Albany State football cracks top 25, earns No. 3 super region ranking

Oct. 27—The Albany State football team not only cracked the top 25 in the American Football Coaches Association Poll, landing at No. 25, but more importantly the Golden Rams also earned a No. 3 super region ranking in the latest NCAA poll.

ASU is grouped in NCAA Super Region 2.

The Super Region consists of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Gulf South Conference, South Atlantic Conference, Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and UNC-Pembroke, which is an independent school.

The NCAA developed the four region process to make up its D-II football playoff pool. The top seeds in each super region will get a first-week bye and when the field is narrowed to a Final Four, there is another ranking that will take place. The NCAA makes efforts to reduce travel in some instances of seeding throughout the tournament and may match teams randomly because of their proximity.

The Golden Rams have two games remaining and have control of their own destiny by remaining undefeated (4-0) in SIAC play. Knocking off the Savannah State Tigers in a 30-0 shutout was a step toward earning a playoff spot at the end of the season. With no automatic qualifiers for the D-II playoffs, it means that the Rams would have to continue to win and impress the pollsters to make it into the NCAA playoffs.