I actually would never have let them back in the top 25 after a loss to App State. Especially if they really had 3 other losses.
That being said - App State was a great DII team. They would have been a lousy DI team. And the NIU game was a case in point. It doesnt matter that APP State went to the championship game 3 years in ta row. It only matters how good they were that year. NIU the year BYU played them lost in the championship game by one point - and we killed them. Michigan would probably kill App State 99-100 times but in that game they obviously were not prepared. To think App State was a better team is ridiculous - unless you use logic like a yewt.