The Madness FCS Power Rankings - Week 6
The Madness FCS Power Rankings are a relatively basic power rating system when compared to the highly complex systems involving comparative scoring formulas. This system uses no comparative scoring, so any parallel between this and other ranking systems is purely coincidental. There is also no momentum involved in these rankings, so “What have you done for me lately?” does not apply. Everything is valued as a whole. The objective remains the same though; to create an unbiased mechanism to sort the general strength of the 126 teams within the Football Championship Subdivision.
Teams are awarded for Wins and Points Scored, then penalized for Losses and Points Allowed. Teams also receive a ‘Stature Constant’. Teams from the full-scholarship automatic qualifying FCS conferences get the highest value. Non- or less than full-scholarship FCS conference teams get a middle value. And those from non-automatic leagues get the lowest value. This is done to lessen the effects of a superior team in a weak conference from building huge point margins and manipulating the system. This constant has been tweaked since last season.
Teams will also gain bonuses for beating FBS teams. This has also been tweaked, giving a little more weight to those who beat Power Five teams as opposed to Group of Five teams. Also, a team will be penalized for losing to a school from a class below FCS (Division II, Division III, NAIA, NCCAA). The final piece of the puzzle is an RPI-style Strength of Schedule multiplier, where teams get bonuses and demerits just for playing teams listed previously in this paragraph.
The first rankings will appear after Week 5, September 29. These will be available on the Madness no later than Monday every week from now on. There will also be a final edition released after the FCS Championship game in January. Like most ranking systems, a very strong or weak schedule or huge upsets, one way or the other, can have a drastic impact early on. As the season progresses the numbers, and teams, will sort themselves out and be much truer towards the end. So if the rankings appear a little skewed early on, give it a little time.
| RANK | TEAM | RATING | Won | Lost | Prev | RANK | CONFERENCE | RATING | |
| 1 | North Dakota State | 51.79 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | MISSOURI VALLEY | 29.75 | |
| 2 | Montana | 44.16 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | COLONIAL | 28.70 | |
| 3 | James Madison | 43.19 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 3 | SOUTHERN | 24.78 | |
| 4 | South Dakota State | 39.58 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 4 | BIG SKY | 24.62 | |
| 5 | Towson | 38.80 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 5 | OHIO VALLEY | 22.64 | |
| 6 | Weber State | 38.22 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | IVY LEAGUE | 22.62 | |
| 7 | Furman | 37.50 | 4 | 2 | 15 | 7 | SOUTHLAND | 22.27 | |
