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:
- Montana State
- North Dakota State
- South Dakota State
- South Dakota
- UC Davis
- Incarnate Word
- Mercer
- 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 ...
FCS Power Rankings
| Team | Rank | Record | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 1. Montana State | 12-0 | This team looks like an absolute unit. The Bobcats being undefeated is not a fluke; there's not a visible hole in their game. I expect them to be in Frisco, Texas, in January. |
 | 2. South Dakota State | 10-2 | The Jackrabbits only gave up nine points per game in conference play. With the way they smother teams on that side of the ball, they'll be a tough task for anyone during the playoffs. |
 | 3. South Dakota | 9-2 | Big time win by the Coyotes against North Dakota State. They're building great momentum heading into the postseason. |
 | 4. North Dakota State | 10-2 | Just like last season, the Bison took an end-of-season loss to South Dakota. We'll see if they'll get a chance at revenge in the playoffs ... just like they did last year. |
 | 5. Incarnate Word | 10-2 | The Cardinals went undefeated in Southland Conference play, earning them a first-round bye in the playoffs. UIW averaged 37 points per game this season. |
 | 6. UC Davis | 10-2 | UC Davis did a great job avoiding the upset against Sacramento State, and now it has two weeks to prepare for the winner of Southeast Missouri State vs. Illinois State. |
 | 7. Idaho | 9-3 | The Vandals wrapped up their fantastic season on a five-game winning streak, which netted them the 8-seed and a first-round bye. |
 | 8. Mercer | 10-2 | We won't see the Bears until Dec. 7 because of a first-round bye. Just an amazing job done this year by coach Mike Jacobs. |
 | 9. Richmond | 10-2 | Excellent defensive effort by the Spiders against William & Mary, blanking the Tribe 27-0. After an 0-2 start to the season, Richmond ripped off 10-straight victories. |
 | 10. South Carolina State | 9-2 | Coach Chennis Berry's team got an early challenge from Norfolk State but rallied for their eight straight victory. |
 | 11. Rhode Island | 10-2 | The Rams were on shaky ground the last couple of games but got the job done against rival Bryant 35-21, their most impressive game in three weeks. |
 | 12. Villanova | 9-3 | Huge win for the Wildcats against Delaware to close out the season with a 9-3 record. Had they lost that game, their playoff bubble may hae burst. |
 | 13. Tarleton State | 9-3 | The Texans can't sleepwalk in their first-round playoff game vs. Drake. The Bulldogs can score. This'll be a good test for the Texans. |
 | 14. Jackson State | 10-2 | The best team in the SWAC gets a week off before facing the Southern Jaguars in the SWAC Championship Game with a trip to the Celebration Bowl on the line. |
 | 15. Illinois State | 9-3 | The Redbirds hit the road for their first-round playoff matchup against Southeast Missouri State. We know the run game and defense definitely travels well. |
 | 16. Montana | 8-4 | Losing to your rival, Montana State, is never fun, but at least the Griz have a good consolation prize: a home playoff game vs. Tennessee State. |
 | 17. Tennessee State | 9-3 | What a job by coach Eddie George. Tennessee State has its first nine-win season since 2013 and first conference title since 1999. |
 | 18. New Hampshire | 8-4 | Somehow, someway the Wildcats were able to fight through the ups and downs of the regular season, finishing with four straight wins to close out the season. |
 | 19. Eastern Kentucky | 8-4 | The Colonels started out 0-2 but finished with five straight wins, including upsets over Tarleton State and Central Arkansas to punch their postseason ticket. |
 | 20. Southeast Missouri State | 9-3 | The Redhawks didn't look like the dominant team against Tennessee State last weekend. Not the type of game you want to play as you head into the postseason. |
 | 21. Northern Arizona | 8-4 | The Lumberjacks are one of the FCS' better stories over the past month. Their five-game winning streak is why they're in the playoffs. |
 | 22. Abilene Christian | 8-4 | Despite their loss last week to Stephen F. Austin, the Wildcats still found their way into the postseason. They'll need to play much better defense if they want to advance past the first round. |
 | 23. UT Martin | 8-4 | The Skyhawks have to travel to New Hampshire to take on the Wildcats in Round 1. Good job last weekend securing their eighth win to lock down the playoff spot. |
 | 24. Lehigh | 8-3 | The Mountain Hawks clinched their auto bid to the postseason by winning the Patriot League crown, knocking off their rival Lafayette in the process. |
 | 25. North Carolina Central | 8-3 | Despite all of the player suspensions, the Eagles were still able to close out the season with a win over Delaware State 52-10. Next yea,r coach Trei Oliver will have his team ready to go from start to finish. |
