FCS Football Top 25: Zach McKinnell's 2025 Week 11 Ballot

I'm honored to represent FCS Football Central on SI as one of the voters in the FCS Stats Perform Top 25 again for the 2025 season. I also submit this ballot for the Redshirt Sports Top 25 poll.

As I have over the past few years, I will release my weekly ballot and explain my reasoning behind my selections throughout the season. I believe it's important to be transparent as a voter, giving fans insight into how I analyze teams and construct my ballot week-to-week.

Below is my Week 11 ballot for the 2025 FCS football season.

25. Northern Arizona

24. Jackson State

23. Southeastern Louisiana

22. Southern Illinois

21. South Dakota State

20. Western Carolina

19. South Dakota

18. Lamar

17. Rhode Island

16. Illinois State

15. Villanova

14. Stephen F. Austin

13. Abilene Christian

12. Youngstown State

11. Monmouth

10. North Dakota

9. UC Davis

8. Mercer

7. Tennessee Tech

6. Harvard

5. Lehigh

4. Tarleton State

3. Montana

2. Montana State

1. North Dakota State

Honorable Mentions: Sacramento State, West Georgia, Lafayette, Alabama State, Yale

Analysis:

I've been considering moving Montana State to No. 2 for a few weeks, but this weekend solidified that the Bobcats belong at that spot. Montana still has an extremely strong resume, but has failed to be as dominant as Montana State against multiple common opponents. At the end of the day, this debate will be settled on Nov. 22 in the Brawl of the Wild.

Mercer made a jump to No. 8 after an impressive road win over Western Carolina. It gave the Bears a ranked win, along with extending their winning streak to eight games since a loss in Week 1. This team has been outstanding since moving to Braden Atkinson at quarterback. I imagine that with a win over Chattanooga, the Bears could secure a top-8 seed.

Lamar moved back into the Top 20 with a ranked win over Southeastern Louisiana. The Cardinals are 8-2 overall (8-1 vs the FCS) with ranked wins over South Dakota and SLU. As for Southeastern, the Lions remained in the Top 25 but dropped outside of the Top 20 with the loss. The Lions don't have any signature wins, but are still 7-1 against the FCS, which is enough to remain in my ballot for now.

Youngstown State was another riser in my ballot following a ranked win over Southern Illinois. The Penguins are 6-3 against the FCS, but hold impressive wins over Illinois State and SIU. All three of their losses were to then-ranked Top 10 teams, including a one-score loss to NDSU on the road. The eye test says this team may deserve a slightly higher ranking, but at the end of the day, you still have to win. They'll be heavy favorites in their final two games and could make a push for a Top 10 ranking.

Monmouth suffered an upset loss to New Hampshire, but I kept the Hawks right outside the Top 10. They are still 8-1 against the FCS, including an impressive ranked win over Villanova. Plus, they are still missing starting quarterback Derek Robertson, which is something else I considered in their ranking this week.

One of the hottest teams over the past two weeks has been South Dakota, which moves into the Top 20 after its win over South Dakota State. The Coyotes are now 7-3 vs the FCS, including ranked wins over North Dakota and SDSU in back-to-back weeks. Although it may not always be in dominant fashion, this team continues to find ways to win.

As for South Dakota State, the Jackrabbits plummet to No. 21 after their third straight loss. They still have ranked wins over Montana State and Youngstown State, which keep them in my ballot, but this team is trending in the wrong direction. Injuries have plagued this team, including quarterback Chase Mason, but I can't ignore the on-field performance as other teams have found ways to win despite injuries.

As I mentioned earlier, Western Carolina lost to Mercer after the Catamounts missed a game-winning field goal as time expired. The Catamounts remained in my ballot despite falling to 6-3 against the FCS. This team is 6-1 since the return of Taron Dickens, and with how they've been playing, I don't see how any voter can argue that they don't belong among the Top 25 teams in the country.

Stephen F. Austin improved to 8-1 against the FCS, which moved the Lumberjacks into the Top 15. They've won eight consecutive games by 10 points or more, and are the only remaining undefeated team in Southland play. The Lumberjacks have a chance to make their case for a Top 10 ranking this weekend against Lamar, which would give them a signature win for their resume.

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