D3football Daily Dose

Four teams clinched postseason berths last week, and more are sure to make the dance this week. In some cases, as was mentioned in the ATN Podcast, it’s going to mean learning tiebreaking procedures. Conferences such as the CCIW, SCAC and CC have the potential of becoming a little crowded at the top with these final two weeks arriving. Highlighting some of the nation’s most interesting matchups for Saturday are Ryan Tipps, Keith McMillan and Pat Coleman:

Game of the Week.

Ryan’s take: No. 12 Wheaton at No. 19 Illinois Wesleyan. There’s no question as to the magnitude of the shakeup in the CCIW, and with the loser on the fringes of Pool C chances with one loss already, this game could be do-or-die for these guys. Few teams have been able to score more than twice against the Titans this season, so keeping them off their game with a mix of rushers and receivers — which Wheaton is good at anyway — will be important for allowing the Thunder to move the ball.

Keith’s take: Albright at No. 20 Delaware Valley. The Aggies are the first of two 7-1 “Valley” teams that the Lions close the season with. The MAC title implications are obvious, but for those far from Pennsylvania holding out hope that the East Region can produce a playoff No. 1 seed for the first time in three years, you’ll want to root for Albright. At 10-0, with consecutive wins over one-loss teams, the Lions might have a shot. (Or they could lose both and play their way out of the postseason. No pressure though!)

Pat’s take: No. 10 St. Thomas at Bethel. Not to be the West Region homer again, sheesh, but both teams desperately need this game. A lot has been made of the teams’ at-large chances, but their MIAC title hopes aren’t entirely finished either, with St. John’s quarterback Joe Boyle out with a hand injury. Bethel comes in at 6-2, but with last-second losses to Wheaton and St. John’s. Promise I’m not just picking this game because I plan to be there.

Surprisingly close game.

Ryan’s take: Huntingdon at Birmingham-Southern. B-S might have four losses on the season, but a true blowout has happened only once. The Panthers are a far better squad this season than the 3-14 representation of its first two years, yet they will still have to be stepping up their game to be able to keep the Hawks’ point totals in check.

Keith’s take: William Paterson at Kean. The Cougars are so close to cementing the fact they’ve lifted the program out of the doldrums with an NJAC title and a playoff berth that it’d be hard not to look ahead to next week’s game with Montclair State. But great teams focus on the task at hand, and the 4-4 Pioneers have not been an easy victory for anybody. Three of their losses are by seven points or fewer, and three are to 7-1 Montclair, 6-2 Cortland (12-10) and 6-2 Rowan. Kean has to make sure it isn’t the good team that William Paterson finally knocks off.

Pat’s take: Allegheny at No. 14 Wittenberg. Especially if you like defense. Both teams are regionally ranked. Hard to picture Allegheny putting up more than the season-high seven points that Wittenberg has allowed all season, but the Gators might be able to keep it low-scoring, ergo, close.

Most likely Top 25 team to get upset.

Ryan’s take: No. 20 Delaware Valley, by Albright. While the Aggies’ backup quarterback barely missed a beat in his first start last week against King’s, undefeated Albright will pose a much more dangerous threat. Both team are vying for the MAC’s automatic qualifier, and all someone has to do is look at the stat sheets to see that one of these two teams lead the conference in almost every category. Maybe it’ll come down to who simply wants it more. But for a Top 25 Aggies squad, it won’t be a surprise if the Lions have the better hunt.

Keith’s take: No. 6 Central, by Wartburg. At 5-3, this is what’s referred to as a down year for the Knights. Nothing would perk it back up like a win over the rival Dutch, who could quite possibly be kicking up their feet mentally now that they’ve clinched the IIAC title and playoff spot. I wouldn’t bet on that though, as you don’t have to live in Iowa to know both teams get up for this game. No one’s kept it close with Central since Sept., so maybe they’re due for a nail-biter.

Pat’s take: No. 3 Wesley, by Lake Erie. It sounds like it’s been a trying week for the Wolverines. Lake Erie is a D-II school, barely, in just its second year of football and its second season at the Division II level. But the Storm have won four games in a row, including a home win against Salisbury. The only question in my mind is that this is a Wesley home game and a long trip from Ohio.

They’ll be on your radar.

