FCS Nation Radio Releases Week 8 Top 25 Poll: Tarleton State Takes No. 1
FCS Nation Top 25 – Week 8 (2026)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 19, 2026
Tarleton State
Montana State
South Dakota State
Youngstown State
Northern Arizona
Stephen F. Austin
South Dakota
North Dakota
Austin Peay
Campbell
Montana
Lehigh
East Tennessee State
Tennessee Tech
Lamar
Illinois State
Harvard
Mercer
Weber State
Monmouth
Richmond
Southeastern Louisiana
UC Davis
Northern Iowa
Colgate
A new No. 1. | A familiar contender back at No. 2. And one of the toughest ranking debates of the season. 👀
For the first time in weeks, South Dakota State is no longer sitting atop the FCS Nation Top 25.
Tarleton State has officially taken over the No. 1 ranking, Montana State climbs to No. 2 and South Dakota State falls two spots to No. 3.
Youngstown State rounds out the Top 4, followed by Northern Arizona at No. 5. And yes, there is plenty to debate.
How does South Dakota State fall to No. 3 while remaining ahead of Youngstown State, a team it defeated just a couple of weeks ago? Has Tarleton State really done enough to claim the top spot? And should Montana State's loss at Idaho still be holding the Bobcats back?
Those are legitimate questions. But eight weeks into the season, the FCS Nation Top 25 is becoming less about preseason expectations and more about what teams have actually accomplished. The result is a new No. 1 and a national championship race that feels increasingly wide open.
Tarleton State takes over No. 1. Has anyone built a better résumé?
The Texans have been knocking on the door for weeks. Now they've reached the top. Tarleton State moves from No. 2 to No. 1 in the FCS Nation Top 25, and the reasoning goes beyond simply winning football games.
The Texans have an FBS victory on their résumé, something that separates them from several other national contenders. They also own one of the more impressive road victories of the season after traveling to Clarksville and defeating Austin Peay, 40-32.
That Austin Peay victory matters. The Governors entered the matchup as one of the nation's strongest teams, riding a 10-game home winning streak. Tarleton walked into that environment, built a commanding first-half lead and held off a furious comeback.
Quarterback Kaden Anderson threw for 347 yards and three touchdowns in the victory, further establishing himself as one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in the country.
It's one thing to put together an impressive record. It's another to back it up with quality victories against legitimate competition. Tarleton has done both.
Of course, taking over No. 1 comes with a different level of scrutiny. Every opponent now has an opportunity to knock off the top-ranked team in the FCS.
But for now, the Texans have earned the top spot in our poll.
Montana State climbs to No. 2. Maybe Idaho really was just a hiccup.
Remember the conversation surrounding Montana State after its loss in Moscow, Idaho? The Bobcats had their 19-game winning streak snapped, questions emerged about their health and suddenly one of the nation's most established programs looked vulnerable. A couple of weeks later, the conversation is changing. Montana State moves from No. 4 to No. 2 after delivering a convincing road blowout against Eastern Washington with all of their guys back.
And perhaps more importantly, the Bobcats are starting to get healthier.
That matters for a program whose national championship expectations have never really gone away. The late-night loss at Idaho raised legitimate concerns. Was Montana State beginning to slip? Were injuries catching up to the Bobcats? Was the rest of the Big Sky finally closing the gap?
The Eastern Washington performance offered a pretty convincing response ... NO. 😂
Montana State looked much more like the team everyone expected to see this season with Lamson back in the lineup, handling business on the road and showing that its earlier stumble doesn't necessarily represent a larger trend.
One loss doesn't erase an entire body of work, especially when a team responds the way Montana State just did. The Bobcats are back at No. 2.
And they're making a strong case that the trip to Moscow was the exception, not the rule.
South Dakota State falls to No. 3. So why are the Jackrabbits still ahead of Youngstown State?
This might be the biggest debate in the entire poll.
South Dakota State entered Week 8 ranked No. 1. Now the Jackrabbits sit at No. 3, just one spot ahead of Youngstown State. And there's an important detail that cannot be ignored.
South Dakota State beat Youngstown State just a couple of weeks ago.
So why does SDSU fall two spots while the Penguins remain right behind them?
Because the rankings aren't necessarily a reflection of which team had the better weekend. They're an evaluation of the entire season.
Tarleton State's combination of an FBS victory and a major road win over Austin Peay has strengthened its argument for No. 1.
Montana State's return to form, improved health and dominant road performance against Eastern Washington have helped push the Bobcats back toward the top.
That doesn't mean South Dakota State suddenly became a worse football team. And it certainly doesn't mean the Jackrabbits' victory over Youngstown State no longer matters. Quite the opposite.
That head-to-head result is a major reason South Dakota State remains ahead of the Penguins.
Youngstown State has assembled an impressive résumé of its own, but when two teams are separated by one spot and one recently defeated the other, that result deserves significant weight.
The challenge is balancing head-to-head results with the full body of work.
Should South Dakota State still be No. 1 because of its overall consistency? Has Montana State shown enough to jump the Jackrabbits? Is Tarleton's résumé clearly the strongest?
