Inside the FCS Playoff Committee's Nov. 5 Top 10

The FCS playoff committee's Nov. 5 top 10 reads a lot like a strength-of-record list. Nine of its 10 teams rank in the top 10 of FCS-only strength of record in the Redshirt Sports Week 9 FCS ratings. The committee's top two, Montana State and Tarleton State, are ninth and seventh in that column.

The outlier is Austin Peay. The Governors are seventh with the committee, 14th in FCS-only strength of record and 16th in FCS-only power. Every record below runs through games of Oct. 31, the same cutoff the committee's top 10 on NCAA.com uses. As far as Redshirt Sports knows, the committee uses neither our ratings nor our poll. They are here as a second and third opinion.

How to read these résumés

The Redshirt Sports power, strength of schedule (SOS), strength of record (SOR) and strength of victory (SOV) figures use FCS games only. Overall records and the wins and losses below cover each team's entire schedule. Those ratings definitions and the Week 9 table are on the FCS ratings page for Week 9 and the current FCS ratings hub.

Power is points better than an average FCS team on a neutral field. SOS (0-100) is how often a team as good as a typical No. 25 in these ratings would lose those FCS games. SOR is how often that No. 25-level team would do at least as well against the same FCS schedule; lower is better. SOV is that SOS idea counted only on FCS games the team won. Poll rank comes from the Redshirt Sports FCS Top 25 after Week 9. Seeds 1 through 10 in our Week 9 bracket projection follow the committee.

FBS games and Stephen F. Austin's Division II win do not move power, SOS, SOR or SOV. They still count in the overall records and the résumé bullets.

1. Montana State (8-1 overall, 5-1 Big Sky)

The Bobcats have the best FCS-only power rating in the country at +23.4, and that is the strongest case for the top spot. Their FCS record is 7-1, with the Nevada win outside the ratings sample. In FCS-only terms they are ninth in SOR, 42nd in SOS and 16th in SOV, and they are No. 3 in our poll.

• Best wins: 20-7 at FBS Nevada; 28-14 vs. Northern Arizona
• Concern: 35-34 loss at Idaho (4-5 overall)

2. Tarleton State (9-0 overall, 4-0 UAC)

Tarleton State is No. 1 in our poll with 13 first-place votes, and it is the only committee top-10 team with an FBS win and no losses. The Texans are 8-0 against FCS, but that FCS-only schedule ranks 103rd in SOS, which is why they are 10th in power, seventh in SOR and 56th in SOV.

• Best wins: 20-13 at FBS Bowling Green; 40-32 at Austin Peay
• Résumé hole: close FCS wins over McNeese (27-24) and Eastern Kentucky (28-24)

3. Stephen F. Austin (9-0 overall, 6-0 Southland)

The Lumberjacks are the committee's best blend of record and rating. They are 8-0 against FCS after a Division II win that does not count in the ratings, and they rank third in FCS-only power (+21.5), fourth in SOR, 56th in SOS and 19th in SOV. They are No. 2 in our poll.

• Best wins: 26-7 at Abilene Christian; 28-26 vs. Incarnate Word
• Concern: 56th-ranked FCS SOS and no FBS game

4. South Dakota State (7-2 overall, 4-1 MVFC)

South Dakota State has the deepest win list in the group. The Jackrabbits beat Youngstown State, Illinois State and South Dakota, the No. 2, No. 8 and No. 5 teams in FCS-only power. They are 7-1 against FCS, fourth in power (+21.1), third in SOR, 19th in SOS and ninth in SOV, and No. 4 in our poll.

• Best wins: 27-20 vs. Youngstown State; 31-14 at Illinois State; 31-21 vs. South Dakota
• Concern: 21-10 loss at North Dakota; also 34-18 at FBS Northwestern

5. Youngstown State (7-2 overall, 5-1 MVFC)

By the FCS-only numbers, the Penguins have the best résumé in the field. They are 7-1 against FCS, first in SOR, second in power (+22.8), fourth in SOS and third in SOV. Our poll has them fifth, matching the committee once South Dakota State's head-to-head win is weighed.

• Best wins: 47-28 vs. South Dakota; 31-28 vs. North Dakota; 35-22 vs. Northern Iowa
• Concern: 27-20 loss at South Dakota State; also 45-13 at FBS Kentucky

6. Northern Arizona (7-2 overall, 5-1 Big Sky)

Northern Arizona is the clearest split between what it has won and how good it looks. The Lumberjacks are 7-1 against FCS, second in SOR and ninth in SOS, but only 14th in power (+12.1) and fifth in SOV. The committee and our poll both put them sixth.