Ryan’s take: Trine. The Thunder have already clinched a share of the MIAA title, but a win tomorrow means the automatic qualifier as well. Some opponents have played Trine closer than they should have, and Adrian will be one of the two or three best teams to line up against the team from Angola, Ind. Trine’s Achilles’ heel may be its pass defense, which could pose a problem with junior Mike McGee, who has thrown for 1,857 yards so far, starting for the Bulldogs.

Keith’s take: Mississippi College. The Choctaws had it all in their hands before a seven-turnover loss to Howard Payne on Saturday. They can still win the ASC and make the playoffs, but I’ll be watching closely this week to see how they bounce back from being humbled, and how they handle the insanely long trip to Sul Ross State, which a few hours from the middle of nowhere, as the joke goes. Alpine, Texas is much closer than that to the Mexican border.

Pat’s take: Hampden-Sydney. The Tigers haven’t been unbeaten this late in the season in quite some time. Although Salisbury is going to present a challenge that’s a little different than what the Tigers have seen this season, they have had an off week to prepare for the Sea Gulls’ option attack and need to finish with two wins to both lock down the ODAC title and guarantee a playoff home game.

A team that will clinch a share of the conference title on Saturday.

Ryan’s take: North Carolina Wesleyan. I’m making this pick not because the of how big a splash the Bishops are going to make this weekend by beating Shenandoah but rather because I think NCWC’s biggest threat to the postseason, Averett, is going to lose. That will leave the Cougars with two losses and put NCWC into the playoffs by way of the head-to-head win over Christopher Newport. Averett has had too many close calls for me to be confident that they can win out these last two games, which will be among their most grueling of the season.

Keith’s take: UW-Whitewater. Of the nine or so teams that have a chance to clinch on Saturday, none really have easy games. I think most of them will clinch, with an upset or two sprinkled in, but it’s not easy to anticipate just where those upsets will come. So when in doubt, lean on the team least likely to be upset. Normally that’d be Mount Union, but I’ll pay Otterbein some respect and say Whitewater will get it done against UW-Oshkosh. Way out on a limb picking a team outscoring it’s competition 41-7, on average, I know.

Pat’s take: Delaware Valley. I just think that Delaware Valley has to be far better prepared for this game. In the first five weeks of the season the Aggies played Johns Hopkins, Kean, Wesley and Lebanon Valley, teams that are a combined 28-4. Albright did not have a single non-conference opponent of that caliber and hasn’t played Lebanon Valley yet either. Tanner Kelly gives Albright a successful veteran quarterback, but Delaware Valley has a defense that has more interceptions than touchdowns allowed, gives up just 154 yards per game and allows 50 percent completions. Just saying.

Which season turnaround has been the most interesting?

Ryan’s take: Gallaudet. More than any other time in their three-year return to Division III, the Bison have found a way to consistently put points on the board. They’ve outrushed opponents more than 2-1 this year, with four players each racking up between 419 and 951 yards on the ground. Comparing year-to-year scores is impressive: Against Husson, a 49-0 loss last year became a 10-7 win this year; an overtime loss to Hiram in ’07 was now a 34-7 win. For a team that’s rebuilding itself on the varsity level, Gallaudet is taking some big leaps.

Keith’s take: Concordia (Ill.). The Cougars went 0-10 three times between 2002 and ’05, and hadn’t had better than a three-win season since we started the site. That they’re in control in the Northern Athletics Conference (that looks like a three-way tie, but the Cougars have beaten Lakeland and Concordia, Wis., the latter last Saturday in overtime) is no small feat. It seems as though teaching of head coach Lonnie Pries, hired in 2006, has sunk in as his first bunch of upperclassmen make their impact. The Cougars finish with a pair of 4-4 teams, Aurora and Benedictine, and for teams not used to winning, being consistent week to week is sometimes the highest hurdle.

Pat’s take: McMurry. Looking at their schedule, it’s like a light bulb turned on: four losses by an average of 41-19 followed by four wins by an average score of 38-21. Now, the schedule had a wee bit to do with that, but it’s still an interesting turnaround. And let’s be honest, the numbers are fun to look at: 328.9 yards passing and 41.2 rushing per game.

Which team will log its first win of the season?

Ryan’s take: Frostburg State, at Newport News. The Bobcats have picked up momentum against Division III teams during the second half of the season, playing close games against Ithaca and Randolph-Macon. This week, FSU lines up against conference opponent Newport News Apprentice, which won’t be able to stop the Bobcats if they get into a groove airing out the ball.

