The final regular-season American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II Coaches Poll was released on Monday (Nov. 17) afternoon, and Ashland University will go into the 2025 postseason as the No. 18-ranked team in the country.
 
Ashland (9-2), the Great Midwest Athletic Conference co-champion, will start the postseason at 1 p.m. on Saturday (Nov. 22) vs. No. 7 Minnesota Duluth (10-1) at Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field.
 
Through the regular season, the Eagles are the D-II pacesetter in sacks with 44, are second in the country in total defense (244.5 ypg.) and blocked kicks (tied, eight), and are third in rushing defense (66.3 ypg.), sixth in scoring defense (14.8 ppg.), tied for ninth in blocked punts (three), and 10^th in first downs allowed (161).
 
Senior defensive end Michael Shimek leads the nation in sacks with 16, and redshirt freshman kicker Manaki Watanabe leads D-II in field-goal percentage at 94.4 (17-for-18). Watanabe also has tied for the second-most field goals in the country, and Shimek and sophomore defensive end Darrius Atley are tied for 10^th in blocked kicks with two each.
 
2025 ASHLAND UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL AFCA COACHES POLL RANKINGS: No. T-24 (preseason), No. 23 (Sept. 2), No. 20 (Sept. 8), No. T-24 (Oct. 6), No. 22 (Oct. 13), No. 20 (Oct. 20), No. 17 (Oct. 27), No. 15 (Nov. 3), No. 20 (Nov. 10), No. 18 (Nov. 17).