FCS Nation Radio Releases Week 11 Top 25 Poll: Lamar Surges, Montana State Holds No. 1 as Playoff Debate Intensifies 🍿
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 10, 2026
FCS Nation Top 25 – Week 11 (2026)
Montana State
South Dakota State
Tarleton State
Youngstown State
Northern Arizona
Lamar
South Dakota
Austin Peay
Montana
Stephen F. Austin
North Dakota
Tennessee Tech
Monmouth
Mercer
Campbell
Weber State
Harvard
Lehigh
UAlbany
Illinois State
Incarnate Word
Idaho
East Tennessee State
Idaho State
Abilene Christian
The top five stays put, Lamar makes the biggest statement of the week, and the FCS Nation comment section remains undefeated. Welcome to Week 11 of the FCS Nation Top 25. 😂
Montana State maintains its grip on the No. 1 ranking following a hard-fought road victory over Idaho State, while South Dakota State, Tarleton State, Youngstown State and Northern Arizona round out an unchanged top five. But below them, things got interesting.
Lamar delivers the week's biggest shakeup, climbing six spots to No. 6 after knocking off previously sixth-ranked Stephen F. Austin, which falls to No. 10. Mercer continues its climb (most physical football game we've watched all season 🔥), UAlbany takes a step backward, and the SoCon reminds us that predicting its weekly results is a dangerous hobby Kevin's had for decades now.
With the FCS Playoffs approaching, the debate surrounding strength of schedule, quality wins and undefeated records is only getting louder. And while we appreciate the passionate feedback, there's a difference between defending your team and actually defending its résumé. So, let's talk football please, how's that sound????
Montana State remains No. 1, and yes, we watched the Idaho State game
Montana State remains atop our rankings after escaping Pocatello with a 28-26 triple-overtime victory over Idaho State. Was it dominant? Absolutely not.
Was it the kind of performance that sends a message to the rest of the country? Not particularly.
But was it a road victory over a nationally ranked opponent? Yes. And that matters.
One of the more entertaining reactions to our latest poll suggested that Montana State shouldn't remain No. 1 after struggling against the Bengals. It's a reasonable question, at least until we remember that rankings are supposed to evaluate an entire season rather than the most recent 60 minutes of football.
The Bobcats' résumé includes an FBS victory over Nevada and wins against Northern Arizona, Weber State and Idaho State, three teams currently ranked in our Top 25. Those results carry weight.
Montana State also has a loss to Idaho, and that absolutely remains part of the evaluation. But a single loss doesn't erase the quality of a team's victories, just as a narrow win doesn't automatically erase everything it accomplished beforehand. There's also a tendency to treat close victories as evidence that a highly ranked team doesn't belong. Sometimes that's justified. Other times, it overlooks the quality of the opponent and the difficulty of winning on the road.
Montana State has demonstrated its ability to beat nationally competitive teams, and its overall body of work remains strong enough to justify the top spot. Could that change? Of course. But we're not moving the Bobcats simply because they failed to satisfy somebody's preferred margin of victory.
Tarleton State remains undefeated, but the No. 1 debate requires context
We know. We know. TRUST ME, WE KNOW.
Tarleton State is 10-0, and the Texans are still sitting at No. 3. Before the keyboards catch fire again, let's acknowledge something that apparently gets lost in translation every Monday: Tarleton State is an outstanding football team.
The Texans own an FBS victory over Bowling Green, defeated Austin Peay on the road and have added a victory over a really good Abilene Christian team. They're undefeated entering the final stretch of the regular season and deserve to be considered among the nation's legitimate championship contenders.
We've said that repeatedly. We were also among the first to elevate Tarleton to No. 1 earlier this season. But rankings aren't permanent appointments. The distinction between Tarleton and Montana State isn't simply a question of who has more losses. It's a question of how their complete résumés compare.
Consider the strength-of-schedule discussion. Through Week 11, Tarleton ranks 49th in overall Massey strength of schedule but 86th in an FCS-only strength-of-schedule measurement. Montana State, meanwhile, ranks 24th overall and 30th against FCS competition in those respective metrics.