Keith’s take: Bates, against Bowdoin. Four of the Bobcats’ six losses were by 10 points or fewer, including the past three, so they haven’t given up. With Maine, NESCAC and CBB rival Bowdoin at 2-4 but averaging about as many points as it gives up, it’s not a given for Bates. But it could very well be one of those not-that-pretty, gut-it-out kind of wins, the kind that feel so sweet when it’s the only one you’ve had, and it’s against a rival.

Pat’s take: Rockford, at Maranatha Baptist. Although the Crusaders had reason for a little more optimism when the season started, this season hasn’t really looked any better than 2008, and after that season, we ranked Maranatha last overall. Against common opponents, Rockford and Maranatha have had strikingly similar results. Something in my gut thinks Rockford, which played a tougher non-conference schedule, is good enough to be a hair better here.

I posted this on our D3hoops blog already, but thought I would run it past the football readers. Some misguided sports psychologist studied a soccer team and a tennis team and came to the following conclusion:

Division I athletes wanted to win, but those playing in Division III wanted to make friends.

I think all of us here know that’s not true. Thankfully, Division III has a sports psychologist of its own: St. Thomas men’s basketball assistant coach John Tauer. He wrote a response to this blog:

The majority of Division III athletes I have coached or coached against are highly motivated by many factors, not just making friends. one of those factors is competition — individuals and teams in Division III work incredibly hard. Division III athletes are not on athletic scholarships. As a result, they may actually have higher levels of intrinsic motivation than their Division I and II counterparts.

While this is certainly preaching to the choir, I still think it’s worth passing along. I think it’s important to highlight and debunk every misconception about Division III athletics, every time possible.

Dr. Reiss then posted another column attempting to explain away his mischaracterization of Division III by, in part, blaming the blog format which requires him to write a teaser.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/who-we-are/200911/intrinsic-motivation-is-multifaceted

(Never mind that the mischaracterization was also repeated in the blog post itself, which has no such format restriction.)

The NCAA released its second 2009 regional rankings today.

Teams are listed with their regional record first, followed by their overall record. For more information about the playoff format and how participants are determined, check out our FAQ.

EAST REGION
1. Alfred 7-0 7-0
2. Albright 7-0 8-0
3. Delaware Valley 6-1 7-1
4. Kean 7-1 7-1
5. Springfield 7-1 7-1
6. Lebanon Valley 7-1 7-1
7. Montclair State 7-1 7-1
8. Curry 7-1 7-2
9. Maine Maritime 7-1 7-1
10. Union 6-1 6-2

NORTH REGION
1. Mount Union 7-0 8-0
2. Wittenberg 6-0 8-0
3. Mount St. Joseph 8-0 8-0
4. Case Western Reserve 7-0 8-0
5. Illinois Wesleyan 7-1 7-1
6. Wabash 6-1 7-1
7. Wheaton (Ill.) 7-1 7-1
8. Trine 7-1 7-1
9. Otterbein 7-1 7-1
10. Allegheny 7-1 7-1

SOUTH REGION
1. Wesley 5-0 8-0
2. Hampden-Sydney 8-0 8-0
3. Thomas More 8-0 8-0
4. Huntingdon 4-0 7-1
5. Mississippi College 6-1 6-2
6. Mary Hardin-Baylor 5-1 7-1
7. Centre 7-1 7-1
8. Dickinson 7-1 7-1
9. Washington and Jefferson 7-1 7-1
10. DePauw 6-1 6-1

WEST REGION
1. St. John’s 8-0 8-0
2. UW-Whitewater 6-0 8-0
3. Linfield 7-0 8-0
4. Central 9-0 9-0
5. Monmouth 9-0 9-0
6. St. Thomas 7-1 7-1
7. Coe 7-1 7-1
8. Cal Lutheran 6-1 6-1
9. Redlands 6-1 6-1
10. St. Norbert 8-1 8-1

Four teams clinched. A couple teams played their way out of at-large bids. A few new quarterbacks took the field and the PAC had a … wait, a not-so-new champion.

Suddenly, it seems Washington and Jefferson has lost more PAC championships than it’s won over the past five years. What happened? That’s one of many topics Keith McMillan and Pat Coleman take on in this week’s Around the Nation podcast.

