2014 Power Rankings: Week 3

#1 North Dakota State (3-0), 58.65 (points)

The Bison are back stronger than ever. Also, hosting College
GameDay, again.
(Photo: Dave Wallis, The Dickinson Press)

North Dakota State hasn't skipped a beat since losing head coach Craig Bohl and a handful of high performing seniors. After watching this team for three straight weeks it is clear to me that the Bison have in fact reloaded. New QB Carl Wentz looks like a typical Bison quarterback and RB John Crockett is as explosive as ever. Wondering about the Bison D? Well, no problems there either; in past three games the Bison have allowed only 21 points. Next week the Bison will have a bigger test as they host Montana in what will surely be a heated contest. Montana struggled to put away South Dakota last night in Missoula.  


#2 Southern Illinois (3-0), 40.97
Southern Illinois has started off exactly how they needed to in hopes of finding the playoffs for the first time since 2009. A big reason for SIU's quick success this season is the return of a consistent and powerful running offense; RB Malcolm Agnew is averaging 8.0 yards per carry and is averaging nearly 150 yards a game. Combine that running game with an efficient QB in Mark Iannotti--he has passed for 639 yards, 10 TDs, 3 INTs, and a 71% completion percentage--and the Salukis are on track to be a major contender this year for the Missouri Valley Football crown. Defensively, the Salukis are solid. Next week Southern Illinois travels to West Lafayette, Indiana where they will take on the Purdue Boilermakers who have struggled over the past two seasons. 

#3 Illinois State (2-0), 38.40
The Redbirds have outscored their two opponents 96-15 over the past two weeks, albeit over a SWAC team and what seems to be a poor Eastern Illinois squad. Regardless, Illinois State did what they needed to do to show themselves worthy of praise and this team looks ready to bounce back after a mediocre 2013 showing. As with Southern Illinois, Illinois State has too found a consistent run game. RB Marshaun Coprich has carried the ball 48 times over two games and has run for 137 yards per game and has scored 4 TDs. Indiana transfer QB Tre Roberson has added some fire in that run game by adding a pesky dual threat option; through the air Roberson has been adequate completing just under 60% of his passes and throwing for 4 TDs. I don't imagine that the Redbirds have opened up the offense too much; however, once we get into the core of conference play we can expect to see some fireworks coming from this team. Illinois State will host Austin Peay next Saturday. 

#4 South Dakota State (2-1), 37.23
South Dakota State has done what they needed to do over the past three weeks. They played respectable against Missouri, at one point getting within 4 before the Tigers pulled away in the fourth quarter. Against Cal Poly, the Jackrabbits displayed their high powered run game which was complemented nicely with the pass game. Last night, the Jackrabbits got up on SUU 21-0 in the first half, however, the offense slumped in the second and put up a field goal in the second half--the other 2 points came off of a blocked extra-point which was returned for a safety. All in all, the Rabbits looks like they have what it takes to compete on a high level in the Valley this year. All-Conference QB Austin Sumner did go down in the first game and won't be back for another 5 or 6 weeks. Back up QB, Zach Lujan has done an acceptable job filling in, however, he has thrown for the most INTs in the conference through three games. South Dakota State will welcome D-III Wisconsin-Oshkosh to Coughlin-Alumni Stadium next week.

Indiana State hoists the Victory Bell as the Sycamores beat
Ball State for the first time since 1987.
(Photo: Tribune Star-Joseph C. Garza)

#5 Indiana State (2-1), 31.30
So far, the Sycamores have been the big surprise this year in the Missouri Valley. In week one, they didn't get scorched by Indiana, however, they only gained 166 yards of offense in that game. However, after that game I felt that this wasn't the same Indiana State team that laid down last season. In week two, they affirmed my feelings by giving Tennessee Tech an enormous beat down. The Sycamores were nearly flawless in that game and opened the eyes of many who watch the Missouri Valley week-in and week-out. The Indiana State reemergence continued this week; yesterday the Sycamores beat Ball State for the first time since 1987 taking down a team from the FBS. What has this team hot? Defense. Indiana State is tied with South Dakota State at 5th in the Missouri Valley in scoring defense, giving up only 20.7 points per contest. Additionally, they are #2 in pass defense allowing only 160 yards per game while forcing opposing QB's to less than 50% completion percentage. This Sycamore defense is swarming and flying all over the field. Concurrently, turnovers tell the same story, Indiana State is +7 in turnover margin which is tops in the Valley thus far. Next week Indiana State will look to stay hot against against Liberty from the Big South Conference. 


#6 Missouri State (2-1), 30.04
Kierra Harris has this Missouri State team on the ups. Missouri State's only loss is to Oklahoma State and in FCS games they have outscored their opponents 72-27. As I was watching the Missouri State-Northwestern State game in week one, I thought, same old Missouri State; a ton of talent, no execution. Then, something happened. A fire was lit, or Northwestern State stopped playing. Whatever it was, it was exactly what Missouri State needed. The Bears scored 20 fourth quarter points in a come-from-behind victory against the Demons and never looked back. In week two, they lost by 17 points to Oklahoma State. Yesterday, the Bears throttled North Dakota 38-0 in their newly renovated Plaster Sports Complex. QB Harris has passed for 8 TDs against just 1 INT over three games and has found a go-to deep threat in WR Julian Burton. Burton is reeling in just under 20 yards per catch and has 3 TD receptions already this season. Next week is probably the biggest out-of-conference game for Missouri State of the season; they'll travel to Central Arkansas against a contending Southland Conference squad. 

#7 Youngstown State (2-1), 28.22

Jelani Berassa caught six passes for 167 yards against
Butler.
(Photo: YSUSports.com)

I'll be honest, Youngstown State is easily the team that I have not paid as much attention to as the rest. We still really have no idea what is to come from this team. So far, they've played a Big Ten team (should have beat them), Duquesne, and Butler. We haven't seen exactly how Youngstown State will compete against an FCS opponent on par with Missouri Valley teams this season. Next week Youngstown State will continue its cupcake non-conference schedule as it takes on St. Francis. For what its worth here are some high performers for Youngstown State thus far: RB Martin Ruiz is averaging 124 yards per game and looks to continue his success he achieved last season. Youngstown State has played two different QB's, Hunter Wells and Dante Nania. I tried to look for the reason to the switch to Hunter Wells this week; I'm uncertain if Nania was injured in the game before or if it was a coaches decision. Maybe a Youngstown State fan could add more light. Whatever the case, Youngstown State has not thrown an interception yet this season and both of these QBs have performed well. 

#8 Northern Iowa (0-2), 24.40
Northern Iowa will not stay down here for very long. They've played two games; two great games--to FBS teams. I stayed up last night and watched most of the UNI-Hawaii game, I fell asleep around the halftime and was surprised to see that UNI crawled back and stayed into the game. At the beginning of the game the Panthers looked out of sync and all over the place. Hawaii's first score came off of a botched snap and Hawaii was picking apart the UNI secondary. But lets not get ahead of ourselves, UNI is a very powerful team which can score on any play; they're definitely expected to compete for the Valley crown this year. I really wish the UNI administration would quite doing this to the football team, it seems every year the Panthers get into a hole because of scheduling. The Panthers are already in a hole losing two non-conference games; they really can only afford to lose two more games to be considered for the playoffs. On the plus side, the other non-conference games do come against FCS opponents which will benefit the Panthers in the long-run should they take care of business and win the next two games against Northern Colorado and Tennessee Tech. Jr. QB Sawyer Kollmorgen is probably the most experienced QB in the Valley now that Austin Sumner has gone to injury. However, his efficiency has dropped in the first two games--of course, the competition was stiffer than others--he is completing only 45% percent of his passes. I expect that number to rise in the coming weeks as UNI gets back on track. 


