Week 8 DII Football Power 10 & Bracket Projections: Stability at the Top, Rollercoaster Below

In an article prepared by Wayne Cavadi, the 2026 NCAA Division II football season has presented a fascinating contrast: absolute stability at the very top of the rankings paired with a complete rollercoaster ride across the rest of the field.

Nine of the top 10 teams remain undefeated, with Central Washington the lone one-loss team, carrying a single DII loss to Ferris State. Because of this consistency, the AFCA poll, the D2 Football poll, and the Power 10 have mirrored each other closely since the season kicked off on August 27. However, navigating the bottom half of the rankings and projecting the 32-team postseason bracket requires looking beyond traditional polls and diving into the math.

NPI vs. National Polls: The Math Behind the Bracket

With the NCAA Power Index (NPI) entering its second year as a primary selection tool, postseason projections have shifted. Unlike traditional subjective voting, the NPI is a formula-driven metric that weighs road wins and quality opponents more heavily.

While the formula aims to eliminate committee subjectivity, it can occasionally create interesting anomalies in the bracket picture.

Slippery Rock vs. Ferris State

• Slippery Rock sits firmly at overall No. 1 in the NPI rankings.

• Ferris State, meanwhile, continues to stake its claim as a college football powerhouse. The Bulldogs have reeled off 38 consecutive wins, including victories over back-to-back ranked opponents.

While the NPI math rewards Slippery Rock’s resume, Super Region One has not sent a team to the national championship game since 2015. Ferris State’s dominant track record against elite national competition, outscoring heavyweights like Harding (42-21), Valdosta State (49-14), and Colorado School of Mines (41-14) by a combined 83 points in their past three national championship victories, keeps them firmly in the championship conversation regardless of regional computer rankings.  Here are the NPI Top 32 Rankings:

NPI Rank, Team, Conference, Region, Oct. 24 Result, Value, Previous
1, Slippery Rock, PSAC, 1, W, 68.145, 1
2, Ferris State, GLIAC, 3, W, 67.113, 5
3, Harding, GAC, 4, W, 66.96, 2
4, Northwood, G-MAC, 3, W, 65.898, 3
5, Emporia State, MIAA, 4, W, 64.622, 6
6, CSU Pueblo, RMAC, 4, W, 63.807, 4
7, Minnesota State, NSIC, 3, W, 63.702, 7
8, Kutztown, PSAC, 1, W, 62.705, 8
9, Davenport, GLIAC, 3, W, 61.497, 10
10, Kentucky State, SIAC, 2, W, 61.422, 13
11, East Stroudsburg, PSAC, 1, W, 60.989, 15
12, Western Colorado, RMAC, 4, W, 60.975, 14
13, Edward Waters, SIAC, 2, W, 60.86, 12
14, Central Washington, Lone Star, 4, W, 60.593, 18
15, Benedict, SIAC, 2, W, 60.251, 16
16, Carson-Newman, SAC, 2, Idle, 59.76, 17
17, NW Missouri State, MIAA, 4, W, 59.539, 9
18, Findlay, G-MAC, 3, W, 59.347, 19
19, Michigan Tech, GLIAC, 3, L, 58.755, 11
20, Central State (OH), SIAC, 2, W, 58.731, 29
21, Virginia State, CIAA, 1, Idle, 58.371, 24
22, Minnesota Duluth, NSIC, 3, W, 58.237, 23
23, North Greenville, Carolinas, 2, W, 58.041, 20
24, Henderson State, GAC, 4, W, 57.703, 30
25, Virginia Union, CIAA, 1, W, 57.69, 31
26, Tiffin, G-MAC, 3, W, 56.93, 43
27, Central Missouri, MIAA, 4, L, 56.77, 21
28, Mars Hill, SAC, 2, Idle, 56.513, 27
29, West Liberty, MEC, 1, W, 56.366, 26
30, Ouachita Baptist, GAC, 4, W, 56.181, 32
31, Northern State, NSIC, 3, W, 55.994, 46
32, Washburn, MIAA, 4, W, 55.854, 35

Top 25 Movement & Contenders

The top tier has stabilized around a core group of consistent performers, including Davenport, Northwest Missouri State, Valdosta State, Carson-Newman, and Findlay.

• Grand Valley State: After dropping three straight games, the Lakers face an uphill battle. Though favored over Roosevelt and Northern Michigan, a regular-season finale against Davenport leaves a narrow path to an at-large postseason bid.

• Michigan Tech: The Huskies slipped only one spot to No. 16 following a hard-fought 27-20 loss to Ferris State.

• Rounding out the Top 25: Minnesota-Duluth, North Greenville, Benedict, East Stroudsburg, Henderson State, Virginia Union, Virginia State, Augustana (SD), and Kentucky State.

Super Region Breakdown & Postseason Projections

The postseason path features a 32-school bracket with eight teams per super region. Conference champions (except the Gulf South, which fields only three teams and receives zero automatic bids) secure automatic qualification (AQs), leaving the remaining spots open to at-large selections.

Super Region One

• The Race: The NE10 automatic-bid race tightened after Franklin Pierce dropped a game to Pace. With Assumption standing as one of the conference’s two unbeatens, the upcoming Assumption vs. Pace matchup effectively serves as an NE10 championship play-in.