In addition, get their take on the first regional rankings and a look at how they might change. Find out how a backup quarterback prepares and gets prepared for being thrust into the lineup, and how it makes a difference for everyone else on the offense. We pick up on a handful of teams that are flying below the radar but still having surprisingly strong seasons. Plus, a look back at Dome Day and Maine Maritime’s record rushing day.

Click the play button below to listen.

You can load the podcast page in iTunes or can also get this and any of our future Around the Nation podcasts automatically by subscribing to this RSS feed: http://www.d3football.com/dailydose/?feed=podcast

 

 Around the Nation Podcast [40:32m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

You had to get here pretty early in the morning to follow what might well end up being the most exciting game of the week. In the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference’s annual Dome Day, MacMurray and Crown led off with a track meet. MacMurray defeated Crown 68-62 in overtime. The game came one score from tying the Division III record for most points in regulation, which was 131, set when Earlham defeated Manchester 69-62 on Sept. 10, 2005.

Once the game got to overtime, the overall scoring record was in danger as well, which was set two years ago, when Hartwick beat Utica 72-70 in quadruple overtime on Nov. 10, 2007.

In the end, though, MacMurray came up with one stop in overtime. I spoke with MacMurray coach Jake Box after the game and the recording is below:

 

 Podcast: MacMurray coach Jake Box [2:47m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The UMAC has four more games here today, and then we have a hundred more on Saturday, so we’re already set to go. There’s a big game in Washington, Pa., one in Dover, Del., one in Union, N.J., one in Bloomington, Ill., and others elsewhere. The PAC automatic bid could be wrapped up on Saturday, as can the HCAC, IIAC and the MWC, while others could be clinched with a combination of a win and a loss.

The ever-traveling Craig Burroughs is here at Dome Day, who writes for Don Hansen and travels to more games than the entire D3football.com braintrust put together. (Well, close anyway. Between me, Keith, Gordon and Ryan Tipps I think we do out-do Craig, but not by much. We don’t usually see JV games and we don’t go to non-Division III games either.)

I’ll put more MacMurray-Crown observations in the comments.

While Keith is off climbing South America’s five highest peaks, swimming with sharks off the Yucatan Peninsula, dog sledding in the Northwest Territories, or doing whatever else he may like to do on vacation, Deputy Managing Editor Gordon Mann is going to help us break down the Allhallows Eve matchups for this week’s Triple Take. Regional rankings are out, and only 32 teams can be in. Some teams are in for treats, while others are certain to get tricked.

Game of the Week
Ryan’s take: No. 11 Washington and Jefferson at No. 20 Thomas More. This is a game I’ve been looking forward to with curiosity for much of the season, primarily because I’ve been unconvinced as to how good the Presidents are this year. I’ve looked on Thomas More considerably more favorably throughout the past two months, and with both teams able to rest their laurels on their rushing offenses and defenses, it’ll be interesting to see how much of this comes down to the muscle in the trenches.
Gordon’s take: Rowan at Kean. These two teams have spent several weeks drawing a very bright line between the title contenders and the lower level teams in the NJAC. Now they put aside those impressive margins of victory in what could be a very entertaining match up. Which quarterback will lead his team to victory — Profs scrambler Frank Wilczynski (243 total yards per game, 11 touchdowns) or Cougars gun slinger Tom D’Ambrisi (222 passing yards per game, 14 passing touchdowns)?
Pat’s take: No. 2 UW-Whitewater at UW-Stevens Point. Do you think Whitewater got a little extra incentive this week? Whitewater lost to Stevens Point last year, costing it the WIAC’s automatic bid to the playoffs a second-round home game. And now, this week, Whitewater learned that it was the fourth-ranked team in the NCAA’s West Region rankings. So I am not picking this necessarily as a great game on the field, so to speak, but a showcase for what Whitewater can do.

Surprisingly close game.
Ryan’s take: Franklin at Rose-Hulman. No team in the HCAC may be in as good a position as the Engineers to put the brakes on Franklin’s passing game. And if Rose can keep the Grizzlies out of the red zone, they have a chance to make their five-touchdowns-a-game average really count.
Gordon’s take: No. 23 Delaware Valley vs. King’s. The Aggies defense has been very stingy, surrendering just seven points total to Wilkes and Lycoming. But Wilkes-Barre has always been a tough place for Del Val to play, plus the Aggies will be without senior quarterback Mike Isgro who is battling a sore shoulder. Instead junior Mark Hatty will get his first career start against a Monarchs squad that just missed beating Lycoming and hung in against Albright.
Pat’s take: Salisbury at No. 3 Wesley. I suspect Salisbury is only playing for Eastern Shore pride, perhaps an ECAC bowl game. The Sea Gulls don’t have enough firepower to get through the Wesley defense and hang with the Wesley offense, at least not on paper. But they’re rivals, after all … and can’t things happen in those games? Right?