#9 Western Illinois (2-1), 20.62
Western Illinois has an almost identical resume' as Youngstown State at this point; we don't really know much about them as they have competed against non-comparative competition with losing a game to ranked FBS opponent Wisconsin, and winning handily against two Pioneer Conference opponents Valparaiso and Drake. QB Trenton Norvell has picked up the pace this season passing for 633 yards, 5 TDs, and 3 INT through three games. Defensively WIU has done a very respectable job; they only allowed #18 Wisconsin 37 points; which, with all things considered is pretty darn good when the rest of the world expects you to get blown out by 50. Next week Western will take on Northwestern who is 0-2 and was beaten by Northern Illinois two weeks ago. 

 

#10 South Dakota (1-2), 16.47
South Dakota has one win so far this season against NAIA opponent William Penn who was playing the Coyotes tough until halftime when the 'Yotes kicked it in gear. On a  positive note, South Dakota was able to find some success moving the ball against #3 Oregon, albeit, in a blowout loss. In the second half of the William Penn game the Coyotes were able to get the ball moving and put up considerable points in the 4th quarter making the score better reflect the differences in divisions. USD's best performance came last night against highly FCS ranked Montana. The Coyotes lost only 28-20 and were pushing the ball the entire game. Defensively the Coyotes will need to solidify against the run on defense. Montana RB, Jordan Canada, ran for 7 yards per carry last night as the Griz torched the Yotes on the ground. This will create monstrous problems for South Dakota as they look forward into the conference schedule as many of the Valley teams this year boast powerful running attacks. Next week, South Dakota gets chance to get Northern Arizona back after last years lost to the Lumberjacks.  

Miller's Power Rankings: Week #2

SDSU RB, Zach Zenner ran for 295 yards and scored four times
against North Dakota. Jackrabbits won 35-28.
(Photo: GoJacks.com)

#1 North Dakota State (2-0), 106.16(points)
North Dakota State rolled past Ferris State 56-10 in a game that was over by halftime. It was all Brock Jensen last night as he passed for 259 yards and two touchdowns--he also ran for a score. Sam Orjuri and John Crockett combined for 94 yards and three touchdowns on just 20 carries between the two running backs. Next week the Bison will have a bye week before resuming play against Delaware State. 

#2 Northern Iowa (2-0), 103.29
The Panthers welcomed in-state Pioneer League foe, Drake, into the UNI-Dome. As expected Northern Iowa rolled to a 45-14 win. Drake did not score until after halftime when the game was already out of reach. David Johnson continued to rack up yards on the ground after a huge performance last week at Iowa State; he had only 13 carries but took them 143 yards and found the endzone once (65 yarder). The Panthers will be on a bye week until they match up with Northern Colorado on September 21st. 
 
#3 Youngstown State (2-0), 63.93
Coming in at #3, Youngstown State rose a few spots from last weeks ranking. Although the Penguins did play a team from the Pioneer League they put up 718 total yards of offense. Kurt Hess performed much better than he did last week against Dayton; he threw for 282 yards, three touchdowns, and threw zero interceptions. All Hess's touchdown passes came in the first quarter. Youngstown State's rout of Morehead State also included two running backs who eclipsed the century mark--Jody Webb & Martin Ruiz. We'll know more about Youngstown State next week as they travel to East Lansing to take on Michigan State.

#4 South Dakota State (2-0), 59.02
Offensively, the Jackrabbits played as expected. However, defensively South Dakota State was torched through the air as North Dakota proved that their offense was as formidable as it has been advertised. Although the Rabbits gave up 437 yards through the air, they only allowed 21 yards rushing. Zach Zenner ran all over North Dakota; he ran for 295 yards and scored four touchdowns. Next week South Dakota State will host a much improved Southeastern Louisiana team.

#5 Illinois State (0-1), 58.30
Illinois State was on a bye week over the weekend. Next week the Redbirds will travel to Eastern Illinois to try and figure out Jimmy Garoppolo and the explosive Panther offense.

#6 Western Illinois (2-0), 47.36
Western Illinois exploded with some offensive firepower this week--although it was against Quincy. The Leathernecks find themselves in a similar position as they were in last year at this time; 2-0 against lesser foes. I do think, however, that this team has made alot of improvements. Quarterback Trenton Norvell passed for 278 yards and two touchdowns and running backs J.C. Baker & Nikko Watson combined for 199 yards and three touchdowns; this is what the Leathernecks needed--some balance. We will see if there success can be applied against more powerful opponents. 

#7 Southern Illinois (0-2), 43.09
Last week I watched part of the Southern Illinois--Illinois game and I have to say I was surprised to see how bad the defense played. This week affirmed the Saluki's defensive struggles. Southern Illinois allowed 622 total yards--440 through the air--as the Eastern Illinois Panthers edged past the Salukis by three points in a two-overtime thriller. Check this stat...Saluki quarterback Kory Faulkner was 28 of 50 for 294 and four touchdowns. Next week Southern Illinois should get an easy win as they take on the University of Charleston from Division II.

#8 Indiana State (0-2), 42.33
 Indiana State hung with the Purdue Boilermakers only losing by 6 points. The team was carried by Mike Perish as their run game was completely absent without star running back Shakir Bell. Perish performed admirably passing for 256 yards and two touchdowns. Play of the game? The Boilermaker's Akeem Hunt returned the opening kickoff 99 yards for a TD. Special teams lost the game for the Sycamores. Indiana State has already dug themselves a hole in terms of playoff eligibility--the only remaining D-I non-conference game left on the schedule is Tennessee Tech. Next week they'll face the same Quincy team who just lost to Western Illinois.

#9 South Dakota (1-1), 35.78
The Coyotes were respectable against Kansas, however, they just didn't have the firepower on offense to truly challenge the Jayhawks. Quarterback Josh Vander Maten threw for only 67 yards. On a high note, Vander Maten also had 78 yards on the ground and scored a touchdown. USD did manage to run the ball well against he Jayhawks racking up a total of 219 yards on the ground. The Yotes will be on a bye week this week.
 

#10 Missouri State (0-2), 22.78
Missouri State managed to stay in the game for quite a while despite being completely over run by the Iowa offense. The Bears had only 197 yards of total offense and turned the ball over twice as the Hawkeyes beat Missouri State 28-14. Next week Missouri State will try to get that first win as they take on Murray State from the Ohio Valley Conference. 
 

