Which FCS Teams Have the Best Chance to Go Undefeated?

Lehigh leads the list

Lehigh, ranked No. 5 in the source report, finished the previous regular season undefeated and had a 23-game regular-season winning streak dating to 2024. Three of its six remaining opponents had winning records.

The report identified Lehigh’s late-season games against Colgate at home and Richmond on the road as key tests. It noted that the trip to Richmond would not be easy.

Stephen F. Austin faces a ranked road test

NCAA FCS ranked Stephen F. Austin No. 4 and placed it second in the undefeated-chance assessment. The report pointed to a road game against top-10 Lamar as the Lumberjacks’ biggest remaining obstacle.

Stephen F. Austin had won four straight against Lamar dating to 2019, according to the report. Its remaining schedule also included home games against Southeastern Louisiana, which won a playoff game the previous year, and Houston Christian.

Harvard has Ivy League games and a rivalry ahead

Harvard, ranked No. 19, was third on the list. The report said the Crimson still had three opponents that had not lost an Ivy League game, as well as its annual rivalry game against Yale.

Known as “The Game,” the Harvard-Yale rivalry had not gone Harvard’s way since 2021, the report said.

Jackson State and Tarleton State face demanding schedules

Jackson State, ranked No. 22, was fourth in the assessment. Four of its six remaining games were on the road against teams with winning records. The schedule included Grambling State, Bethune-Cookman, Alabama State and Alcorn State, with the Alcorn matchup identified as the Soul Bowl.

The report noted that Jackson State had the SWAC’s top scoring and total offense, but had lost to Grambling the previous year. It also said head coach TC Taylor had not lost a SWAC regular-season game since his first season in 2023.

Tarleton State, ranked No. 2, was fifth on the list despite being the highest-ranked undefeated team. Its upcoming schedule included a road game against No. 8 Austin Peay, followed by road contests against West Florida and North Alabama, as well as a game against Abilene Christian.