Most likely Top 25 team to get upset.
Ryan’s take: No. 9 North Central. What more talked about kink in the CCIW hose would there be than for Illinois Wesleyan to bring together all the pieces and pull out the upset against North Central? Will the Cardinals be complacent after winning big last week against Wheaton? I doubt it, but Aaron Fanthorpe will need to be on target for the full 60 minutes because few teams can exploit turnovers the way Illinois Wesleyan has been able to this season.
Gordon’s take: No. 21 Occidental. The Tigers should be favored at home playing Cal Lutheran with a chance to take a strangle hold on the SCIAC. But they were at home last week, too, when they narrowly beat winless La Verne 14-13. The Kingsmen would still have to get by Redlands if they can pick up the road win here, but I like CLU to add some Hollywood level drama to the conference race.
Pat’s take: No. 24 Alfred. With injury questions about No. 1 quarterback Tommy Secky, who didn’t get out of the second quarter, I’d think that Rochester has a shot. The Yellowjackets are 3-4, but have only been blown out once, losing tight games to St. John Fisher, Union and Susquehanna while beating RPI and WPI.

They’ll be on your radar.
Ryan’s take: Salisbury. I haven’t decided whether this is a team that’s down and out, or just down. The Gulls are 2-2 against Division III teams, and all register as either quality wins or understandable losses. But with Wesley on tap for tomorrow, it’ll be important to know which Salisbury team is going to show up and whether this defense-heavy squad can come close to slowing the Wolverine machine.
Gordon’s take: No. 2 UW-Whitewater. Okay, it’s not that the Warhawks are off anyone’s radar. Nor do I think they’ll lose to UW-Stevens Point, despite the Pointers’ upset last year. But I’ve been as indecisive as Brett Favre at an offseason press conference on whether Mount Union or UW-Whitewater should be No. 1. This game will give us a point of comparison for the Warhawks similar to what we already have for Mount Union in its wins over Capital and Ohio Northern.

Based on preseason expectations, which team are you most surprised/impressed with to see in the regional rankings? And how will they fare Saturday?
Ryan’s take: The three MAC representatives. I hope I’m not stepping on Gordon’s turf too much here, but I couldn’t help but register the fact that last year, only one MAC team made an appearance on any of the regional rankings, and that was Albright at the very end of the regular season. It seemed like the polish had tarnished on the proud conference. This year, though, has marked an impressive resurgence for the conference top to bottom, going 16-8 in nonconference play, and getting three teams (Albright, Delaware Valley and Lebanon Valley) in the debut regional rankings. And come Saturday, all three should emerge winners.
Gordon’s take: No. 7 Otterbein. In the preseason I thought the Cardinals could be good, but probably not good enough to distinguish themselves from the talented scrum of OAC teams sitting behind Mount Union. And certainly not good enough to be ranked second in the first North region rankings. Otterbein needs one more win to equal last year’s 8-0 start with the trip to Alliance still looming on Nov. 7. The Cards will get it emphatically against Marietta (2-5).
Pat’s take: Coe. Although I seem to be typecasting myself as the West Region guy these days with this pick. Coming off a 4-6 season last year, the Kohawks were an afterthought in my projection of the IIAC race, but a Week 1 win against Augustana, and then a Week 7 win at Wartburg changed that. Coe shouldn’t have a problem at 2-5 Loras.

