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Men D2 College Rankings 2021 Week 9

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Men D2 College Rankings 2021 Week 9

UNI is moving up. Bob Nemmers photo.

This was a week of several rankings upsets. 

Most of them came about because a) a team that had built its ranking on good early results faded due to injuries, or other challenges; b) the opposite happened, and a team that lost an early game or two just got better, got players back from injury, or got some late recruits; or c) we just had it wrong.

That last one was our judgment that the Great Midwest North was stronger than the Great Midwest South. Not so. The problem was that Northern Iowa's massive scores (78-0, 146-0, 55-15) made it seem like the conference wasn't strong. We also overlooked the early UNI win over Illinois State 34-17. In retrospect, that was a pretty competitive scoreline for ISU.

We got it wrong that the Gateway West was stronger than Gateway East. Then SLU beat Pitt State, and Principia beat everyone. Again, massive scores made it seem like that side was not strong.

So we're a little unhappy that Central Michigan drops down despite winning, but there are other teams that move up, way up, because of playoff results. Principia moves up 19 spots to #5. Illinois State moved up five spots, Bucknell six, and Northern Iowa four spots to #2.

SLU, East Carolina (beat Belmont Abbey), and RPI (beat USMMA in overtime) all join or rejoin the Top 40. UW-Whitewater and Marquette take a hit, but one of those teams will still join the national playoffs, so they could both move up. 

The Men's DII College Bracket So Far

Men's DII College Scores from this Past Weekend

Rank Prev Team Conference Notes
1 1 Norwich (VT) New England-Wide Beat Vermont (12)
2 6 Northern Iowa (IA) Great MW Beat UW-Whitewater (6)
3 2 Adrian (MI) Great Lakes Another forfeit win
4 5 Marian (IN) MCRC Another forfeit win
5 24 Principia (IL) Gateway Beat UMS&T (21), SLU
6 7 UNC-Charlotte (NC) Southern Beat UNC Chapel Hill (31)
7 8 Furman (SC) Southern  
8 9 UMass-Lowell (MA) New England-Wide Beat Providence (26)
9 14 Illinois State (IL) Great MW Beat Marquette (3)
10 10 IUP (PA) Allegheny Forfeit win
11 17 Bucknell (PA) MARC Beat Shippensburg
12 3 Marquette (WI) Great MW Lost to Illinois State (14)
13 11 Central Michigan (MI) Great Lakes Beat Saginaw Valley State
14 4 UW-Whitewater (WI) Great MW Lost to Northern Iowa (6)
15 12 Vermont (VT) New England-Wide Lost to Norwich (1)
16 13 Memphis (TN) SCRC  
17 16 Auburn (AL) SCRC Forfeit win
18 18 Georgia Tech (GA) SCRC  
19 20 Montana State (MT) Rocky Mountain  
20 22 UNC-Wilmington (NC) Southern  
21 23 Villanova (PA) MARC Forfeit win
22 Unr SLU (MO) Gateway Beat Pitt State (19), lost to Principia (24)
23 Unr East Carolina Southern Beat Belmont Abbey (15)
24 26 Providence (RI) New England-Wide Lost to UMass-Lowell (9)
25 19 Pitt State (KS) Gateway Lost to St. Louis U. 
26 29 Marist (NY) Tri-State Beat Seton Hall
27 27 Coast Guard (CT) New England-Wide  
28 31 UNC (NC) Southern Lost to UNC-Charlotte (7)
29 21 UMS&T (MO) Gateway Lost to Principia (24)
30 28 Boston University (MA) New England-Wide  
31 15 Belmont Abbey (NC) Southern Lost to East Carolina
32 32 Citadel (SC) Southern Beat Lander
33 33 Virginia (VA) Cardinals  
34 36 Thomas More (KY) MCRC  
35 25 UW-Platteville (WI) Great MW  
36 30 USMMA (NY) Tri-State Lost to RPI in OT
37 Unr RPI Tri-State Beat USMMA (30)
38 35 Grand Valley State (MI) Great Lakes  
39 38 Georgetown (DC) MARC  
40 37 Central Missouri (MO) Gateway