Those numbers aren't a perfect evaluation of either team, and different rating systems will produce different results. But they illustrate why examining the level of competition matters at least.
Tarleton's victory over Bowling Green is significant. So are its wins against Austin Peay and Abilene Christian.
Nobody should discount them. At the same time, Montana State has accumulated a larger collection of victories against teams currently occupying the upper portion of our rankings. That distinction is central to our evaluation.
And for those wondering why Montana State's close win over Idaho State doesn't trigger the same reaction as Tarleton's close calls, here's the answer: opponent quality matters. A narrow victory over a nationally competitive team isn't necessarily equivalent to a narrow victory over a struggling opponent. That doesn't mean Tarleton's wins count for less on the scoreboard. It means the context surrounding those wins matters when comparing teams.
The Texans have earned every bit of their place in the national conversation. But being undefeated is not an automatic claim to the top spot, particularly when other contenders have demonstrated their ability against more demanding competition. We can respect 10-0 without pretending every 10-0 résumé is identical.
Lamar makes its statement, and Stephen F. Austin pays the price
Perhaps no team did more to strengthen its standing this week than Lamar. The Cardinals delivered a 45-28 victory over Stephen F. Austin, handing the previously undefeated Lumberjacks their first loss and producing the most significant movement in our Week 11 rankings.
Lamar jumps from No. 12 to No. 6. Stephen F. Austin falls from No. 6 to No. 10. And frankly, this is exactly what a consequential head-to-head result should do.
Underrated Quarterback Aiden McCown threw for 307 yards and three touchdowns, while Parker Jenkins rushed for 138 yards and three scores as Lamar delivered one of the season's biggest Southland statements.
For weeeeeekssssssss, much of the discussion surrounding Stephen F. Austin centered on its undefeated record and whether the Lumberjacks deserved to be ranked alongside the nation's top contenders.
That was a legitimate conversation. SFA had earned its place among the nation's best by winning consistently and taking care of business. But Saturday provided a new piece of evidence. Lamar didn't need to win an argument about hypothetical matchups or computer rankings. The Cardinals lined up against a top-six opponent and won by 17 points.
That's a result worth rewarding.
Stephen F. Austin doesn't suddenly become a bad football team because of one loss. The Lumberjacks remain in our top 10 for a reason, and their previous accomplishments haven't disappeared.
But the defeat changes the conversation about where they belong relative to other contenders. This is why the regular season matters and why rankings must remain responsive to actual results. We spent weeks hearing that certain undefeated teams weren't getting enough respect. Now one of those teams has suffered a decisive loss to another nationally ranked opponent. That's not a victory lap. It's a reminder that these debates eventually get settled on the field.
And Lamar deserves the spotlight for making that happen. 👏🏻
Austin Peay, North Dakota and the strength-of-schedule argument
Another ranking generating considerable discussion is Austin Peay at No. 8, particularly with North Dakota sitting three spots behind the Governors at No. 11.
The argument is familiar: Austin Peay's schedule hasn't been as demanding as North Dakota's, so why should the Governors remain ahead? It's a fair question, and one worth examining a tad deeper.
North Dakota has faced the weekly challenge of competing in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, with results that include a victory over South Dakota State and a narrow defeat against Youngstown State.
That victory over the Jackrabbits is particularly significant. South Dakota State sits at No. 2 in our rankings, and North Dakota has already demonstrated that it can beat a team of that caliber.
Those results absolutely strengthen the Fighting Hawks' case.
But the rankings also account for consistency, losses and the full collection of results. A difficult schedule is valuable context, not an automatic exemption from the consequences of losing. Austin Peay's placement reflects our evaluation of the Governors' overall performance to this point, even while acknowledging that their schedule presents legitimate questions. And let's be clear: the gap between No. 8 and No. 11 isn't some enormous philosophical divide, especially when you have Chris Parson behind center.
It's three positions in a national poll involving more than 100 FCS programs playing dramatically different schedules.
Reasonable arguments can be made for adjusting that order, particularly as the remaining games provide more evidence. What we won't do is automatically reward a conference affiliation or dismiss a team's accomplishments because its schedule doesn't resemble that of a Missouri Valley contender. The standard has to be consistent.
