2021 Around the Nation columns

November 19, 2021 Our playoff surprises, disappointments It's an Around the Nation tradition. If there's a bracket, our crew picks the surprises and disappointments. Plus, we've brought back everyone who has ever written an Around the Nation column to weigh in.

November 11, 2021 ATN's playoff projection Greg Thomas takes this week's regional rankings and projects out the full field of 32, including at-large bids, including a mock bracket.

November 4, 2021 Giving order to regional rankings Alphabetical regional 'rankings' don't really mean much to people, so Greg Thomas has taken the listed teams and applied some much-needed order. How we would rank them, in the latest Around the Nation.

November 2, 2021 Women get their chance in coaching ranks The number of women coaching college football is growing all the time, and that's no different in Division III. Greg Thomas profiles three such coaches in Around the Nation.

October 21, 2021 Trinity D has Tigers in catbird seat Don't call them the Black Flag. The Tigers of San Antonio are forging their own identity, 20 years after those renowned defenses took the field, and Jerheme Urban's squad is again bringing it on defense. Greg Thomas has more in Around the Nation.

October 14, 2021 An early look at Pool C There are just five at-large bids for the entirety of Division III football, nearly 230 eligible schools vying for a chance to make the 32-team playoff field. And with a new six-region format, it might be more confusing. But we have Greg Thomas to make sense of it all in Around the Nation.

October 7, 2021 Why is the WIAC always No. 1? For close to 20 years, the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference has been ranked No. 1 in our annual conference rankings, and some years, it's not even close. Greg Thomas digs into why with WIAC coaches in Around the Nation.

September 30, 2021 Ranking the conferences for 2021 Non-conference play for the 2021 regular season is all but complete, so it's time for Greg Thomas to revisit how the conferences should be ranked.

September 23, 2021 Determined to avoid the bubble The last at-large team in the field in 2019 went on to win it all. The first team left out, however, is ready to make sure it never happens again. Meet Susquehanna.

September 16, 2021 A long road Michael Veldman was a redshirt freshman in 2015 at FCS powerhouse North Dakota State. Two injury-plagued seasons, and an actual plague later, he is breaking records at Gustavus Adolphus and knocking off Top 25 teams. Greg Thomas has more in Around the Nation.

September 9, 2021 After a long wait, Keystone takes the field A 650-day wait seems like child's play compared to the 74 years Keystone has gone between football games, but the sport is back on campus.

April 21, 2021 Spring gives D-III freshmen a chance to shine The 2020-21 year has been entirely too short on Division III football games and much too long on adversity, but at many schools, freshmen are getting their opportunity to get acclimated to the college game by not just getting reps, but starting. Greg Thomas has more.

March 10, 2021 What Wesley's playing for The final few weekends of the Wesley football program are a chance for the players and coaches to be together a few more times. But it's more than that. New Around the Nation columnist Greg Thomas has more on the Wolverines' goals for the spring of 2021.