2014 Division III football playoffs

December 27, 2014 Division III football gives, and it takes away The scene after the Stagg Bowl was a reminder all 244 Division III football teams can relate to. Sometimes winners lose. More from Keith McMillan.

December 20, 2014 Around the Nation Podcast: Wrapping it up Why did Pat and Keith choose the Coach, Offensive Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year they way they did? What does this Stagg Bowl mean for the future of both programs? They cover that and more in the final ATN Podcast for 2014.

December 19, 2014 Whitewater defense takes away the title UW-Whitewater weathered the Mount Union run and went on to defeat the Purple Raiders 43-34 and win Stagg Bowl XLII.

December 19, 2014 Leipold leaves a legacy The Warhawks sent their coach out on top, as Lance Leipold's final game ended with Whitewater's sixth title.

December 20, 2014 2014 Division III football playoff bracket The final results of the 2014 Division III football playoffs, from 32 teams to UW-Whitewater as national champion.

December 19, 2014 Our Stagg Bowl predictions Getting ready for tonight's Stagg Bowl? So are we. Here's predictions for Stagg Bowl XLII from our Triple Take crew and invited guests.

December 18, 2014 The ultimate throwback for the Purple Powers In honor of the Thursday before the Stagg Bowl, we thought we'd take a look back at the previous meetings between UW-Whitewater and Mount Union. Pierre Garcon, Ryan Kleppe and many more former players tell the story of the Warhawks and Purple Raiders.

December 16, 2014 Moore keeps UWW's long-running tradition alive This was nearly the first season during the Warhawks' stretch of dominance in which it did not have a 1,000-yard rusher. But Dennis Moore eclipsed the mark against Linfield, and teams with Jordan Ratliffe to form a powerful 1-2 punch. A Road to Salem feature by Josh Smith.

December 15, 2014 Around the Nation Podcast: Here we go again We know what you’re thinking. How can this outcome, UW-Whitewater vs. Mount Union Part IX, possibly be good for the sport of Division III football. There’s no sugar-coating at this point and Pat and Keith give it to you straight.

December 15, 2014 Mount defense: No surprise it's back on the rise After last year's playoffs, it became clear that there was nowhere for the Mount Union defense to go but up. And that it did in Saturday's semifinal win vs. Wesley. Ryan Tipps has more on how the Purple Raiders did it in a Road to Salem feature.

December 13, 2014 Mount Union rolls over Wesley to return to Salem Wesley got in a big hole in the first quarter in Alliance for the second year in a row, and this time there was no way to come back as Mount Union crushed the Wolverines in the national semifinals.

December 13, 2014 Whitewater holds off Linfield to book ninth Salem trip After Linfield tied the game, Whitewater scored a fourth-quarter touchdown and the defense made it hold up.

December 11, 2014 Linfield's D the difference in 2014 The Linfield defense gave up the final 28 points of the game last season when Linfield and UW-Whitewater met in the national quarterfinals. But it's been next man up this year for the Wildcats defense as well, with new starters who have performed. More in a Road to Salem feature.

December 11, 2014 Next man up for UW-Whitewater defensive line Let's be up front about this: UW-Whitewater has a young defensive line. But that's because their upperclassmen leaders are supplemented by five sophomores who rotate in. Now they've got a riddle to solve. More in a Road to Salem feature.

December 10, 2014 Spencer a quick study for Mount Union Hank Spencer came to Mount Union a semester early, and it wasn’t just to get a head start on football. Spencer has a 3.98 GPA as a computer science major as well. More from Ryan Tipps in a Road to Salem feature.

December 10, 2014 Wolverines defense eager for another crack at Mount Giving up 62 points ... or scoring 59 points and losing ... still stings the Wesley defense. Wolverines defensive linemen Aamir Petrose and Payton Rose are eager for another shot at Mount Union. More in a Road to Salem feature.

December 6, 2014 Semis set: Linfield, UW-Whitewater, Wesley, Mount go on UW-Whitewater had to rally to beat Wartburg, while Mount Union survived John Carroll, Linfield jumped out early on Widener, and Wesley pulled away from Hobart at the end. Saturday's playoff wrapup.

December 5, 2014 Triple Take: Down to the quarterfinals We've reached the final eight, and there are nothing but standouts in the bunch. That makes it a thankless job trying to pick between the cream of the crop and the creamiest. Get our score predictions, and why, in the quarterfinal Triple Take.

