GLASSBORO, N.J. -- With the chance to position themselves
for the NCAA playoffs on the line, it became apparent by the middle
of last Saturday's third quarter that Rowan and Cortland State were
content to lean on stellar defenses and play not to
lose.
The Profs took their shots and missed, saying they finally
opened up an offense they'd been conservative with all year due
mainly to inexperience at the wide receiver spot. Eventually,
losing the field position battle and without the ability to drive
the length of the field on the Red Dragons, Rowan chose to play for
overtime.
Cortland State got conservative for a different reason.
Already relying on second-string quarterback Ray Miles, a hand
injury sent him to the sidelines for good, leaving third
quarterback Bryan Shea and freshman Sean Pratt to guide the way to
9-0. The Red Dragons, not having had the chance to give those
quarterbacks repetitions in practice, understandably clammed up,
blew one defensive assignment in overtime and lost 14-7.
With the Profs focused on clinching the NJAC in a Friday
night home game against William Paterson, which it lost to last
season, and Cortland pointed toward a Pool C playoff bid if it can
defeat rival Ithaca (7-2) in the Cortaca Jug game, it does little
good to rehash the intimate details of last week's game.
But it's going to be so entertaining.
One of the great things about New Jersey and New York is that
people aren't shy with their opinions. Rowan-Cortland may be one of
the few Division III games where a columnist can roam the crowd (it
was standing-room only in the Profs' press box, with TV and radio
for both sides) and let the fans tell the story of the game, simply
by direct quotes overheard.
This occurred to me right as I found a position along the
fence on the Red Dragons side, not far from some young Cortland
fans who sounded like ex-players or frat brothers of current
teammates. Rowan security rode by on a stand-up two-wheeled
scooter, and had to hold his tongue when he got made fun
of.
Cortland teed off on Rowan early, sacking Mike Orihel four
times in the first quarter, and on consecutive plays on the Profs'
third possession. The Red Dragons forced a three-and-out on their
first drive, and after a 23-yard punt went 45 yards in nine plays.
Safety Stef Sair took a turn on offense, finishing the drive with a
17-yard TD run.
After three possessions, the Profs had totaled minus-11
yards, and it was only that good because of a 15-yard personal foul
against the Red Dragons. It's looking like it's going to be a
Cortland rout at this point.
'It's like a morgue over there,' a Profs fan notes, pointing
across the field at the silent home bleachers. 'It was packed (two
weeks ago) for Kean.'
Orihel completed a 14-yard TD pass to Emory Lester,
completing a 30-yard drive following a Kelvin Bellamy interception
of Miles late in the second quarter. The game stayed tied at 7 when
Cortland bonked a 32-yard field goal high off the right upright at
the end of the half.
It was no longer a morgue on either side as tension built and
defense dominated the game. In fact, this is when it got really
interesting.
Photo by Tom Wilson, Rowanfootball.com |
Profs fans get a little restless and begin to try to coach
for Jay Accorsi's staff: 'The outside's wide open! All day
long.'
On the other side, after the Profs stuff a third-and-2 Red
Dragons run: 'They had 11 men in the box. Jeeee-sus!'
Bellamy, fielding a punt, completely misses it, and Cortland
either downs it or recovers the muff. You know what the Red Dragons
fans who made the trip to Jersey think.
'He touched the ball!' one screams at the officials. 'You
should huddle up and discuss that. That's why it went off to the
right!'
Unmoved, the officials give the Profs the ball at the 35
after a 60-yard punt and 15-yard Cortland personal foul. Rowan
receiver Will Barnes runs past Cortland defensive back Jeff Beck
along the Red Dragons sideline. Orihel hits the 6-3, 204-pound
sophomore with a perfect strike, and he drops what would have been
a go-ahead touchdown.
'That's a long way to run back,' one Cortland fan taunts, as
Barnes heads back to his huddle.
Beck loudly expresses his displeasure with himself on the
sideline after the Red Dragons halt the Profs' drive. A Cortland
coach implores the defense to 'keep your head,' while a fan
admonishes the team. 'Come on Cortland sideline! You're
dead!'
