BY RALPH VENTRE
South Dakota State maintained control from wire to wire.
The Jackrabbits opened the 2022 NCAA Football Championship Subdivision regular season as the No. 1 team on Talking Pigskin’s FCS Top 25 ballot and their status remains the same 12 weeks later.
SDSU heads into the 24-team FCS playoff bracket with a perfect 10-0 record against teams from the championship subdivision. The Jackrabbits’ lone loss was a 7-3 setback against Iowa – a seven-win Big Ten team.
Sacramento State, who landed at No. 8 on Talking Pigskin’s preseason ballot, holds the No. 2 ranking along with a perfect 11-0 record. The Hornets throttled FBS member Colorado State, 41-10, on September 24 prior to an unblemished 8-0 run through the Big Sky Conference schedule.
Three Big Sky teams finished the regular season ranked in the Talking Pigskin FCS Top 10 with No. 3 Montana State and No. 10 Weber State joining Sac State.
Defending NCAA FCS champion North Dakota State sits at No. 4 on the Talking Pigskin list heading into the FCS Playoffs.
Led by Pro Football Hall of Fame member Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders, undefeated Jackson State hangs on to the No. 5 overall ranking. The JSU Tigers, who have signed some of the nation’s top talent since Sanders’ arrival, head into the 2022 SWAC Championship Game with a bid to the Celebration Bowl at stake.
Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Ballot
(Ralph Ventre – Week 12)
25. Montana (7-4)
24. Idaho (7-4)
23. Eastern Kentucky (7-4)
22. UC Davis (6-5)
21. Elon (8-3)
20. Saint Francis (9-2)
19. Mercer (7-4)
18. North Dakota (7-4)
17. Chattanooga (7-4)
16. Southeastern Louisiana (8-3)
15. New Hampshire (8-3)
14. Richmond (8-3)
13. Fordham (9-2)
12. Southeast Missouri State (9-2)
11. Furman (9-2)
10. Weber State (9-2)
9. Incarnate Word (10-1)
8. Samford (10-1)
7. William & Mary (10-1)
6. Holy Cross (11-0)
5. Jackson State (11-0)
4. North Dakota State (9-2)
3. Montana State (10-1)
2. Sacramento State (11-0)
1. South Dakota State (10-1)
TALKING PIGSKIN 
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