Miller's Power Rankings: Week #1

#1 North Dakota State (1-0), 77.45 (points)

North Dakota State shocked Kansas State in front of the nation.
(Photo: USA Today)

North Dakota State battled through the Kansas State Wildcats Friday night in what is possibly the craziest game I've ever watched. The Bison chewed up eight and a half minutes of clock during the game winning drive. Brock Jensen did what he does best, win; he threw for just 165 yards but scored three total touchdowns for the Bison as they knocked off Kansas State 24-21. Sam Ojuri & John Crockett both had good games as they managed to find room for continual first-downs. Ojuri ended the game with 127 yards on the ground; featuring one 66-yarder as he busted out from within the Bison's own 5-yard line. Next week the Bison will pair off against Division II squad, Ferris State.

 #2 Northern Iowa (1-0), 76.35
Northern Iowa blasted past Iowa State with David Johnson scoring four touchdowns en route to a 28-20 win over the Cyclones. Last year, Northern Iowa got in trouble with their schedule, however, everyone always knew how good this Panther squad. QB Sawyer Kollmorgen was extremely efficient; completing 21 of 28 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns. Next week the Panthers will likely have their reserves in by the 3rd quarter as they take on the Drake Bulldogs. Northern Iowa is a serious challenger for the Missouri Valley title this year. 

#3 Southern Illinois (0-1), 48.15
 Southern Illinois surprised me. I anticipated the Saluki's would hang around with Illinois for a little while and that is just what they did. I saw some of the worst tackling from Southern Illinois during a stretch where the Illini scored 22 straight points. I turned off the TV at halftime figuring that the Saluki had given up at that point. However, the Salukis did not give up (they did give up a 100-yard kick return) and managed to get within 8 points by the end of the game. The offensive production was impressive by Southern Illinois but defensively they struggled. We'll see what will come of this Saluki team in the next few weeks. 

#4 South Dakota State (1-0), 41.20
The first two plays of the game; Zach Zenner for 39 yards, Zach Zenner for 36 yards and a touchdown. However, after those two bursts by Zenner the Bulldogs tightened up in the box and forced Austin Sumner to beat them. He did. Sumner misfired on a few ugly throws early in the game but eventually found his grove as he completed 22 of 32 passes for 326 yards, 3 TDs and 0 INTs. Its hard to judge a team when the match up on the field is uneven; however, this Jackrabbit squad looked very good on both offense and defense. Next week we'll be able to learn more as they travel to Grand Forks as they take on UND. 

#5 Illinois State (0-1), 40.30
Illinois State started off real strong against a Ball State team which is project to contend for a MAC championship. The Redbirds were up 21-9 at one point in the 2nd quarter. However, Ball State would reel off 28 straight points as they put Illinois State away 51-28. Transfer quarterback Jared Barnett had a good day throwing the ball for 282 and two touchdowns. Illinois State will have a bye week before entering the newly renovated stadium against Eastern Illinois on September 14th. 

#6 Youngstown State (1-0), 22.50
The Penguins hosted the Dayton Flyers on Saturday. The game was much closer than most Youngstown State fans would have liked to see... YSU shot themselves in the foot multiple times and Kurt Hess was less than spectacular; the senior quarterback was just 9 of 19 for just 73 yards and two interceptions. On the flip side, Adaris Bellamy had the game of his career thus far. He ran for 203 yards and a touchdown. Youngstown will stay home this week as they host Morehead State from the Pioneer League; last week Morehead State lost to a school named Pikeville. You guys can look that one up.

 #7 South Dakota (1-0), 22.34
 The Coyotes started off the on the right foot after a terrible 2012 campaign. Qaurterback Josh Vander Maten had a great game and set the tone for the Coyote offense all night. But offense was not the story of this game, defense was strong for both teams. The Yotes will get a chance to knock off Kansas next week as they travel to Lawrence to face the Jayhawks. How crazy would it be if three MVFC teams beat a Big 12 team--this could cause an uproar.  

#8 Western Illinois (1-0), 22.25
Western Illinois got a much needed blowout win against an inferior opponent. The Leathernecks torched Hampton 42-9 as Western Illinois forced 9 turnovers. Offensively Western only scored three touchdowns. Next week the Leathernecks will play Quincy in another warm-up contest. Western still needs to improve their passing game, it will be interesting whether Hayden Northern will get the start next week as transfer quarterback was shaky and inefficient. 

#9 Indiana State (0-1), 19.70
I don't envision Indiana State staying this low the entire season, however, the Hoosiers scored 73 points on them. That is embarrassing. The plus side--they did manage to score 35 points. The Hoosiers put up 632 yards of total offense, 319 in the air and 313 on the ground. Defensively, Indiana State will need to get better if they want to compete with the top teams in the Valley.

#10 Missouri State (0-1), 7.50
 What will it take for the Bears to change the culture of their football team in Springfield? Last year Missouri State was a dangerous team, although they didn't get many wins they scared a lot of teams and even beat Illinois State. Next week the Bears will face off with the Hawkeyes in a game that could get ugly.

Miller's Power Rankings: Week 12

#1 North Dakota State (10-1), 542 (points)

South Dakota State's LB, Chris Tracy, scores on a fumble
recovery in the first quarter against South Dakota.
(Photo: GoJacks.com)

North Dakota State won the Missouri Valley outright Saturday night as they pulled way from the Redbirds late in the game to seal the victory. in doing so, North Dakota State also secured the #1 seed in the playoffs. It is very likely that the Bison should make a push for a second-straight national champion. However, the team the Bison might need to worry about the most is #4 Old Dominion who are on their way to the FBS next season.

#2 Illinois State (8-3), 326
Illinois State had a chance to beat North Dakota State but blew several chances to pull away in the second half, instead, the Bison put on the pressure and the Redbirds collapsed. However, Illinois State did enough this season to earn a second-round playoff game at Appalachian State. Illinois State will have a monumental task putting together a big playoff run. If they beat App State, they will have to go through (presumably) #2 Eastern Washington and #3 Montana State. 

#3 South Dakota State (8-3), 297
South Dakota State snuck into the playoffs with a respectable, but not over-powering, 8-3 season. The Jackrabbits earned the their way into the playoff over the weekend with a 31-8 stomping of long-time rival South Dakota. Although a larger crowd was expected, the healthy crowd of 15,200 was good enough for 7th largest crowd in Coughlin-Alumni Stadium history.  Austin Sumner showed once again that he has regained some of his confidence from last season and proved to be lethal as he was finding wide-open receivers all day. Zach Zenner also had a day; he slowly put together 164 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, the Jackrabbits were extremely stout; the Coyotes sniffed the endzone once but ended up turning the ball over on fourth down. Next weekend South Dakota State will be the only Valley team playing in the first-round of the playoffs. The Jackrabbits will host Eastern Illinois and their electrifying passing-attack; should the Jackrabbits win, they will have a second chance at knocking off conference rival North Dakota State. 

#4 Youngstown State (7-4), 276
Youngstown State needed one more win to get into the playoffs. The losses against Illinois State and Southern Illinois hurt the worse; in both those games the Penguins were winning at halftime and failed to come back out to play in the second half. Kurt Hess & Company will be back next year. However, they'll lose standout running back Jamaine Cook. Besides that loss, this Youngstown State team is still very young and will only improve over the offseason. 