• CIAA Outlook: Johnson C. Smith suffered a tough loss to Bowie State while Virginia State enjoyed a bye week, setting up a high-stakes clash between JCSU and VSU.

• NPI Top 10 Region Ranking

Team, Conference, Region, Oct. 24 Result, NPI Rank, Value, Previous

1. Slippery Rock, PSAC, 1, W, 1, 68.145, 1
2. Kutztown, PSAC, 1, W, 8, 62.705, 8
3. East Stroudsburg, PSAC, 1, W, 11, 60.989, 15
4. Virginia State, CIAA, 1, Idle, 21, 58.371, 24
5. Virginia Union, CIAA, 1, W, 25, 57.69, 31
6. West Liberty, MEC, 1, W, 29, 56.366, 26
7. Bowie State, CIAA, 1, W, 40, 54.343, 61
8. Indiana (PA), PSAC, 1, L, 42, 53.984, 28
9. Assumption, NE10, 1, , 43, 53.589, 40
10. JC Smith, CIAA, 1, L, 45, 53.38, 36

Super Region One

• The Wild Card: With no dominant alpha dog, Super Region Two remains wide open.

• SIAC Standings: Central State sits at No. 4 in the regional NPI, but upcoming tests against Edward Waters and Benedict will test that ranking. Meanwhile, the SIAC “Big Three”, Kentucky State, Edward Waters, and Benedict, continue to jockey for position.

• Other Contenders: UNC Pembroke controls its destiny in the Conference Carolinas, while Newberry holds the edge in the SAC following a massive win over Mars Hill. West Alabama also remains a dark horse if it pulls off an upset against Valdosta State.

• NPI Top 10 Region Ranking

Team, Conference, Region, Oct. 24 Result, NPI Rank, Value, Previous

1. Kentucky State, SIAC, 2, W, 10, 61.422, 13
2. Edward Waters, SIAC, 2, W, 13, 60.86, 12
3. Benedict, SIAC, 2, W, 15, 60.251, 16
4. Carson-Newman, SAC, 2, Idle, 16, 59.76, 17
5. Central State (OH), SIAC, 2, W, 20, 58.731, 29
6. North Greenville, Carolinas, 2, W, 23, 58.041, 20
7. Mars Hill, SAC, 2, Idle, 28, 56.513, 27
8. Newberry, SAC, 2, Idle, 38, 54.462, 42
9. West Alabama, Gulf South, 2, L, 39, 54.405, 25
10. Tuskegee, SIAC, 2, W, 44, 53.394, 54

Super Region Three

• GLIAC Drama: The GLIAC features three powerhouse contenders, though Grand Valley State’s recent skid leaves them fighting for their postseason lives alongside Davenport and Michigan Tech.

• Tiffin’s Path: Ranked No. 8 in the NPI, Tiffin is currently outside the automatic-bid picture, with the GLVC holding an AQ slot. However, a narrow three-point road loss to Carson-Newman and a single-point slip against Northwood show they can play with anyone. A regular-season finale win over Findlay could propel them into the No. 7 at-large position.

• NPI Top 10 Region Ranking

Team, Conference, Region, Oct. 24 Result, NPI Rank, Value, Previous

1. Ferris State, GLIAC, 3, W, 2, 67.113, 5
2. Northwood, G-MAC, 3, W, 4, 65.898, 3
3. Minnesota State, NSIC, 3, W, 7, 63.702, 7
4. Davenport, GLIAC, 3, W, 9, 61.497, 10
5. Findlay, G-MAC, 3, W, 18, 59.347, 19
6. Michigan Tech, GLIAC, 3, L, 19, 58.755, 11
7. Minnesota Duluth, NSIC, 3, W, 22, 58.237, 23
8. Tiffin, G-MAC, 3, W, 26, 56.93, 43
9. Northern State, NSIC, 3, W, 31, 55.994, 46
10. Augustana (SD), NSIC, 3, W, 41, 54.305, 33

Super Region Four

• The Bubble: While the top six spots look secure, the battle for the final two positions is heating up. Central Missouri holds strong in the top eight of the NPI despite earlier losses, but they will need to clean up their final stretch against a softer closing schedule.

• The Battle of the Ravine: Henderson State and Ouachita Baptist are set for a monumental showdown on November 14. Depending on how the cards fall, the rivalry game could determine whether Super Region Four sends one or both programs to the postseason bracket.

• NPI Top 10 Region Ranking

Team, Conference, Region, Oct. 24 Result, NPI Rank, Value, Previous

1. Harding, GAC, 4, W, 3, 66.96, 2
2. Emporia State, MIAA, 4, W, 5, 64.622, 6
3. CSU Pueblo, RMAC, 4, W, 6, 63.807, 4
4. Western Colorado, RMAC, 4, W, 12, 60.975, 14
5. Central Washington, Lone Star, 4, W, 14, 60.593, 18
6. NW Missouri State, MIAA, 4, W, 17, 59.539, 9
7. Henderson State, GAC, 4, W, 24, 57.703, 30
8. Central Missouri, MIAA, 4, L, 27, 56.77, 21
9. Ouachita Baptist, GAC, 4, W, 30, 56.181, 32
10. Washburn, MIAA, 4, W, 32, 55.854, 35