Quality wins matter. Quality losses provide context. And the number of defeats still matters, too. A tough schedule doesn't magically turn losses into wins, but an easier schedule shouldn't magically turn every victory into proof of national superiority. The challenge is weighing all of it.
Mercer rises, UAlbany slips and the SoCon delivers more chaos
While the biggest headlines surround the top 10, there's plenty happening throughout the middle of the rankings.
Mercer climbs four spots to No. 14 following its victory over Chattanooga, continuing to establish itself as a serious factor in the Southern Conference race. Chattanooga, meanwhile, falls completely out of the Top 25.
The Bears are trending in the right direction at an important point in the season, and their latest victory adds another meaningful result to their résumé. UAlbany moves in the opposite direction, falling from No. 15 to No. 19 after failing to follow up its impressive victory over Campbell.
That previous result was significant, and the Great Danes deserved recognition for it. But one statement win doesn't guarantee continued upward movement if the next performance doesn't support it. Consistency becomes increasingly important in November. And then there's the SoCon.
East Tennessee State falls from No. 14 to No. 23 following its loss to Samford, another reminder that the SoCon apparently has no interest in making life easy for anyone trying to rank its teams. 😂
The Buccaneers remain in our Top 25, but their latest defeat significantly complicates their standing. The same conference that produces impressive nationally competitive teams also seems determined to have those teams take turns making each other's playoff paths more difficult.
At some point, the SoCon might consider letting one of its contenders have a peaceful Saturday. We're definitely not holding our breath though.
Elsewhere, Campbell moves to No. 15, Monmouth holds at No. 13 and Illinois State slides to No. 20 as the middle of the poll continues to evolve.
These aren't meaningless adjustments. With postseason selection approaching, every position reflects an increasingly important comparison between teams trying to establish their national standing.
Idaho enters the Top 25 as the playoff picture tightens
Idaho makes its first appearance in our rankings in recent weeks, entering at No. 22.
The Vandals have worked their way back into the national conversation, and their inclusion reinforces an important part of our approach: rankings should reflect what teams have demonstrated throughout the season, with recent results helping clarify where they stand today.
A program's early-season expectations shouldn't permanently determine its ceiling. Incarnate Word climbs to No. 21, while Idaho State remains ranked at No. 24 following its competitive performance against top-ranked Montana State. Abilene Christian rounds out the poll at No. 25.
With the regular season winding down, the bottom portion of the Top 25 carries particular significance. Teams fighting for conference titles, playoff positioning and potential at-large consideration have fewer opportunities to strengthen their résumés. And as we've seen repeatedly, one weekend can change everything.
The rankings will change, but the standard won't.
Here's what makes November in the FCS so compelling: the arguments are finally running out of places to hide.
For weeks, we've debated undefeated records, strength of schedule, quality victories, conference depth and which teams actually look capable of making a championship run. Now those conversations are becoming increasingly consequential.
Montana State remains No. 1 because its complete body of work continues to justify that position in our evaluation. Tarleton State remains a legitimate national title contender with an undefeated record and several notable victories. Lamar just demonstrated exactly why head-to-head results deserve substantial weight. And Stephen F. Austin's loss reminds everyone that even the strongest-looking résumés can change in a single afternoon.
There isn't a perfect formula for ranking the FCS. Teams compete across different conferences, face vastly different levels of competition and rarely provide enough direct matchups to settle every debate. That's why evaluating the complete body of work matters.
We're not ranking helmets. We're not ranking fan bases. And we're certainly not adjusting the poll based on which team's supporters have the most time to spend in our mentions.
Although, if social media persistence counted toward the standings, a few programs would already have home-field advantage locked up through the national championship.
The rankings will continue to evolve as new results provide new evidence. That's not inconsistency, that's the entire point of evaluating teams every week. And to everyone passionately defending their program, keep the conversation coming. We welcome the disagreement, especially when it comes with a thoughtful argument about what happened on the field.
Because the best part about this time of year is that eventually, the teams get to do the talking. And those are the arguments we enjoy most.
Follow me Stone Labanowitz and FCS Nation Radio for continued Top 25 coverage, playoff analysis and national FCS discussion as the road to the postseason continues.
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