Southeast Missouri v Iowa State
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We are three quarters of the way through what has been a wild season in the Football Championship Subdivision, and we are still seeing both surprises and surges from teams this late in the year.

Southeast Missouri State has been on a six-game winning streak since dropping its opener against Iowa State. Because of how the Ohio Valley Conference schedule broke this season, the Redhawks avoided playing current conference leader UT Martin. The Skyhawks may have the tougher schedule down the stretch, too, as Kennesaw State awaits on Nov. 5. 

However, the true fly in the ointment in the OVC may be Tennessee State under second-year coach Eddie George. The Tigers got off to an ugly 0-4 start with a bad loss Lane College from the Division II ranks. Now, however, the Tigers are on a three-game winning streak and get to play both SEMO and UT Martin in the next four games. Assuming it doesn't slip up against either Murray State or Texas A&M Commerce, Tennessee State could find itself with an auto bid to the FCS playoffs as conference champs. 

With both Mercer and Weber State taking some ridiculous losses last weekend, and teams like Holy Cross, William & Mary and Fordham continuing to stack wins, the question of contender vs. pretender will start to pop up. With four weeks until Selection Sunday, style points and résumé will matter. 

Biggest Riser: Southeast Missouri State -- No. 13 (Last Week: 21)
Biggest Fall: Mercer -- No. 14, (LW: 7)
Dropped Out: Elon, Southern Illinois
On the Cusp: Merrimack (6-2), St. Thomas (6-1), Abilene Christian (5-2).

FCS Power Rankings
TeamRankRecordBreakdown
1. South Dakota State7-1The Jackrabbits might've read their press clippings just a bit, finding themselves down early vs. North Dakota before gaining control and pulling away in the second half.
2. Sacramento State7-0Leaning on the run game helped the Hornets push their Week 8 game vs. Montana into overtime, and it eventually helped with a 31-24 win. With five interceptions in the last two games, however, QB Jake Dunniway has to protect the ball better moving forward.
3. North Dakota State5-2With two weeks to sit and stew on their loss to South Dakota State, the Bison welcome in a talented Illinois State team to the Fargo Dome on Saturday.
4. Montana State7-1A cascade of special teams issues put the Bobcats in an early hole vs. Weber State. Thanks to more special teams blunders from the Wildcats that resulted in four safeties, the Bobcats were able to claw their way back into the game and ultimately get the win.
5. Holy Cross7-0The Crusaders had to work extra hard to knock off a pesky, and maybe overlooked, Lafayette team as they prepare for a huge game this weekend against Fordham.
6. William & Mary6-1Defensive coordinator Vincent Brown has done a remarkable job; the Tribe have been outstanding on both ends of defense, only giving up 3.9 yards per rush and 6.3 yards per pass attempt.
7. Jackson State7-0One of the major questions about Jackson State this season was whether it could win nonconference games. Consider that question answered as the Tigers knocked off Campbell 22-14. Because of their impressive start, "College GameDay" is heading to Jackson, Mississippi, this weekend.
8. Delaware6-1It was too much QB Nolan Henderson last weekend as his two-touchdown performance helped the Blue Hens take care of Morgan State 38-7.
9. Weber State6-1Special teams has to be the Wildcats' focus all week long. They gave up four safeties on bad snaps, but also had a 100-yard kickoff return and 91-yard punt return for touchdowns as well. Go figure.
10. Incarnate Word7-1The Cardinals beat the brakes off of Faulkner from the NAIA 70-0. QB Lindsey Scott Jr. continued to pile up the stats, finishing 12 of 14 with 302 yards passing and five touchdowns, with four of them coming in the first quarter.
11. Chattanooga6-1What a dominating performance and a statement win last weekend over Mercer. The Mocs jumped out to a 24-0 lead and didn't look back en route to a 41-21 victory. RB Ailym Ford has been on a rampage over the last three weeks, posting over 100-yards rushing in each game.
12. Fordham6-1We will learn if Fordham's outstanding defensive output two weeks ago vs. Stony Brook was an aberration or a sign of things to come. This week's game vs. Holy Cross will be a de facto Patriot League championship game.
13. Southeast Missouri State6-1I love the "no risk it, no biscuit" nature of Sophomore QB Paxton DeLaurent. SEMO has something special in the 6-foot-5 signal-caller, who has a 17-to-3 TD-to-INT ratio and is averaging 8.1 yards per attempt. He has been fun to watch all season.
14. Mercer6-2QB Fred Payton had an uncharacteristically bad day with multiple turnovers in a tough loss to Chattanooga. Time to regroup and head to Lexington, Virginia, to take on VMI.
15. Idaho5-2First-year coach Jason Eck has done a fantastic job. The Vandals knocked off Montana earlier in the year, and if they can pull off another shocker this weekend vs. Sacramento State, they will put themselves in contention for the Big Sky title as they avoid both Weber State and Montana State on the schedule.
16. Samford6-1Winners of five straight games, the Bulldogs should be 8-1 by the time they meet up with Chattanooga on Nov. 12, which could decide the SoCon title.
17. Richmond5-2The Spiders defense held firm in a second-half shutout last weekend against Hampton. QB Reece Udinski had a big day, too, going 30 of 37 passing for 314 yards and three touchdowns.
18. Princeton6-0I was stunned with how dominant the Tigers looked against a good Harvard squad. WR Andrei Iosivas is a legit NFL prospect who finished with 176 yards and a touchdown on only nine receptions.
19. Furman6-2Furman feels like the forgotten team in the SoCon this year. Well, the Paladins get their day in court this weekend as they battle with Chattanooga. Keep an eye on ILB Braden Gilby, who leads the team in tackles, tackles for loss and sacks.
20. Penn6-0With the way their offense is clicking, particularly in the passing game, the Quakers are a problem for opposing defenses. They spread the wealth across the receiving unit.
21. Austin Peay5-2Wide receivers Drae McCray and James Burns both went over 100 yards receiving last week against Murray State. A tougher matchup awaits this week in Jacksonville State, which is in a transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision and Conference USA next season.
22. New Hampshire6-2The Wildcats are 5-0 in conference play and sitting atop the Colonial. It might be time to start taking them more seriously after an impressive win last weekend vs. Elon. They have a big matchup in two weeks on the road at Richmond.
23. Illinois State5-2It is a three-game season now for the Redbirds, which face North Dakota State, Youngstown State and South Dakota State, with the games against the Bison and Jackrabbits coming on the road. How they fare during this stretch could determine whether they are a playoff team.
24. Saint Francis5-2After starting the season 0-2, the Red Flash have ripped off five straight wins and sit undefeated at 4-0 in Northeast Conference play. They're hoping to keep that momentum going this weekend against a physical Sacred Heart squad.
25. UT Martin4-3Listen, we are not going to hold the loss to the Tennessee Volunteers against UT Martin too much. In a positive takeaway from the loss, the Skyhawks looked good throwing the football against the Vols secondary.