| Rank | Team | Comments | Prior | |
| 1 |  | North Dakota State | NDSU (11-0) crushed South Dakota. A top two seed is gauranteed, but a perfect season is desired. SIU is a good test to end. | 1 |
| 2 |  | James Madison | JMU (10-1) ended Richmond's dream and clinched the CAA automatic. A top two seed is all but assured, but a win at URI locks it. | 2 |
| 3 |  | Montana | UM (9-2) put a whoopin' on Weber State. Surprised? Maybe by the margin. Now the FCS' nastiest rivalry with Montana State. | 4 |
| 4 |  | Sacramento State | Sac State (8-3) won at Idaho State for that important seventh FCS win. A home win over UC-Davis should clinch a national seed. | 5 |
| 5 |  | Illinois State | ISUred (8-3) narrowly beat Missouri State. A road win at Youngstown State should clinch a national seed. | 8 |
| 6 |  | South Dakota State | SDSU (8-3) crushed UNI after losing to Illinois State. Right back in the seed conversation. A road win at South Dakota should clinch it. | 12 |
| 7 |  | Weber State | WSU (8-3) had a red hot streak stomped out by Montana. Still, it's their only FCS loss. A win over Idaho State guarantees a seed. | 3 |
| 8 |  | Wofford | Wofford (7-3) finished off Furman to collect another SoCon title. A win at The Citadel could complete a season with a national seed. | 11 |
| 9 |  | Southeastern Louisiana | SELA (7-3) jumped all over ACU. Will host Nicholls this Thursday for the Southland automatic bid. | 9 |
| 10 |  | Montana State | MSU (8-3) ended the slim playoff dreams of UC-Davis. Now a trip to Montana for the Brawl of the Wild. A win could mean a seed. | 10 |
| 11 |  | Central Arkansas | UCA (8-3) whipped SFA. The playoffs are certain. A win at incarnate Word will give them a share of the Southland championship. | 13 |
| 12 |  | Northern Iowa | UNI (7-4) was destroyed by SDSU. A home win over Western Illinois guarantees the playoffs, but a seed may now be an afterthought. | 6 |
| 13 |  | Furman | Furman (7-4) lost to Wofford and SoCon title on one game. A meaningless game with lower class Point remains. Are 7 wins enough? | 7 |
| 14 |  | Monmouth | Monmouth (9-2) clinched the Big South with a win at Campbell. A home win over Hampton next week gets them to 10 wins. | 14 |
| 15 |  | Kennesaw State | KSU (9-2) won at Hampton for their seventh FCS win. A weak schedule means a road win at Gardner-Webb may still be needed. | 15 |
| 16 |  | Villanova | Nova (8-3) beat Long Island easily, in a late season non-conference match-up. A home date with Delaware ends the regular season. | 17 |
| 17 |  | Austin Peay | APSU (8-3), with a home win over Eastern Illinois, will earn the Govs an OVC title and automatic playoff bid. What a great story. | 18 |
| 18 |  | Florida A&M | FAMU (9-1) has clinched the MEAC title but is ineligible for the Celebrations Bowl. They finish with Bethune-Cookman. | 19 |
| 19 |  | Nicholls | Nicholls (7-4) knocked McNeese from playoff contention. Now they play for the Southland automatic on Thursday, at SE Lousiana. | 20 |
| 20 |  | SE Missouri State | SEMO (8-3) can clinch the OVC auto with a win over Murray State and an Austin Peay loss. The playoffs seem a good bet. | 21 |
| 21 |  | Southern Illinois | SIU (7-4) won at Western Illinois. The Salukis were 2-4. Now NDSU comes to town. Are they playoff worthy losing to the Bison? | 22 |
| 22 |  | Central Connecticut State | CCSU (10-1) beat Robert Morris to clinch the Northeast automatic. The game at Duquesne is less significant now. | 23 |
| 23 |  | Albany | Albany (7-4) won over New Hampshire, which some see as an upset. If the Danes win at Stony Brook, the playoffs are a lock. | 24 |
| 24 |  | Towson | Towson (7-4) won convincingly over W&M. Elon visits to end the schedule. Do they need help to make the playoffs? | 25 |
| 25 |  | UT-Martin | UTM (7-4) has finished their FCS and OVC schedule. A win at FBS Kentucky would probably force themselves into the playoffs. | NR |
FCS Football Week 12 Power Rankings
