Despite entering the 2012 season as defending FCS playoff champions, the North Dakota State Bison finally rose up to No. 1 overall on Monday in the latest installment of The Sports Network's FCS Top 25.
The Bison used a stunning and thorough 22-7 victory over the Colorado State Rams on Saturday to reclaim their top spot, a win that came as no accident according to head coach Craig Bohl. "I want to be real clear, this didn't happen by chance," Bohl said.
"It was a methodical plan that those guys put together all week long and came out and performed really well."
The Montana State Bobcats were also able to climb up in Monday's poll, benefiting from a Georgia Southern loss to move one spot from No. 4 to No. 3 in the rankings. The Bobcats reeled off 13 fourth-quarter points to avoid a disheartening loss to Drake over the weekend and are now 2-0 on the young season.
Taking a step back in the polls this week, Montana and Eastern Washington each suffered a crushing defeat in a tight game. Montana struggled with Appalachian State's rushing attack in a 35-27 loss, while the Eagles narrowly fell at the hands of local rival Washington State by four points, 24-20.
Not to be outdone on a big weekend for the FCS, Sacramento State managed to put itself on the map with a monster victory over Colorado, and is now among the schools also receiving votes.
Be sure to stay with this StoryStream for more news on the FCS Top 25, and head over to SB Nation's college football hub for more coverage from around the country.