| 8 | Central Arkansas | 36.92 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 8 | PATRIOT | 20.55 | |
| 9 | Northern Iowa | 35.34 | 3 | 2 | 24 | 9 | BIG SOUTH | 17.72 | |
| 10 | Youngstown State | 34.62 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 10 | NORTHEAST | 15.50 | |
| 11 | UC Davis | 33.58 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 11 | SOUTHWESTERN | 12.25 | |
| 12 | Villanova | 33.36 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 12 | MID-EASTERN | 11.75 | |
| 13 | Tennessee-Martin | 33.03 | 3 | 2 | 19 | 13 | PIONEER | 10.66 | |
| 14 | Wofford | 32.05 | 3 | 2 | 27 | ||||
| 15 | Yale | 32.03 | 3 | 0 | 18 | ||||
| 16 | North Dakota | 31.78 | 3 | 2 | 13 | ||||
| 17 | Montana State | 31.52 | 5 | 1 | 26 | ||||
| 18 | Southeastern Louisiana | 31.34 | 3 | 2 | 16 | ||||
| 19 | South Dakota | 31.29 | 2 | 3 | 29 | ||||
| 20 | Austin Peay | 30.02 | 3 | 2 | 12 | ||||
| 21 | Samford | 29.48 | 3 | 3 | 9 | ||||
| 22 | Delaware | 29.35 | 3 | 2 | 23 | ||||
| 23 | Sam Houston State | 29.23 | 4 | 2 | 28 | ||||
| 24 | Southern Illinois | 28.97 | 2 | 3 | 30 | ||||
| 25 | Columbia | 28.88 | 1 | 2 | 14 | ||||
| 26 | Southeast Missouri State | 28.70 | 3 | 2 | 39 | ||||
| 27 | Georgetown | 28.22 | 4 | 1 | 22 | ||||
| 28 | Elon | 27.57 | 2 | 4 | 21 | ||||
| 29 | Maine | 27.49 | 2 | 3 | 25 | ||||
| 30 | Jacksonville State | 27.26 | 4 | 2 | 17 | ||||
| 31 | Illinois State | 27.17 | 3 | 2 | 31 | ||||
| 32 | New Hampshire | 26.86 | 3 | 2 | 78 | ||||
| 33 | McNeese | 26.63 | 3 | 3 | 38 | ||||
| 34 | Dartmouth | 26.25 | 3 | 0 | 20 | ||||
| 35 | Stony Brook | 26.23 | 4 | 2 | 42 | ||||
| 36 | Sacramento State | 26.00 | 3 | 2 | 32 | ||||
| 37 | Nicholls | 25.75 | 3 | 2 | 47 | ||||
| 38 | Holy Cross | 25.07 | 2 | 3 | 33 | ||||
| 39 | Central Connecticut State | 24.49 | 4 | 1 | 45 | ||||
| 40 | William & Mary | 24.37 | 2 | 4 | 46 | ||||
| 41 | Cal Poly | 23.66 | 2 | 3 | 74 | ||||
| 42 | East Tennessee State | 23.23 | 2 | 4 | 41 | ||||
| 43 | Davidson | 23.15 | 4 | 1 | 53 | ||||
| 44 | Idaho State | 23.08 | 2 | 3 | 44 | ||||
| 45 | Cornell | 23.06 | 1 | 2 | 51 | ||||
| 46 | Monmouth | 22.77 | 3 | 2 | 35 | ||||
| 47 | Northern Arizona | 22.73 | 3 | 3 | 54 | ||||
| 48 | Princeton | 22.65 | 3 | 0 | 43 | ||||
| 49 | Albany | 22.50 | 3 | 3 | 56 | ||||
| 50 | Mercer | 22.40 | 2 | 4 | 36 | ||||
| 51 | Dayton | 22.27 | 3 | 1 | 67 | ||||
| 52 | Incarnate Word | 22.25 | 3 | 2 | 76 | ||||
| 53 | The Citadel | 22.16 | 2 | 4 | 37 | ||||
| 54 | Campbell | 22.06 | 4 | 1 | 40 | ||||
| 55 | Rhode Island | 21.91 | 1 | 4 | 62 | ||||
| 56 | Southern | 21.82 | 2 | 3 | 59 | ||||
| 57 | Murray State | 21.56 | 3 | 3 | 48 | ||||
| 58 | Fordham | 21.39 | 2 | 4 | 66 | ||||
| 59 | Harvard | 21.25 | 2 | 1 | 64 | ||||
| 60 | Chattanooga | 21.16 | 3 | 3 | 65 | ||||
| 61 | Abilene Christian | 20.58 | 2 | 4 | 57 | ||||
| 62 | Kennesaw State | 20.54 | 4 | 1 | 55 | ||||
| 63 | North Carolina A&T | 20.37 | 4 | 1 | 49 | ||||
| 64 | North Alabama | 20.27 | 2 | 4 | 63 | ||||