#5 Southern Illinois (6-5), 256
The slow start to 2012 hurt the Salukis who turned out probably the third best defense in the Valley behind North Dakota State and South Dakota State. Next season the Salukis will look much the same, similarly to Youngstown State the Salukis are still young and show promise. Steve Strother who was a big producer on offense for the Salukis will graduate and also Kenneth Boatright's presence on the defensive line will be missed next year. At 6-5 the Salukis looked to have a mediocre season, but there was plenty to be happy about after two straight losing seasons. After comparing the 2011 SDSU-SIU & 2012 SDSU-SIU (games that I've watched in their entirety), I think the Salukis have alot to look forward to. In that 2011 matchup against South Dakota State, the Salukis looked completely defeated and lackadaisical; in 2012, they showed spirit and pride--the confidence factor cannot be overlooked and 2012 was definitely a successful confidence building season for the Salukis. An argument can be made saying that Southern Illinois should be above Youngstown State with a head-to-head win, however, I'll stand by the argument that it is a little more complicated than that. Remember, Indiana State beat Southern Illinois who beat Youngstown State who lost to Indiana State. So in all actuality, we can probably arrange these teams any which way and still make a legitimate argument. I think that the computer does an okay job of arranging them (Youngstown State with the best FBS win in FCS & Indiana State with wins over Quincy and Drake brought them up and pulled them down respectively)

#6 Indiana State (7-4), 231
Indiana State had a disappointing end to 2012. After their upset victory in Fargo it looked like Indiana State might end 9-2 and grab a seed in the playoffs. Illinois State was playing inconstantly and Youngstown State was in free-fall and most predicted Indiana State to win against those two teams. However, the opposite happened and the worst-case scenario came into fruition in Terre Haute. After setting #1 North Dakota State, the Sycamores did not even get the necessary 7 D-I wins to be eligible for the playoffs. We've seen it before, scheduling an FBS team and a D-II team makes it extremely difficult for teams to make the playoffs. However, Indiana State, Shakir Bell, and Mike Perish will be back next season. Hopefully with a playoff-friendly schedule. 

#7 Northern Iowa (5-6), 202
Everyone predicted this was how the Panther season would end. After losses to Iowa and Wisconsin, then losses to Youngstown State and North Dakota State, Northern Iowa would get to a point in their schedule where they shouldn't lose another game. The Panthers won 4 of their last five and reminded us that they are still Northern Iowa, and they'll be back next year.

#8 Missouri State (3-8), 103
Missouri State showed promise, but still made alot of glaring mistakes that will inhibit this team from being a threat in the Missouri Valley. It seemed that the Bears were competitive in each of their games and even pulled off an upset win against Illinois State. However, offensively the Bears are going to need to find some sort of identity if they want to push their squad to the next level--defensively, they're on the right track. 

#9 South Dakota (1-10), 40

The conference newcomer South Dakota had a very rough season, winless in the conference was definitely not the way many Coyote fans had hoped to see. The good news is that the Yotes are young, and Joe Glenn will continue to mold this team into a better, more competitive version of themselves. Inconsistency was the word of the season for Coyote fans. Offensively the Coyotes had times where they looked pretty good, but most times the offense was ineffective and fizzled out before anything ever got started. The same can be said about the defense, there were games where the defense kept them in the game, then there were others (North Dakota State, Indiana State, South Dakota State) where the defense played on their heels and did not create any chaos to get the opposing offense out of rhythm. I will say, it will be interesting to watch this Coyote team over the next couple season. 

#10 Western Illinois (3-8), 13
Although Western Illinois finished the season with two more wins than the Coyotes, both of those wins game against non-scholarship Butler, & sub-D-I Indianapolis (of course, their other win came against, the Coyotes). However, in the last five games, Western scored only 17 points and was shut-out twice. Their max output on offense during those five games was 224 total yards of offense. The difference between South Dakota and Western Illinois was that the Coyotes showed some promise at the end of the season against Northern Iowa and Youngstown State; Western, on the other hand, got completely outplayed in the second half of the season. The Leathernecks will need to do some major soul-searching to prepare for 2013. 

Miller's Power Rankings: Week 11

The Dakota Marker will stay in Fargo for another year. The
Bison clinched at least a share of the Missouri Valley
title on Saturday.
(Photo: Dave Walls/Fargo Communications)

#1 North Dakota State (9-1), 485 (points)
North Dakota State clinched at least a share of the Missouri Valley title over the weekend as they edged South Dakota State in a defensive battle. Defensively the Bison are everything they are hyped to be and their offense does exactly what it needs to do to win the game. Next weekend the Bison will have the opportunity to win the Missouri Valley outright with a win over Illinois State.

#2 Illinois State (8-2), 339
Illinois State has put themselves in good position for a post-season invitation. However, they could win a share of the Missouri Valley title if they beat North Dakota State next weekend. After a bye-week the Redbirds should be well rested to take on the Bison. Matt Brown will need to play a flawless game and the defense will need to keep the Redbirds in the game. 

#3 South Dakota State (7-3), 265
South Dakota State played well in Fargo but made a couple of crucial mistakes that might have cost them the game. At any rate, the Jackrabbits never had the lead and the Bison defense shut Austin Sumner/Zenner down when it counted the most. Next week South Dakota State will rekindle their rivalry with South Dakota. The Jackrabbits will need to win next week if they want to keep their post-season hopes alive. 

#4 Indiana State (7-3), 261
Indiana State had a bye-week last week and will need to come up with a big win this weekend against Youngstown State to keep their slim chance of playoffs alive. Indiana State's defense has developed into one of the best in the Missouri Valley and that unit will give Kurt Hess and company alot of trouble. However, the Sycamores cannot sleep against this Youngstown State team. Although the Penguins have been down since their loss to North Dakota State, last week they scored 31 points (the most since since their win against Northern Iowa) which showed that they still have the ability to score points. Also, Indiana State has one victory over a Division II school (Quincy) which is proving to be a bad scheduling decision because it will likely keep this very good Sycamore football team out of post-season play.

#5 Youngstown State (6-4), 221
Youngstown State got another much-needed win last week as they dismantled Western Illinois and won comfortably. Jamaine Cook ran for 133 yards and 2 TD's on Saturday as they Penguins put the most points on the scoreboard since September 22nd. However, Kurt Hess again proved to be regressing as he threw for only 152 yards and an interception. Hess will need to be his best if the Penguins want to knock off Indiana State to get to 7 wins this season. 

#6 Southern Illinois (5-5), 218
Southern Illinois was on a bye week and hopefully they figured out how to get their offense to complement the defense. The Saluki's have proved to be stout on the defensive side, however, Kory Faulkner and the offense has been stagnant in the most crucial of times this season. Southern Illinois should have no trouble with Western Illinois next weekend and will likely end the season with high-confidence. 

#7 Northern Iowa (4-6), 202
Northern Iowa played very poorly against South Dakota last weekend in Vermillion. Kollmorgen was less-than-spectacular and the defense was sub-par. I'm not sure if the Panthers didn't show up or were not motivated to play a 1-8 team. Whatever the reason, if the Coyotes had another five minutes, they could have won. Northern Iowa will end the season against Missouri State, which suddenly is not a gimmie win. 

#8 Missouri State (3-7), 140
Missouri State is 3-1 in the past four games, their only loss was by four points to top ranked North Dakota State. Defensively the Bears have found a pretty good rhythm and have been able to frustrate opposing offenses. This weekend the Bears will face Northern Iowa, they will need to shut down David Johnson and Carlos Anderson if they want to beat the Panthers. 

