it’s all over. For the third time in four years, the Ferris State Bulldogs not only won the national championship, they completely dominated it. With this win, the Bulldogs end the season atop the final DII Football Power 10 rankings.
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This is my last memory of 2024. Remember, these are my rankings. There is no committee or voting body that decides these teams, just my spreadsheets, notes from coaches, and lots of detailed research on rosters and statistics. I try to blend the selection committee’s metrics, such as strength of schedule, intraregional performance, and PI, with what we see to create a bird’s-eye view of the top teams in DII football. I would like to explain why I make that choice in the article below. It is also very important to note that the position a team finishes in the tournament does not necessarily reflect their standing.
Final DII Football Power 10 of 2024
1. Ferris State | Previous: 1. What can you say about the Bulldogs? They lost to a Power 10 team in their first game of the year and lost one of their quarterbacks a week later — pre-injury. He was a quarterback who had scored 60 touchdowns in two seasons. Somehow, they got better each week of the season, especially considering the number of +.500 teams they played from mid-October until finishing with Valdosta State.
They had arguably the best performance of the tournament, defeating four teams in the top 10 with a combined score of 120 points. Please keep this in mind. Ferris State’s average point differential in the DII Football Championship was 30 points per game against the four teams you’re about to read about. The Bulldogs’ pencil is No. 1 in the preseason and is the favorite to return, especially if Carson Gulker is healthy and Harlon Hill Trophy finalist Trinidad Chambliss returns under center. Probably.
2nd place Valdosta State |Previous: 3. The Blazers did what everyone else did in the playoffs…struggling against Ferris State. That doesn’t mean what they accomplished this season is wasted. They are the last remaining undefeated team, and looking at their schedule, their playoffs started on November 9th, two weeks before the end of the regular season. They finished the regular season by defeating Delta State by 29 points and West Florida State by 21 points, and when the tournament began they defeated Miles by 16 points, Virginia Union by 35 points, and Minnesota State by 14 points. These are all really good football teams. The same was true for Valdosta. Sammy Edwards was sensational again in another Harlon Hill Trophy finalist campaign, and the running game came alive in the playoffs.
No. 3 Harding | Previous: 6. I understand this won’t sit well with people, but Harding defended his title admirably, despite the Bisons being on the wrong side of the lopsided Super Region 3 Championship. , where they completely dominated Pittsburgh State and Grand Valley State. The Gorillas and Lakers have been in the Power 10 all season, and both were in first place at one point, but Harding won those games by a combined 63 points. It would be unwise to judge the Bison’s season based on just one game against the Ferris State Buzzsaws.
No. 4 Slippery Rock |Previous: First 5 outs. The Rock advanced to the semifinals with upset wins over No. 1 Kutztown and No. 3 Cal (Pennsylvania). They then drove Ferris State to the ropes before falling on a fourth-quarter comeback. The Rock scored 38 points for Ferris State, 14 more than any other player who scored for the Bulldogs this season. Between the upset and his stellar performance in three-quarters of the semifinals, The Rock showed he could play with anyone in his division.
No. 5 Grand Valley State |Previous: 2. I know some people think this is high for the Lakers, but I would argue that the Lakers could go as high as No. 4. So why is it here? First, the Lakers finished the regular season with the third-highest KPI. If you rely on Inkblot Sports as a selection metric, the Lakers were No. 1 in Super Region 3, even ahead of Ferris State (seeds were obviously decided by head-to-head). Now, Pittsburgh State’s SoS was slightly higher, but I gave the Lakers the edge by advancing to the second round and scoring slightly closer against the same Harding team. Were the Lakers as good as they have been in years past? Maybe not…but I liken them to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs aren’t playing the best football, but as usual they win games and are in playoff contention. You can’t mess up the Lakers recipe.
No. 6 Pittsburgh State |Previous: 9. The Gorillas have been strong all season, with wins over Ferris State and Central Oklahoma, both of which advanced to the final Power 10 rankings. The Gorillas had the third-worst SoS in DII, but were still 8-3. Did the season end the right way? Of course not, but Harding was also active most of the season. This team was plenty good on both sides of the ball.
7th place Kutztown | Previous: 4. There’s no denying that Kutztown was a strong ball club this year. The Golden Bears went undefeated (again) through the PSAC East, advancing to the second round with a perfect 11-0 record. Last year, they ended Slippery Rock’s season, but this year, The Rock is back with a vengeance. Honestly, this was one of the best defenses in DII football from start to finish. And they have been the best defense for the past two seasons as well. Inconsistency in their attack is the reason they dropped four places.
