Commonwealth Collegiate Rankings Week 11 (11-11-2025)
By: Joe Dillard Jr.
Headline Photo Credit: Brynne Smith -LMS Network
The dominoes have fell and we have some teams moving up and down the rankings but with just under a month of regular season games left, we find out who brought their winter gear, hard hat, and hammer to the cold grind we call winning season as most games now are played as if it is a playoff game with teams being eliminated from the goals they had in sight just weeks ago. No more honorable mentions anymore as we get to the final countdown of the best in the Commonwealth of the 25-26 football season. Do we have a new number one and where will the top teams fall nationally in their respective division? The top 5 are all ranked nationally in their respective division. Let’s get ready to count the titles and playoff wins in the state this season!!!
#10. Hampton Sydney (7-2) Taking their eyes off the goal at hand and losing to Bridgewater 42-45 possibly before the ODAC potential title game, shows you can not think ahead as Hampton Sydney has Randolph Macon this week in what would have been a huge matchup turns out to be our first underdog alert where a team playing for pride looks to take away an opportunity from the opponent and play spoiler. Scoring 28 in the second quarter against Bridgewater, I guess they started to feel it might come easy however 14 points in the second half and getting outscored 17-7 in the fourth makes you wonder how you let this game slip away from you with everything on the line. Tough loss and you better believe they are going to play Macon like they should have played all four quarters this week. Looking to finish in the CCR top 10 and beating a highly ranked team might allow for a final huge jump.
#9. Liberty University (4-5) The turnover battle is a real thing and when you lose it, that’s the first thing people look at as you have to value each possession. Taking a 21-17 tough loss on the road to a good Missouri State team stops the momentum that Liberty had after winning three straight. 3 more games left where 2 of them will have them bowl eligible which would be huge coming off a 1-4 start. Traveling to Miami this week to take on FIU will not be an easy task as both teams post a 4-5 record looking to become bowl eligible. Liberty has competed in every game and has played to the competition’s level, which is why I believe they have a .500 record or are looking to finish with one. Also going 0-2 in the state leaves no room for you to move ahead of teams when you lose head-to-head matchups.
#8. University of Richmond (6-4) Winning three out of your last four Patriot League conference games is something to be proud of as Richmond takes care of Georgetown 31-24 in the nation’s Capital. Reaching .500 in conference play with one game in conference remaining will be a huge game for the Spiders. The opponent is no slouch as Lafayette is already in the title game against Lehigh on November 22, so we will see how Richmond fares against the second powerhouse of the conference. Remember they lost to undefeated Lehigh 14-27 which was a competitive game so it looks like Richmond is finding their ground in the Patriot League and will look to start running with a huge statement win against Lafayette. They will need all three phases to come out with the victory this week.
#7. College of William and Mary (6-4) A 30-27 win in overtime at Campbell gives the 6-4 Tribe their first road win on the season. One thing for sure is that the quarterback Tyler Hughes has been a problem almost every week this season compiling 2037 passing yards with 15 touchdowns and just one interception while rushing for 614 yards with 9 touchdowns. This type of stud at the quarterback position will always make Tribe Nation feel like they got a shot. 7 different receivers with a touchdown catch and the ability to bend but not break on defense have the Tribe finally playing complete football. The pass defense has been elite while Luke Banbury is leading the CAA in tackles with 113. With a trip up I-64 to play struggling Hampton, the Tribe will need to look the part as they try to finish the season with a three-game winning streak going into the Capital Cup game against Richmond.
#6. Old Dominion University (6-3) dominated wins this time of the year still deserves the credit as ODU went on the road and handled ULM 31-6 which made the Monarchs bowl eligible, and this has been a great turnaround from last season. Quarterback Colton Joseph totaled 300 yards with three touchdowns to lead the Monarch. With three conference games left, the Monarchs could finish 6-2 in the SunBelt conference and finish unbeaten at home which is all accomplishments to be proud of but that is three weeks away and up next will be Troy during the week on a Thursday. If ODU handles business, then that will be three straight wins. On another note, they have a 2-1 in-state record which will be key for recruiting purposes. With 5 teams in the conference with 3 or fewer losses says a lot if the Monarchs can run the table.