#9 South Dakota (1-9), 15

Although the Panthers played very poorly over the weekend, give some credit to South Dakota. The Coyotes came out to play on Saturday and proved that they can compete and shouldnt' be overlooked. The Coyotes have only 1 win (over Colgate, now a playoff team) but that is not stopping them from playing with some motivation. That tell me alot about the character of this team and this weekend when they play South Dakota State the Coyotes will give the Jackrabbits all they have. 

#10 Western Illinois (3-7), 13
Western Illinois has been outscored 167-27 over the past five games, two of their three wins are from sub-division I schools, and to make matters worse, they'll face a very good Southern Illinois team to end the season on Saturday. Confidence will likely end on a low-note in Macomb and the Leathernecks will look toward the off-season to get better. Remember, two years ago the Leathernecks were a playoff team who beat Coastal Carolina in the first-round. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Western Illinois will be back. 

Miller's Power Rankings: Week 10

South Dakota State reciever's Trevor Tiefenthaler gets up
after catching the game-winning TD with 7 seconds remaining.
(Photo: Joel Hawksley/TheSouthern)

#1 North Dakota State (8-1), 445 (points)
As expected, North Dakota State won in Springfield and likely sealed a spot in the playoffs. However, it was more of a challenge many Bison fans expected. Brock Jensen had another sub-par day (3 INTs) but should likely get back into rhythm next week if wideout Zach Vraa is 100%. The Bison defense stepped up and bailed the offense out with another stellar performance. Despite allowing 17 points, the defense only allowed 149 yards of total offense (only 22 yards of passing) and forced three turnovers. Next week they'll take on the Jackrabbits for the Dakota Marker and likely the Missouri Valley title should either team win out. North Dakota State will have multiple key aspects of the game going for them next Saturday. One, the pass defense; South Dakota State has been held to season lows the past two weeks which has been countered with a late-season surge of quarterback Austin Sumner. However, if North Dakota State forces the Jacks to throw the ball the Bison will likely force young Sumner into making crucial miscues. Should the Bison defense shut down the Jackrabbits early, the Bison should win Saturday mostly uncontested. On the other hand, the South Dakota State defense has been a high-point for this Jackrabbit team all season. The Jackrabbits certainly have talent and the ability to force turnovers and create chaos for the opposing offense. Next weekend will likely be a barnburner in Fargo... of course, I've used that phrase once before in week #5 and we all know how that turned out.

#2 Illinois State (8-2), 313
Illinois State likely knocked the Sycamores out of the playoffs over the weekend and again are finding themselves in a position to shoot for a Missouri Valley title. The Redbirds will have a week off to prepare for a battle against top-ranked North Dakota State. Over the weekend the Illinois State pass defense came up with 2 INTs to help seal the victory against Indiana State, if the defense brings the same intensity and focus to Fargo the Redbirds could make some noise. However, the two losses that Illinois State did suffer came from teams they should have beaten, to me that shows a lack of focus and maturity which could play a role in the fate of this Redbird team. With eight wins Illinois State has a good chance of punching an at-large bid to the playoffs. However, they will be routing for no upsets in other leagues or else they could be on the outside looking in. 

#3 South Dakota State (7-2), 265
As soon as many South Dakota State fans wrote off playoffs, Sumner led the Jackrabbits 94 yards for a touchdown with seven seconds left to keep playoff hopes alive in Brookings. What is concerning about this Jackrabbit team is that the offense seems to have flip-flopped. The past two weeks South Dakota State has accumulated 635 yards of passing opposed to 103 yards of rushing. We can argue that the success of the passing game has been an opportunistic transition as teams boxed up defenses at the line to stop breakout running-back Zach Zenner. Sure. However, great teams have the ability to mix-up play calling and run an effective balanced offensive attack; South Dakota State has proved powerful, either passing or running, but not at the same time. They will have to do BOTH if they want to keep a stout Bison defense on their heels this weekend. Again, both North Dakota State and South Dakota State control their fates, if they win their games, they win the Missouri Valley outright. SDSU+NDSU+Dakota Marker+Playoffs+MVFC title=Barnburner. 

#4 Indiana State (7-3), 262
Indiana State had a real let-down this past weekend against Illinois State. The Sycamores looked posed to control their destiny and find themselves in the playoffs. However, offensively Indiana State did not have control and made crucial mistakes that cost them the game against Illinois State and, ultimately, the playoffs. The good news for Indiana State is that Mike Perish is young and will have plenty of time to develop into a great Valley quarterback, also, Shakir Bell will be back next year. At the beginning of the year, it looked like this matchup between Youngstown State and Indiana State would be a game with playoff implications, however, after Youngstown State's collapse and Indiana State's slip-up this game will ultimately be about pride for these two squads. If Indiana State wins, they will finish the season 8-3, which is a great record. However, with that win against Quincy (D-II) not counting in the eyes of the playoff selection committee a 7-3 Indiana State team will likely be left out. 

#5 Southern Illinois (5-5), 193
Southern Illinois nearly pulled off a big win against South Dakota State over the weekend. However, the defense stopped playing 2 minutes early and Jackrabbit quarterback Austin Sumner threw a late TD to end all playoff hopes for the Salukis. The playoff hopes were a stretch before this loss as the Salukis could only end 7-4, however they can now only reach 6 D-I wins which leaves them ineligible for playoff selection. Thats the bad news. The good news is that the Salukis have proved alot this year and next year Southern Illinois should be a real contender with a very, very good defense. Saluki quarterback Kory Faulkner also proved that he can be an effective quarterback. Southern Illinois will face Western Illinois in two weeks for their final game of the year and should end with a winning record despite a rough start to 2012. 

#6 Youngstown State (5-4), 183
Well, Youngstown State ended the losing streak, but this unimpressive win really captures what has happened to this Penguin team. All life has been sucked out of Youngstown State and it will take everything they have to finish 7-4. Despite being outgained significantly in yardage in the first half, the Coyotes hung with Youngstown State and took the game all the way to the final minutes. Kurt Hess and company will take on Western Illinois who has a world of problems of their own. This game should allow the Penguins to gain a little confidence before they match up with Indiana State. 

#7 Northern Iowa (3-6), 174
Northern Iowa got a good confidence-building win against a weak Western Illinois squad. 40-0 was the final score in Macomb as the Panthers smothered any possibility of momentum for Western. Running back David Johnson ran for 149 yards and quarterback Sawyer Kollmorgen threw 2 TDs in the rout and will look to do the same next weekend against South Dakota. The best Northern Iowa can do is 5-6 and with a surging Missouri State team, 4-7 could be a realistic ending for a season-to-forget in Cedar Falls. 

#8 Missouri State (3-7), 116
Missouri State played well against North Dakota State, defensively. However, as I mentioned last week, quarterback Kierra Harris needs to turn that corner and make less mistakes if the Bears want to challenge teams. The Bears will have a week off before they take on Northern Iowa. The game against the Panthers will be a confidence builder and a way to end 2012 on a positive note. 