Sair's 47-yard punt return livens things up, but the next
play is the last for Miles. The Red Dragons lose 8 yards and
punt.
As the Profs continually try to run into the teeth of the
Cortland defense, one fan notes 'We've got one of the best rushing
defenses in the country!' In fact, the Red Dragons came in ranked
39th, allowing 91.8 yards per game, behind national leader Rowan
(10.7).
After Profs defensive back Dawaine Whetstone plays perfect
coverage on a Shea pass midway through the fourth, a Red Dragons
fan decides, 'the defense is going to have to win this for
us!'
After a 52-yard Jimmy Cuneen punt hits at the 8-yard line and
dies at the 7, Red Dragons fans begin to reminisce: 'Last weekend
they got a safety,' one says. 'I'll take one this week,' another
yells back.
Cowbells ring out of the crowd, while 'Hoooooo!' comes from
the Cortland sideline. Outside the fence, several Profs fans take
in the game while still tailgating. One plays a bagpipe at
seemingly random points. Another sits on top of a RV. Yet another
exclaims, after a draw gains 5 yards on third-and-6, 'Hey, you hear
that? We might have a first down!'
Photo by Tom Wilson, Rowanfootball.com |
Actually, there wasn't much in the way of first downs the
rest of the way. Cortland went to the fourth quarterback it's used
on the season. Rowan, buried in its own end, played for overtime.
On the second play, Jim Migliore runs free up the seam. Orihel is
careful to put just enough on it to not overthrow him. Migliore
stops at the 2 and hauls in the game-winning TD pass. The Profs D
holds Cortland and a sea of yellow storms the field.
A man in a Rowan shirt runs out of the press box and screams
'(expletive) yeah!'
Over by the Profs' field house, a player walks around
repeating 'Make sure you're here Friday night!'
Then -- no lie -- three players walk by, yelling to no one in
particular, wrapping up the game like so:
'Rowan University! Beasts of the East, baby!'
'Put a 9-0 sign up on my field? You're crazy!'
'I still got half a keg up at my place!'
Tour
report
Around the Nation's Run the Playoffs took me to four states
to see nine teams in five games. Along the way I reported back to
you in great detail. And still, there are little things picked up
along that way that found no place in an article, broadcast or what
have you.
Pat asked me to list best players I saw. I didn't think
ranking them was fair, mostly because of the Iowa trip, where I
caught two half-games in terrible weather. But I will run down a
few things about players who stood out along the way.
Stef Sair, Cortland State S: You've got to be some kind
of athlete to play offense, defense and special teams for an 8-1
team. Sair is also the defending 174-pound Division III NCAA
wrestling champion. He brought his football talents home against
Rowan not on his TD run or his 47-yard punt return, but on a short
return where he literally ran circles around Rowan
defenders.
Steve Teeples, UW-La Crosse CB: I always appreciate the
work of a good cornerback, but Teeples stood out against Whitewater
for his knowledge. From the sideline, I saw him recognize a
formation, down and distance and yell to his fellow defenders
"tight, tight, tight." They never got the message, as the play went
to Whitewater tight end Pete Schmitt for a big gain.
Mike Orihel, Rowan QB: You have to admire his patience
for working with young receivers in a spread offense. He showed
true savvy and the perfect attitude about the younger players even
when he laughed about how good his receivers will eventually be,
even if he's not there to see them in full bloom. I can't tell if
he's got an NFL arm, but he's got the size (6-4, 215) and
temperament. I wouldn't be surprised to see him as this year's
Division III quarterback that gets an NFL shot.
Ryan Kleppe, UW-Whitewater DT: The 290-pounder
dominated the first half against Mary Hardin-Baylor and drew a
triple team on the backside of a rollout pass play. That right
there shows you how much he's respected
Josh Kubiak, Mary Hardin-Baylor S: He plays like a
perfect safety in that he's fast to the ball and efficient in run
support and makes plays as a pass defender as well. He seems like a
cool-under-pressure type of guy, and the UMHB defense around him
included playmakers at all three levels of the defense and a corner
in Elliot Barcak that didn't do anything spectacular, but limited
Whitewater star receiver Derek Stanley.
