Going back and looking at FCS preseason rankings is always a joy.
Many things don’t age well, no matter how well thought out and researched they were. The unpredictability of sports, especially at the college level, is what makes it fun, though.
Preseason voters did well with the top 5, with No. 1 SDSU, No. 2 NDSU, No. 4 Montana State, and No. 5 South Dakota reaching the semifinals, while NDSU defeated Montana State in the championship game.
There were, of course, many whiffs.
Here are the biggest team surprises and disappointments of the 2024 season, taking into account their preseason media poll rankings and final rankings.
Biggest Surprises
UC Davis
Preseason ranking: No. 18
Final ranking: No. 5
UC Davis had decent preseason expectations after a 7-4 finish in 2023, coming into the 2024 season at No. 18. The Aggies returned their starting quarterback, All-American running back, top four wide receivers, top tight end, three starting offensive linemen, and seven of their top 11 tacklers. They exceeded those expectations with an 11-3 record, a 7-1 mark in Big Sky play, and a run to the quarterfinals, losing by 14 at South Dakota.
Mercer
Preseason ranking: Unranked
Final ranking: No. 8
Mercer received some votes in the preseason poll after finishing 9-4 in 2023 with a second-round playoff exit. Offensive question marks were enough for the Bears to sit outside the Top 25. It didn’t take long for Mercer to get into the rankings, though, starting 6-0 with two ranked wins. The Bears finished the regular season 10-2 overall and 10-1 vs. the FCS. They defeated Rhode Island in the second round of the playoffs before losing 31-7 at NDSU.
Rhode Island
Preseason ranking: Unranked
Final ranking: No. 9
Rhody didn’t receive any preseason votes after going 6-5 in 2023. The Rams slowly climbed the rankings, winning some close games to start 8-1 overall and 8-0 vs. the FCS. They suffered their first “FCS” loss to FBS-transitioning Delaware before winning their final two games to end the regular season 10-2 overall. Rhody punched its ticket to its first postseason appearance since 1985. The Rams defeated CCSU 21-17 in the opening round before losing 17-10 at Mercer.
Abilene Christian
Preseason ranking: Unranked
Final ranking: No. 14
ACU also didn’t receive any votes in the preseason poll. The Wildcats were coming off of a 5-6 campaign in 2023. ACU arrived on the radar with a 2-2 start, but the two losses were to FBS Texas Tech in overtime and a three-point loss against No. 4 Idaho. A couple of weeks later, the Wildcats knocked off No. 5 Central Arkansas to soar in the rankings. ACU finished the regular season 8-4 and earned its first-ever FCS playoff bid, where it defeated Northern Arizona 24-0 in the first round. The Wildcats exited the bracket with a 51-31 loss at NDSU, a game that ACU jumped out to 17-3 lead.
Tennessee State
Preseason ranking: Unranked
Final ranking: No. 19
Another team with zero preseason poll votes. Tennessee State went 6-5 in 2023 after a 4-7 year in 2022. The Tigers took another step in 2024. After a 2-2 start, they rattled off four straight wins. Tennessee State suffered a close loss to UT Martin and then won its last three to end the regular season 9-3, returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2013. The Tigers went to Montana and battled, but lost 41-27 to end their season.
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Biggest Disappointments
Sacramento State
Preseason ranking: No. 8
Final ranking: Unranked
Sac State finished 8-5 in 2023, exiting the FCS playoffs in the second round. The Hornets returned a loaded offense but a new-look defense heading into 2024. They were a bit of an unknown in the first few weeks, starting 0-2 with decently competitive FBS losses to San Jose State and Fresno State. They then dominated No. 24 Nicholls and East Texas A&M. But Sac State, ranked No. 10, then lost to unranked Northern Arizona and it snowballed from there, finishing 3-9 overall and 1-7 in Big Sky play.
Chattanooga
Preseason ranking: No. 9
Final ranking: Unranked
Chattanooga eyed a breakout year after finishing 2023 with an 8-5 record and a second-round playoff exit. The Mocs returned their standout QB, two of their top receivers, an experienced offensive line, and seven starters on defense. Chattanooga battled back from an 0-3 start that featured two FBS losses with five straight wins. Splitting the next two games, the Mocs were 6-4 with two winnable games remaining to secure a spot in the playoff bracket. But they lost 36-13 to unranked Samford before beating Austin Peay 24-17, finishing 7-5 overall (5-3 in the SoCon) and missing the postseason.
Southern Illinois
Preseason ranking: No. 10
Final ranking: Unranked
The Salukis finished 8-5 in 2023, exiting in the FCS second round. They returned six starters on offense and four on defense, plus some strong transfer portal additions. SIU had a strong 2-1 start, including an FBS loss and a 35-28 win over No. 12 UIW. But injuries took over the 2-deep, notably at the QB position. SIU lost six straight games after the UIW win and finished the year 4-8 overall and 2-6 in MVFC play.
Central Arkansas
Preseason ranking: No. 11
Final ranking: Unranked
UCA finished 7-4 in 2023 and missed the playoffs, but two of its losses were two-point games against UAC opponents, and the other two were competitive games against NDSU and Oklahoma State. The Bears returned their starting quarterback, two All-American running backs, four starting offensive linemen, and seven of 15 defensive players that had at least 200 snaps, led by a couple of All-Americans. UCA was rolling early this season, sitting at 4-1 with a controversial 34-31 loss to FBS Arkansas State. The Bears suffered an early October loss to Abilene Christian, but they recovered fine to win their next two and sit at 6-2. Then the collapse happened, starting with a 34-21 loss to winless Utah Tech. UCA then lost by a touchdown against Eastern Kentucky and Southern Utah. And in the regular-season finale, the Bears lost 39-14 at Tarleton State to finish 6-6 overall and 3-5 in the UAC.
Furman
Preseason ranking: No. 12
Final ranking: Unranked
In 2023, Furman finished 10-3 with a quarterfinal appearance. The Paladins had plenty of rebuilding to do after a big senior class left, losing their starting QB, top RB, and top four OL. Defensively, Furman returned just four of its top 15 tacklers. But expectations were still to reach the playoffs. Signs hit early that this would be a rebuilding year for Furman after a Week 2 loss vs. Charleston Southern. The Paladins went on to finish 3-8 overall and 2-5 in the SoCon.
