FCS Football Top 25: Zach McKinnell's 2025 Week 3 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 build my ballot week-to-week.

Below is my Week 3 ballot for the 2025 FCS football season.

25. ETSU

24. Elon

23. Gardner-Webb

22. New Hampshire

21. Villanova

20. Monmouth

19. Lamar

18. Jackson State

17. UC Davis

16. West Georgia

15. Austin Peay

14. Idaho

13. Abilene Christian

12. Lehigh

11. Northern Arizona

10. Tennessee Tech

9. North Dakota

8. Illinois State

7. Rhode Island

6. Southern Illinois

5. Montana

4. Montana State

3. Tarleton State

2. South Dakota State

1. North Dakota State

Honorable Mentions: South Dakota, Stephen F. Austin, Youngstown State, Southeastern Louisiana, Incarnate Word

Analysis:

This was a much easier week than the previous two. Montana jumped to No. 5 in my ballot after an impressive comeback win over North Dakota. I know it might not have been a perfect game for the Grizzlies, but this team delivered when it mattered and now holds one of the best ranked wins of the season. North Dakota remained in the Top 10 despite the loss, in which they largely outplayed Montana for 3.5 quarters. The Hawks could be a factor in the MVFC race.

Northern Arizona moved up in my ballot after a solid road win over Southern Utah. I've been extremely impressed by this offense, led by Ty Pennington at quarterback. The Lumberjacks have a real opportunity to make a run into the Top 10 with games against Incarnate Word, Montana State, and UC Davis coming up in the next 3-4 weeks.

West Georgia continued to rise in my ballot after a comeback win over ETSU. The Wolves have an outstanding resume with blowout wins over Samford and Nicholls, who were ranked at the time, and now add a signature non-conference win over ETSU, which I had ranked as a Top 20 team. I kept ETSU in my ballot, but the Buccaneers will need wins over Elon and Mercer the next two weeks to keep their spot.

South Dakota drops just outside of my Top 25 after an overtime win over Northern Colorado. The Coyotes have been extremely unimpressive to this point in the season. I know a lot of voters are going to give them the "MVFC" benefit of the doubt, but why should I judge them any differently than Incarnate Word? Neither team has earned a Top 25 ranking on the field, but each will have opportunities to prove me wrong. You eventually have to earn your spot on the field, not preseason expectations.

Elon and Gardner-Webb both entered my ballot for the first time this season. The Phoenix moved to 2-1 with a road win over Western Carolina. I've been impressed with freshman quarterback Landen Clark, who leads the team in passing and rushing. They will have a chance to really make a statement this weekend with a road trip to ETSU. Gardner-Webb moved to 2-1 with a win over The Citadel and already holds a ranked win over Western Carolina.

New Hampshire remains just inside the Top 25 after a close loss to Ball State. The Wildcats hold wins over Holy Cross and North Carolina Central, two quality non-conference wins. They have a tough matchup on the road against Dartmouth. A win could push the Wildcats into the Top 20.

Tarleton State moved to No. 3 over Montana State after a dominant road win over Central Arkansas. This could change if Montana State starts picking up quality wins in Big Sky play, but right now, Tarleton State has earned this ranking. Not only do the Texans have an FBS win, they have outscored three FCS opponents 157-13 even though two of those games have been on the road.

As I say every week, I completely restart my ballot each week early in the season, making room for big changes as I receive more data points on each team. North Dakota State moved back to No. 1 after a dominant 41-14 win over SEMO. I understand South Dakota State has two ranked wins, but the eye test also has to matter, and nobody has been more dominant than the Bison. They've outscored their first three opponents 138-17, including a SEMO team that should compete for the OVC-Big South title. Add that to South Dakota State failing to look as dominant against an overmatched Drake team, and I feel as if the Bison have shown they are the best team in the country after Week 3.

One team lower on my ballot than the actual poll is Idaho, which moved to 2-1 with a win over Utah Tech. Despite the close loss to Washington State, the Vandals have failed to dominate two teams that should have been overmatched. The Vandals have an opportunity for an FBS win this weekend, but my eyes are locked on Montana on Sept. 27. A win over the Grizzlies will be a chance for this team to show they deserve a spot in the Top 10.

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