December 4, 2014 Assistants to follow Leipold to Buffalo Some key UW-Whitewater assistant coaches, including one who has been a part of every Stagg Bowl coaching staff, will go with Lance Leipold when he leaves for the University of Buffalo job.

December 4, 2014 Leipold leaving, but will UWW give him one last ring? Lance Leipold has at most three games left as UW-Whitewater's coach before he fully takes on the job at D-I Buffalo. How can the Warhawks keep it together when they know their head coach and coordinators have one foot out the door? More in a Road to Salem feature.

December 3, 2014 You better know their names, even if you can't spell them Their names seemed unusual when they were freshmen, but by now, Steve Koudossou and Sosthene Kapepula are known in D-III circles. If they can get Wesley to a Stagg Bowl, they could be known beyond. More in a Road to Salem feature.

December 2, 2014 Looking for lucky No. 13 Wartburg has trailed for less than 40 minutes all season. But after laying waste to the MIAC's best this season, now they'll face the nation's best, having already won more games than any team in the program's history.

December 1, 2014 Leipold gets D-I head coaching job UW-Whitewater head coach Lance Leipold was introduced as the new head coach at Buffalo, a D-I FBS school, on Monday, and it was announced whether he would continue to coach the Warhawks through the playoffs.

November 30, 2014 Podcast: Upsetting the apple cart Linfield changed the game with its big win on Saturday, knocking off a UMHB program that had been a play or two from making the Stagg Bowl the past two years. Plus Wartburg, John Carroll and Hobart each survived second-round squeakers. Pat and Keith discuss that and more in this week's podcast.

November 29, 2014 Wrapup: Linfield advances, Hobart, John Carroll hold on Hobart got an interception on its own 2-yard line with 15 seconds left and John Carroll survived a potential game-winning field goal attempt as each advanced to the quarterfinals. More in the second-round playoff roundup.

November 27, 2014 Captains enjoying the ride Mason Studer's kick gave Christopher Newport its first playoff win in a decade, and the Captains aren't ready to stop riding the wave just yet. More in a Road to Salem feature.

November 27, 2014 Johns Hopkins, Hobart get together for Thanksgiving On Thanksgiving week, the Blue Jays and Statesmen won't be visiting with family, but they'll be face-to-face with teams they resemble.

November 26, 2014 W&J feels Linfield's pain On the other side of the bracket and the country is a Presidents team who understands what the Wildcats are going through, having a friend and teammate killed during the season.

November 25, 2014 Myers follows his coach's footsteps One year after its first-round exit, John Carroll left no doubt it belonged in the playoffs under Mark Myers and coach Tom Arth, the last two quarterbacks to win playoff games for the Blue Streaks.

November 25, 2014 Cru weathers first-round adversity Mary Hardin-Baylor talked about overcoming adversity leading up to its first-round playoff game against Texas Lutheran. The Cru just didn’t imagine the scenario it would have to conquer. More in a Road to Salem feature.

November 24, 2014 Five juniors, five seniors named Gagliardi semifinalists Will Kevin Burke get a chance to repeat as Gagliardi Trophy winner? Find out who the 10 semifinalists are and cast your vote!

November 23, 2014 UMHB holds off Texas Lutheran in completion of game The Cru only ran 35 offensive plays and had the ball for less than 12 minutes, but it was enough to get past Texas Lutheran, 27-20.

November 22, 2014 MTU bracket: W&J picks off Witt, JCU wins big Washington and Jefferson picked off Wittenberg quarterback Zack Jenkins eight times to advance to play at Mount Union, while John Carroll roared out to a big win over Centre.

November 22, 2014 UMHB bracket: Late kicks give MAC split Widener lived by the late field goal, but Delaware Valley died by it as Christopher Newport's Mason Studer drilled a 38-yarder as time expired for the win. More coverage from the UMHB bracket.

November 22, 2014 UWW bracket: Wartburg survives, Johnnies pick up win St. Thomas pushed Wartburg to the brink, while St. John's picked off eight passes, Wabash advanced and UW-Whitewater rolled in the top-left bracket.

