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The Vandals Vandalized The Rankings: 5 Things To Know About FCS Football After Week 5

Idaho shocks Montana State, South Dakota State takes No. 1 and Harvard climbs. Here are five things to know about the latest FCS football rankings.

Oct 9, 2026 by Ajay Shah

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The FCS Top 25 was looking pretty comfortable. Then Idaho decided to rearrange the furniture.

The Vandals stunned Montana State, South Dakota State took over the top spot and the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll got a serious shakeup heading into Week 6.

And the chaos didn't stop there. The CAA gained another ranked team, two programs took major tumbles and Harvard continued climbing.

Here are five things to know about the FCS football rankings after Week 5.

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1. Idaho Just Blew Up The FCS Rankings

Montana State had won 19 straight games. Idaho hadn't won a game all season.

Naturally, the Vandals won.

Idaho stunned the defending national champions 35-34, scoring a late touchdown and converting a 2-point attempt to end Montana State's winning streak.

The Bobcats dropped from No. 1 to No. 6 in the AFCA Coaches Poll.

And the best part? Idaho is still unranked.

The Vandals improved to 1-4 and received just 14 votes, leaving the team responsible for the biggest rankings shakeup outside the Top 25.

2. South Dakota State Claims No. 1, But Tarleton State Is Lurking

South Dakota State claimed the No. 1 ranking after beating Illinois State 31-14, collecting 24 of 26 first-place votes.

But undefeated Tarleton (5-0) isn't far behind at No. 2.

The Texans have an opportunity to make another statement Saturday when they visit No. 8 Austin Peay in a showdown between two UAC contenders.

South Dakota State has the top spot. Tarleton has a chance to make the race interesting.

3. The CAA Has Two Ranked Teams. Should It Have More?

Campbell climbed to No. 20, while Monmouth entered the rankings at No. 24.

Both teams are 3-0 in CAA play, but they're hardly alone in earning national attention.

Bryant, Elon and Stony Brook are all receiving votes, giving the conference five programs with some level of recognition.

Is the CAA deeper than its two ranked teams suggest?

4. Tennessee Tech And South Carolina State Take A Nosedive

Montana State wasn't the only unbeaten team brought back to earth in Week 5.

No. 8 Tennessee Tech suffered a stunning 44-20 loss to Western Carolina, turning the ball over five times against a Catamounts team that entered the game 2-3.

South Carolina State suffered an equally painful defeat, falling 34-31 to The Citadel on a field goal as time expired after rallying from a 14-point deficit.

The losses sent Tennessee Tech tumbling eight spots to No. 16 and South Carolina State falling nine places to No. 21.

Both remain in the Top 25, but their undefeated seasons are officially over.

5. Harvard Is Making The Ivy League Interesting

Harvard is undefeated at 3-0 after a last-second Hail Mary turned hook-and-lateral helped keep its perfect record intact. The Crimson have climbed to No. 19 in the AFCA Coaches Poll.

The Crimson aren't the only Ivy League team drawing attention, either. Yale and Dartmouth are also receiving votes.

With the Ivy League participating in the FCS playoffs for just the second season, Harvard's rise carries more significance than a typical October ranking.

The Crimson visit Cornell on Saturday with another opportunity to strengthen their postseason résumé.

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