Welcome to the new era of DII football. As the COVID era players filtered out and rosters constantly evolve, it seems weekend chock full of upsets are the new norm. The field is leveled, the competition is tighter, and through all that Ferris State looks unbeatable. That's why the Bulldogs remain No. 1 in the latest DII football Power 10 rankings.
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What upsets rattled the rankings, you asked? Using D2 Football's top 25 as my source, the list is as follows:
- No. 11 Ouachita Baptist fell to East Central
- No. 12 Pittsburg State lost to Central Oklahoma
- No. 13 UIndy lost to Findlay
- No. 14 Valdosta State lost to Johnson C. Smith (down its starting running back and All-American wide receiver, no less)
So, yes, the first five out and even the Power 10 have a newer look this week. As always, here is your weekly explainer to the Power 10 rankings. I make these Power 10 rankings alone, basing them on a combination of selection committee metrics 鈥 like strength of schedule, in-region play and KPI to name a few 鈥 and what I'm seeing on the football field. There is no committee or voting panel 鈥 just me, my spreadsheets, and endless notes from coaches and other media members. It is important to note that now that we have had every team play, there has been some "market correction" leading to a somewhat new-look first five out.
The DII football Power 10: Week 2
No. 1 Ferris State | Previous: 1. After two weeks, here's what we know: Ferris State will most likely win every regular-season game by at least two scores. This team is so well put together and coach Tony Annese has found yet another gem in quarterback Wyatt Bower. But football is won in the trenches and the Bulldogs 鈥 which have become known for having elite offensive lines and front sevens on defense 鈥 may have the toughest offensive line they have had yet. They have a test in Tiffin next week, so we shall see how big they can win against a potential tournament-bound team.
No. 2 Harding | Previous: 2. The Bisons opened their season this past week and it was in typical Harding form. The Bisons ran their way to a 484-27 total rushing yard advantage, with five different players finding paydirt in the 49-7 victory. And the defense? How about this fun stat from Harding SID Scott Goode: Northwestern Oklahoma State ran 38 plays; only one was longer than eight yards. This is a balanced football team, and with the Ouachita Baptist upset to East Central, look to have a clear path to another GAC title.
No. 3 West Florida | Previous: 3. The Argos looked like they would utterly dominate Kentucky Wesleyan, going up 14-0 in the first five minutes on two long Marcus Stokes to Jay Sharp touchdown passes. But they pumped the brakes, winning 28-7. The defense held the Panthers to -27 yards rushing and just 183 total yards of offense. They should continue to roll next week against Shorter at home next week.
No. 4 Grand Valley State | Previous: 4. It took a while for the Lakers to get going 鈥 they even trailed 0-2 Black Hills State 10-0 in the first quarter, but they did get it going. Andrew Schuster looks like the real deal at quarterback throwing for 391 yards and four scores to lead the Lakers to a 2-0 start. Next week, this defense will be tested in its first road game at a Pittsburg State that has its back against a wall 鈥 one more loss for the Gorillas, and their season is officially over. The Jungle is a tough enough place to play under normal circumstances; this just raises the stakes.
No. 5 Kutztown | Previous: 6. Not even two lightning delays could slow down Jaedyn Stewart as the Golden Bears romped their way to their first victory of the season, 51-14. The running back totaled 197 yards rushing and receiving, ripping off touchdowns runs of 62 and 39 yards, in a dominating performant. Judd Novak tossed two touchdowns in a complete effort from this offense.
No. 6 Western Colorado | Previous: 7. The Mountaineers dominated Midwestern State to a 38-13 victory. The score is closer than it appears as the Mustangs didn't even score until the fourth quarter when the game was well in hand. Quarterback Drew Nash had a monster game, throwing for 243 yards and totaling four touchdowns in another lopsided win for Western Colorado which, after the stunning upset to CSU Pueblo, look to be in control of the RMAC.
No. 7 Minnesota State | Previous: 8. The Mavericks continue their rise up the Power 10 rankings after another commanding victory over Minot State, 34-16. Wide receiver TreShawn Watson 鈥 who was one of my 2025 Harlon Hill hopefuls 鈥 had another monster game and now has 268 yards and three touchdowns on the young season. It should be mentioned that the Mavericks allowed 337 yards rushing but had the game well in hand in the second half. Next week is a big matchup against Minnesota Duluth and their first big test of the season.
No. 8 Angelo State | Previous: 10. The Rams won their home opener 41-20 over Emporia State, but it was 27-0 in the first quarter, so this game was over almost as quickly as it started. The defense held the Hornets to 51 yards rushing and just five third-down conversions. The Rams, right now, look like a balanced team, but they go as Braeden Fuller goes, so keep an eye on the young quarterback's health as LSC play opens next week.