Ashton Northern, Coe RB: I know Neil Suckow is the guy
on the Kohawks' offense, but I was caught off guard by how big
Northern was. It seemed to give the offense a stunning
Thunder-Lightning type of attack, and if the team could have caught
a break with injuries or in one of the three games it lost by three
points or less, maybe we would have seen more of them in the
playoffs.
I thought Central had a nice-sized line and tight ends
who might give someone trouble in the playoffs, but I saw them on a
bad day to get a feel for their skill kids. Although RB Vance
Schuring did break a few tackles on that rainy day. Rowan had a ton
of guys on defense that looked like straight houses, just big and
fast. Outside linebackers that looked like MLB and DEs that look
like they should be DTs, in Division III anyway. I liked Kevin
Bellamy in the secondary too, he was almost the best No. 7 on the
field against Cortland (but we'll let Sair keep that honor). Jim
Migiliore was a cool interview after catching the game-winning TD,
even though I ended up quoting all fans from the Rowan game.
Cortland State coach Dan MacNeill was gracious in defeat, which is
actually pretty common in D3, but you can never blame someone for
not being clear-headed after a heartbreaking loss. MacNeill was
insightful and not complaining about officiating or anything silly
like that. Rowan coach Jay Accorsi is a trip to talk to, as he
freely shared opinions on why the NJAC should get two playoff teams
and why, even with a new schedule that includes Delaware Valley and
Widener for next season, teams are still ducking the
Profs.
Poll positions/My
26-35
Even after last week's losses, which included Hobart, Ithaca
and Cortland, I kept the same 25 teams but rearranged them. Maybe I
dropped Linfield and added Wheaton back in. It's not really
important. At this point in the year, one's ballot or the poll
itself can't always make perfect sense. No. 25 Ithaca, for
instance, has lost to Alfred, which is still unranked, but beat No.
14 Springfield, who only beat Alfred by a touchdown.
The losses by ranked teams this week threw the AFCA
poll for a loop too. They moved Occidental to No. 6
overall, which I would have backed last year, but not so much this
season. The AFCA poll, as it typically does, has rewarded teams
that haven't been beaten. Mount St. Joseph is up to 13th and
Concordia (Wis.) 15th. The D3football.com poll tends to lean toward
schedule and conference strength, as evidenced by its 6-7-8 of Mary
Hardin-Baylor, Hardin-Simmons and UW-La Crosse, who have combined
for four losses -- one by HSU to UMHB and two to No. 2
UW-Whitewater.
I admit though, after the top six or seven, you feel like
there are a bunch of teams who deserve to be ranked about 12-15,
and you have to put someone at Nos. 8, 9 and 10. So when people ask
is Central a top 10 team ... in theory, you'd consider them more a
team that could get to the second round of the playoffs, not the
quarterfinals. But someone has to rise up that high, and Central,
Whitworth, Occidental and Wilkes have been the teams filling those
slots lately. Maybe they'll prove to have deserved it all along.
The postseason is full of surprises.
The 26-and-on teams who just missed making my ballot:
Williams, Bethel, Alfred, North Central and Carnegie Mellon got
strong consideration. After that, Trinity (Texas), St. Olaf, St.
Norbert, Curry, Washington & Jefferson and Dickinson are among
those on the radar, but probably not threats to move into the top
25, although all but the Oles have a chance to do so in the coming
weeks.
Remember, the poll is the combined opinion of
D3football.com's 25-voter panel. It has no influence on the 32-team
playoff field. That job belongs to the selection
committee.
Playoff
watch
Division III's tournament is top of mind right now, and
D3football.com has released its first official playoff projection of 2006, in
the Daily Dose. There's an opportunity to react and discuss there,
and Around the Nation won't belabor the points here.
There's been good speculation on the Post Patterns boards as
well, as fans seem to understand the criteria and apply it to their
own projections better than any year in the past. I will point you
in the direction of some key discussions regarding the three
playoff pools, but if you're new to Division III or the postseason
process, you may want to start at our
FAQ before going ahead.
