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The college football season rolls on with the FCS Top 25 taking shape in the latest coaches poll ahead of the start of the playoffs. North Dakota State leads the way in first place with all 26 first-place votes, while James Madison and Sacramento State round out the top three.
North Dakota State is the lone undefeated team and will be looking to continue their dominance when the postseason begins.
The impressive program holds a 32-2 record in the playoffs over the past nine years including national championships in seven of the past eight seasons.
The first round of the playoffs will feature four Top 25 matchups. First is No. 9 Kennesaw State, who travels to Southern Conference champion and No. 15 ranked Wofford. No. 10 Villanova also hits the road, traveling south to Hammond, Louisiana, to face No. 24 Southeastern Louisiana. No. 13 Southeast Missouri State, co-champions of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC), will play host to No. 14 Illinois State while No. 16 Furman travels to the other OVC co-champion, No. 17 Austin Peay, who is making their first appearance in the FCS playoffs.
A full look at the FCS Coaches Poll for Week 13 can be seen below.
- North Dakota St. (26) 12-0
- James Madison 11-1
- Sacramento St. 9-3
- Weber St. 9-3
- Montana St. 9-3
- Northern Iowa 8-4
- Central Arkansas 9-3
- Montana 9-3
- Kennesaw St. 10-2
- Villanova 9-3
- Monmouth (N.J.) 10-2
- South Dakota St. 8-4
- Southeast Missouri St. 9-3
- Illinois St. 8-4
- Wofford 8-3
- Furman 8-4
- Austin Peay 9-3
- Central Connecticut St. 11-1
- Nicholls 8-4
- Dartmouth 9-1
- Florida A&M 9-2
- North Carolina A&T 8-3
- Yale 9-1
- Southeastern Louisiana 7-4
- Southern Illinois 7-5
Dropped Out: Towson (20)
Others Receiving Votes: North Dakota, 37; Albany, 30; Towson, 23; San Diego, 10; Alcorn St., 9; Eastern Washington, 9; Princeton, 7; South Carolina St., 6; UT Martin, 5; Holy Cross, 3.
