Home against Incarnate Word with a big trip to Central Arkansas looming. | 20 |
| 19 |  | North Carolina A&T | NC A&T (7-0) remained undefeated. This maybe the weakest schedule in the history of college football. Bethune-Cookman next. | 19 |
| 20 |  | Western Carolina | WCU (5-2) gets back in the win column over ETSU. A road game at VMI doesn't seem too dangerous. | 23 |
| 21 |  | Samford | Samford (4-2) relaxed this week in preparation for the huge road game at Wofford next week. | 24 |
| 22 |  | Kennesaw State | Owls (5-1) might have just won their biggest game ever over Liberty. Home with Gardner-Webb next. | 25 |
| 23 |  | Villanova | Nova (4-3) has a much needed bye coming up, where they hope to get some healing. 3 of last 4 are at home, but are all tough. | 13 |
| 24 |  | Southern Utah | SUU (4-2) took down Big Sky leader Weber State. Now they host the other one, Eastern Washington. | NR |
| 25 |  | Montana | Montana (5-2) whipped North Dakota. Now a week of rest before going to Weber State. | NR |