Pool A
watch
Thirteen of 21 automatic qualifiers have been determined with
Week 11 approaching.
On Post Patterns, Bob Gregg did a nice job of listing all of the Pool A qualifiers and
tiebreaker scenarios for the CCIW, Empire 8, NCAC, NJAC, USAC.
Head-to-head games will settle the remaining automatic bids that go
to the NEFC, MIAC and SCAC.
Pool B
watch
In the discussions on Post Patterns, most, including myself,
had long viewed Pool B as a five-team race with a lot hinging on
the Linfield-Whitworth game. Since the Pirates have outdone the
'Cats, I don't see many scenarios that send any four but these to
the playoffs in Pool B: Wesley, Whitworth, Carnegie Mellon and
Washington and Jefferson.
If you are interested in remaining scenarios, check out the Pool B thread.
Pool C
watch
There's a group of nine one-loss teams staring at seven
at-large bids here, with Bethel possibly making St. John's a 10th.
Four of them play two-loss teams in their finale. Normally, my
advice to the glut of two-loss teams and their fans hoping for a
spot to open up would be to not get their hopes up. But this year,
that energy can be spent rooting for the Johnnies against the
Royals, and Ithaca, Rochester and Alfred in their upstate New York
matchups with Cortland State, Hobart and St. John Fisher, because
there's precedent for a handful teams in playoff position falling
on the last day.
Courtesy of D3football.com's Gordon Mann on the Daily Dose,
here are the teams with one loss, excluding conference leaders, and
who they play Saturday:
"Capital: Baldwin-Wallace (6-2, 5-2 OAC)
Cortland State: Ithaca (7-2, 4-2 E8)
Franklin: Hanover (4-5, 4-2 HCAC)
Hardin-Simmons: McMurry (2-5, 3-6 ASC)
Hobart: Rochester (7-2, 4-1 LL)
St. John Fisher: Alfred (7-2, 4-1 E8)
UW-La Crosse: UW-Oshkosh (5-4, 3-3 WIAC)
Wartburg: Dubuque (5-4, 4-3 IIAC)
Wheaton: Illinois Wesleyan (3-6, 2-4 CCIW)
Bethel has just one loss but will either knock St. John's
into this group by beating the Johnnies next week and clinching the
MIAC or pick up their second loss."
Curry could also throw a wrench into things, joining the
one-loss Pool C possibles, if it lost the NEFC title game. There
are teams like Springfield and Trinity (Texas) who you may see
listed with one-loss teams, but are like Bethel in that they either
take their AQ or join the two-loss club.
If spots were to open up for at-large, two-loss teams, Alfred
and Baldwin-Wallace would seem to be the first two in, based on the
NCAA's Quality of Wins Index -- and provided they win their big
games this week. In the current index, they are the highest
two-loss teams not in line for an automatic bid. Wabash would be
helped with a win over DePauw more than Wooster would be by winning
at Kenyon, and Ithaca seems to be in the mix if it can beat
Cortland and several other teams lose.
But these are all reaches folks, and QoWI is just one of the
primary criteria. For now, let's look at the 9-10 one-loss teams
for seven slots. Could four of those teams lose to open the door
for a two-loss team? Seems possible.
Remember, there are four two-loss opponents in the above
group. Each is plenty capable of beating the one-loss team it
plays. Resurgent Dubuque could give Wartburg trouble, Oshkosh could
test La Crosse and Hanover-Franklin is a rivalry game, and the
Panthers have been competitive in conference games. McMurry and IWU
shouldn't win, but there are bigger pushovers.
So two-loss teams rejoice. Where I once claimed you had no
chance, I now think there's hope. There is definitely
precedent.
Last season, Texas Lutheran spoiled a sure playoff spot for
Hardin-Simmons in a 32-27 upset. Wilkes and Cortland got in Pool C
with two losses.
Before that, in 2003, a glut of playoff probables blew a game
on the final regular-season weekend.
