| Rank | Team | Record | What They Are Saying | Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ferris State | 10-0 | Completed second straight undefeated season | 1 |
| 2 | Northwest Missouri | 11-0 | Outscored last two opponents 93-23 | 2 |
| 3 | CSU-Pueblo | 10-1 | Nine straight wins after a 1-point loss in week 2; Poised to make a run to defending national title | 3 |
| 4 | Ashland | 10-0 | Week off, now ready for rematch with Grand Valley State; Ashland won 45-31 on Oct. 31 | 4 |
| 5 | Shepherd | 10-1 | Junior quarterback Jeff Ziemba threw for 361 yards and 5 touchdowns in 52-20 victory | 5 |
| 6 | MSU-Mankato | 10-1 | Allowed only 34 points in last three games | 6 |
| 7 | West Georgia | 10-1 | Bounced back from only loss with a 35-9 win | 7 |
| 8 | Midwestern State | 10-1 | Won Lone Star playoff championship game beating Texas A&M-Commerce 37-33 | 9 |
| 9 | Slippery Rock | 10-1 | Scored 126 points in last two games | 10 |
| 10 | Henderson State | 10-1 | Held Ouachita Baptist to 237 yards of offense | 11 |
| 11 | Humboldt State | 9-1 | Making first playoff appearance since 1968 | 12 |
| 12 | Indianapolis | 10-1 | Making third playoff trip in the last four years | 14 |
| 13 | Grand Valley State | 9-2 | Reached the DII playoffs for the 17th time | 15 |
| 14 | North Alabama | 8-2 | Claimed a share of Gulf South Conference title | 16 |
| 15 | Valdosta State | 8-2 | Since a two-game losing streak has won last 4 | NR |
| 16 | Augustana | 9-2 | Had 751 yards of total offense in 76-21 victory | NR |