#5. Randolph Macon College #18 (8-1) Winners of seven straight heading into the last regular season game of the year coming off a bye is huge for a team anticipating playing more than two more games. The YellowJackets have already extended their season by making the Chesapeake Challenge on November 22 as they will face a team to be determined from the Landmark conference up north. With this last game the next day the selections will be announced for the playoffs with the first-round game on the same day as the Chesapeake Challenge. I believe they would forego that game to make a run at a Division III National Championship. 5 wins will get you to the title game, but you have to start by proving a point to Hampton Sydney and seeing how long you can host a playoff game once selections are determined. Having a bye week kept them at 18 despite a lot of movement in the Division III rankings.
#4. University of Virginia #20 (8-2) Despite outgainingWake Forest and having four redzone opportunities to Wake Forest having one, this defensive struggle was real as UVA lost9-16. Going 3-4 in the red zone is like a black eye that suggests you might only have that one mark but what did you do with your part you could control. Three field goals on 4 trips in the red zone sounds totally different and that seemed to be the one thing UVA could take away from this loss. Dropping to number 20 in the nation they still have control of winning the ACC and making a National Playoff appearance. Duke may have something to say about that coming off a blown lead loss against UConn. UVA has beaten Duke eight of the last nine times they have played. Two tough games left, and I am sure the anxiety is building up in Charlottesville however if they take one game at a time, they still might be able to overcome this black eye and achieve some of the goals they set out at the beginning of the season.
#3. Virginia Union University #9 (9-1) Surviving a trap game against your rival Virginia State is not an easy task however the Panthers escaped 14-3 against the Trojans, which improved to 8 consecutive wins and secured their spot in the CIAA conference championship and will play #16 Johnson C Smith in the title game. It will be a game played in North Carolina where traditionally the game has been hosted in Salem, Virginia. Adversity for a team in the top 10 of the Division II national polls. If they are able to secure the CIAA title, then that might propel them to host another round in the playoffs as they are second to Kutztown in the region. Curtis Allen is averaging 209.80 yards per game and has eclipsed the 2000 rushing yard mark and has 27 touchdowns. A true candidate for Division III player of the year. If they get this production from Allen, then the Panthers could be looking for more titles than just the CIAA one. (November 15 in Durham, North Carolina against Johnson C Smith at 3:30 pm tune in if you can!!) The title belongs in Virginia!!!
#2. Christopher Newport University #8 (9-0) We have another top 10 team as CNU took care of business at home beating Salisbury the number 4 team in division III 45-42 to jump up four spots in the national poll along with jumping up to number 2 in the CCR top ten. This team has been on a mission with one of the best offenses in the nation and will look to go blow-for-blow with any team in the nation. Winners of nine straight they will take that undefeated record on the road traveling to the College of New Jersey where you hope there is no letdown in performance allowing the Captains to enter the postseason with a top 8 ranking which is definitely going to be home games for the first two rounds. Virginia native Connor Barry out of Vienna has been shredding defenses accounting for 2,517 yards with 40 touchdowns, 32 in the air and 8 on the ground, and only 3 interceptions. They will lean on the air raid offense to finish the regular season 10-0. They are one of 6 Division III teams that are without a loss.
#1. James Madison University #24 (8-1) We have a new number one, but it has been the same script for the JMU program as they handle Marshall 35-23 and crack into the top 25 in the nation. Winners of seven straight and having improved to 6-0 in conference play has the Dukes as a dark horse to make the college football playoff. Up next for the Dukes is App State and with every team in the Sunbelt wanting to be the first to beat JMU, I’m sure the Dukes will have their hands full. Especially moving into the top 25 and now having the number one spot means that you have been seen but just make sure that you continue to be the same team you have been all year. Once upon a time the Washington State game was going to be a litmus test for the two teams, however, if JMU handles the last three opponents and stays undefeated in the conference one would say How could they lose the number one spot? Well, they control their destiny in regard to my countdown and as long as games are available then they will have a chance to prove themselves worthy each week.