In Week 11 of 2003
Ferrum beat Christopher Newport
Buffalo State beat Washington & Jefferson
Montclair State beat Rowan
Cortland beat Ithaca
Christopher Newport, which was a Pool A qualifier, and Ithaca
won playoff games the following week, as did Montclair State.
Cortland and W&J played ECAC games, missing the NCAAs. Rowan
missed the playoffs entirely.
Plenty can happen on the final week to help a two-loss team
get in, even when it doesn't look good, just as one-loss teams who
look like they're in good shape need to seal the deal on
Saturday.
Llamaguy of Post Patterns message board fame
created a pretty comprehensive Pool C
chart that you may want to check out for more
information and/or hope.
Rivalry
watch
We've devoted lots of words to rivalries in past years,
on and off the site. Pat and I, both working at USA Today Sports
Weekly last year, wrote the small college part of a special edition
on rivalries.
In the piece referenced above, we ranked the top 10
rivalries. We missed a few, but hit a lot of the good
ones.
Having played in rivalry games going back to the old
Thanksgiving morning Triton-Highland games in high school in South
Jersey, and then for Randolph-Macon when its rivalry with
Hampden-Sydney had just passed 100, I know how these games go down.
They can be like second Homecoming Days, or altogether better. They
can have postseason implications or none at all. They can be
standing room only, with space roped off right up to the dotted
line on the field, and they can get rowdy.
For many of us, they get us sentimental. We laugh about old
times and old games. And honestly, whether there's a rivalry
involved or not, Saturday will be the last game for a lot of
seniors in Division III across the country. Most will be lucky to
play football again with a belt and flags. They'll probably move on
to bigger and better things (after all, everyone from CEOs to NFL
genius head coaches to U.S. Presidents played at Division III
schools), but they'll never quite move on from being a football
player. It remains a part of who you are, either subconsciously
when you buckle up for life's big hits like you used to on a
fourth-quarter fourth-and-1, or consciously, when you smell
fresh-cut grass or feel a chill outside and think it's a great day
for football.
Saturday is the last game for a lot of parents too, who I
know have taken road trips, made friends and generally discovered a
highly competitive level of football they may not have known
existed. If you've fallen in love with the Division III game, don't
leave us. Come back next year. Your son's alma mater would be glad
to have a lifetime fan. If you find that time draws you away from
the game and the school you once loved, drop in on one of these
rivalry games sometime. Just for fun. You won't regret
it.
Saturday, give it up for everyone playing their final game.
For those of you in rivalry games, we salute you now:
Bowdoin (1-6) at Colby (2-5): Someone
has to reign in Maine, and it won't be Bates (0-7) this
year.
Coe (6-3) at Cornell (2-7): Eight
points from being conference champs, the Kohawks meet the Rams, who
have lost seven straight, in meeting No. 116, which is at the end
of the season for first time since the Midwest Conference
days.
Cortland State (8-1) at Ithaca
(7-2): Going since 1959, it isn't the oldest,
but it might be the most fierce. And it's got a team, maybe two,
with a playoff shot.
DePauw (6-3) at Wabash (7-2): There's
nothing these Indiana rivals like about each other, but they both
want the Monon Bell in their 113th meeting.
Hanover (4-5) at Franklin (8-1): With
eight victories so far, the Grizzlies now want the Victory Bell and
a playoff shot.
Muhlenberg (4-5) at Moravian
(4-5): These teams become Centennial Conference
rivals next year, but they've been at each other's throats for a
long time already.
Randolph-Macon (2-7) at Hampden-Sydney
(3-6): Teams have come into most recent
matchups with divergent fortunes. They're both bad heading into
Game 112.
Trinity (Conn.) (6-1) at Wesleyan
(3-4): No 'best team not to make playoffs'
title on line for Bantams, no win streak. Just a chance to win the
106th meeting with its Connecticut rival.
Union (7-1) at RPI (5-3): Union has
already wrapped up the Liberty League but needs a win if it wants a
home playoff game. It's the 104th meeting of the rivalry now played
for the Dutchman's Shoes.
