After a compelling week with a handful of top-25 matchups and surprise losses, new rankings are here.
Here are some takeaways from the latest FCS Coaches Poll.
Four new teams enter the rankings
No. 22 VMI, No. 23 Rhode Island, T-No. 24 Holy Cross, and T-No. 24 UT Martin all enter this week's edition of the FCS Coaches Poll. VMI and Holy Cross re-enter the rankings after previously being ranked weeks prior. UT Martin enters the poll for the first time since September 25, 2017, while Rhode Island moves up after falling just short last week.
The four new entrants are the most in the poll this season. With FCS conference play picking up, expect more movement in the coming weeks.
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Jacksonville State and Weber State drop after losses
For the second straight week, Weber State fell to a top-10 opponent. Back-to-back losses to then-No. 2 James Madison and then-No. 10 UC Davis dropped the Wildcats ten spots in two weeks. With the addition of a season-opening loss to FBS opponent Utah, Weber State's record is now 1-3, the worst of all ranked teams.
Jacksonville State saw the biggest fall of any team in this week's rankings. After a surprise loss to then-unranked UT Martin, the Gamecocks dropped from 9 to 17. At 2-2, Jacksonville State's season doesn't get any easier with a visit to No. 20 Kennesaw State up next.
No movement at the top
The top six teams of the FCS Coaches Poll remained the same after each team in action won last week. No. 1 Sam Houston took two first-place votes away from No. 2 James Madison after the Bearkats picked up their first top-25 win of the season.
Don't expect the lack of movement at the top of the rankings to be the norm, especially with No. 4 Montana heading to No. 6 Eastern Washington this Saturday night.
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See the full FCS Coaches Poll from Sept. 27, 2021:
|
RANK |
SCHOOL |
RECORD |
POINTS |
PREVIOUS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sam Houston (26) | 3-0 | 698 | 1 |
| 2 | James Madison (1) | 3-0 | 658 | 2 |
| 3 | South Dakota St. (1) | 3-0 | 652 | 3 |
| 4 | Montana | 3-0 | 614 | 4 |
| 5 | North Dakota St. | 3-0 | 589 | 5 |
| 6 | Eastern Washington | 4-0 | 557 | 6 |
| 7 | Southern Illinois | 3-1 | 494 | 8 |
| 8 | UC Davis | 4-0 | 479 | 10 |
| 9 | Villanova | 3-1 | 426 | 7 |
| 10 | Delaware | 2-1 | 425 | 11 |
| 11 | North Dakota | 2-1 | 400 | 13 |
| 12 | Montana St. | 3-1 | 387 | 12 |
| 13 | Northern Iowa | 2-1 | 365 | 14 |
| 14 | East Tennessee St. | 4-0 | 334 | 17 |
| 15 | Southeastern Louisiana | 2-1 | 317 | 16 |
| 16 | Missouri St. | 2-1 | 275 | 18 |
| 17 | Jacksonville St. | 2-2 | 224 | 9 |
| 18 | Weber St. | 1-3 | 158 | 15 |
| 19 | Chattanooga | 1-2 | 143 | 23 |
| 20 | Kennesaw St. | 2-1 | 127 | T-24 |
| 21 | Richmond | 2-2 | 115 | 21 |
| 22 | VMI | 3-1 | 102 | NR |
| 23 | Rhode Island | 3-0 | 87 | NR |
| T-24. | Holy Cross | 3-1 | 67 | NR |
| T-24. | UT Martin | 3-1 | 67 | NR |
