Who are college football’s best FCS teams? Illinois State rises in latest top 25 power rankings

Week four in the FCS will start to introduce some pivotal conference games, which is rare this early in the season. Good news for fans, as Saturday features several Top 25 matchups:

• CAA: Villanova at Monmouth
• UAC: Austin Peay at Abilene Christian

There are also traditional HBCU rivalry games, including North Carolina Central vs. North Carolina A&T in the Aggie-Eagle Classic, and Hampton vs. Howard in “The Battle for the Real HU.”

The Ivy League joins the season this week as the Ancient Eight begin play. For the first time in history, the Ivy champion will advance to the FCS playoffs with an automatic berth. Coaches and players have long pushed for this change, noting that past Ivy teams could have made deep postseason runs but were denied the chance. It will be intriguing to see which team earns that inaugural bid.

Columbia will be the first Ivy team to take the field, traveling to Easton, Pennsylvania, to face Lafayette on Friday night.

• Biggest rise: Austin Peay | Last week: No. 20
• Biggest fall: East Tennessee State | Last week: No. 23

College football rankings: Miami jumps to No. 2 spot, Texas A&M joins top 10 in CBS Sports 136

Chip Patterson

1. North Dakota State (3-0): The combination of QB Cole Payton and RB Barry Kpeenu has Bison fans already booking flights and hotels for Frisco, Texas, in January.

2. South Dakota State (3-0): Games have been a bit more competitive than the Jackrabbits would like, but they’re still finding ways to win.

3. Montana (2-0): The offense sputtered in the first half but came alive in the fourth quarter when it mattered most to edge North Dakota.

4. Tarleton State (4-0): Central Arkansas looked like a possible trap game, but QB Victor Gabalis tossed five touchdown passes in a 56-10 rout.

5. Rhode Island (3-0): The Rams’ defense shined against Holy Cross, holding the Crusaders to 2.3 yards per carry. The penalties must be cleaned up, though, as 11 is far too many.

6. UC Davis (1-1): Coming off a bye week, the Aggies should be focused against upset-minded Southern Utah.

7. Lehigh (3-0): The Mountain Hawks look sharp on offense, defense and special teams. No surprise they’re undefeated.

8. Montana State (1-2): The Bobcats looked like themselves again in a win over San Diego and should build momentum against Mercyhurst this weekend.

9. Idaho (2-1): After back-to-back wins, the Vandals aim for an FBS victory at San Jose State. They nearly pulled it off in Week 1 against Washington State.

10. Illinois State (2-1): The 42-30 final vs. Eastern Illinois was closer on the scoreboard than on the field. The Redbirds have the pieces to make a run.

11. Incarnate Word (1-2): A huge matchup with Northern Arizona looms. The Cardinals need their defense to find some traction.

12. Jackson State (2-1): A bye week is well-earned after a 30-0 rout of Tuskegee. In two weeks, the Tigers jump into SWAC play against Southern.

13. Villanova (1-1): At least the Wildcats covered against Penn State. More importantly, the upcoming matchup with Monmouth is critical in the CAA.

14. Southern Illinois (2-1): QB DJ Williams’ development has been a major boost for the Salukis.

15. Austin Peay (2-1): The Governors rebounded against Morehead State and now face a huge UAC test against Abilene Christian.

16. West Georgia (3-0): We keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. Maybe West Georgia is the other shoe.

17. South Dakota (1-2): RB LJ Phillips Jr. was dominant in a 24-17 overtime win over Northern Colorado, rushing for 301 yards on 35 carries with two touchdowns.

18. New Hampshire (2-1): The Wildcats meet Dartmouth in a rivalry dating to 1901. UNH leads the series 21-19-2.

19. Northern Arizona (2-1): The Lumberjacks want to make a statement against Incarnate Word. Their offense presents major matchup problems.

20. Abilene Christian (1-2): The Wildcats’ rushing attack could be the difference in a pivotal game against Austin Peay.

21. North Dakota (1-2): The Fighting Hawks must avoid a Montana hangover and regroup quickly against Valparaiso.

22. Tennessee Tech (3-0): Off to their best start in 48 years, the Golden Eagles may be hitting a bye at the wrong time, given their hot play.

23. South Carolina State (2-1): After dominating Bethune-Cookman for three quarters, the Bulldogs got sloppy late. Lesson learned: keep the foot on the gas.

24. Monmouth (2-1): With their offensive firepower, the Hawks stress every opponent. A win over Villanova could send them soaring up the rankings.

25. Lamar (2-1): The Cardinals have stacked back-to-back FCS wins and enter their bye with momentum.