Amid the upsets and close calls, it's tough to find harmony on or off the field
If you want to stir up some controversy, simply rank the teams in FCS college football, like the wearied research staff of the Athlon FCS Top 25 Power Poll that was losing sleep long before daylight savings time.
A seemingly endless supply of upsets and close calls are causing a wild spring season, and leaving few fans around the nation with a sense of kumbaya.
On social media, they're all claiming discredit is being aimed at their favorite team.
Maybe, if it stirs the controversy (wink, wink).
Here's the Athlon FCS Power Poll following Week 5 games:
1. Weber State
(2-0 Big Sky)
Previous Ranking: 1
Week 5 Result: 18-13 win over UC Davis
Next Game: March 27 vs. Northern Arizona
2. North Dakota
(4-0 Missouri Valley)
Previous Ranking: 3
Week 5 Result: 38-21 win at Western Illinois
Next Game: March 20 at No. 4 North Dakota State
3. Southern Illinois
(4-1, 3-1 Missouri Valley)
Previous Ranking: 9
Week 5 Result: 17-16 win over Northern Iowa
Next Game: March 20 vs. No. 6 South Dakota State
4. North Dakota State
(4-1, 3-1 Missouri Valley)
Previous Ranking: 2
Week 5 Result: 21-13 win over Illinois State
Next Game: March 20 vs. No. 2 North Dakota
5. James Madison
(3-0, 1-0 CAA)
Previous Ranking: 4
Week 5 Result: Postponed vs. William & Mary
Next Game: March 20 vs. No. 21 Richmond
6. South Dakota State
(3-1 Missouri Valley)
Previous Ranking: 5
Week 5 Result: 19-17 win over Youngstown State
Next Game: March 20 at No. 3 Southern Illinois
Team of the Week
7. Sam Houston
(2-0 Southland)
Previous Ranking: 11
Week 5 Result: 71-17 win over Nicholls
The Bearkats have won eight straight home matchups versus a top-10 team, and this time they rocked Nicholls by their largest margin ever against a ranked opponent. Quarterback Eric Schmid threw for six touchdowns, including a pair to both Jequez Ezzard and Noah Smith.
Next Game: March 20 at Lamar
8. Jacksonville State
(6-1, 3-0 Ohio Valley)
Previous Ranking: 12
Week 5 Result: 37-20 win at UT Martin
Next Game: March 21 vs. Southeast Missouri
9. Delaware
(2-0 CAA)
Previous Ranking: 15
Week 5 Result: 31-3 win over Stony Brook
Next Game: March 20 at No. 19 New Hampshire
10. Kennesaw State
(2-0, 1-0 Big South)
Previous Ranking: 10
Week 5 Result: 24-19 win over Charleston Southern
Next Game: March 20 vs. Dixie State
11. Northern Iowa
(2-2 Missouri Valley)
Previous Ranking: 6
Week 5 Result: 17-16 loss at Southern Illinois
Next Game: March 20 vs. Missouri State
12. UC Davis
(1-1 Big Sky)
Previous Ranking: 20
Week 5 Result: 18-13 loss at Weber State
Next Game: March 20 vs. Cal Poly
13. Nicholls
(3-1, 2-1 Southland)
Previous Ranking: 7
Week 5 Result: 71-17 loss at Sam Houston
Next Game: March 27 vs. No. 25 UIW
14. UAlbany
(1-1 CAA)
Previous Ranking: 13
Week 5 Result: 38-34 loss at Maine
Next Game: March 20 vs. Rhode Island
15. Eastern Washington
(2-1 Big Sky)
Previous Ranking: 16
Week 5 Result: 46-42 win at Idaho State
Next Game: March 27 vs. Cal Poly
16. Southeastern Louisiana
(2-1 Southland)
Previous Ranking: 19
Week 5 Result: 27-24 win over Northwestern State
Next Game: March 20 at No. 25 UIW
17. Chattanooga
(2-1, 2-0 Southern)
Previous Ranking: 21
Week 5 Result: No game
Next Game: March 20 at No. 20 Furman
18. Villanova
(1-1 CAA)
Previous Ranking: 8
Week 5 Result: 40-37 OT loss vs. Rhode Island
Next Game: March 27 vs. No. 19 New Hampshire
19. New Hampshire
(0-1 CAA)
Previous Ranking: 18
Week 5 Result: No game
Next Game: March 20 vs. No. 9 Delaware
20. Furman
(3-1 Southern)
Previous Ranking: 22
Week 5 Result: 17-13 win at ETSU
Next Game: March 20 vs. No. 17 Chattanooga
21. Richmond
(2-0 CAA)
Previous Ranking: Unranked
Week 5 Result: 38-14 win at Elon
Next Game: March 20 at No. 5 James Madison
22. Murray State
(3-0 Ohio Valley)
Previous Ranking: Unranked
Week 5 Result: 36-31 win at Tennessee Tech
Next Game: March 21 vs. Tennessee State
23. Monmouth
(0-0 Big South)
Previous Ranking: 23
Week 5 Result: Postponed at Robert Morris
Next Game: March 27 vs. Charleston Southern
24. Idaho
(1-1 Big Sky)
Previous Ranking: 24
Week 5 Result: Postponed at Northern Arizona
Next Game: March 27 vs. Southern Utah
25. UIW
(2-0 Southland)
Previous Ranking: 25
Week 5 Result: No game
Next Game: March 20 vs. No. 16 Southeastern Louisiana
— Written by Craig Haley, who is part of the Athlon Contributor Network. Haley has covered the FCS level since 1999 and is the national writer for www.fcs.football. He appears frequently on radio shows and podcasts to discuss everything FCS. Follow him on Twitter @CraigHaley.
(Photo courtesy of Brian Blalock/Sam Houston Athletics)
