Redhawks remain perched in FCS top 10

~ Southeast is ranked No. 10 in both major polls after its dramatic two-point loss at Jacksonville State

The Southeast Missouri State football team, despite having its nine-game winning streak snapped with its first Ohio Valley Conference loss, remains ranked among the nation's top 10 squads.

Southeast is No. 10 in both of the two major Football Championship Subdivision, formerly Division I-AA, polls released Monday.

The Redhawks dropped from seventh in The Sports Network media poll and eighth in the coaches poll.

Before this season, Southeast had not been ranked since 2003. Also prior to this year, Southeast's best ranking since joining the FCS in 1991 was 20th in 2003.

"I'm tickled that we're still ranked 10th," Southeast coach Tony Samuel said.

The Redhawks might have pushed their way into the top five had they not suffered Saturday's excruciating 29-27 loss at Jacksonville State in their regular-season finale.

Southeast went ahead 27-22 with just over four minutes left but the Gamecocks scored the game-winning touchdown with only 11 seconds remaining. That TD marked the sixth lead change in the final 18 minutes, 16 seconds.

"It was a championship atmosphere on and off the field. I thought it was a true championship game, the way both teams fought and battled," Samuel said of a contest witnessed by more than 20,000 fans. "Everything was left on the field by both teams. I couldn't be prouder of our effort.

"That was the most physical game I've been involved in since I've been in the league."

The Redhawks are 9-2 overall and 7-1 in league play as they can do no worse than gain a share of the program's first OVC championship. Southeast will claim the outright title if Jacksonville State (9-1, 6-1) loses at Tennessee Tech on Saturday in its regular-season finale.

Southeast has tied the program record for wins, matching the 1955 and 1937 teams that went 9-0.

After going 2-9 in Samuel's fourth season last year, Southeast is tied for third among the FCS's all-time most improved teams over a one-year span. The Redhawks already have the greatest one-year turnaround in school history.

And the season is far from over. Even if Southeast doesn't earn the OVC's automatic playoff berth -- Jacksonville State gets that if it beats Tennessee Tech -- it would come as a shock if the Redhawks don't receive an at-large playoff bid.

"We're ranked 10th. We're in," Samuel said of the playoffs.

Southeast never has appeared in the playoffs on any level.

Most projections have the Redhawks being among the top 12 squads for the 20-team playoff field, which would mean a first-round bye.

The top 12 teams don't play their first playoff game until Dec. 4. The bottom eight teams play the weekend of Nov. 27.

If the Redhawks do receive a first-round playoff bye, that would mean their next game wouldn't be for nearly three weeks. The playoff field and pairings will be announced 9 a.m. Sunday on ESPNU.

"From what I've heard, we've got a pretty good chance to get a bye for that first week," Samuel said.

The Sports Network, which covers the FCS extensively, projects Southeast receiving a first-round bye and then traveling to Missouri Valley Conference champion Northern Iowa in the second round. But that is purely speculation.

In the meantime, Samuel said the Redhawks will take advantage of what amounts to a bye week. Southeast played 11 consecutive weeks during the regular season without a break.

"We did not get a bye week. This is our bye week," Samuel said. "We're going to heal up. We've been nicked up. We've got to get some guys healed up.

"At the same time it's a fine line between that and keeping a rhythm, a tempo."

Samuel said the Redhawks will have a limited practice schedule this week before finding out their first playoff opponent Sunday, after which they can begin focusing on that squad.

"We'll go light this week, probably about three practices. They won't be long; short and sweet," Samuel said. "We've got a lot of little things to clean up, anything we feel that needs work."

Jacksonville State remains the OVC's only other ranked squad. The Gamecocks are up to fourth in both polls after being sixth in both polls last week.

Noteworthy

* Southeast administrators are arranging a public gathering with the team to watch Sunday's playoff selection/pairings show. An announcement on the particulars should be made in the next day or two.