| 65 | Richmond | 20.17 | 2 | 3 | 58 | ||||
| 66 | Eastern Washington | 19.72 | 2 | 4 | 52 | ||||
| 67 | Lehigh | 19.62 | 2 | 3 | 50 | ||||
| 68 | Eastern Kentucky | 19.26 | 3 | 3 | 61 | ||||
| 69 | Duquesne | 19.14 | 3 | 2 | 60 | ||||
| 70 | Indiana State | 19.03 | 2 | 3 | 34 | ||||
| 71 | Missouri State | 18.24 | 1 | 3 | 75 | ||||
| 72 | Alcorn State | 18.17 | 4 | 2 | 86 | ||||
| 73 | Idaho | 17.34 | 2 | 4 | 69 | ||||
| 74 | Bucknell | 16.82 | 0 | 5 | 73 | ||||
| 75 | Portland State | 16.65 | 2 | 3 | 71 | ||||
| 76 | Penn | 16.63 | 1 | 2 | 81 | ||||
| 77 | Houston Baptist | 16.56 | 4 | 2 | 87 | ||||
| 78 | Eastern Illinois | 16.50 | 0 | 6 | 68 | ||||
| 79 | Tennessee Tech | 16.13 | 4 | 2 | 72 | ||||
| 80 | South Carolina State | 16.03 | 3 | 1 | 93 | ||||
| 81 | Gardner-Webb | 15.88 | 2 | 3 | 85 | ||||
| 82 | Virginia Military | 15.85 | 3 | 3 | 90 | ||||
| 83 | Northern Colorado | 15.84 | 1 | 5 | 82 | ||||
| 84 | San Diego | 15.74 | 2 | 2 | 89 | ||||
| 85 | St. Francis | 15.71 | 3 | 2 | 83 | ||||
| 86 | Lamar | 15.15 | 3 | 3 | 91 | ||||
| 87 | Colgate | 15.06 | 0 | 6 | 77 | ||||
| 88 | Prairie View A&M | 15.01 | 2 | 3 | 92 | ||||
| 89 | Florida A&M | 14.75 | 4 | 1 | 84 | ||||
| 90 | Tennessee State | 14.58 | 1 | 5 | 103 | ||||
| 91 | Western Illinois | 14.46 | 0 | 5 | 70 | ||||
| 92 | Sacred Heart | 13.47 | 3 | 2 | 100 | ||||
| 93 | Arkansas-Pine Bluff | 13.34 | 4 | 2 | 79 | ||||
| 94 | Lafayette | 13.26 | 0 | 5 | 80 | ||||
| 95 | Southern Utah | 12.80 | 1 | 5 | 88 | ||||
| 96 | Alabama State | 12.36 | 2 | 3 | 95 | ||||
| 97 | Grambling State | 12.28 | 1 | 4 | 97 | ||||
| 98 | Stephen F. Austin | 12.20 | 1 | 5 | 106 | ||||
| 99 | Bethune-Cookman | 11.84 | 4 | 1 | 96 | ||||
| 100 | Alabama A&M | 11.65 | 4 | 2 | 94 | ||||
| 101 | Hampton | 11.32 | 3 | 2 | 112 | ||||
| 102 | Presbyterian | 11.25 | 0 | 5 | 104 | ||||
| 103 | Charleston Southern | 11.16 | 1 | 4 | 102 | ||||
| 104 | Marist | 11.03 | 1 | 4 | 98 | ||||
| 105 | North Carolina Central | 10.74 | 2 | 4 | 108 | ||||
| 106 | Bryant | 10.64 | 1 | 5 | 101 | ||||
| 107 | Morehead State | 10.31 | 2 | 3 | 109 | ||||
| 108 | Merrimack | 10.17 | 2 | 4 | 99 | ||||
| 109 | Western Carolina | 10.11 | 1 | 4 | 107 | ||||
| 110 | Norfolk State | 9.67 | 1 | 5 | 105 | ||||
| 111 | Long Island | 9.59 | 0 | 4 | 115 | ||||
| 112 | Mississippi Valley State | 9.46 | 1 | 4 | 116 | ||||
| 113 | Stetson | 9.40 | 4 | 1 | 113 | ||||
| 114 | Delaware State | 9.27 | 1 | 4 | 110 | ||||
| 115 | Jacksonville | 8.85 | 2 | 3 | 119 | ||||
| 116 | Robert Morris | 8.58 | 1 | 4 | 114 | ||||
| 117 | Drake | 8.40 | 2 | 3 | 120 | ||||
| 118 | Brown | 7.93 | 1 | 2 | 121 | ||||
| 119 | Wagner | 7.49 | 1 | 5 | 118 | ||||
| 120 | Northwestern State | 7.44 | 0 | 5 | 117 | ||||
| 121 | Howard | 7.05 | 1 | 5 | 111 | ||||
| 122 | Morgan State | 5.34 | 0 | 5 | 123 | ||||
| 123 | Butler | 5.32 | 1 | 4 | 124 | ||||
| 124 | Texas Southern | 3.85 | 0 | 5 | 125 | ||||
| 125 | Jackson State | 3.31 | 1 | 4 | 122 | ||||
| 126 | Valparaiso | 0.23 | 0 | 5 | 126 |
