Small College Power Poll: A major shakeup

Dave Campbell's Texas Football's Small College Power Poll for Week 5 features Sam Houston State, Mary Hardin Baylor, Trinity Valley, Trinity University, UIW, SFA, ETBU, MSU and more.
Cory Hogue

Each week Dave Campbell’s Texas Football staff gives their power rankings of the sub-FBS college football teams in Texas.

Note: Teams are measured against the overall strength of their conference. 

  1. Sam Houston (5-0) Last Week: 1 - The SHSU defense is elite and the team has ridden that unit the last two weeks.

  2. Mary Hardin-Baylor (5-0) Last Week: 2 - The week of rest is their last, they hope, until mid-December.

  3. Trinity Valley (5-0) Last Week: 3 - They begin a brutal four-week stretch of games against SWJCFC opponents at Blinn this week.

  4. Trinity (4-0) Last Week: 4 - These Tigers proved they are a real contender for an NCAA Division III playoff berth.

  5. UIW (4-1) Last Week: 5 - UIW needs a win this week if they are to capture the Southland title and automatic playoff berth.

  6. Hardin-Simmons (4-1) Last Week: 6 - Two tough opponents in ETBU and Howard Payne are in the back half of the Cowboys ASC schedule.

  7. SFA (3-3) Last Week: 7 - Name a team in the FCS ranks that has played a tougher schedule than the ‘Jacks. Time’s up!

  8. Howard Payne (5-0) Last Week: 8 - HPU has been a pleasant surprise this season but a tough schedule remains.

  9. Texas Wesleyan (4-1) Last Week: 9 - The biggest game since the Rams restart is this week on the road against a ranked Langston squad.

  10. Prairie View A&M (4-1) Last Week: 10 - PVAMU could be undefeated in SWAC action when they play at Alcorn State in Week 11.

  11. Midwestern State (5-1) Last Week: 11 - MSU needs a mental and physical break after a six-week grind.

  12. UTPB (3-1) Last Week: 15 - We will learn a lot about this year’s Falcons team against Angelo State this week.

  13. West Texas A&M (3-3) Last Week: 18 - The Buffs vault up the rankings following a win convincing win over Angelo State.

  14. East Texas Baptist (3-2) Last Week: 17 - The Tigers should give Hardin-Simmons a true challenge this week.

  15. Tyler (3-2) Last Week: 21 - The Apaches face a murderer’s road through the SWJCFC over the next four weeks.

  16. SAGU (3-3) Last Week: 22 - SAGU vaults up the rankings following a narrow loss to a good Texas Wesleyan team.

  17. Angelo State (4-2) Last Week: 12 - The Rams season hangs in the balance at home against UTPB this week.

  18. Blinn (3-2) Last Week: 24 - We’ve been doubting the Buccaneers the entire season. They will grab our attention with a win this week.

  19. Cisco (2-3) Last Week: 29 - The Wranglers have struggled but the win over Kilgore displayed the talent on their roster.

  20. Kilgore (3-3) Last Week: 13 - No team needs a bye week more than the Rangers who have lost three consecutive games.

  21. Texas A&M-Commerce (3-3) Last Week: 14 - The Lions tumble down the rankings will not soothe a rankled fan base.

  22. Abilene Christian (3-3) Last Week: 16 - ACU could use another big win this week in front of a homecoming crowd.

  23. Tarleton (2-3) Last Week: 19 - We will know where Tarleton stands in relation to its D-I transition against Dixie State.

  24. Texas A&M-Kingsville (2-3) Last Week: 20 - The Javelinas have two winnable games in their next two weeks.

  25. McMurry (1-3) Last Week: 23 - Four more wins this season are possible for the War Hawks.

  26. Texas Southern (2-3) Last Week: 33 - TSU played with a new level of confidence following a win and now has a winning streak.

  27. Navarro (2-4) Last Week: 27 - The Bulldogs jump this week is more a correction than a result of their loss to Blinn.

  28. Lamar (2-3) Last Week: 25 - The remainder of the season could be challenging for a young Cardinals squad.

  29. Wayland Baptist (2-4) Last Week 26 - This week is the Pioneers’ best chance to win another game this season.

  30. Southwestern (1-4) Last Week: 28 - The Pirates face two of the best three teams in the ASC in the next two weeks.

  31. Sul Ross State (1-3) Last Week: 30 - Another win for the Lobos will be tough to find until the final game of the season.

  32. Texas Lutheran (1-4) Last Week: 31 - TLU has maybe the toughest remaining schedule in the ASC.

  33. Austin College (1-3) Last Week: 32 - The ‘Roos are always capable of surprising a team and pulling off an upset victory.

  34. Houston Baptist (0-5) Last Week: 34 - The Huskies face the best three teams in the Southland in the next three weeks.

  35. Texas College (0-6) Last Week: 35 - The Texas College players are warriors for playing a full season without a bye week.

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