Miller's Power Rankings: Week 7

South Dakota State RB, Zach Zenner finds a hole
against Western Illinois; Zenner was held to a
season-low--171 yads and 2 TDs.
(Photo: Stuart Hughes/SDSU Collegian)

#1 North Dakota State (5-1), 306 (points)
North Dakota State got knocked in the mouth over the weekend against an inspired Indiana State team. The Bison are still the team to beat since Indiana State had a prior MVFC loss to South Dakota State. Brock Jensen had an off day and the Bison just simply looked flat on offense and defense. This weekend the Bison will travel to Sioux Falls for an "away" game against the South Dakota Coyotes.

#2 Illinois State (6-1), 281
After being shut-out by Southern Illinois, Illinois State came back strong against Youngstown State. Matt Brown proved again why he should still be viewed as one of the top quarterbacks in the Missouri Valley. Illinois State also proved they can fight back and win from behind. The Redbirds were down 28-14 at half; they allowed zero points in the second have and completely demoralized Youngstown State. This week Illinois State will take on Missouri State who is fresh off of their first win of the year. 

#3 South Dakota State (5-1), 235
South Dakota State handled Western Illinois and once again the Jackrabbit defense is proving itself one of the most effective in FCS. South Dakota State is currently 5-1 and sits on top of the Valley standings with a perfect 3-0 record against conference foes, however, up to this point their only quality win was against Indiana State. The next three weeks will be crucial for this Jackrabbit squad; they'll face Northern Iowa, Youngstown State, and Southern Illinois. If they can escape those three games 2-1, or even 3-0, they'll be in the drivers seat for a defacto Missouri Valley Championship game in Fargo. This week they'll test themselves against a good Northern Iowa team who is now playing the role as spoiler. 

#4 Youngstown State (4-2), 209
Youngstown State fell for the second week in a row and it appears as if the Youngstown State defense has been exposed. If Youngstown State can quickly make some adjustments and solidify on defense we could see a late season surge from the Penguins. However, one step at a time; this week they'll look to get on track against a resurgent Southern Illinois squad. 

#5 Indiana State (5-2), 123
Indiana State has proven themselves to be one of the top teams in the Valley. However, after last weeks shake-up, what is even considered a top team? Is it #1 through #3? or is it #1 through #7? Its hard to make out what will become of this Sycamore squad, they now have wins against Quincy, Drake, Missouri State, North Dakota State. Before this week an argument could have been made that Indiana State was a middle-of-the-road team that would likely not beat a top team from the Missouri Valley, now, it appears as though Indiana State has the ability to beat any team. This week they'll travel to Macomb, Illinois to take on the Leathernecks. 

#6 Southern Illinois (4-3), 137
Southern Illinois is coming off a nice win against Northern Iowa. Its becoming more clear each week that the Salukis were a team that was figuring things out at the beginning of the season--it now seems that they have figured whatever it was they needed figured out. With a decent defense and a consistent offense, the Salukis should pose a significant threat to any team they play from here on out. 

#7 Northern Iowa (1-5), 83
Northern Iowa continues to fall and has now officially fallen out of playoff contention. The strength of schedule argument is legit. However, now that Northern Iowa has lost three straight against FCS competition the mental toughness of this Panther team will be challenged. I have no doubt in my mind that Northern Iowa will "upset" either South Dakota State, Illinois State, or both. However, if Northern Iowa loses this weekend to South Dakota State a four-win season could be a possibility in Cedar Falls. 

#8 Western Illinois (3-3), 76
The Leathernecks fell to South Dakota State over the weekend but still proved to be more dynamic on offense than they have in the past. Wil Lunt threw the ball well, but was forced into a few key mistakes that resulted in points for the Jackrabbits. The most important statistic from the SDSU-WIU game was the fact that the Leathernecks only had 60 yards rushing. 

#9 Missouri State (1-6), 64

Missouri State finally got a win over the weekend as they took down conference newcomer South Dakota. Missouri State scored 17 points with a little over 5 minutes left in the game to win 27-24 against a slumping Coyote squad. At halftime, the 'Yotes were up 21-3. Missouri State quarterback Kierra Harris really came into his own in the fourth quarter and gave a huge burst in offense to provide the late-game surge. If Harris can command that kind of offensive production throughout an entire game, the Bears could have a potent offense. This weekend Missouri State will travel to Illinois State. 

#10 South Dakota (1-5), 50
At 1-5, the Coyotes have a lot to figure out before they get their first Valley conference win. They have played competitively, but they lack the depth and the skill to put opponents away and finish the game. Quarterback Josh Vander Maten has been their main weapon on offense with little help from the running game and offensive line. Defensively, they play more like a sieve; letting big plays happen over-and-over. The Coyotes need to stop the bleeding quick before the season gets too ugly; their last five game provide no relief from opponent strength: North Dakota State, AT Indiana State, AT Youngstown State, Northern Iowa, and AT South Dakota State.