| Rank | Team | Comments | Prior | |
| 1 |  | North Dakota State | NDSU (8-0) won over SDSU in dramatic fashion late in their game. A long road trip to Youngstown State comes this week. | 1 |
| 2 |  | James Madison | JMU (8-1) handled a solid Towson team comfortably. November is coming, finally time for their bye. | 2 |
| 3 |  | Weber State | WSU (6-2) went to UC-D and slashed their playoff hopes. Huge Big Sky title match-up at Sac State. Two straight weeks in the Bay. | 4 |
| 4 |  | South Dakota State | SDSU (6-2) played NDSU toe and nail, falling just short. A road game to Missouri State figures to be easier on a battered roster. | 3 |
| 5 |  | Sacramento State | Sac State (6-2) had little issue with Cal Poly. Home game with Weber State may ultimately decide the Big Sky auto. | 6 |
| 6 |  | Kennesaw State | KSU (7-1) beat nearby rival North Alabama. Game with Monmouth will likely reveal the Big South champion. | 7 |
| 7 |  | Illinois State | ISUred (6-2) again wins a lower scoring affair against Indiana State. A big home date with Northern Iowa may have seed implications. | 8 |
| 8 |  | Central Arkansas | UCA (6-2) awoke in the second half to slip by SHSU. They sit alone atop the SLC now. A road game to Lamar comes next. | 11 |
| 9 |  | Montana | UM (6-2) put a dagger in EWU's playoff hopes. A win at Portland State would likey end another's. Playoff bounty hunters. huh? | 10 |
| 10 |  | Northern Iowa | UNI (5-3) got their first road win at Missouri State. It figures to be a chin strap game next week at Illinois State. | 12 |
| 11 |  | Villanova | Nova (6-2) lost their secong straight. A roadie to UNH is not the best place to get helthy results. | 5 |
| 12 |  | Furman | Furman (5-3) beat Western Carolina. The road game at Chattanoogs pairs 2 of 3 SoCon teams with only one conference loss. | 16 |
| 13 |  | Wofford | Wofford (5-2) escaped an overtime thriller vs. Chattanooga. Next week's trip to Clemson is probably mostly for the money. | 17 |
| 14 |  | Montana State | MSU (5-3) Mentioned the trip to North Dakota would be tough and it resulted in a loss. SUU visits as he Bobcats look to rebound. | 9 |
| 15 |  | Dartmouth | Dartmouth (6-0) destroyed Columbia. Next they go to Harvard, a much tougher opponent. | 18 |
| 16 |  | Southeastern Louisiana | SELA (4-3) smoked Houston Baptist. A potential trap game at home with Stephen F. Austin awaits before Central Arkansas. | 20 |
| 17 |  | Jacksonville State | JSU (6-3) beat Murray State. The high ranking continues to show a strong schedule helps. At UT-Martin next week is ultra important. | 21 |
| 18 |  | Princeton | Princeton (6-0) handled Harvard. Don't expect a problem at Cornell. | 25 |
| 19 |  | Central Connecticut State | CCSU (7-1) can be denied no more. Playing a Northeast schedule isn't glamorous, but they're unbeaten vs. FCS. | NR |
| 20 |  | Monmouth | Monmouth (6-2) won at Charleston Southern. Only losses are FBS and at Montana. Time for some love. | NR |
| 21 |  | Florida A&M | FAMU (7-1) had a two win week, beating NC A&T last Sunday, then Morgan State Saturday. Next week they host Delaware State. | NR |
| 22 |  | Albany | Albany (5-3) has won 4 of 5 and had a bye this week. A game at home against Maine begins their final stretch. | 23 |
| 23 |  | Incarnate Word | UIW (5-3) blows a four game win streak losing to winless NW State. Home game with Nicholls might kill the loser's playoff hopes. | 13 |
| 24 |  | Nicholls | NU (4-4) lost to Abiliene Christian in OT. Two of the losses overall are FBS, but a win at Incarnate Word would mean a lot right now. | 15 |
| 25 |  | North Carolina A&T | NC A&T (5-2) lost to FAMU, then annihilated Howard. An inside track game at South Carolina State for a Celebrations Bowl is next. | 14 |
FCS Football Week 9 Power Rankings
