| Rank | Team | Comments | Prior | |
| 1 |  | North Dakota State | Bison rolled past Montana State in the Finals to claim a ninth FCS Championship in eleven seasons! The stampede keeps rolling! | 3 |
| 2 |  | James Madison | Dukes made it to the semis, but could quite get past NDSU. Now they'll transition to the FBS. Good luck. | 2 |
| 3 |  | Montana State | Bobcats made a terrific run through the playoffs, unfortunately were blown out by NDSU in the championship game. | 7 |
| 4 |  | South Dakota State | Jackrabbits turned road warriors in the playoffs, winning three games before falling to Montana State in the semifinals. | 13 |
| 5 |  | Sam Houston | Bearkats FCS swan song was cut short in the quarters by Montana State. No repeat in the fall. Good luck in the move to FBS. | 1 |
| 6 |  | Montana | Grizzlies turned away EWU, but were ravaged by injuries at JMU. A really good year nonetheless. | 9 |
| 7 |  | Villanova | Wildcats were a victim of a red hot SDSU squad in the quarterfinals. Still a good season in Philly. | 4 |
| 8 |  | East Tennessee State | Buccaneers stole a win over Kennesaw State in true pirate fashion. However, they were plundered in their trip to NDSU. | 8 |
| 9 |  | Eastern Washington | Eagles beat UNI in First Round but could not pull the season sweep at Montana. | 5 |
| 10 |  | Kennesaw State | Owls had their hearts snatched away in the Second Round by ETSU. Still, they were the Big South Conference champs. | 11 |
| 11 |  | Sacramento State | Hornets received the #4 seed but were "gifted" a Second Round game with SDSU. Pretty tough draw. | 6 |
| 12 |  | Incarnate Word | Cardinals almost came through in the "Texas Quarter," losing to SHSU by a score. Can they keep momentum with QB Ward in portal? | 14 |
| 13 |  | Southern Illinois | Salukis beat inconference South Dakota. North Dakota State was a way different story. They're quickly climbing in national prominance. | 16 |
| 14 |  | Southeastern Louisiana | Lions destroyed FAMU in First Round, had the same done to them by JMU in the Second. QB Kelly will be gone. Get them some defense! | 17 |
| 15 |  | Tennessee-Martin | Skyhawks miracled their way to a win over Missouri State. No apologies, you make your own luck sometimes. Is the OVC theirs for now? | 15 |
| 16 |  | Missouri State | Bears were upset in the First Round by UTM. No one but themselves to blame, turning the ball over six times. Program is still headed up. | 10 |
| 17 |  | UC Davis | Aggies were given a First Round home game, then given SDSU as an opponent. No thanks. Still a good year in the Bay Area. | 12 |
| 18 |  | South Dakota | Coyotes looked like lost sheep when playing Southern Illinois. Still a much better than expected season. Now to build on it. | 20 |
| 19 |  | Northern Iowa | Panthers were the lone 6-5 team to make the playoffs and showed up large despite falling at EWU. Will they ever get over the hump? | 21 |
| 20 |  | Holy Cross | Crusaders turned away Sacred Heart in the First, but Villanova was too much in the Second Round. Can any Patriot Leaguer stop them? | 25 |
| 21 |  | Stephen F. Austin | Lumberjacks lost to instate Incarnate Word in the First Round. Expect them to fill the SHSU void in the new WAC alignment. | 19 |
| 22 |  | Mercer | Bears sat on the sidelines during the playoffs and had to be thinking they would have performed better than a few who made it. | 22 |
| 23 |  | Dartmouth | Big Green sat idle during the playoffs, enjoying class instead of kicking, ahem, butt. Come on Ivy League, let your champions play! | NR |
| 24 |  | Florida A&M | Rattlers made the playoffs, despite an undeserving resume, and were thrashed by SLU in the First Round. Still program is rising fast. | 23 |
| 25 |  | Sacred Heart | Pioneers were the Northeast Conference champions and lost a close First Round game at Holy Cross. Are they the new NEC elite? | NR |
