2013 Around the Nation columns
November 24, 2013
Look who stole the show in Round 1
Many of those who shined in the first round of the 32-team playoffs weren't the nationally elite teams who have a chance at a Stagg Bowl a month from now, but those who were seizing the day, and a rare chance to advance.
November 13, 2013
A pre-regional rankings primer
Keith McMillan introduces the committee and their roles, analyzes Pools B and C and takes reader questions about the potential playoff field.
November 10, 2013
Snap judgments: Seen from the other side
Millsaps may well have a story for the ages out of Saturday's win vs. Centre, as will Cornell and Bowdoin. Of course, if you were on the other side, it could burn for ages as well.
November 3, 2013
Snap judgments: The aftermath
With so many games featuring two ranked teams, we should see a lot of movement in Sunday's Top 25 poll, right? Keith McMillan gives his take.
October 24, 2013
Poll positions: Doing some number crunching
The Top 25 doesn't exist to steal anybody's joy. It is merely a prism through which to view accomplishments on a national, coast-to-coast, best-of-the-best-of-the-244 scale.
October 20, 2013
Snap judgments: Cycling up
Maryville and TCNJ are atop their respective conferences, the John Carroll defense isn't the only one clicking and more in Keith McMillan's reactions for Week 7.
October 13, 2013
Snap judgments: A blurry picture developing
Not literally -- we get great pictures from our associated photographers and SIDs, but that won't help us make sense of what became a muddied conference race in several places.
October 6, 2013
Snap judgments: Bounceback seasons
Olivet, St. Lawrence, North Park, Husson, Western Connecticut ... the list of improved teams this season goes on and on, as Keith notes in Around the Nation.
October 3, 2013
Re-ranking the conferences
With September's games, and the vast majority of non-conference play in the books, Around the Nation looks at which conferences have shown the most strength.
September 26, 2013
History lesson: Engineering rivalries
Week 4 is perhaps the most odd Saturday on the schedule. There aren't many great rivalries, but there is at least one Keith McMillan found worth writing about in Around the Nation.
September 22, 2013
Snap judgments: Week 3
The Tommie-Johnnie rivalry is back, UMHB's defensive line is pretty darn good, the MIAA has a better non-conference mark than the CCIW and other things Keith McMillan noticed in Week 3.
September 19, 2013
History lesson: Wesley vs. Mary Hardin-Baylor
Now that longtime rivals Wabash and DePauw are both in the North Coast, and Mount Union and UW-Whitewater have taken a break from annual December clashes in Salem, the best non-conference competitive rivalry in Division III is Wesley vs. Mary Hardin-Baylor.
September 17, 2013
Off the beaten path
Just because a team isn't in the Top 25 running or mentioned in the podcast or doesn't have a Play of the Week candidate doesn't mean it's not interesting. Keith McMillan takes note of RPI and more:
September 11, 2013
Poll positions: Why teams shuffle
In Around the Nation, Keith McMillan discusses a nonstandard way of assembling the ballot after Week 1 games, despite some dissent from fans.
September 8, 2013
Snap judgments
Keith McMillan's Around the Nation column returns. You'll see ATN several times a week, including on Sundays with his first reaction to the weekend games.