The Madness FCS Power Rankings - Week 9
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 | 52.92 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | MISSOURI VALLEY | 29.89 | |
| 2 | James Madison | 42.50 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 2 | COLONIAL | 29.88 | |
| 3 | Montana | 41.55 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 3 | SOUTHERN | 26.96 | |
| 4 | South Dakota State | 40.83 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 4 | BIG SKY | 26.29 | |
| 5 | Weber State | 39.72 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 5 | OHIO VALLEY | 25.61 | |
| 6 | Central Arkansas | 37.82 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 6 | SOUTHLAND | 24.55 | |
| 7 | Dartmouth | 37.63 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 7 | IVY LEAGUE | 23.99 | |
| 8 | Furman | 36.24 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 8 | BIG SOUTH | 22.75 | |
| 9 | Sacramento State | 36.22 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 9 | PATRIOT | 21.85 | |
| 10 | Northern Iowa | 35.84 | 6 | 3 | 11 | 10 | NORTHEAST | 18.19 | |
| 11 | Austin Peay | 35.58 | 6 | 3 | 13 | 11 | MID-EASTERN | 14.61 | |
| 12 | New Hampshire | 35.04 | 5 | 3 | 20 | 12 | PIONEER | 14.21 | |
| 13 | Towson | 34.76 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 13 | SOUTHWESTERN | 14.19 | |
| 14 | Youngstown State | 34.23 | 5 | 4 | 17 | ||||
| 15 | Villanova | 33.95 | 6 | 3 | 12 | ||||
| 16 | Tennessee-Martin | 33.62 | 6 | 3 | 21 | ||||
| 17 | Southern Illinois | 32.62 | 5 | 4 | 14 | ||||
| 18 | UC Davis | 32.12 | 4 | 5 | 19 | ||||
| 19 | Southeast Missouri State | 32.12 | 6 | 3 | 24 | ||||
| 20 | Monmouth | 31.85 | 7 | 2 | 36 | ||||
| 21 | Elon | 31.50 | 4 | 5 | 18 | ||||
| 22 | Wofford | 31.26 | 5 | 3 | 15 | ||||
| 23 | Sam Houston State | 31.12 | 5 | 4 | 23 | ||||
| 24 | Yale | 31.10 | 6 | 1 | 28 | ||||
| 25 | Illinois State | 30.86 | 6 | 3 | 22 | ||||
| 26 | McNeese | 30.11 | 6 | 4 | 26 | ||||
| 27 | North Dakota | 30.01 | 5 | 3 | 25 | ||||
| 28 | The Citadel | 29.94 | 6 | 4 | 27 | ||||
| 29 | Southeastern Louisiana | 29.90 | 5 | 3 | 16 | ||||
| 30 | Harvard | 29.56 | 4 | 3 | 33 | ||||
| 31 | Montana State | 29.39 | 6 | 3 | 31 | ||||
| 32 | Richmond | 28.92 | 5 | 4 | 37 | ||||
| 33 | Albany | 28.89 | 5 | 4 | 32 | ||||
| 34 | Maine | 28.39 | 4 | 5 | 50 | ||||
| 35 | Abilene Christian | 28.01 | 5 | 4 | 35 | ||||
| 36 | Princeton | 28.00 | 7 | 0 | 30 | ||||
| 37 | Jacksonville State | 27.99 | 6 | 4 | 38 | ||||
| 38 | San Diego | 26.76 | 6 | 2 | 53 | ||||
| 39 | Stony Brook | 26.70 | 5 | 4 | 29 | ||||
| 40 | Holy Cross | 26.41 | 5 | 4 | 51 | ||||
| 41 | Nicholls | 26.06 | 5 | 4 | 47 | ||||
| 42 | Delaware | 26.04 | 4 | 5 | 43 | ||||
| 43 | North Carolina A&T | 25.82 | 6 | 2 | 48 | ||||
| 44 | Kennesaw State | 25.76 | 7 | 2 | 58 | ||||
| 45 | Eastern Washington | 25.72 | 4 | 5 | 79 | ||||
| 46 | Samford | 25.54 | 4 | 5 | 34 | ||||
| 47 | Mercer | 24.97 | 4 | 5 | 56 | ||||
| 48 | Campbell | 24.72 | 6 | 2 | 41 | ||||
| 49 | Central Connecticut State | 24.01 | 8 | 1 | 40 | ||||
| 50 | Chattanooga | 23.96 | 4 | 5 | 52 | ||||
| 51 | Lehigh | 23.71 | 4 | 4 | 42 | ||||
| 52 | William & Mary | 23.70 | 3 | 6 | 64 | ||||
| 53 | Eastern Kentucky | 23.62 | 5 | 4 | 55 | ||||
| 54 | Fordham | 23.29 | 3 | 6 | 39 | ||||
| 55 | Incarnate Word | 23.20 | 5 | 4 | 49 | ||||
| 56 | East Tennessee State | 23.17 | 2 | 7 | 46 | ||||
