College football top 25: FCS heavyweights litter top of power rankings as playoffs commence

With the regular season ending, the Division I playoffs start with some unbelievable matchups on the slate. North Carolina Central is the only team in our top 25 that won’t be playing bonus football, but it still doesn’t diminish what it did during the regular season.

Teams like Lehigh, Tennessee State, Central Connecticut State and Eastern Kentucky punched their ticket wins, with CCU pulling off the upset over Duquesne, the previously No. 1 team in the Northeast Conference. 

Here’s a look at the top eight seeds with a first-round bye: 

1. Montana State
2. North Dakota State
3. South Dakota State
4. South Dakota
5. UC Davis
6. Incarnate Word
7. Mercer
8. Idaho

First-round matchups

• Illinois State at Southeast Missouri
• Central Connecticut State at Rhode Island
• UT Martin at New Hampshire
• Lehigh at Richmond
• Eastern Kentucky at Villanova
• Drake at Tarleton State
• Northern Arizona at Abilene Christian
• Tennessee State at Montana

Get the full rundown of Week 14’s top games with Fanatics. On to the rankings …