The Sports Network revealed its preseason FCS Top 25 poll on Monday, and the defending FCS champion North Dakota State Bison will be forced to open the year at No. 2 after only receiving 59 of 152 votes.
2012 FCS Football Top 25: Sam Houston, North Dakota State Lead
The Sports Network’s preseason FCS Top 25 poll has Sam Houston State at No. 1 overall, followed by North Dakota State at No. 2 and Georgia Southern at No. 3.
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Claiming the No. 1 overall spot ahead of the Bison was Sam Houston State with a total of 79 votes, a team coming off a 14-1 campaign where its only blemish came against none other than North Dakota State in January’s championship game.
Rounding out the top five of the poll are Georgia Southern (six votes), Montana State (three) and James Madison (three), while last year’s third-place finisher, Montana, will open the season at No. 11 after losing a handful of key players to graduation. Youngstown State, despite winning only six of its 11 games in 2011, strangely received one first-place vote and will begin the season at No. 13.
Here is the full TSN FCS Top 25:
Team (First-place votes)
1. Sam Houston State Bearkats (79)
2. North Dakota State Bison (59)
3. Georgia Southern Eagles (6)
4. Montana State Bobcats (3)
5. James Madison Dukes (3)
6. Appalachian State Mountaineers (1)
7. Towson Tigers
8. Old Dominion Monarchs
9. Northern Iowa Panthers
10. Wofford Terriers
11. Montana Grizzlies
12. Eastern Washington Eagles
13. Youngstown State Penguins (1)
14. New Hampshire Wildcats
15. Delaware Blue Hens
16. Lehigh Mountain Hawks
17. Stony Brook Seawolves
18. Eastern Kentucky Colonels
19. Illinois State Redbirds
20. Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks
21. Maine Black Bears
22. Jacksonville State Gamecocks
23. Indiana State Sycamores
24. Central Arkansas Bears
25. Harvard Crimson
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