• Best wins: 49-44 vs. Montana; 38-28 vs. Incarnate Word; 34-27 at Southern Utah
• Concern: 28-14 loss at Montana State; also 35-7 at FBS Arizona

7. Austin Peay (7-2 overall, 3-1 UAC)

Austin Peay is where the committee looks most generous. The Governors are 7-1 against FCS, but their best FCS wins came against North Alabama and West Florida, and neither ranks in the top 45 in power. They are 16th in FCS-only power (+11.4), 14th in SOR, 89th in SOS and 60th in SOV. Our poll has them eighth.

• Best wins: 27-21 at North Alabama; 38-16 at West Florida
• Concern: 40-32 home loss to Tarleton State; also 28-9 at FBS Vanderbilt
• Next: Eastern Kentucky and Abilene Christian at home (Austin Peay's schedule)

8. South Dakota (7-3 overall, 4-2 MVFC)

The Coyotes are the only three-loss team in the group, and the FCS-only numbers still like them. They are 7-2 against FCS, fifth in power (+18.6), fifth in SOR, 11th in SOS and 10th in SOV, with a signature overtime win over North Dakota. Our poll has them seventh.

• Best wins: 26-23 in overtime vs. North Dakota; 31-10 vs. Southern Illinois
• Concern: all three losses on the road, 47-28 at Youngstown State, 31-21 at South Dakota State and 38-24 at FBS Boise State

9. Tennessee Tech (8-1 overall, 5-1 SoCon)

Tennessee Tech built its first committee top-10 spot of 2026 on the road. The Golden Eagles are 8-1 overall and 8-1 against FCS, with ranked wins at East Tennessee State, at Chattanooga and over Monmouth. They are 12th in FCS-only power (+13.6), sixth in SOR, 36th in SOS and 11th in SOV. Our poll has them ninth.

• Best wins: 24-17 at East Tennessee State; 24-9 at Chattanooga; 38-14 vs. Monmouth
• Concern: 44-20 loss at Western Carolina; no FBS game

10. Lamar (7-2 overall, 5-1 Southland)

Lamar moved into the committee's top 10 ahead of North Dakota, which is No. 10 in our poll and sixth in FCS-only power. The Cardinals are 7-1 against FCS, 11th in power (+14.9), eighth in SOR, 39th in SOS and 12th in SOV. Our poll has them 12th.

• Best wins: 21-14 vs. Abilene Christian; 23-17 at Idaho; 38-35 vs. Incarnate Word
• Concern: 34-31 loss at Southeastern Louisiana (4-5 overall); also 38-7 at FBS Louisiana

Where the numbers agree and where they don't

The committee's order lines up best with FCS-only strength of record. Nine of the 10 teams in that committee list are also in the FCS-only SOR top 10; Austin Peay is the exception at 14th. Harvard, 10th in SOR, dropped out after losing 24-14 at Dartmouth. Power agrees less. Six of the committee's 10 teams are in the FCS-only power top 10 (Montana State, Youngstown State, Stephen F. Austin, South Dakota State, South Dakota and Tarleton State). North Dakota (sixth), Montana (seventh), Illinois State (eighth) and Harvard (ninth) sit in the power top 10 outside the committee's list.

The top seed is where SOR and the committee part ways. Youngstown State and Northern Arizona lead the SOR column, while Montana State and Tarleton State sit ninth and seventh. Montana State has the best FCS-only power rating, and Tarleton State has the only unbeaten overall record with an FBS win. That makes the top two look more like a judgment of quality and perfection than the FCS-only record math alone. Our poll has the same three teams on top, just in a different order. The full Week 9 field is in If the FCS Playoffs Started Today: Our 24-Team Bracket After Week 9, and the committee's first list is broken down in Montana State Leads FCS Playoff Committee's First Top 10 of 2026.

What's next

Two of these résumés meet Saturday, Nov. 7, when Stephen F. Austin plays at Lamar. Tarleton State hosts Abilene Christian the same day with the UAC lead at stake. South Dakota has the toughest remaining FCS schedule of the 10 by FCS-only SOS, and Montana State still has a Nov. 21 game with Montana. The bracket will be revealed on Selection Sunday, Nov. 22.