| 57 | Murray State | 22.92 | 4 | 6 | 54 | ||||
| 58 | Idaho | 22.86 | 4 | 5 | 65 | ||||
| 59 | Georgetown | 22.63 | 5 | 4 | 44 | ||||
| 60 | South Dakota | 22.46 | 3 | 6 | 45 | ||||
| 61 | Cal Poly | 22.06 | 2 | 7 | 61 | ||||
| 62 | Dayton | 21.91 | 5 | 3 | 74 | ||||
| 63 | Southern | 21.84 | 5 | 4 | 71 | ||||
| 64 | Portland State | 21.78 | 5 | 5 | 75 | ||||
| 65 | Florida A&M | 21.74 | 8 | 1 | 67 | ||||
| 66 | Idaho State | 21.72 | 3 | 6 | 59 | ||||
| 67 | Duquesne | 21.69 | 6 | 2 | 78 | ||||
| 68 | North Alabama | 21.65 | 3 | 6 | 82 | ||||
| 69 | Virginia Military | 21.45 | 4 | 5 | 57 | ||||
| 70 | South Carolina State | 21.33 | 5 | 3 | 63 | ||||
| 71 | Alcorn State | 21.20 | 6 | 2 | 73 | ||||
| 72 | Lamar | 21.16 | 4 | 5 | 66 | ||||
| 73 | Indiana State | 21.14 | 3 | 6 | 68 | ||||
| 74 | Columbia | 20.88 | 2 | 5 | 62 | ||||
| 75 | Northern Arizona | 20.81 | 4 | 5 | 60 | ||||
| 76 | Gardner-Webb | 20.65 | 3 | 6 | 69 | ||||
| 77 | Lafayette | 20.61 | 2 | 7 | 80 | ||||
| 78 | Rhode Island | 20.60 | 2 | 7 | 76 | ||||
| 79 | Grambling State | 20.14 | 4 | 4 | 72 | ||||
| 80 | Tennessee Tech | 19.73 | 5 | 4 | 92 | ||||
| 81 | Davidson | 19.69 | 6 | 3 | 70 | ||||
| 82 | Charleston Southern | 19.25 | 3 | 6 | 90 | ||||
| 83 | Tennessee State | 19.16 | 2 | 7 | 77 | ||||
| 84 | St. Francis | 18.90 | 4 | 5 | 83 | ||||
| 85 | Bethune-Cookman | 18.70 | 6 | 2 | 85 | ||||
| 86 | Colgate | 18.52 | 2 | 8 | 95 | ||||
| 87 | Alabama State | 18.35 | 4 | 4 | 89 | ||||
| 88 | Missouri State | 18.33 | 1 | 7 | 88 | ||||
| 89 | Cornell | 18.27 | 2 | 5 | 93 | ||||
| 90 | Penn | 18.19 | 3 | 4 | 87 | ||||
| 91 | Sacred Heart | 18.17 | 5 | 4 | 91 | ||||
| 92 | Houston Baptist | 17.83 | 4 | 5 | 84 | ||||
| 93 | Eastern Illinois | 17.73 | 0 | 9 | 81 | ||||
| 94 | Southern Utah | 17.22 | 2 | 8 | 86 | ||||
| 95 | Prairie View A&M | 16.80 | 3 | 6 | 94 | ||||
| 96 | Northern Colorado | 16.09 | 2 | 7 | 98 | ||||
| 97 | Bucknell | 15.60 | 1 | 7 | 99 | ||||
| 98 | Western Illinois | 15.59 | 1 | 8 | 102 | ||||
| 99 | Marist | 15.09 | 3 | 5 | 100 | ||||
| 100 | Arkansas-Pine Bluff | 14.85 | 5 | 4 | 96 | ||||
| 101 | Stetson | 14.82 | 6 | 2 | 101 | ||||
| 102 | Western Carolina | 14.43 | 2 | 7 | 111 | ||||
| 103 | North Carolina Central | 14.26 | 4 | 5 | 103 | ||||
| 104 | Northwestern State | 13.91 | 1 | 8 | 106 | ||||
| 105 | Drake | 13.89 | 4 | 4 | 97 | ||||
| 106 | Norfolk State | 13.62 | 3 | 6 | 114 | ||||
| 107 | Stephen F. Austin | 13.32 | 1 | 8 | 105 | ||||
| 108 | Presbyterian | 12.75 | 0 | 9 | 107 | ||||
| 109 | Hampton | 12.65 | 5 | 4 | 112 | ||||
| 110 | Robert Morris | 12.63 | 5 | 4 | 108 | ||||
| 111 | Alabama A&M | 12.53 | 5 | 4 | 113 | ||||
| 112 | Morehead State | 12.53 | 4 | 5 | 104 | ||||
| 113 | Bryant | 12.19 | 2 | 8 | 110 | ||||
| 114 | Wagner | 11.64 | 1 | 8 | 117 | ||||
| 115 | Jacksonville | 11.02 | 2 | 7 | 120 | ||||
| 116 | Long Island | 10.74 | 0 | 8 | 118 | ||||
| 117 | Merrimack | 10.48 | 4 | 5 | 109 | ||||
| 118 | Brown | 10.28 | 1 | 6 | 119 | ||||
| 119 | Mississippi Valley State | 10.24 | 2 | 7 | 115 | ||||
| 120 | Jackson State | 9.83 | 5 | 5 | 121 | ||||
| 121 | Morgan State | 9.04 | 1 | 8 | 116 | ||||
| 122 | Delaware State | 8.44 | 1 | 8 | 122 | ||||
| 123 | Butler | 7.25 | 2 | 7 | 123 | ||||
| 124 | Howard | 4.61 | 1 | 8 | 124 | ||||
| 125 | Valparaiso | 3.31 | 1 | 8 | 126 | ||||
| 126 | Texas Southern | 2.57 | 0 | 9 | 125 | ||||