#9 Western Illinois (3-6), 24

Speaking of ending seasons on a positive note, Western Illinois needs to seriously find a way to play defense or else they might not grab any momentum by the time the offseason arrives. The next two games for the Leathernecks include Youngstown State and Southern Illinois. Both of those teams  have had their struggles, but none of their struggles can compete with the amount of frustration Leatherneck fans have seen this season. Offensively, the Western Illinois line has been the worst in the Valley. This has contributed to multiple problems included poor quarterbacking, sub-par running, and terrible confidence. The past two weeks Western has been outscored 82-3. Leatherneck fans, this team is young and Western will be back in the coming years. 

#10 South Dakota (1-8), 13
South Dakota is still winless in the conference. However, they played better against the Penguins. Quarterback Josh Vander Maten got the starting nod despite poor performances the past two weeks, while he didn't turn the ball over against Youngstown State, he also didn't get in the endzone. Running-back Jasper Sanders scored the only Coyote touchdown of the day as he scampered from 22-yards out. South Dakota has two games left, they'll host Northern Iowa this weekend and then travel to Brookings, SD to take on rival South Dakota State. 

Miller's Power Rankings: Week 9

Illinois State got a much-needed win
this weekend in Cedar Falls.
(Photo: Waterloo Courier/Dawn Sagert)

#1 North Dakota State (7-1), 423 (points)
North Dakota State took care of the surging Salukis last weekend in the Fargodome. The Bison win over the weekend proved that the Bison can win tight games and come out on top. With upcoming games against Missouri State, South Dakota State, and Illinois State the Bison have a good chance to prove their might once more.

#2 Indiana State (7-2), 302
Indiana State followed suit after North Dakota State's trashing of conference newcomer South Dakota. Although the Sycamores allowed the Coyotes to score, Indiana State put 45 points on the board in a blowout win. Can the Sycs keep it up? Next up for Indiana State is Illinois State is a big game with serious playoff implications. 

#3 South Dakota State (6-2), 282
South Dakota State came out to play this weekend after a terrible showing in Cedar Falls. The jackrabbits asserted itself worthy of playoff consideration after blasting through Youngstown State in popular fashion. What is more interesting was the reappearance of the daunted Jackrabbit passing attack that was suppose to be the strength of this South Dakota State team--the question is now.. will it stay? This weekend the Jackrabbits will travel to Carbondale, Illinois to take on Southern Illinois

#4 Illinois State (7-2), 281
Illinois State is sitting at 7-2 but has had a couple of bad beats at home. The Redbirds traveled to Cedar Falls last weekend and handled Northern Iowa--something that I didn't think would happen. Each week Illinois State either proves they belong, then they have a let down, then the next week--they prove themselves again. I literally don't know what will happen with Illinois State, all I know is that they will have to win one of their next two games to be in playoff consideration. That will not be an easy task, their next two games are against Indiana State and North Dakota State.  

#5 Southern Illinois (5-4), 224
After finding themselves at the top half of the Power Rankings last weekend the Salukis got beat by North Dakota State. However, they put up a good showing in Fargo over the weekend and only dropped on spot. I think this Southern Illinois team has really found their identity and will find some more wins this season. Southern Illinois has won 5 of their last 7, and in only 1 of those games they out-gained their opponent in offensive yardage. This weekend the Salukis will host South Dakota State. 

#6 Youngstown State (4-4), 173
Make if a four game losing streak. The Penguins have certainly seen better times and will need to regroup and find their rhythm this weekend against South Dakota. After watching the South Dakota State-Youngstown State game, the Penguins just looked out-of-sync. Kurt Hess was not connecting with his receivers and the defensive secondary looked like they were running around with they heads cut-off. This is not the same Youngstown State team from the beginning of the season. With three games left, they still have a shot to end the season 7-4 with an outside shot of an at-large bid to the playoffs. However, Indiana State will be a roadblock for them in the last game of the regular season. 

#7 Northern Iowa (2-6), 151
Northern Iowa lost to Illinois State over the weekend which surprised me. After watching a dominant performance against South Dakota State I expected Northern Iowa to cruise to a 6-5 record. However, after losing to Illinois State the best they can hope for is 5-6. The Panthers last three games feature Western Illinois, South Dakota, and Missouri State. All those games should be wins, however, with the type of season the Panthers are having, you never know. 

#8 Missouri State (3-6), 150
Missouri State now has three wins on the season and will have a shot to battle it out with North Dakota State over the weekend. Kierra Harris is a pretty athletic player, he makes plenty of ill-advised decisions. However, his presence and leadership has willed his team to wins the past three weeks. Harris through three TDs last weekend in a blowout victory against Western Illinois (however, three picks as well) that kind of production is what the Bears were looking for at the beginning of the season. This weekend Harris will have a tougher task when he faces the Bison defense. 

#9 Western Illinois (3-4), 52

We all knew Western was in trouble after two ugly wins over sub-division I competition. Last weekend the Leathernecks tried their luck with their 3rd new starter of the year, Hayden Northern. However, Northern finished the game with three interceptions and no touchdowns. Three wins might be the max for this Leatherneck squad as they face Northern Iowa, Youngstown State, and Southern Illinois to finish off the season. The good news? This team is young and the Leatherneck tradition is deep, Western Illinois will be back in future years. 

#10 South Dakota (1-6), 17
The Coyotes got another upsetting defeat last weekend against the Sycamores. It now appears the the defense and offense are getting weaker each week and the motivation is continuing to drop. Head Coach Glenn better get his players prepared for the next few weeks or else the Coyotes could end the season with only 1 win. This weekend the Coyotes will travel to Ohio to take on a struggling Penguin squad. South Dakota has three games left with only 1 home game--Northern Iowa. Tough season in Vermillion. 

Miller's Power Rankings: Week 8

South Dakota QB, Josh Vander Maten is sacked
by Bison DE Kyle Emanuel
(Photo: GoBison.com)

#1 North Dakota State (6-1), 360 (points)
After a loss to Indiana State, North Dakota State took out their frustration on a weak South Dakota opponent in Sioux Falls. Just how dominating were the Bison? North Dakota State won 54-0 and allowed South Dakota only 76 yards of TOTAL offense. Next up for the Bison: Southern Illinois. The Salukis have won five of their past six games.

#2 Indiana State (6-2), 241 
As expected, Indiana State won at Western Illinois. The Sycamores defense played well again after a solid performance at the Fargodome. Indiana State gave up a total of 144 yards to the Leathernecks and picked off two passes on their way to a solid 23-7 victory in Macomb. Next week the Sycamores head back home to take on struggling conference newcomer, South Dakota. 

#3 Illinois State (6-2), 228
Illinois State got upset by Missouri State at home over the weekend. What seems to be evident throughout the season is that Illinois State's defense is definitely the weak point on this Redbird squad. Also, when Illinois State's passing attack gets shut down they have a hard time moving the ball consistently. The Redbirds definitely need to find some consistency or else they will be on the outside looking in come playoff time.  

#4 Southern Illinois (5-3), 210
Southern Illinois now has wins against Youngstown State, Illinois State, and Northern Iowa. Those are all quality wins and this Saluki squad has me believing they might make an end of the season push for playoff selection. Southern Illinois has their defense turned around and their offense has found effective ways to score. However, this week they'll have a huge take as they face North Dakota State in Fargo. 

