DCTF Small College Power Poll: Top 10 Shakeup

Dave Campbell's Texas Football ranks the small college teams playing football in 2021, including Mary Hardin-Baylor, Sam Houston, UTPB, Hardin-Simmons, Incarnate Word, Midwestern State, Texas Lutheran, Tarleton, Trinity, Cisco and more!

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

Note: Teams are measured against the overall strength of their conference. Only teams that have played this spring are ranked.

  1. Sam Houston (4-0) Last Week: 1 - A win this week would secure at least a share of the Southland Conference title in the Kats final season before moving to the WAC. NEXT: vs. McNeese at 4 p.m. April 10.

  2. Mary Hardin-Baylor (5-0) Last Week: 2 - UMHB found steady play from quarterback Kyle King and the Cru defense will make them a national title contender in the fall. NEXT: Fall 2021 season.

  3. Kilgore (2-0) Last Week: 3 - The Rangers survived a tough road test in Miami, Okla. last week. Kilgore’s biggest challenge in conference looks to be Trinity Valley. NEXT: vs. New Mexico Military Institute at 3 p.m. April 10.

  4. Hardin-Simmons (4-1) Last Week: 4 - A slow start doomed the Cowboys against UMHB and will add another chip on their shoulder heading into the fall season. NEXT: Fall 2021 season.

  5. UIW (3-1) Last Week: 5 - The Cardinals received some good news during their bye week after Nicholls lost to McNeese. If UIW wins out, they at least share the Southland Conference title. NEXT: vs. Northwestern State at 7 p.m. April 10.

  6. UTPB (5-0) Last Week: 7 - The Falcons win over MSU last week was the type of victory that can change a program. UTPB will be a force in the LSC in the fall. NEXT: Fall 2021 season.

  7. Trinity (3-1) Last Week: 9 - The Tigers finished their spring season with a resounding 38-15 win over Birmingham Southern. Trinity could be dangerous in the fall. NEXT: Fall 2021 season.

  8. East Texas Baptist (3-2) Last Week: 10 - The Tigers finished the spring with a resounding 51-20 win over TLU. The ETBU offense will be explosive in the fall with Troy Yowman at quarterback.  NEXT: Fall 2021 season.

  9. Trinity Valley (2-0) Last Week: 11 - The TVCC defense is only allowing 10 points per game. Can the Cardinals ride that defense to the top of the NJCAA rankings? NEXT: vs. RPA College at 7:30 p.m. April 8.

  10. Cisco (2-0) Last Week: 12 - The Wranglers have rolled through their first two games this spring. Cisco has a bye week before a massive Thursday night showdown against Trinity Valley NEXT: vs. Trinity Valley at 7 p.m. April 15.

  11. Tarleton (4-3) Last Week: 6 - Tarleton’s loss to East Central on April Fool’s Day was a disappointing end to an up and down spring. The Texans proved they are a solid FCS team when focused. NEXT: Fall 2021 season.

  12. Texas Lutheran (3-2) Last Week: 16 - A week off led to a second look at the Bulldogs ranking in this poll and a bit of a rise. NEXT: Fall 2021 season.

  13. Prairie View A&M (2-0) Last Week: 14 - The Panthers suffered another disruption to their spring season after extending their current CoVID-19 pause. NEXT: at Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 3 p.m. April 17.

  14. Southwestern Assemblies of God (2-2) Last Week: 13 - The Lions suffered a tough road loss against a good Ottawa (Ariz.) squad last week. A win this week would be a big positive for SAGU. NEXT: vs. Oklahoma Panhandle State at 2 p.m. April 10.

  15. Navarro (1-1) Last Week: 8 - The Navarro defense has allowed 106 points through its first two games. A porous defense could make for a tough spring season. NEXT: vs. Northeastern Oklahoma A&M at 2:30 p.m. April 10.

  16. Lamar (2-4) Last Week: 17 - The Cardinals had a rough ending to their spring season with a loss to Southeastern La. However, the overall spring was a big positive for Lamar heading into the offseason. NEXT: Fall 2021 season.

  17. Tyler (0-2) Last Week: 15 - Tyler ran into the buzzsaw known as Trinity Valley last week. The Apaches will work on all phases with an easy opponent this week. NEXT: vs. RPA College Prep at 1 p.m. April 10.

  18. Howard Payne (2-3) Last Week: 18 - The Yellow Jackets struggled in all phases and finished the spring with a tough 38-17 loss to Belhaven. Excited to see this team continue to improve. NEXT: Fall 2021 season.

  19. McMurry (2-3) Last Week: 19 - Possibly the most improved team in the country ended the spring with a thrilling 32-31 win on the road over Louisiana College. The War Hawks are on the rise heading to the fall. NEXT: Fall 2021 season.

  20. Wayland Baptist (2-4) Last Week 20 - WBU found themselves in too deep a hole following the first half once again at Langston. The Pioneers finish their prolonged season against the conference champs. NEXT: vs. Arizona Christian at 2 p.m. April 10.

  21. Austin College (1-3) Last Week: 21 - The ‘Roos had one of the most challenging spring schedules of any team in the country. Austin College will focus on playing a complete game for the fall. NEXT: Fall 2021 season.

  22. Midwestern State (1-2) Last Week: 23 - A proud football program continues to struggle after a tough overtime loss to end the spring. MSU is 6-8 since the start of 2019 after 20 consecutive winning seasons. NEXT: Fall 2021 season.

  23. Sul Ross State (1-4) Last Week: 24 - The Lobos finished the spring with a nice 25-16 win over Southwestern. SRSU will try to ride the positive vibes into the fall season. NEXT: Fall 2021 season.

  24. Blinn (0-2) Last Week: 22 - It has been a rough start to the spring for the Buccaneers, who has an opportunity to get started in the right direction over the next two weeks. NEXT: vs. Southern Shreveport at 4 p.m. April 10.

  25. Texas Southern (0-2) Last Week: 25 - TSU will earn a win this week via a forfeit from Alcorn State opting out of the spring season. The Tigers would rather play a game at this point. NEXT: vs Mississippi Valley State at 2 p.m. April 17.

  26. Texas A&M-Kingsville (0-2) Last Week: 26 - Coach Mike Salinas and staff found some positives and negatives during the Javelinas abbreviated spring season. TAMUK will try to build on the positives for the fall season. NEXT: Fall 2021 season.

  27. Southwestern (0-5) Last Week: 27 - A tough spring concluded with a road loss to Sul Ross State. The Pirates coaching staff will be evaluating every position heading into the fall season. NEXT: Fall 2021 season.

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