There's room for disagreement, which we've learned in our replies ...
But that's exactly what makes this year's national championship race so interesting. There isn't an obvious, undisputed No. 1 team in the FCS right now. And the rankings reflect that.
Northern Arizona holds at No. 5. Stephen F. Austin enters the Top 6.
After one of the most dramatic rises of the season, Northern Arizona remains firmly inside the nation's Top 5.
The Lumberjacks have gone from No. 14 in Week 6 to No. 5 in Week 7, and now hold that position in Week 8. That kind of movement doesn't happen without making a statement.
Northern Arizona's 49-44 victory over Montana, powered by quarterback Ty Pennington's six-touchdown performance, helped change the national conversation surrounding the Lumberjacks. They're no longer chasing recognition. They're defending their position among the country's leading contenders.
Stephen F. Austin, meanwhile, climbs from No. 8 to No. 6. The Lumberjacks have steadily worked their way toward the top of the rankings and now find themselves just outside the Top 5.
With Tarleton State occupying No. 1 and Stephen F. Austin sitting at No. 6. That's a development worth watching as the season moves deeper into conference play.
North Dakota returns to the Top 10. Montana drops five spots.
A week ago, North Dakota was one of the biggest stories in the wrong direction. The Fighting Hawks had fallen from No. 4 to No. 14, a 10-spot tumble that completely changed their national positioning. Now they're back inside the Top 10. North Dakota climbs six spots to No. 8 in the Week 8 poll, the largest upward move among teams that were ranked last week.
That's a significant rebound for a program competing in one of the deepest conferences in the FCS. The Missouri Valley Football Conference currently has South Dakota State at No. 3, Youngstown State at No. 4, South Dakota at No. 7 and North Dakota at No. 8.
Four teams inside the Top 8.
That's an impressive amount of national representation, and it shows just how competitive the league remains.
Montana, meanwhile, moves in the opposite direction.
The Grizzlies fall from No. 6 to No. 11, dropping outside the Top 10 after spending much of the season near the top of the national rankings.
It's a notable change for a program that entered Week 7 ranked No. 2.
With Montana State at No. 2 and Northern Arizona at No. 5, Montana now finds itself looking up at two Big Sky opponents in the national rankings.
The Grizzlies remain firmly in the playoff conversation, but their standing has changed considerably over the past two weeks.
Campbell enters the Top 10. Austin Peay rebounds.
There's another new name inside the Top 10.
Campbell climbs from No. 13 to No. 10, continuing its rise through the national rankings.
The Camels have steadily gained ground in the FCS Nation poll and now find themselves ahead of several programs that entered the season with significant national expectations.
Austin Peay also makes an important move.
After falling to No. 11 following its loss to Tarleton State, the Governors climb back to No. 9. That creates an interesting dynamic near the top of the rankings. The same Austin Peay team that helped strengthen Tarleton State's argument for No. 1 remains a Top 10 program in its own right.
One loss to the nation's top-ranked team doesn't erase everything a program has accomplished. And with the Governors still sitting inside the Top 10, their matchup against Tarleton continues to carry significant weight in evaluating the Texans' résumé.
Weber State, Monmouth and Southeastern Louisiana join the national rankings.
The bottom half of the Week 8 poll looks considerably different from a week ago.
Weber State enters at No. 19, Monmouth arrives at No. 20 and Southeastern Louisiana checks in at No. 22.
Richmond also returns to the rankings at No. 21, while Colgate claims the final spot at No. 25. That's five programs entering or returning to the Top 25 in a single week.
Their arrival pushes several familiar names out of the rankings, including Stony Brook, Yale, Idaho State, Morgan State and North Alabama.
Elsewhere, Mercer climbs from No. 21 to No. 18, Harvard moves from No. 19 to No. 17 and Northern Iowa slips from No. 22 to No. 24.
UC Davis also takes a significant step backward, falling from No. 12 to No. 23. The movement illustrates how quickly the national picture can change once conference schedules begin producing more meaningful results.
Teams that looked comfortably positioned inside the Top 15 just a couple of weeks ago are now fighting to maintain their place in the rankings. And programs that were previously outside the national conversation are finding their way into the Top 25.
Eight weeks in, who is actually the best team in the FCS?
That's the question everyone seems to be asking.
Tarleton State has the résumé, including an FBS victory and a statement road win over Austin Peay.
Montana State is getting everybody back and just reminded everyone how dangerous they can be.
South Dakota State has already beaten Youngstown State and remains one of the nation's most established contenders.
Youngstown State has climbed from No. 12 to No. 4 in just three weeks.
And Northern Arizona has forced its way into the Top 5 after one of the most impressive stretches of the season. Five teams. Five legitimate arguments.
The FCS Nation Top 25 has a new No. 1, but that doesn't mean the debate is settled. If anything, it's only getting started.
October is beginning to separate the teams with championship aspirations from the teams capable of actually making a run.
And with the national picture changing almost every weekend, nobody should get too comfortable at the top. 👀
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