#5 South Dakota State (5-2), 209
The Jackrabbits have finally ran into a team that was more powerful than their running attack. The problems were obvious--defensively South Dakota State could not match up and contain Northern Iowa's skill position players. South Dakota State looked flat all game and the passing game is still crippling the Jackrabbits. Next week South Dakota State will host Youngstown State on Hobo Day. Traditionally South Dakota State has played very well on Hobo Day, that better be the case next week as this will be a must-win for the Rabbits. 

#6 Youngstown State (4-3), 170
Youngstown State is now on a three game losing streak after losing to Southern Illinois over the weekend. What seemed to be strengths at the beginning of the season now look like weaknesses as teams have found ways to match up and contain Youngstown State's offense. This weekend the Penguins will travel to Brookings to take on South Dakota State. 

#7 Northern Iowa (2-5), 146
Northern Iowa got a must-needed win against South Dakota State over the weekend. I was at this game and I noticed a few things about the Panthers. One: Kollmorgen is a fine quarterback and, as a freshman, good things are to come. Two: Northern Iowa fans have been too hard on their defense. Three: Northern Iowa won't lose another game this season. Lastly, maybe it was the fact that it was UNI's homecoming or because SDSU has a mental block when playing Northern Iowa, but Northern Iowa looked good, very good. 

#8 Missouri State (2-6), 90
Missouri State has pulled themselves far from the bottom of the conference the past two weeks. Missouri State has turned from a pass heavy type offense that was really reliant on Ashton Glaser to a more controlled run-centered offense. On Saturday, Ashton Glaser and Kierra Harris each ran for a touchdown and the defense played lights out. The result was a huge win against Illinois State. Missouri State plays Western Illinois next weekend; the Bears could easily win three straight. 

#9 Western Illinois (3-4), 71

Western Illinois lost to Indiana State over the weekend. Their offense, even with Wil Lunt at quarterback, lacked any threat that could challenge the Indiana State defense. Western Illinois is having a hard time this season and defensively its hard to keep opponents in check when you're on the field the entire game. Western Illinois will likely fall far below .500 by the end of the season and will rebuild for next season. 

#10 South Dakota (1-6), 17
South Dakota continues to struggle in the Valley. The Coyotes have now lost five straight and with Indiana State, Youngstown State, Northern Iowa, and South Dakota State left on the schedule, the Coyotes could look at a very ugly end to a long 2012 campaign. USD almost needs to rebuild in all aspects of their football team. The only good news is that their team is young and will have time to develop into a decent football team. 

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.

Miller's Power Rankings: Week 6

Southern Illinois just keeps finding ways to win.
(Photo: Steve Smedley/The Pantagraph)

#1 North Dakota State (5-0), 342 (points)
Again, for the second week, the Bison completely dominated a very good opponent. Quarterback Brock Jensen looks the same against every opponent North Dakota State has played, efficient, productive, and composed. Starting RB Sam Ojuri had to sit out against Youngstown State because of team rules, however, back-up RB John Crockett proved to be more dynamic than Ojuri; he ran for over 100 yards and two touchdowns against the Penguin defense. It really looks like the Bison will not be stopped. Next week the Bison will play Indiana State.

#2 Youngstown State (4-1), 229
Youngstown State clearly was over-matched in Fargo. This weekend they will prove they belong at #2 when they battle it out with Illinois State in another crucial MVFC game. The Penguins cannot make the same mistakes they did against North Dakota State. Kurt Hess will need to find his grove early on and out-play the Redbird defense if Youngstown State wants to get back to winning ways. 

#3 Illinois State (5-1), 201
The Redbirds are in a slump. Although they are still 5-1, Illinois State has not been playing as well as they had been at the beginning of the season. Next weekend Illinois State will get a chance to remind us why we were so high on Illinois State at the beginning of the season. Darrelynn Dunn did not play against Southern Illinois with a broken hand but is expect to start against Youngstown State. 

#4 South Dakota State (4-1), 179
The Jackrabbits were on a bye week this weekend but look forward to getting back into the swing of things as they welcome Western Illinois back to South Dakota. The Jackrabbits are looking to go 5-1 before they enter the grit of their conference season. 

#5 Indiana State (4-2), 123
The Sycamores again found a way to win and got a late explosion from Shakir Bell to seal the win against Missouri State on Saturday. Due up for Indiana State: North Dakota State.

#6 Northern Iowa (1-4), 92
After a week off, Northern Iowa will get a chance to get their first conference win when they play Southern Illinois this weekend. Southern Illinois has been a relatively hot team lately and has found multiple ways to win. Northern Iowa will likely show us why they have still been ranked despite having zero D-I wins. This could be the start of a long win-streak for Northern Iowa. 

#7 Southern Illinois (3-3), 91
After starting 0-2 Southern Illinois has found their identity on defense. Quarterback Kory Faulkner still hasn't proved to be an effective game changing presence, but he has done enough for the Salukis to pull out some wins. This weekend they will have a huge task when Northern Iowa comes to Carbondale. 

#8 Western Illinois (2-3), 69
I've been calling for it for weeks--a quarterback change. Western Illinois started senior quarterback Wil Lunt against South Dakota and they were effective in their offensive production in their win against South Dakota. Next weekend will be a tougher task when they travel to South Dakota again, this time it will be outside against the Jackrabbits. 

#9 South Dakota (1-3), 51

The Coyotes need some answers and solutions to some big problems. First, quarterback Josh Vander Maten can't do it all, he needs some help--consistently--from his defense. Should the Coyotes find a way to play some good defense, they could be a good team. However, they are a long ways from being at that point. 

#10 Missouri State (0-6), 19
Missouri State shoots themselves in the foot every week. This week they benched Ashton Glaser after another poor performance and Kierra Harris gave the Bears a boost on offense. In the third quarter Missouri State took the lead against Indiana State, then the defense stopped playing and Shakir Bell ran wild. Missouri State could grab a win this weekend against South Dakota, but they will need to stop beating themselves for that to happen. 

Miller's Power Rankings: Week 5

NDSU WR, Zach Vraa
Photo: Matthew Putney/Waterloo Courier

#1 North Dakota State (4-0), 311 (points)
North Dakota State took care of business in Cedar Falls over the weekend and reclaimed their spot on top from Youngstown State who was on a bye week. This week Youngstown State and North Dakota State will battle it out in probably the biggest game of the year in the MVFC. 

#2 Youngstown State (4-0), 288 
Youngstown was jumped by North Dakota State on their bye week, but they'll have the opportunity to reclaim top spot as they go head-to-head with the Bison this weekend in Fargo. 

#3 Illinois State (4-0), 260
Illinois State struggled against South Dakota this past weekend in Vermillion. The Redbirds will definitely need to work on their defense if they want to compete with Youngstown State and North Dakota State for the MVFC title this year. However ugly it was, a win is a win, and the Redbirds are still undefeated.

#4 South Dakota State (4-1), 132
Like Illinois State, the Jackrabbits also pulled out an ugly win last weekend. The Jackrabbit offense just could not push in the points in the redzone and made way to many mistakes. If they keep making those mistakes they will not beat UNI, YSU, or NDSU and will not make it to the playoffs. The Jackrabbits will have a much-needed weekend off and will look to get healthy before continuing MVFC play against Western Illinois.