Which relatively new program has the best chance at a win this week?
Ryan’s take: St. Vincent. It wasn’t so long ago that the Bearcats were an easy win even for a team like Gallaudet, which was coming to the varsity level after years of club play. At 0-8, St. Vincent still isn’t a success story in the grand scheme of things, but a narrow 21-7 loss to W&J just two weeks ago suggests that they’re moving in the right direction. And both of the next two games (against Thiel and Bethany) are squarely in the “winnable” category.
Gordon’s take: Castleton State. The Spartans head to Becker which has scored more than one touchdown just once all year, a 62-39 loss to Maine Maritime. Castleton State has put some points this year and should be focused on this road game as a chance to notch its first win over a non-first year team. If the Spartans can go 3-6 in their first season, that’ll be a nice feather in their helmets when they recruit against the other very young programs in New England.
Pat’s take: St. Scholastica. Yeah, West guy. The Saints play Eureka on Friday in the Metrodome as part of the expanded UMAC’s Dome Day. I’d like to say Anna Maria, which hosts Gallaudet, can finish off its inaugural season with a win, but the Amcats have only been competitive against Castleton State.

Which conference without a team ranked in this week’s poll will go deepest in the playoffs?
Ryan’s take: Centennial. With four teams tied at the top, the team to get the automatic qualifier is still very much an unknown — and a Pool C isn’t out of the question either. But what I’ve seen of the Centennial teams is that when they’re healthy and on their game, they’re to be taken seriously. The conference this year is a classic beat-each-other-up scenario, leaving teams to easily fly under the radar. But that doesn’t mean they can’t drop some bombs on opponents into Round 2.
Gordon’s take: Essentially we’re looking for a surprise team who might be able to get two wins, and definitely one, in the playoffs. The East is definitely the easiest place to do that, provided a team can avoid getting shipped to Mount Union. There’s room for an unranked team to get a favorable first round draw and surprise a playoff newbie, like Alfred or Albright, at their place in the second round. So let’s go with the NJAC.
Pat’s take: The Liberty League. If Union wins, I figure there are plenty of opportunities for the Dutchmen to get a first-round game against a beatable opponent. I don’t see that for the HCAC, SCAC or some of the other leagues that don’t have any ranked teams.

The NCAA released its first 2009 regional rankings today.

Teams are listed with their regional record first, followed by their overall record. For more information about the playoff format and how participants are determined, check out our FAQ.

We will pass along any needed corrections in regional records to the NCAA.

East Region
1. Albright 6-0 7-0
2. Alfred 6-0 6-0
3. Delaware Valley 5-0 6-1
4. Kean 6-1 6-1
5. Rowan 6-1 6-1
6. Montclair State 6-1 6-1
7. Springfield 6-1 6-1
8. Lebanon Valley 6-1 6-1
9. Union 5-1 5-2
10. Curry 6-1 6-2

North Region
1. Mount Union 6-0 7-0
2. Otterbein 7-0 7-0
3. Wittenberg 5-0 7-0
4. Case Western Reserve 6-0 7-0
5. Mount St. Joseph 7-0 7-0
6. North Central (Ill.) 6-1 6-1
7. Wabash 5-1 6-1
8. Wheaton (Ill.) 6-1 6-1
9. Illinois Wesleyan 6-1 6-1
10. Trine 6-1 6-1

South Region
1. Wesley 3-0 7-0
2. Mississippi College 6-0 6-1
3. Washington and Jefferson 7-0 7-0
4. Hampden-Sydney 8-0 8-0
5. Mary Hardin-Baylor 4-1 6-1
6. Thomas More 7-0 7-0
7. Centre 6-1 6-1
8. Huntingdon 3-0 6-1
9. Dickinson 6-1 6-1
10. DePauw 5-1 5-1

West Region
1. Linfield 6-0 7-0
2. Central 8-0 8-0
3. St. John’s 8-0 8-0
4. UW-Whitewater 5-0 7-0
5. Monmouth 8-0 8-0
6. St. Thomas 6-1 6-1
7. Coe 6-1 6-1
8. Occidental 5-1 5-1
9. Cal Lutheran 5-1 5-1
10. UW-Stevens Point 4-1 5-2

It’s the time of year where playoff implications abound. Where conference races begin to make sense. Where it’s no time for a letdown, but occasionally it’s time for a wake-up call.

The wake-up call? That was for Centre, which got shut out by Millsaps. No letdown? That’s Wittenberg and Mississippi College. Playoff implications, all over the place, for sure.

Also, we haven’t talked about Pool B very much this year, and Keith McMillan and I explain why in this week’s Around the Nation podcast.

Click the play button below to listen.

You can load the podcast page in iTunes or can also get this and any of our future Around the Nation podcasts automatically by subscribing to this RSS feed: http://www.d3football.com/dailydose/?feed=podcast

 

 Around the Nation Podcast [40:25m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Also, check out Otterbein’s video of their final touchdown.

