Selection Sunday will put a bow on a fantastic FCS regular season. Before we get there, though, we still have one more Saturday of rivalry games and significant conference matchups to enjoy.
Here are a few of the games on the schedule this weekend:
- Harvard-Yale: The Crimson secured their 19th Ivy League title with a win over Penn last week. They can the outright crown with a win over rival Yale in The Game.
- Duquesne-Central Connecticut State: The de facto Northeast Conference Championship Game sees the surprising Blue Devils try to get a share of the title and make a case for an at-large bid with a win over conference leader Duquesne.
- Lafayette-Lehigh: Lafayette and Lehigh will meet for the 160th time to renew college football's oldest rivalry. Lehigh is looking to win the Patriot League title and auto bid, while the Leopards can secure their third straight victory in the series.
- Montana-Montana State: The Brawl of the Wild is always must-see TV, but this year there's added drama with the Grizzlies looking to spoil the Bobcats' perfect season.
- Southeast Missouri State-Tennessee State: This game is for the Big South-OVC Association title and an auto bid into the FCS playoffs. Tennessee State coach Eddie George could notch the biggest victory of his coaching career.
Like I've said before, it's a great weekend of college football at the Football Championship Subdivision, which could not only shake up the playoff picture but also the Top 25 as a result.
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Get the full rundown of Week 12's top games with Fanatics. On to the rankings ...
FCS Power Rankings
| Team | Rank | Record | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Montana State | 11-0 | Will the Bobcats still be undefeated after their Brawl of the Wild rivalry game against Montana? | |
| 2. North Dakota State | 10-1 | I was worried about their matchup against Missouri State last weekend -- boy, was I wrong. The Bison smoked the Bears 59-21. | |
| 3. South Dakota State | 9-2 | The Jackrabbits are looking to close out their regular season against Missouri State. A victory would all but assure them a first-round bye in the postseason. | |
| 4. South Dakota | 8-2 | The Coyotes can make a big statement this weekend if they are able to repeat last year's 24-19 upset of North Dakota State. | |
| 5. Incarnate Word | 9-2 | The Cardinals have already locked down Southland Conference auto bid and will look to improve their seeding with a win over East Texas A&M. | |
| 6. UC Davis | 9-2 | The Aggies' valiant comeback effort came up just short last week against Montana State. They rallied from a 30-8 deficit but ran out of time in a 30-28 loss. | |
| 7. Idaho | 8-3 | Winners of four straight, the Vandals close out the regular season on the road at rival Idaho State. | |
| 8. Mercer | 9-2 | Mercer faced a tall task last weekend against Alabama. Now the Bears have a chance to put together their first 10-win season since bringing back the football program in 2013 if they're able to knock off struggling Furman. | |
| 9. Richmond | 9-2 | All I can think when looking at the Spiders' nine-game winning streak is: "how did this team lose to Wofford?" | |
| 10. South Carolina State | 8-2 | The Bulldogs clinched the MEAC title and a berth to the Celebration Bowl with their dominating victory over a solid Morgan State team. | |
| 11. Rhode Island | 9-2 | Rivalry game on deck for the Rams against Bryant. I'm looking for an emphatic statement win from Rhody to close out the season. | |
| 12. Villanova | 8-3 | The Wildcats had no answers for the Monmouth offense in last weekend's 40-33 loss to the Hawks. | |
| 13. Montana | 8-3 | The Griz got back on the winning track last weekend against Portland State. Now they'll look to ruin the Bobcats' perfect season. | |
| 14. Southeast Missouri State | 8-2 | The RedHawks find themselves in a Big South-OVC Association winner-takes-all game against Tennessee State. | |
| 15. Abilene Christian | 8-3 | Big-time win over Tarleton State last weekend for the Wildcats, clinching the United Athletic Conference title and the school's first FCS playoff berth. | |
| 16.Tarleton State | 8-3 | Last weekend's loss to Abilene Christian was tough break for the Texans, but a win against Central Arkansas could be enough to strengthen their case for an at-large spot. | |
| 17. Jackson State | 9-2 | Before the Tigers can worry about Southern in the SWAC Championship Game, they have to take care of business in the Soul Bowl rivalry against Alcorn State. | |
| 18. Illinois State | 8-3 | The Redbirds hope to close out a quietly good season with a big win over North Dakota. | |
| 19. Stony Brook | 8-2 | The Seawolves blew a 30-10 fourth-quarter lead and lost 31-30 to New Hampshire. It puts their final game against Monmouth in a precarious must-win situation. | |
| 20. Harvard | 8-1 | Harvard needed a last-second 21-yard field goal to keep its seven-game winning streak alive. Now the Crimson get ready for The Game against Yale. | |
| 21. Duquesne | 7-1 | The Dukes can win the outright Northeast Conference crown and an auto bid to the postseason if they knock off second-place Central Connecticut State in the de facto conference title game. | |
| 22. North Carolina Central | 7-3 | The Eagles will have to play at Delaware State without starting QB Walker Howard, who was suspended by the conference for his role in a fight after last week's win over Howard. | |
| 23. New Hampshire | 7-4 | It's been hard to figure out this UNH squad all season long. Yet, here they are in the final week of the regular season with a chance to get their eighth win and a potential at-large bid. | |
| 24. Tennessee State | 8-3 | Tennessee State takes on Southeast Missouri State with a chance to win the Ohio Valley Conference title and a postseason auto bid. | |
| 25. Eastern Kentucky | 7-4 | The Colonels have won four straight games and look to get their eighth D1-FCS win this weekend against North Alabama. That could be enough to sneak them into the playoffs. |