Williams (7-0) at Amherst (5-2): Our
granddaddy of them all, with no playoffs ahead, the Ephs take an
undefeated record to Amherst for the umpteenth time in the 121
meetings.
Wilkes (9-0) at King's (6-3): Crosstown
scuffle should feature a lot of defense.
Streak
watch
Two weeks ago, Framingham State beat Massachusetts Maritime
for the second year in a row to snap a 13-game losing streak, but
it couldn't save head coach Mark Sullivan, who was 4-41 and won't
have his contract renewed. Becker played another winless team, but
SUNY-Maritime got its first win in program history, leaving the
Hawks still searching for theirs.
Heidelberg, which last won ' once -- when current seniors
were freshmen, no doubt has several players who have not won as
starters. The Student Princes also have a coach whose contract
wasn't renewed. Saturday's game against 1-8 Muskingum is a chance
for them to spend one victorious moment together before they go
their separate ways.
Tracking the nation's double-digit winning and losing
streaks:
Division III's longest win
streaks
Mount Union (17 consecutive wins, last loss vs. Ohio
Northern, 21-14, Oct. 22, 2005; 9-0 in 2006)
St. Norbert (17 consecutive wins, last loss vs. Monmouth,
28-20, Sept. 17, 2005; 10-0 in 2006)
Concordia (Wis.) (13 consecutive wins, last loss vs. Lakeland
17-14, Oct. 15, 2005; 10-0 in 2006)
Williams (13 consecutive wins, last loss at Trinity (Conn.)
34-6 , Oct. 1, 2005; 7-0 in 2006)
Whitworth (10 consecutive wins, last loss vs. Willamette,
40-34 in OT, Nov. 5, 2005; 9-0 in 2006)
Curry (10 consecutive wins, last loss at Delaware Valley,
37-22 in Division III playoffs, Nov. 19, 2005; 10-0 in
2006)
The longest losing streaks
Heidelberg (35 consecutive losses, last win vs. Marietta,
21-13, on Oct. 4, 2003; 0-9 in 2006)
Lewis and Clark (17 consecutive losses, last win vs.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 27-11, Oct. 9, 2004; 0-8 in
2006)
Becker (16 consecutive losses, no wins in program history;
0-8 in 2006)
Eureka (16 consecutive losses, last win vs. Concordia (Ill.),
32-13, Sept. 24, 2005; 0-9 in 2006)
Hiram (15 consecutive losses, last win vs. Earlham, 7-2, Oct.
1, 2005; 0-9 in 2006)
Wisconsin Lutheran (15 consecutive losses, last win vs.
Tri-State, 37-14, Oct. 1, 2005; 0-9 in 2006)
Augsburg (13 consecutive losses, last win vs. Hamline, 19-13,
Oct. 15, 2005; 0-9 in 2006)
Unbeaten
watch
Fourteen teams head into the final week of the season
undefeated. All except 7-0 Williams appear playoff-bound, although
Curry has to win the NEFC title game to make the NCAA field. Eight
of the teams were playoff teams last year.
At 10-0 are Concordia (Wis.), Curry and St. Norbert. At 9-0
are Carnegie Mellon, Central, Mount St. Joseph, Mount Union, St.
John's, UW-Whitewater, Wesley, Whitworth and Wilkes. Occidental is
8-0.
Winless
watch
Ten teams are without a win so far this year, but only
LaGrange, 0-10 in its inaugural year, is done. The other nine have
a chance to win Saturday, joining a group of 11 teams who have won
just once so far this season.
Eight of the 10 are listed above, as they maintain
double-digit losing streaks stretching into last season or beyond.
Bates (0-7) and Principia (0-9) are the other winless
teams.
Who
are those guys?
Our year-long look at how Division III teams do in
out-of-division games comes to a close. Last week No. 4 Wesley
routed Division II Chowan 37-3 and Huntingdon took care of NAIA
Southwest Assemblies of God 42-17.