November 22, 2014 Wesley bracket: Kodossou goes off, MIT moves on MIT defeated Husson in overtime to win the New England geography bowl, while Hobart scored in the closing seconds to beat Ithaca and Steve Kodossou had a first half for the ages in Wesley's win.

November 19, 2014 Smooth sailing for Ruffing Ryan Ruffing was W&J's backup running back his first two seasons, but as a junior, he's rolled up more than 1,500 yards to help lead the Presidents back to the playoffs.

November 19, 2014 2014 playoffs: Mount Union bracket From Mount Union to Benedictine, how the eight teams in the bottom-right bracket shake out.

November 19, 2014 2014 playoffs: Mary Hardin-Baylor bracket From Mary Hardin-Baylor to Christopher Newport, how the eight teams in the bottom-left bracket shake out.

November 19, 2014 2014 playoffs: UW-Whitewater bracket From UW-Whitewater to Macalester, how the eight teams in the top-left bracket shake out.

November 19, 2014 2014 playoffs: Wesley bracket From Wesley to Hampden-Sydney, how the eight teams in the top-right bracket shake out.

November 18, 2014 Big hills to climb Benedictine and Macalester each face tall orders on Saturday, as they travel to Wheaton and UW-Whitewater for first-round playoff games, while Franklin renews an old rivalry. More in Around the Midwest.

November 18, 2014 Return of the Mules “We expected to be in,” said Mules head coach Mike Donnelly. “We felt we were deserving. We know that every game counts and we know that you can be 9-1 and be a bubble team.” More about Muhlenberg in Around the Mid-Atlantic.

November 18, 2014 Destination: Bangor, Maine The Husson Eagles were watching the selection show Sunday night anxious to find out where they would be going. With the operative word being: going. More in Around the Northeast.

November 17, 2014 ATN Podcast: Bracket breakdown This year's bracket is a bit of a throwback, and as we discover in this week's Around the Nation Podcast, that might not be a bad thing. Plus, who got jobbed the most in the brackets and much more in this week's podcast.

November 16, 2014 The playoff bracket is out! Here's the full Field of 32 on the Road to Salem, where the NCAA solved the UW-Oshkosh/North Central mess by ignoring them entirely and St. Thomas hopped over a team it lost to to get into the field.

November 16, 2014 Take the bracket challenge! Join the Division III football playoff bracket challenge! Our friends at d3photography.com are hosting our bracket contest, so put your picks up and see how you do!

November 16, 2014 Our projected playoff bracket If you stayed up late on Saturday night, you heard our bracketology crew debate the playoff selections and then bracket them, rapid-fire style. Here's what we came up with:

November 16, 2014 Selection show, 6 p.m. ET NCAA.com will stream the Division III football selection show starting at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday. We have a projected bracket, analysis, the broadcast link and all the information you need right here on D3football.com!

November 13, 2014 2014 projected football bracket We haven't done a Week 11 projected field and bracket in a long time. But we teamed up with a member of the Division III football community to put this together and show you what the bracket would look like if the season ended today.

November 13, 2014 Printable blank bracket Follow along and fill out your bracket with the selection show, which starts at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday.

November 12, 2014 Projected 2014 playoff selections, bracket What happens when you take a regional ranking in which the West Region ranking is almost certainly out of order and can't be easily understood, and an unbeaten Pool B team is ranked third among Pool B teams in the South Region alone. You get an interesting mock bracket. Here's ours.

November 12, 2014 Second NCAA regional ranking for 2014 The NCAA released its second regional rankings of the season. This ranking and the secret one that follows are the ones that the football championships committee uses to determine who gets at-large bids and where teams are (secretly) seeded.

November 6, 2014 2014 Division III football championships handbook This is the guiding document that the NCAA uses to govern the Division III football regional ranking, selection and bracketing process. There are still typos in it, but at least it has the correct number of automatic bids.

November 5, 2014 First NCAA regional ranking for 2014 The NCAA released its first regional rankings of the season. This ranking and the ones that follow are the ones that the football championships committee uses to determine who gets at-large bids and where teams are (secretly) seeded.

October 31, 2014 NCAA reverses course, says no bid for SAA, MASCAC Contrary to the information it released a few weeks ago, the NCAA D-III football championships committee announced Friday that the Southern Athletic Association and Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference will not have automatic bids to the 2014 Division III football playoffs.