No. 9 Slippery Rock | Previous: 9. The Rock made their 2025 debut and walked away winners 24-13. There were a lot of new faces, like quarterback Anthony Vespo 鈥 who threw for 160 yards and one touchdown 鈥 and returners that are stepping into expanded roles, like JayJay Jordan, who ran for 148 yards and a touchdown. The defense held Franklin Pierce to just 187 total yards and made things tough for reigning NE10 player of the year, Adrian Parker, who threw for just 143 yards while completing a mere 50 percent of his passes.
No. 10 CSU Pueblo | Previous: 5. The ThunderWolves hang on to the No. 10 spot for a few reasons. First and foremost, I had , so while on paper it was a massive upset, it wasn't as bad as it seemed. Secondly, the ThunderWolves benefit from D2 Football's Nos. 11, 12, 13 and 14 teams losing this week. Lastly, the ThunderWolves lost this game on a blocked PAT 鈥 they dropped 35 points and were literally a kick away from overtime and a potential 2-0 start. A 1-1 record isn't ideal for a top 10 team after two weeks, but in the new age of DII football, you have to look at the big picture to make sense of it all.
The first five out (in alphabetical order)
- Augustana (SD): The Vikings faced off against NSIC newcomer Jamestown and had this one put away by the end of the first half. They should keep the momentum going against UMary next week.
- Cal (PA): The Vulcans opened their season with a big victory over nationally ranked Charleston (WV), which is huge in both the PSAC and Super Region One. Harlon Hill hopeful Bobbie Boyd Jr. exploded for more than 100 yards in his 2025 debut.
- Central Oklahoma: The Bronchos picked up a much-needed win over Pittsburg State, keeping them atop the MIAA conversation. While they picked up the win, they lost star quarterback Jett Huff to injury, so his status during the week is key to watch.
- Central Washington: The Wildcats lost to the No. 6 school in FCS (Montana) 42-17, which doesn't hurt their DII status one bit. The Wildcats entered the second half down only 21-17 before the Grizzlies ran away with it.
- Lenoir-Rhyne: The Bears bounced back with a big 28-7 win over Tusculum. It's an even bigger win when you consider the Pioneers only score was a pick-six Khamoni Robinson's lone miscue of the night 鈥 the Bears' new quarterback threw for 280 yards and four touchdowns.
Fell out: Carson-Newman, UIndy
Offensive player of the week: Ethan Holbrook, Tiffin. The easy answer would be to give this award to MSU Moorhead's Jack Strand for a second-straight week. He threw for 319 yards and five touchdowns... but only played the first half, and his backup threw for two more touchdowns in the second half. I also considered Fairmont State's Leonard Farrow here, who ran for more than 150 yards for the second week in a row and scored the pivotal go-ahead, overtime touchdown in the much-needed win.
But I like a player that contributes to every facet of the game, and Holbrook did just that. He led all receivers with eight receptions, reeling in a game-high 79 yards and two touchdowns. He also put the game out of reach with an electric 80-yard punt return for a score. I had Tiffin winning the G-MAC because of Ronald Blackman, but Holbrook could be the secret weapon that makes them a force.
ETHAN HOLBROOK鈥硷笍馃槫
鈥 FloCollege | Football (@FloCollegeFB)
80-yard punt return for a Tiffin touchdown
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Defensive player of the week: Michael Shimek, Ashland. There were a lot of players to consider here. Slippery Rocks Jacob Snow had two sacks; Ouachita Baptist's Justin Crutchmer had nine tackles, a sack and fumble recovery in a loss; and Henderson State's Leo Morris filled the box score with six tackles, a half a sack and a scoop-and-score fumble return.
I am going with Shimek because his 3.5 sacks helped secure a pivotal win against Indiana (PA). The Eagles were 0-5 all-time against IUP and were trailing 9-0 until the Shimek-led defense completely shut down the Crimson Hawks, securing the 13-9 victory. Right now, in a loaded Super Region Three, it looks like only the G-MAC winner will get a bid to the tournament, so the playoffs have already begun for Ashland. Every game counts and this was a big way to start.Freshman of the week: Jeffery Jones, New Mexico Highlands. Xavier 鈥淭utt鈥 McGlothan of Southern Arkansas and Dom Collins of Concord were both considered here. McGlothan, a 5-foot-7 defensive back, not only recorded four tackles 鈥 he put the exclamation point on a 49-14 romp with a 99-yard interception return for a touchdown. Collins proved last week鈥檚 186-yard, two touchdown performance was no fluke. The wide receiver caught another seven balls for 107 yards and two more touchdowns, while contributing to the rushing and return game as well.
But Jones is the easy answer here. After taking home the honors last week behind a 223-yard, three-touchdown performance, he set a new career-high, rushing for 385 yards (a new freshman single-game record) and four touchdowns. He already has 608 yards rushing and is on pace to crush Jaleel McLaughlin's freshman record of 2,421 yards set in 2018.