Division III has a faint hope of pulling ahead against I-AAs,
but won't be able to catch the IIs.
vs. Division I-AA (No games in Week 10, 7-7 in
2006)
Aurora at Valpariaso
vs. Division II (1-0 in Week 10, 5-9 in
2006)
Becker at Bryant
Chowan at Newport News Apprentice
vs. NAIA (1-0 in Week 10, 22-7 in 2006)
Southwest Assemblies of God at Colorado College
Waldorf at Buena Vista
But don't quote me
'
Tidbits from Week 10 and thoughts on Week 11:
Division I-A Middle Tennessee State leads the Sun Belt
Conference in scoring offense. G.A. Mangus, head coach at Delaware
Valley through last season, is the Blue Raiders' first-year
offensive coordinator.
Speaking of Division I-A, I guess it's about time to
renew the cry for a playoff. Pardon me as I channel Eddie Murphy:
"We've got a playoff, and you don't got one!"
NEFC and MWC teams have finished their regular seasons.
MWC champ St. Norbert and IBFC champ Concordia (Wis.) will likely
be the only teams with a two-week break before a playoff game,
however, as the NEFC division champions face off in Saturday's
title game.
Speaking of the NEFC Championship Game, the weekend
edition of USA Today spotlights the Curry/Coast Guard clash in a
blurb.
Regarding playoffs, the more spots there are, the more
teams think they should get in. Although all of the current Pool C
leaders are worthy, I would have a serious problem if the final bid
came down to 9-1 Wartburg or 9-1 Cortland State. When your only
flaw is that you failed to score in overtime against the conference
champion, that there is a textbook Pool C case. Certainly there's
the QoWI and other numbers for a reason. But if teams in
conferences like the IIAC and NJAC go practically 9-0-1, they
should be among the first at-large teams selected. Let's hope the
committee is able to exercise a little common sense if Wartburg and
Cortland handle business. Then again, if there are eight or nine
legitimate Pool C arguments for seven bids, someone who seems
deserving is going to have to bite the dust.
Season in
review
Around the Nation will begin
accepting brief suggestions from
readers (and players, coaches and school-affliated professionals)
for our 2006 Year-in-Review, due out in January 2007. Use last
year's review (linked at the top right-hand corner, posted Jan. 25,
26 and 27) as a guide for which categories we're looking to fill,
or make up your own. ATN cannot promise public credit for your
suggestions this year, and we may or may not use
them.
But if you think Sul Ross State was the surprise team of '06
or Luther was the biggest disappointment, let us know (contact
information, as always, is below). We'd like to hear your games of
the year, plays of the year, players, coaches and things, but most
importantly, your off-the-beaten path nominations and suggestions.
Things we haven't covered much or would have no way of knowing
about are where you can help most.
Feedback
Around the Nation is largely interactive, and since its
inception has made reader feedback a part of the column. We
keep a running
board on Post Patterns (under general football) to
discuss issues raised in the column, and we'll share feedback and
answer questions there, as well as in the column occasionally. Send
all correspondence to keith@d3football.com, or
use our feedback
form.
What the eyes can
see
Around the Nation is searching for video of playoff teams in
order to help us handicap the field. Anyone with access to footage,
please send an e-mail to keith@d3football.com. Games
against tough opponents, especially other playoff teams, are
preferred.
We are always looking for video of anything Division III
football-related. That means we'd like to get our hands on
documentaries, local cable broadcasts and re-airs, links to
archived broadcasts and coaches' tapes. Arrangements can be made to
not share coaches' footage or to pay fans for shipping and
materials.
For print, radio and
Internet journalists
Keith McMillan is available, by appointment, on Thursdays and
Fridays to talk Division III football. For more information, e-mail
Keith.
Attention
SIDs
As always, Around the Nation requests media guides and any
other aids in helping us cover your school or conference this
season. For more information, contact Keith McMillan
at keith@d3football.com, or snail mail to
D3football.com, 13055 Carolyn Forest Dr., Woodbridge, Va.,
22192.
Links to online media guides are now preferred over mail. In
addition, please do not add my e-mail address to your regular
release lists, but instead use our news release capabilities to
have your information posted on our front page and your team' s
page. For more information on how that works and how we can help
each other, contact publisher and editor Pat Coleman
at info@d3football.com. Thank
you.