#5 Indiana State (3-2), 112
The Sycamores rebounded nicely after their loss against SDSU. The Sycamores looked good against Southern Illinois and Shakir Bell was back in his form. If Indiana State continues that success they could rise in the power rankings in future weeks.

#6 Northern Iowa (1-4), 79
Northern Iowa took a big hit this week. After five weeks, Northern Iowa has only one win--a division two school. There is good news for the Panthers though, the schedule gets easier from here. Northern Iowa will still have to face Illinois State and South Dakota State, but I think that Northern Iowa will prove that they are still a powerful team sometime down the road. Unfortunately, last weeks loss most likely killed any playoff hopes from the Panthers.

#7 Southern Illinois (2-3), 48
Southern Illinois slipped last week against Indiana State and looks like they will likely repeat a poor record again this year. The rest of their schedule is: Illinois State, Northern Iowa, Youngstown State, North Dakota State, South Dakota State, and Western Illinois. I see one win against those teams.

#8 South Dakota (1-3), 38
I think that the Coyotes will be on the rise in the next few weeks. After they're strong showing against Illinois State, they will take on Western Illinois and Missouri State in consecutive weeks. However, after those two games, there are only tough games left on the Coyote schedule.

#9 Western Illinois (2-2), 36

Western Illinois needed their bye week last weekend. After a 2-0 start, they have fallen to .500 and will need to take care of business against USD this weekend in order to prove all the nay-sayers wrong. It is true, Western Illinois has many weaknesses. We'll see if they have improved on those weaknesses in the coming weeks--two straight trips to South Dakota are looming in the next two weeks.

#10 Missouri State (0-5), 8
Penalties, coaching mistakes, poor performance, and lack of team unity. Those were some observations I saw over the weekend at the South Dakota State--Missouri State game. Missouri State has talent but it will take alot of work before the talent is being used in a productive and successful way. Missouri State will take its non-performing talent to Terre Haute to battle it out with the Sycamores this weekend.


Teams on the Rise:

Northern Iowa - It is easily possible that Northern Iowa does not lose another game the rest of the season. Many folks are talking about a possibility of playoffs for Northern Iowa if they do win out.. that would set them at 7-4, but with only 6 D-1 wins. We'll see.

South Dakota - South Dakota played extremely well against Illinois State last weekend, many people were knocking the Redbirds on the poor performance, however, I think that it said more about the Coyotes than it did Illinois State. In the next couple weeks, South Dakota should take care of Western Illinois and Missouri State and put themselves in position to be a middle-of-the-pack MVFC team.

Mystery Teams:

South Dakota State - South Dakota State has proven to be a much improved team than they were last year. However, at 4-1, they'll have to continue their success and beat one of the top three teams in order to end the season 8-3; that should be enough for the playoffs. Also, remember that the Jackrabbits do not play Illinois State this year, they must beat Northern Iowa, Youngstown State, or North Dakota State--only one of those games is at home, however, that game is Hobo Day--South Dakota State's homecoming--and a game the Jackrabbits have traditionally played very tough. 

Indiana State - Indiana State is in an odd situation, just like South Dakota State, and will need to pull of a couple of upsets in order to consider the playoffs a reality. Illinois State on November 3rd could be a crucial game for the Sycamores.

Miller's Power Rankings: Week #4

Penguin recievers Andrew Williams (80) and Marcel
Caver (16) celebrate in the pouring rain during
Youngstown State's huge win over Northern Iowa.
(Photo: Dustin Livesay/The Jambar)

#1 Youngstown State (4-0), 263 (points)

Youngstown State finds themselves back on the top of the Power Rankings this week after a big win against Northern Iowa. So far, Youngstown State has gone undefeated against pretty stiff competition--excluding Valpo, of course. Youngstown State looks to be on track for a magical season. Youngstown State will travel to Fargo in another huge MVFC game.

#2 North Dakota State (3-0), 253

North Dakota State demolished Prairie View A&M 66-7 on Saturday. The starters were out very quickly and even the 2nd and 3rd stringers could not be stopped. After cleaning Prairie View's clock, North Dakota State turns their eyes to Northern Iowa in a game that could decide Northern Iowa's playoff fate. 

#3 Illinois State (4-0), 227

Illinois State won as expected against Western Illinois. However, give the Leathernecks some credit, they stayed with the Redbirds and kept it close... until you look at the stats. Illinois State passed for 210 and ran for 163 in a very balanced offensive attack---the Leathernecks had a grand total of 137 yards of offense. The Redbird will travel to Vermillion, South Dakota to take on the Coyotes. 

#4 Northern Iowa (1-3), 116

Again, Northern Iowa dropped another game and fell to 1-3. This team is easily the most powerful 1-3 team in probably FBS and FCS. After losses to Wisconsin, Iowa, and Youngstown State, Northern Iowa now gets the pleasure of hosting North Dakota State. Northern Iowa simply can not lose any other game for the rest of the season. 

#5 South Dakota State (3-1), 114

South Dakota State played very well against ranked Indiana State on Saturday and proved once again that their run game and defense is for real. If the Jackrabbits get their pass attack going again, this team could be very dangerous. South Dakota State has put them in good position for playoff contention, however, they will need to upset either Northern Iowa, North Dakota State, or Youngstown State to feel relatively comfortable for a playoff selection. 

#6 Southern Illinois (2-2), 77

Southern Illinois is on the rise. This week they came away victorious in a game versus Missouri State. Although their wins came from Southeast Missouri State and Missouri State, they jumped Indiana State this week as the Sycamores only wins came from a non-scholly and an NAIA school. Southern Illinois will get a chance to solidify its position above Indiana State this weekend as they take on the Sycs at home. 

#7 Indiana State (2-2), 59

Indiana State has a strong run game--thats always been known--but their defense was compromised this past weekend as South Dakota State ran all over the Sycamores. Also, Indiana State became inept after the Jackrabbits shut down Shakir Bell. Indiana State will need to find other ways to win games rather than by the run game--excuse me, Shakir Bell--alone. Indiana State needs to beat Southern Illinois to reclaim their spot as a middling MVFC school. 

#8 South Dakota (1-2), 43

The Coyotes went to Evanston, Illinois and played Northwestern well. Northwestern did run all over South Dakota, but they didn't put up 73 points like Nebraska did on Idaho State this past weekend. A respectably game was played by South Dakota. This week South Dakota will have a chance to prove itself worthy of respect as they welcome Illinois State to Vermillion. 

#9 Western Illinois (2-2), 13

Western Illinois started the MVFC play against Illinois State last weekend and it turned out as expected. Illinois State controlled the game and came out with the W. Western Illinois seems flat and not dynamic enough to compete in the Missouri Valley this year. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, they've got to find a solution to the poor quarterback performance. 

#10 Missouri State (0-4), 1

Missouri State just can not find a way into the win column. I thought they might have a chance to beat Southern Illinois, and they did! Honestly, they controlled the game on Saturday against Southern Illinois and there was no reason why they should have lost--well there is... here are the stats: Missouri State has 362 yards of total offense compared to the Salukis 198. The Bears also won the time-of-possession battle, the kicker in this game was poor coaching and turnovers. Missouri State racked up 100 yards of penalties and turned the ball over three times--that alone could lose any game, for any team. Missouri State has a long ways to go.