We are roughly through a quarter of the season, and the DII football Power 10 and national top 25 are starting to take shape. After three weeks of non-stop upsets, Week 3 was much tamer, as only Lenoir-Rhyne was stunned in the Power 10. Now that we have some sound metrics and in-division rankings, we are starting to see who the best of the best truly are, which led to a shakeup in this week's rankings. This week's should see a very new look, as some preseason favorites are fading fast while pleasant surprises are on the rise.
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If you are new to the Power 10, here is your weekly disclaimer. These are my rankings, which means there is no voting committee. It is just me, my spreadsheets, and endless notes from coaches and other media members. I try to combine the selection metrics — like KPI, strength of schedule and common opponents, just to name a few — with the eye test for a ranking that falls somewhere between the national media polls and the regional rankings that come out in November.
The DII football Power 10: Week 3
No. 1 Ferris State | Previous: 1. Well, I said the Bulldogs should score 100 points this week in , and they came awfully close, defeating Rio Grande 76-0. This performance was outside of DII competition, so it does nothing for the selection committee, but Ferris State certainly put on a show. The Bulldogs scored in every facet of the game with a kickoff return to the house to open the game, a scoop-and-score fumble recovery by Justin Payoute, and five different players rushing for at least one touchdown. Next week, they have Roosevelt, which just lost to DIII Wisconsin-Oshkosh, so expect another massive offensive output in Week 4.
No. 2 Harding | Previous: 2. The Bisons faced their first tough competition of 2025 and rolled past Southern Arkansas 31-12. It is always fun when the flexbone is so effective that Cole Keylon doesn't need to complete a single pass in the victory. Two Bisons — Andrew Miller and Braden Jay — broke the century mark as Harding rumbled for 452 yards on the ground and now lead all levels of college football with 1,353 yards rushing and a 451.0 average per game. Ouachita Baptist — which has won two of the past three matchups — awaits.
No. 3 West Florida | Previous: 3. People are still asking why I am still so high on the Argos when the national polls have them lower, and my answer is that West Florida is now 4-0 behind a team that is about as balanced as any in the country. The Argos have a reliable quarterback in Marcus Stokes (who threw for 383 yards and ran for 48 more), two experienced running backs, and one of the top wide receivers in DII with Corey Scott, who is 12th in DII with 352 yards receiving. They held off a tough Trailblazers team that gives a lot of programs trouble and should roll Northeastern State next week.
No. 4 Kutztown | Previous: 4. The Golden Bears’ defense, which was No. 1 in DII football last year, is at it again. After Saturday’s 46-7 thumping of Gannon, Kutztown is 3-0, outscoring its opponents 131-21. The Golden Bears’ special teams had themselves a day as they scored on a punt and 100-yard kickoff return from Lenniek Preston. This defense should have little trouble with Shepherd next week.
No. 5 Angelo State | Previous: 6. The Rams move up a spot after a high-scoring affair with Western New Mexico. Kudos to the Mustangs' freshman quarterback Connor Ackerley, who proved his insane start is for real by lighting up one of the tougher defenses in DII for 302 yards and three touchdowns. It wasn't enough, though, as Angelo State's Kaeden Smith countered with five touchdown passes himself — all to a different receiver — in the 56-27 victory. The Rams are off next week, but a huge matchup against UT Permian Basin is up in Week 5.
No. 6 Western Colorado | Previous: 5. The Mountaineers have not even gotten into the tough part of their schedule, but they remain highly ranked because they keep dominating the competition they have. This week, it was a 45-6 win over Adams State in the 78th Colorado Classic. Quarterback Drew Nash threw for five touchdowns and ran for another in yet another impressive performance for his resume. An intriguing matchup awaits next week with undefeated New Mexico Highlands.
No. 7 Minnesota Duluth | Previous: NR. The Bulldogs have no choice but to jump from the unranked all the way to No. 7. They have now defeated nationally ranked Minnesota State and previously undefeated Sioux Falls in consecutive weeks, and have played the toughest schedule in the NSIC to a record of 4-0. Kyle Walljasper ran for three touchdowns in the first half as this game was not as close as the score suggests. Next week, this tough Bulldogs defense, which is allowing just over 11 points per game, gets Jack Strand and the MSU Moorhead potent offense in yet another early season test.
No. 8 Pittsburg State | Previous: First five out. The Gorillas are back in the Power 10 rankings after a big 31-16 win over Fort Hays State. In the weekly preview, I said that the key matchup was the Tigers Caleb Heavner vs. the Gorillas front seven, and Pitt State won that battle, sacking the Tigers' quarterback four times and forcing a season-high two interceptions. Pittsburg State face four-straight nationally ranked opponents to start the season, and to be 2-2 tells you just how tough this team is.
No. 9 UT Permian Basin | Previous: NR. That was a big win for the Falcons, taking down LSC foe Texas A&M-Kingsville 43-30. Quarterback Kanon Gibson had a monster game, throwing for 316 yards, rushing for 81 and totaling five scores. The Falcons dominated every aspect of the game and need to keep the momentum rolling next week against Midwestern State ahead of the Oct. 4 showdown with Angelo State.
No. 10 (tie) Cal (PA), Slippery Rock | Previous: First five out, 8, respectively. Slippery Rock has been in the top 10 all year and stays here after a 42-0 rout of Shippensburg. The Vulcans cruised in the second half, as they jumped out to a 35-7 lead in the first half. Now, these two are tied for the time being because Cal (PA) has played a much tougher schedule by the metrics, and very little else separates the two. That will change next week, when the two face off deciding who stands alone in the Power 10.
The first FOUR out (in alphabetical order; there are only four due to the tie at No. 10, giving us our weekly top 15)
- Augustana (SD): Why are the 4-0 Vikings on the outside looking in? It is simply a matter of SOS, as they have played a combined schedule that is 3-11. Make no mistake, this team is really good.
- CSU Pueblo: The ThunderWolves slip out of the top 10 is more a matter of other teams being undefeated against stronger schedules than any indication of talent. They should cruise to victory over Adams State next week.
- Grand Valley State: The Lakers followed a loss with a bye, so when other teams are winning — and winning big — Grand Valley State simply had to fall.
- Minnesota State: The Mavericks won big over 0-3 Jamestown this week, but that loss to Minnesota Duluth stings. They get a chance to enter the Power 10 next week against Sioux Falls.
Fell out: Central Oklahoma, Lenoir-Rhyne
Players of the week
Offensive players of the week: Matthew Rueve and Maurice Massey, Indiana (PA). The Crimson Hawks improved to 2-1 on the season by scoring 70 points and Rueve and Massey put on a show. Rueve threw for 443 yards and six touchdowns and Massey — a preseason Harlon Hill hopeful — caught four of his touchdown passes while amassing 173 yards.
Defensive player of the week: Jaden Perkins, Shaw. Head coach Lamar Manigo was looking for his first win for Shaw, and Perkins played a huge role in getting it for him. This pick probably won't get national headlines, but Perkins' performance stood out. He had four tackles and two interceptions... and nearly had some more, breaking up three other passes in the game.
Freshman of the week: Jeffery Jones, New Mexico Highlands. Yes, the running back wins his third award in four weeks. Why? Because he ran for 228 yards and another touchdown. He has now run for 223 yards, 385 yards, and 228 yards in his three games to go with eight scores. He leads all levels of college football with 836 yards rushing and an astounding 278.7 yards per game.
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