Three Saturdays ago, Ouachita Baptist shook (and shocked) the DII football world, ending No. 1 Harding’s 25-game hitting streak and unbeaten streak through 2024. This began the roller coaster ride of what became DII football’s Power 10 rankings. This week has shown that no one can escape the underdog, not even those who cause the greatest upset – then No. 2 Ouachita Baptist pulled off a historic upset as No. 1 Pittsburg State also lost, creating a new No. 1 and No. 2 team in DII football.

With just 32 seconds left on the clock, Southern Nazarene stunned the Tigers, scoring the first goal and capturing the program’s 100th victory. However, this was the Crimson Storm’s first win this season. In fact, almost a full calendar year had passed since their last victory on November 11, 2023. But wait, there’s more; It was the first time Southern Nazarene had beaten Ouachita Baptist.

FINAL SCORE | FB | @NCAADII

BIG SORRY WARNING

Southern Nazarene 18@SNUFootball (1-8)

#3 Ouachita Baptist 17@OuachitaFB (8-1)

This day will live on forever in the Southern Nazarene program! Crimson Storm got their first, 100th win of the season… pic.twitter.com/Y02TCWrAoR

— Oklahoma Local Sports Network (@OklahomaLocalSN) November 1, 2024

Central Missouri went to the Pittsburg State Forest, a stadium with a reputation for being tough on visiting teams, and defeated the No. 1 Gorillas in dominant fashion, 37-13. Led by Harlon Hill winner Zach Zebrowski, who threw for 382 yards, rushing 96 times and five total touchdowns, the Mules put up 607 yards on one of the best defenses in the country.

On the other hand, No. 8 Western Colorado lost to CSU Pueblo by a score of 44-34. While it’s not upsetting, it shakes up the Power 10 and we see the Thunderwolves make their 2024 Power 10 debut. But that’s not all. Central Washington lost to Angelo State and Emporia State lost to Fort Hays State, two teams in the “top five” and no longer so. Lenoir-Rhyne, who found himself in the top five for most of the season, fell to Wingate and, although not a huge upset, saw the Bears drop out of the rankings and the Bulldogs enter. Not only did Johnson C. Smith lose his first game of the season, but he was outscored 27-0 by Fayetteville State, which went 3-4. And Emory and the surprise Henry Wasps broke into the top 25 last week, but will likely move out quickly after losing to Mars Hill.

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Needless to say, this DII football season is crazy. Before moving on to the new-look Power 10; Each The team is in a new spot for the second week in a row; Remember, these are my rankings. There is no committee or voting body on these teams, just my spreadsheets, notes from coaches, and lots of in-depth dives into rosters and stats. I try to blend selection committee metrics like strength of schedule, intradistrict record, and PI with what I see for an overview of the outlook for the top teams in DII football. I try to explain why I made my choices in the article below.

DII Football Power 10: Week 10

No.1 Ferris State | Previous: 4. People won’t like it and I understand why. Are Grand Valley State’s selection committee metrics better? Yes, but it’s a very slight difference. What Grand Valley State doesn’t have is a win against Ferris State, and that’s what separates these two powerhouses right now. The good news is, if you disagree with me, it looks like we’re headed for another Ferris State-Grand Valley State playoff matchup, so these two can settle their disagreements on the field. If Ferris State beats Saginaw Valley State and Davenport to close out the season, I think the Bulldogs will get a bye in Super Regional Three.

No.2 Grand Valley State | Previous: 5. Simply put, the Lakers have one of the best resumes in DII football, and it looks even better now that their only loss was against the No. 1 team in the DII. Even without Avery Moore, this team threw for over 450 yards and 51 points. The Lakers have two games left to win and should enter the tournament as a two- or three-seed, but with some help they could easily jump to the No. 1 seed.

No:3 Valdosta State | Previous: 3. There are currently several teams that are “better” than the Blazers in Super Regional Two based on the numbers, and I don’t expect them to be No. 1 in Monday’s second regional rankings. But I expect them to be there by the end of the season, which is why they are ranked highly. Valdosta State travels to Delta State on the heels of its third shutout of the season and has outscored opponents 354-64 so far in 2024.

No.4 Kutztown | Previous: 6. Here’s another team that may not be No. 1 in its region in the secondary rankings by metrics, but after the Golden Bears make another appearance in the PSAC championship game against Cal (PA), I believe they will be No. 1 in the selection showdown. This defense is ridiculous, second in the DII, allowing under eight points per game, and one unit (again) forced four interceptions and kicked two more pick-sixes this week.