8th place CSU Pueblo |Previous: 5. Okay â the Thunderwolves lost their only playoff game, but don’t kid yourself. The game was a hotly contested one, until the Minnesota Heart Kids withdrew (and in some cases even kicked off). The team competed for national and regional rankings throughout the season, with its only loss in the regular season coming by a field goal against Grand Valley State University. CSU Pueblo may not have advanced to the Super Region 4 Championship, but it was a strong contender all year.
9th place Minnesota|Previous: I missed it. You know what makes the Mavericks so great? One reason for that is that they played one of the toughest schedules in DII football and made it to the semifinals. The other half is how they won tournament games en route to the semifinals. They also scored the second-most points on this solid Blazers defense all season. I don’t care that they lost four games. This has been a strange year with only two undefeated teams in almost the last quarter of the season. This team was resilient and never shied away from the spotlight. Matthew Yeager is probably a Mankato folk hero by now.
10. Central Oklahoma | Previous: 8. It probably would have been a little higher if the Bronchos hadn’t dropped 78 points in the second round. This season was the Broncos’ Achilles as the defense allowed a lot of points. Fortunately, this was one of the best, and at least most explosive, offenses in DII, and was often able to get the last score to secure victory. It didn’t work against Ferris State…but to be fair, it didn’t work for a lot of people against Ferris State.
Next 10 teams (in alphabetical order): This spot is usually reserved for the “first five outs,” but as the season draws to a close, we wanted to make sure to shine a light on as many deserving teams as possible. I did. Only a few separated the teams 13-20, so I doubled up in the final.
Ashland: The Eagles played one of the toughest schedules in DII and were seconds away from advancing to the quarterfinals for the first time in history. This team had it. Bemidji State: There’s something to be said about what’s happening in Bemidji Country. Having participated in this tournament four years in a row, winning a first round match in each of those years, this year, despite losing a contender for the elusive Harlon Hill Trophy, I won my second round match. The Beavers are consistently building a top-25 team and deserve a high ranking. Cal (Pennsylvania): The Vulcans played the second-toughest SoS in DII and simply ran into a Slippery Rock team that seemed destined for the semifinals. Don’t forget, they also beat Slippery Rock 28-7 earlier in the season. Central Missouri State: The Mules had a strong run, winning six straight games, including wins over Pittsburg State, Emporia State and a win over UT Permian Basin in the Heritage Bowl. Zach Zebrowski is once again the best quarterback in the division. This team was much better than the three losses would suggest. Charleston, West Virginia: Chavon Wright had a historic performance for the Golden Eagles, but a loss in the first round dropped them outside the top 10. Still, this team had great results throughout the season and won the MEC. Miles: The Golden Bears started 0-1 in DII play and then swept SIAC. One of the most exciting defenses to watch, leading DII in turnovers allowed. They also won their first tournament game, making program history. Ouachita Baptist: If you have a win against Harding on your resume, you had a great season. The Tigers had the fifth-best performance index in Super Region 3 per Inkblot Sports, so they would have been either 11th or 12th if we ranked this part numerically. Virginia Union: It was a historic season for the Panthers, winning not only the first game of the playoffs, but also the second. Jada Byers is one of the best running backs in DII and with three consecutive appearances in the tournament, it’s clear that Dr. Alvin Parker has a quality program. West Alabama: The Tigers were one of the teams I watched up close and personal this season that was balanced on both sides of the ball. I wanted to see what would have happened if the Valdosta State game hadn’t been canceled. Western Colorado: The Mountaineers have been solid all season, with only two losses against CSU Pueblo and Bemidji State being anything to go by. Quarterback Drew Nash has improved in all aspects of his game and will be one of the top two-way quarterbacks in DII next year when he returns. Wingate: This defense has been dirty all year. The Bulldogs also earned the top KPI in DII and the top PI in Super Region 2, ahead of Valdosta State. Some may argue that my performance is too low despite losing in the playoffs, but I won’t listen.
Other best states: Angelo State, Augustana (South Dakota), Carson-Newman, Central Washington, East Stroudsburg, Fort Hays State, Wyindy, Lenoir-Rhyne, New Haven, Wingate.