This is a great day for me to stay at home and channel surf. Finally have our house set up a little bit and if necessary, I can fire up two computers and a desktop side by side by side and really take up all of the available bandwidth.

So I get an extra hour to unpack boxes and such before Capital-Otterbein, since that’s at 2 p.m. ET. Then there’s also live video of Wheaton-North Central, which is a service I haven’t seen before, so hopefully it works. At 4:30, Willamette-Linfield.

And it’s not like there aren’t plenty of other intriguing games. Follow us on Twitter, too, as we update you on games from across the country all day.

Some conference races are becoming clearer, and three pairs of top 25 teams will meet on Saturday. With several one-loss teams still dotting the landscape and clusters of teams bunched at the top of conferences like the Centennial, the New Jersey and the Southern Collegiate, there is still plenty to watch and cheer for out there. Pat, Keith and I again break down some of the games that will play a role in the big picture — as well as noting a couple that aren’t as a big a factor as the early indicators suggested.

– Ryan Tipps

Game of the Week

Ryan’s take: No. 14 Capital at No. 10 Otterbein. The OAC’s No. 2 team is typically a lock to get selected for the playoffs — and this will be the likely decider for that honor. Expect the offenses to be at full throttle on Saturday, so far averaging 443 and 434 yards per game for Otterbein and Capital, respectively. But those same offenses will be testing the strongest facets of their opponent’s defense. As if playoff hopes, morale and pride weren’t enough to play for, would it help to be reminded that these Columbus-area rivals are but 20 minutes apart and have played each other 89 times during their histories? The series between them is nearly tied.

Keith’s take: No. 3 Wheaton at No. 13 North Central. Wow, I got third choice this week, and I feel like it’s a steal. I thought the Little Brass Bell game would be first off the board. Here’s why: It matches two top 15 teams who are CCIW title contenders and playoff possibilities. It’s a rivalry game. It’s been on the front page once already this week. And the Cardinals and Thunder have split the past four games, with each team winning once at home and once on the road.

Pat’s take: No. 6 Linfield at No. 17 Willamette. Can Linfield stomach losing three years in a row to the Bearcats? After giving up 429 yards of total offense to Pacific Lutheran, Willamette will need a better game on defense to beat the Wildcats. Linfield isn’t exactly La Verne or Lewis and Clark, two of the teams Willamette has put up big numbers on offense against.

Surprisingly close game

Ryan’s take: No. 24 Delaware Valley at Lycoming. The Warriors will be able to stay in this game if they find a way to spark even a little bit of offense. They match up well on defense against DelVal’s solid run game, but so far this season, opponents have been putting up more impressive numbers on the scoreboard than Lycoming has been able to generate.

Keith’s take: No. 11 Washington and Jefferson at Westminster and No. 23 Thomas More at Thiel. It’s important to remain in the moment. As a coach would say, the biggest game of the year is this week’s game. In the case of St. John’s (mentioned below) the challenge is not to look backward, but here’s it’s not looking ahead. The road game before an all-the-marbles conference clash is a danger spot. The Presidents and Saints each prevail, but not without some consternation.

Pat’s take: Wartburg at Dubuque. The two teams are headed in opposite directions right now, with Dubuque coming off a win against Simpson and Wartburg having lost to Coe last week. Slowing down Michael Zweifel (11 receptions, 137.6 yards per game) will be key for Wartburg, as will getting a better game from Nick Yordi (12 for 27, three interceptions, four sacks in last week’s loss).

Most likely Top 25 team to get upset

Ryan’s take: None. If we’re talking upsets by non-top 25 squads, then I think the teams on the poll run a clean sweep of their opponents.

Keith’s take: No. 5 St. John’s. I don’t know that the Johnnies will really lose at home to 3-3 St. Olaf, which has been competitive in losses to No. 16 St. Thomas, Bethel and Carleton. But after having vanquished its two toughest MIAC challenges in the Royals and Tommies, St. John’s must guard against overconfidence as they finish out.

Pat’s take: No. 22 Franklin. Mount St. Joseph has plenty of players who remember what it was like to be the top dog in the HCAC and be a playoff team. A victory on Saturday would put them in the driver’s seat for a return trip

They’ll be on your radar.

