Northwestern holds steady at No. 2: NAIA FirstDown Playbook Top 25

The Northwestern (IA) Red Raiders remained in the No. 2 spot in the most recent NAIA Football FirstDown Playbook Top 25, released on Sept. 20.

The Red Raiders are one of two teams in the poll that are already 4-0 this season, with No. 4 Grand View being the other.

The Red Raiders were the No. 1 preseason selection of the 2021 College Football America Yearbook in its NAIA season preview.

Lindsey Wilson, the defending national champion, remained No. 1 with 17 of the 18 first-place votes cast. The other first-place vote went to Morningside, which won the title in 2018 and 2019. Concordia (MI) rounded out the Top 5 at No. 5.

The rest of the Top 10 included No. 6 Reinhardt, No. 7 Keiser, No. 8 Marian, No. 9 Georgetown (KY) and No. 10 Baker.

After the Top 10, the poll was No. 11 Eastern Oregon, No. 12 Kansas Wesleyan, No. 13, Saint Francis (IN), No. 14 Indiana Wesleyan, No. 15 Avila, No. 16 Ottawa (AZ), No. 17 Olivet Nazarene, No. 18 Bethel (KS), No. 19 Roosevelt, (tie) No. 20 Valley City State and No. 20 Dordt, No. 22 Southwestern (KS), No. 23 Montana Western, No. 24 Arizona Christian and No. 25 Faulkner.

Rocky Mountain fell out of the Top 25.

The College Football America 2021 Yearbookfeatures more than 900 college football teams from the United States and Canada in more than 250 striking, full-color pages. That includes every team from the NCAA (FBS, FCS, Division II and Division III), NAIA, NJCAA, CCCAA and U Sports (Canada). It also includes updates on club football, one-year postgraduate prep/sports academies and Mexican college football, along with dozens of action shots and stadium photos taken by the CFA staff.

The print edition is available online via Amazon.com and other major retailers such as Barnes & Noble.