SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Previously unranked Bethune-Cookman (No.24) entered this week’s Top 25 Coaches Poll after picking up a win over North Carolina Central on Saturday.
Georgia Southern moved to No. 1 this week after claiming a 39-31 triple-overtime win at Chattanooga Saturday. The Eagles received 17 first-place votes and tallied 635 total points.
Georgia Southern forced overtime with a fourth-quarter field goal and the Eagles’ defense came up with a stop on fourth-down in the third overtime to hold off Chattanooga.
North Dakota State received five first-place votes (619 points) and rose one spot to No.2 after defeating Southern Illinois, 23-17. Montana State and Sam Houston State each climbed one spot to No.3 and No.4, respectively, as well. Sam Houston State also received two first-place votes. Old Dominion moved up two spots to No.5, while Lehigh, which was idle last week, received one first-place vote and maintained their No.6 ranking.
Wofford rose one spot to No.7 after defeating The Citadel (24-21). Last week’s No.1, Eastern Washington, dropped to No.8 after falling to unranked Southern Utah. Stony Brook (No.9) and James Madison (No.10) maintain their rankings from last week and round out the top ten.
Eleven conferences are represented in the poll. The Colonial Athletic Association has the most teams in the top-25 with five. The Big Sky and Missouri Valley are represented by four teams each, while the Southern Conference has three teams in this week’s poll. The Ohio Valley and Southland conferences are represented by two teams, and the Big South, Ivy League, Mid-Eastern Athletic, Northeast, and Patriot League have one team in the top-25.
The FCS Coaches Poll is based exclusively on a voting panel of head coaches in the FCS under the cooperation of the Collegiate Commissioners Association (CCA) and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and is administered by the Southern Conference.
Week Nine Poll – October 29, 2012
| Team (No. 1 Votes) | 2012 Record | Points | Previous Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Georgia Southern (17) | 7-1 | 635 | 2 |
| 2. North Dakota State (5) | 7-1 | 619 | 3 |
| 3. Montana State | 7-1 | 586 | 4 |
| 4. Sam Houston State (2) | 6-2 | 561 | 5 |
| 5. Old Dominion | 7-1 | 528 | 7 |
| 6. Lehigh (1) | 8-0 | 517 | 6 |
| 7. Wofford | 7-1 | 486 | 8 |
| 8. Eastern Washington (1) | 6-2 | 471 | 1 |
| 9. Stony Brook | 8-1 | 450 | 9 |
| 10. James Madison | 6-2 | 429 | 10 |
| 11. New Hampshire | 7-2 | 396 | 12 |
| 12. Northern Arizona | 7-1 | 363 | 13 |
| 13. Central Arkansas | 7-2 | 326 | 14 |
| 14. Appalachian State | 6-3 | 275 | 15 |
| 15. Illinois State | 7-2 | 264 | 17 |
| 16. Cal Poly | 7-1 | 256 | 11 |
| 17. Indiana State | 7-2 | 249 | T-18 |
| 18. Albany | 7-1 | 188 | 20 |
| 19. Tennessee State | 8-1 | 173 | T-21 |
| 20. Delaware | 5-3 | 122 | 16 |
| 21. Harvard | 6-1 | 96 | 24 |
| 22. Towson | 4-4 | 87 | 25 |
| 23. Eastern Kentucky | 6-3 | 68 | T-18 |
| 24. Bethune-Cookman | 6-2 | 54 | NR |
| 25. South Dakota State | 6-2 | 51 | NR |
Others Receiving Votes: Sacramento State (44), Richmond (27), Villanova (27), UT Martin (26), McNeese State (23), Jacksonville State (16), Youngstown State (10), Eastern Illinois (8), The Citadel (5), Samford (5), Southern Illinois (4), Northern Iowa (4), Alabama A&M (1).
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