Ryan’s take: Wooster. The Scots might be 4-2, but they are still undefeated in conference play and face the big dogs down the stretch – No. 18 Wabash, Allegheny and No. 21 Wittenberg. Wooster might not be the same team people were predicting it to be at the start of the season, but a few good bounces and the ability to continue forcing turnovers could keep the Scots in the spotlight.

Keith’s take: Union. The Dutchmen’s route to 5-1 has not been without risk; They’ve won by 10, seven, four and by three twice. The season’s longest road trip, for a non-conference game that has no bearing on Union’s pursuit of a playoff spot, against a Salisbury team whose triple-option attack had it ahead 31-6 in the fourth quarter of a 38-20 win against St. John Fisher a few weeks back, will be an interesting test. I’m also keeping an eye on Alfred (at St. John Fisher), Mount St. Joseph (at No. 22 Franklin) and Plymouth State (at Curry).

Pat’s take: McMurry. In a game that McMurry would be favored in, the former Indians have a chance to get back to .500 at 4-4 this week against Texas Lutheran, heading into a home game next week against struggling crosstown rival Hardin-Simmons. Just something to keep in mind.

By the end of Sunday, how many conferences will have at least two teams in the Top 25?

Ryan’s take: Eight. There are seven conferences right now sporting at least two teams on the poll, and I think a good showing by UW-La Crosse against UW-Stevens Point could cause them to bump out No. 25 Centre if they don’t play well against Millsaps.

Keith’s take: Six. Let’s say North Central, Willamette and Wabash (at Wooster) each picks up its second loss and drops out, leaving four (the OAC, ASC, MIAC, PAC) and Franklin does too, but Mount St. Joseph doesn’t garner enough votes to move in. Redlands is unconvincing in a game it should win but Alfred is, and the Saxons leapfrog in. All those things are imaginable, but not necessarily likely, so I split the difference.

Pat’s take: Eight. I picture Redlands coming in after the Franklin loss cited above. I don’t know about UW-La Crosse. A win would help but would also be perhaps unexpected after the past two weeks.

Which lost-its-luster game would you just as soon avoid?

Ryan’s take: Carthage at Augustana. The bubble has burst on these two teams’ playoff hopes despite promising starts in the early part of the season. Instead of vying for first place in the CCIW, this game will be a better indicator of fourth or fifth place. Which isn’t to say that’s without respect in a conference this tough, but it will get overshadowed by the more impactful matchups on the slate.

Keith’s take: Trinity (Texas) at DePauw. Are we dissing teams now? It’s not that the shine is completely off the ol’ Tiger-Tiger matchup, because it isn’t. But it has competition for biggest SCAC game of the day, which was unanticipated earlier in the year. It’s hard to believe that if the results break right, with Centre beating Millsaps and DePauw winning, that the Colonels could have the conference virtually won in Week 8.

Pat’s take: Montclair State at New Jersey. New Jersey’s oldest small-college rivalry looked like it was going to be a significant NJAC showdown, clash of styles, etc. But with TCNJ losing two of its last three, including last week’s game at William Paterson, it’s now more a curiosity, an offense vs. defense battle.

Which result will be least like last year: Cortland State at William Paterson; King’s at Lebanon Valley; Plymouth State at Curry; or Muhlenberg at Franklin and Marshall?

Ryan’s take: Muhlenberg at Franklin and Marshall. Last year the Diplomats were struggling to scrape together a .500 season and suffered a low-scoring loss to the Mules. Fast forward to ’09, and the 5-1 Diplomats will see their playoff hunt stay alive after this weekend, which promises to showcase a punishing pass offense led by sophomore John Harrison, who averages 312 yards a game. The air attack will also give the Dips the ability to sidestep Muhlenberg’s still-tough run defense.

Keith’s take: King’s at Lebanon Valley. If you couldn’t remember why last year’s Cortland State (31 first-half points in 38-0 win) or Lebanon Valley (34-7 road win) results were significant, don’t feel bad, I didn’t either. As for this season, if we get the King’s team that beat Randolph-Macon and Widener and led Lycoming by 11 with six minutes left, and not the one that gave up 57 to Springfield, scored six against William Paterson or let the Warriors game slip, then that final should be more interesting than 34-7.

Pat’s take: Plymouth State at Curry. This isn’t to say that I think Plymouth State won’t win again – I actually do think it will. But this year it won’t be nearly as much of a surprise.