Week 8 FCS Football Top 25 Rankings
October 23, 2016 · CSM Staff
| Rank | Team | Comments | Prior | |
| 1 |  |
Jacksonville State | JSU (6-1) didn’t win as big as hoped against EKU. Eastern Illinois visits next week which should all but clinch the OVC. | 1 |
| 2 |  |
Sam Houston State | The Bearkats (7-0) cruised to an easy win over Nicholls State. A beat down on Texas Southern happens next. | 2 |
| 3 |  |
North Dakota State | NDSU (6-1) rebounds from a loss to win at Western Illinois. Now a road game at Northern Iowa. | 3 |
| 4 |  |
Eastern Washington | EWU (6-1) continues to win and score points. They just beat Montana State, now they get Montana at home. | 4 |
| 5 |  |
Richmond | Richmond (7-1) whipped Elon and now get a week off before their monster home tilt with James Madison. | 5 |
| 6 |  |
Citadel | The Citadel (7-0) needed OT to dispatch of Wofford, but stayed undefeated. Home game coming with ETSU. | 6 |
| 7 |  |
South Dakota State | SDSU (5-2) beat another top 15 team. The Jackrabbits runaway train rolls into Illinois State next Saturday. | 9 |
| 8 |  |
James Madison | JMU (6-1) had the week off. A home game with URI precedes two very tough roadies at Richmond and ‘Nova. | 8 |
| 9 |  |
Chattanooga | Chatty (7-1) took down VMI comfortably. At Western Carolina next. One more win should put them in the playoffs. | 11 |
| 10 |  |
Charleston Southern | Two weeks waiting to play a game for CSU (4-2) was taken out on Presbyterian. Bucknell visits next week. | 12 |
| 11 |  |
Montana | Montana (5-2) lost at Northern Arizona. They’re getting hot. But the Grizzlies can get redemption at EWU next week. | 7 |
| 12 |  |
Samford | Samford (6-1) beat Western Carolina, but step up in competition next week when they play at Mississippi State. | 15 |
| 13 |  |
Central Arkansas | UCA (6-1) beat Lamar and readies for a resurgent SE Lousiana. The Bears are looking good for the postseason. | 16 |
| 14 |  |
Western Illinois | WIU (5-2) lost a tough home game against NDSU. Now a sneaky, tough road game at South Dakota comes next. | 10 |
| 15 |  |
North Dakota | UND’s (6-2) advertised hot streak continues over Idaho State. A very important home game vs. Weber State awaits. | 19 |
| 16 |  |
Youngstown State | YSU (5-2) drops a roadie at SDSU. The MVFC road is a tough place to live. A home game with Indiana State is welcomed. | 14 |
| 17 |  |
Villanova | Nova (6-2) added to Albany’s recent misery and added to their resume. They get a bye now to prepare for the stretch. | 20 |
| 18 |  |
Coastal Carolina | CCU (5-2) beat a subpar Central Connecticut State by 8. They travel to former Big South brother, Presbyterian next. | 18 |
| 19 |  |
Cal Poly | Poly (5-2) held on to beat UC-Davis. Need a better effort next week at Sacramento State, if they want to be taken seriously. | 21 |
| 20 |  |
Stony Brook | Stony Brook (5-2) crushed Delaware. If they beat New Hampshire next week, a playoff run looks more and more likely. | 22 |
| 21 |  |
Eastern Illinois | Horrible loss for EIU (5-3) to now 2-win Murray State. A road game at Jacksonville State puts the playoffs in doubt. | 13 |
| 22 |  |
Fordham | The Rams (5-2) just get by Georgetown, but that’s ok. Next week at Lehigh is the Patriot League Game of the Year. | 23 |
| 23 |  |
Wofford | Wofford (4-3) lose to The Citadel…ok. Home against Mercer next week. This team needs a signature win. | 17 |
| 24 |  |
New Hampshire | New Hampshire (5-3) clubs Towson. A playoff-level home game with Stony Brook comes next weekend. | 25 |
| 25 |  |
Lehigh | Lehigh (6-2) steamrolls Holy Cross in anticipation of the home date with Fordham next week. | NR |
See Week 8 FCS Football Power Rankings