Dear reader, this is where the weather is very cloudy. You could argue that the top four are ranked incorrectly, but I truly believe that no matter how you look at it, these are the four best teams in DII football right now. There’s so little difference between Nos. 5-15, and they’ve lost some mind-boggling games, that if you argue that a top-five seed should be at No. 7, it wouldn’t be hard to convince me.

No:5 Harding | Previous: 7. The Bisons took care of business and defeated Southeastern Oklahoma State, winning 56-14. Braden Jay had an excellent all-around game, rushing for 108 yards and two touchdowns and kicking a 53-yard field goal. The Bisons need to win, which shouldn’t be difficult considering what’s ahead, and with a little help from Henderson State in the Battle of the Gateway, they can take the GAC and the top three home seeds in the bracket.

6 CSU Pueblo | Previous: The top five are out. Last week Western Colorado was ranked No. 7 in the Power 10, and if Following the DII ReportNo. 1 in Super Region Four. The Thunderwolves dropped 44 points to the Mountaineers and I’m currently No. 1 in the Super Regional Four. Roman Fuller threw for 435 yards and five touchdowns, while both Reggie Retzlaff and Taylor Tocsches rushed for more than 130 yards and four combined touchdowns. The Thunderwolves are the top-seeded team in the RMAC standings, scoring the most points offensively by a wide margin, and are 3-1 against teams with a winning record. This team is cooking.

No.7 Charleston (WV) | Previous: 9. I’m undoubtedly higher on the Golden Eagles, and truth be told, if a team figures out how to stop Chavon Wright, it will be interesting to see if they can move the ball. The problem is, no one can figure out how to do this. He continued his record-breaking pace with three more touchdowns this week and now has 1,728 yards and 31 touchdowns with two games remaining. Don’t be surprised to see Charleston as the No. 1 team in Super Regional One on Monday.

No.8 Pittsburg State | Previous: 1. The Gorillas suffered a blowout loss at home against a team they should have beaten. But there are two things here. The fact that so many other teams have lost helps maintain that high point, and they’re still a top seven team in Super Regional Three, with a win over Central Oklahoma, and honestly the only team in the top five currently in the talks. they are replaced by Wingate. Let’s not forget that Central Missouri was ranked in the top three at the start of this season and is a very good football team regardless of their record. Yes, it was a must-win game, but no, it doesn’t define the Gorillas’ season.

No.9 Central Oklahoma | Previous: 10. The Bronchos currently have the benchmarks to be a top-three home team, but some of their recent performances against teams they should beat pretty well have me wondering if this team has the defense to survive the brutal Super Zone Three play-offs. That’s the only reason I’m so low. However, if you stick with the “catch me if you can” game with this offense, Jett Huff and company will almost always get the final score, as they did in this weekend’s 37-34 overtime thriller.

10 (draw) Augustana (SD), Ouachita Baptist | Previous: Top five and 2 respectively. A big drop for last week’s #2. Losing to a winless team hurts, and while it affects their Power 10 rankings, it ultimately hurts the Tigers’ regional standings, who are likely No. 1 heading into this weekend. The rest of the schedule isn’t easy as we await a hungry Henderson State.

For Augustana, a win next weekend against Sioux Falls, which also looks like a tournament team, could see them move up to No. 1 in the Super Regional Four. The Vikings have the NSIC’s best record, highest scoring defense and have defeated three teams with winning records during their current five-game winning streak, including then-Power 10 Minnesota State. After a slow start, running back Jarod Epperson has been on fire in both the rushing and passing attacks, scoring two touchdowns in each of the last three weeks.

Top five releases (in alphabetical order)

• : The Greyhounds pulled off a stunning win, dropping 58 points and 295 yards. Metrics are important in the Power 10 this time of year, and while the Greyhounds may not play the toughest schedule, they are likely to be the No. 3 seed in Super Regional Three on Monday.
• Minnesota State: The Mavericks have played a tough schedule, and yes, despite suffering two blowout losses, they’ve handled tough competition pretty well. They will likely finish in the top three in Monday’s Super Regional Four regional rankings.
• Slippery Rock: Brayden Long had his most complete game of the season, throwing for 399 yards, four scores and no interceptions. Barring injury or upset, the Rock should win and secure a spot in the postseason once again.
• Western Colorado: The Mountaineers are still an 8-1 team and are still giving up 34 points to the Thunderwolves’ defense. This team is good. A big matchup with Colorado Mesa is expected at the close of the season and will determine how high they will rank in the standings.
• Wing: This is the team that should currently be No. 1 in Super Regional Two with a big win over Lenoir-Rhyne. The Bulldogs are 3-1 against teams with a winning record, and this defense is something else.

I just missed: Angelo County, Lenoir-Rhyne, West Alabama.