WACO, TEX. – There was some big movement inside this week's rankings with three Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) football programs ranked inside the Top 25 of 2016 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II Coaches' Poll after six weeks of action, including a newcomer to the polls in Wayne State.
Grand Valley State earned a hard-fought 35-23 victory over then-No. 14 Ferris State to reclaim the Anchor Bone trophy. The Lakers are ranked No. 2 in the nation for the fifth consecutive week at a perfect 6-0. Ashland jumped six spots to No. 11 following a 45-7 dissecting of Northwood one week after the Eagles suffered their first loss of the season. Wayne State enters this week's poll at No. 25 after a 5-1 start thanks to a 37-21 road victory at Findlay. Ferris State fell outside the Top 25 but is the first team in the others receiving votes category.
| 2016 American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches' Poll – October 10, 2016 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 6 | Next Game |
| 1. | NW Missouri St. (30) | 6-0 | 750 | 1 | D. Central Oklahoma, 56-10 | Oct. 15 vs. Northeastern St. |
| 2. | Grand Valley State | 6-0 | 717 | 2 | D. No. 14 Ferris State, 35-23 | Oct. 15 vs. Truman St. |
| 3. | Shepherd (W.Va.) | 5-0 | 686 | 3 | D. Glenville St. (W.Va.), 38-7 | Oct. 15 at West Virginia St. |
| 4. | Midwestern St. (Texas) | 5-0 | 665 | 7 | D. No. 4 Texas A&M-Commerce, 26-25 | Oct. 15 vs. Angelo St. (Texas) |
| 5. | Tuskegee (Ala.) | 6-0 | 613 | 8 | D. Morehouse (Ga.), 28-19 | Oct. 22 vs. Kentucky St. |
| 6. | Sioux Falls (S.D.) | 6-0 | 588 | 9 | D. Southwest Minnesota St., 48-28 | Oct. 15 at Winona St. (Minn.) |
| 7. | California (Pa.) | 5-0 | 542 | 15 | D. No. 6 Indiana (Pa.), 31-28 | Oct. 15 at Clarion (Pa.) |
| 8. | Harding (Ark.) | 6-0 | 514 | 16 | D. No. 5 Henderson St. (Ark.), 35-3 | Oct. 15 vs. SE Oklahoma St. |
| 9. | Texas A&M-Commerce | 4-1 | 485 | 4 | Lost to No. 7 Midwestern St., 26-25 | Oct. 15 at Western New Mexico |
| 10. | North Alabama | 3-1 | 459 | 11 | Cancelled due to weather | Oct. 15 vs. Shorter (Ga.) |
| 11. | Ashland | 5-1 | 428 | 17 | D. Northwood (Mich.), 45-7 | Oct. 15 at Lake Erie (Ohio) |
| 12. | Emporia St. (Kan.) | 5-1 | 364 | 18 | D. Northeastern St. (Okla.), 47-27 | Oct. 15 vs. Lindenwood (Mo.) |
| 13. | Indiana (Pa.) | 4-1 | 358 | 6 | Lost to No. 15 California (Pa.), 31-28 | Oct. 15 vs. No. 16 Slippery Rock |
| 14. | LIU-Post (N.Y.) | 6-0 | 339 | 21 | D. St. Anselm (N.H.), 63-20 | Oct. 15 at S. Connecticut St. |
| 15. | Henderson St. (Ark.) | 5-1 | 319 | 5 | Lost to No. 16 Harding (Ark.), 35-3 | Oct. 15 vs. Arkansas-Monticello |
| 16. | Slippery Rock (Pa.) | 5-1 | 304 | 19 | D. Mercyhurst (Pa.), 37-25 | Oct. 15 at No. 13 Indiana (Pa.) |
| 17. | Valdosta St. (Ga.) | 4-1 | 253 | 25t | D. No. 12 West Georgia, 38-27 | Oct. 15 at Mississippi College |
| 18. | Assumption (Mass.) | 5-1 | 200 | 22 | D. Bentley (Mass.), 42-7 | Oct. 14 vs. St. Anselm (N.H.) |
| 19. | Azusa Pacific (Calif.) | 5-1 | 179 | 10 | Lost to Colorado Mines, 27-23 | Oct. 15 vs. Humboldt St. (Calif.) |
| 20. | Florida Tech | 4-1 | 149 | 23 | Game cancelled due to weather | Oct. 15 vs. Fort Valley St. (Ga.) |
| 21. | UNC-Pembroke | 5-1 | 148 | 24 | D. Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.), 36-20 | Oct. 15 vs. Kentucky Wesleyan |
| 22. | Bemidji St. (Minn.) | 5-1 | 132 | 25t | D. Northern St. (S.D.), 31-28 OT | Oct. 15 vs. Minot St. (N.D.) |
| 23. | Colorado Mesa | 5-1 | 118 | 13 | Lost to Black Hills St. (S.D.), 48-34 | Oct. 15 vs. Dixie St. (Utah) |
| 24. | West Georgia | 4-2 | 90 | 12 | Lost to No. 25t Valdosta St., 38-27 | Oct. 15 vs. West Alabama |
| 25. | Wayne St. (Mich.) | 5-1 | 85 | NR | D. Findlay (Ohio), 37-21 | Oct. 15 vs. Walsh (Ohio) |
Dropped Out: Ferris State (14), Southwest Baptist (Mo.) (20).
Others Receiving Votes: Ferris State, 76; Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 48; Minnesota-Duluth, 46; Fairmont St. (W.Va.), 24; Newberry (S.C.), 23; Southwest Baptist (Mo.), 14; Black Hills St. (S.D.), 9; Colorado School of Mines, 9; Truman St. (Mo.), 9; Southern Arkansas, 4; Notre Dame (Ohio), 2; Central Missouri, 1.
