| Rank | Team | Comments | Prior | |
| 1 |  | North Dakota State | Bison put a beating on NCA&T, 43-3 - marking their checks as insufficient funds. Now, their FBS road trip to Arizona. | 1 |
| 2 |  | South Dakota State | Jackrabbits won a slobberknocker over UC-Davis. Nothing easy so far, but a home date with Butler should be a bit easier than they've seen. | 2 |
| 3 |  | Montana | Griz jumped on South Dakota, then cruised to easy 24-7 win. Now they go to the road at Indiana State. Can they avoid the road let down? | 3 |
| 4 |  | Montana State | Bobcats did no better vs. Morehead State than Mercer did, winning exactly 63-13. Hit the road to face FBS Oregon State this week. | 4 |
| 5 |  | Incarnate Word | Cardinals beat FBS Nevada, 55-41. Might be the most impressive FCS team so far, averaging almost 60 ppg! Go to Prairie View A&M next. | 9 |
| 6 |  | Delaware | Hens beat Delaware State comfortably, might have let down a little after beating Navy. Maybe looking ahead to this roadie to "Little Rhodie?" | 7 |
| 7 |  | Missouri State | Bears won a tough Thursday nighter against UT-Martin, exorcising last year's playoff loss. Now a short trip to FBS Arkansas. | 5 |
| 8 |  | Weber State | Wildcats completely dominated FBS Utah State, 35-7. The Big Sky better be on notice. As for Utah Tech, they have the displeasure of being next. | 18 |
| 9 |  | Sacramento State | Hornets had an early season bye after beat Utah Tech. They travel to MVFC country to play Northern Iowa, who is going to be desparate to win. | 8 |
| 10 |  | Villanova | Wildcats beat Long Island, 38-21, but it was never really in question. They play their "money" game this week at FBS Army. | 6 |
| 11 |  | Chattanooga | The Mocs needed a big second half to put Eastern Illinois away, but they still won. A home game with next door neighbor, North Alabama, is next. | 11 |
| 12 |  | William & Mary | Tribe's post-FBS win at Charlotte results in a solid 37-21 win over Campbell. They'll finish their non-con schedule at Lafayette next week. | 12 |
| 13 |  | Jackson State | Tigers defense has been very good and held up against Tennessee State. After two Classic showcases, they'll come home to play Grambling State. | 13 |
| 14 |  | Holy Cross | A little divine intervention helped the Crusaders beat FBS Buffalo with a late score. A home game with Yale comes next. | 22 |
| 15 |  | Jacksonville State | Gamecocks had little issue, dispatching Murray State, 34-3. Next week they'll play a team with more than 63 scholarships; at FBS Tulsa. | 16 |
| 16 |  | UT Martin | Skyhawks weren't as successful against Missouri State as they were with Western Illinois. The coming FBS roadie to Boise State may be even tougher. | 15 |
| 17 |  | Mercer | The Bears had this week off after get beaten by FBS Auburn last week. They'll open SoCon action at home next week with The Citadel. | 20 |
| 18 |  | Rhode Island | Rams followed up their CAA opening win with a non-conference win over Bryant. Now they get a big home date with highly ranked Delaware. | 23 |
| 19 |  | Eastern Washington | Eagles were slapped around by FBS Oregon, not a total surprise. They're going to get this week to lick some wounds and prep for Montana State. | 14 |
| 20 |  | UC Davis | Aggies get the rare bump from a loss. They were a couple missed PATs from forcing overtime at SDSU. Home game with San Diego should be easier. | NR |
| 21 |  | Samford | Bulldogs big win against Kennesaw State was rewarded with a 33-0 roasting by FBS Georgia Bulldogs. Road game at Tennesse Tech will be easier. | 21 |
| 22 |  | New Hampshire | Wildcats move to 2-0 overall and in CAA after beating Albany. They'll host North Carolina Central next week. | NR |
| 23 |  | Dartmouth | Big Green jump into the rankings without playing a game. Can they meet expectations? First game comes next week at home vs. Valparaiso. | NR |
| 24 |  | Eastern Kentucky | EKU almost beat FBS Eastern Michigan last week. Took 7 overtimes, but got it done vs. FBS Bowling Green. Home vs. Charleston Southern next. | NR |
| 25 |  | North Dakota | Fighting Hawks held off UNI and extended home opener win streak to 36 years! They go to Northern Arizona next, who has a tough home reputation also. | NR |
Madness FCS Power Rankings
