2018 Around the Nation columns

December 20, 2018 2018 D3football.com Year in Review This was a season full of gratitude, Adam Turer writes. Whether at an elementary school in August or on the way to the airport after the Stagg Bowl, there were constant reminders as to why we at D3football.com give up all of our free time every season to pursue Division III football.

November 15, 2018 Playoff picks, surprises and disappointments Who will make it through to the semifinals? Who will be the disappointments and surprises in each bracket? Our panel makes its picks for the postseason in this week's edition of Around the Nation.

November 11, 2018 Read & React: Playoff primer We predicted this year's field of 32 back in Kickoff before a down of the 2018 season was played. With only a few hours until the field is officially released, how did we do? Plus, power rankings of the 32 expected playoff participants.

November 8, 2018 Bigger battles to fight Current St. Thomas players have never needed a Week 11 playoff win to secure a playoff bid, but if they need inspiration for fighting a tough opponent, they need look no further than Rachael Caruso. Coach Glenn Caruso's wife has been battling cancer for almost a year.

November 4, 2018 Read & React: All the marbles There are seven games in the Week 11 slate that have a playoff berth directly on the line. The high stakes only heighten the anticipation for these already exciting rivalry games.

November 1, 2018 Wabash fighting through Tragedy struck the Wabash College campus community and the football team when Evan Hansen died by suicide back in September. But this past week, they had reason to celebrate and feel actual joy for the first time in a while.

October 28, 2018 Read & React: Votes and polls What does the Top 25 mean to you? What does it mean to coaches, players, alumni, and universities? Here's how one voter approaches his ballot each week. And remember, voting is important!

October 25, 2018 It's a thankless job, but these folks do it In Division III, we know that players play for the love of the game. Coaches coach for the love of the game. Another group that participates for the love of the game is often overlooked.

October 21, 2018 Read & React: Best friends Mike Leonard has cultivated a culture at Franklin that makes coming to work every day fun for both players and coaches. Friendships translate to victories, and no coach in Grizzlies history has more than Leonard.

October 18, 2018 Wash U, Eureka making a good first impression Both Eureka and Washington U. have exceeded any modest expectations and are in positions to claim conference titles in their first season in the NACC and CCIW. Adam Turer has more in Around the Nation.

October 14, 2018 Read & React: No place like home The road can be fun and exciting, but it does not compare to playing at home. UW-Oshkosh finally played at Titans Stadium, and re-energized its season. Meanwhile, Muhlenberg hit the road in a battle of playoff preparation.

October 11, 2018 Toughest job in D-III: Following the legend Brant McAdams is not a Westering. He's not a Frosty Westering disciple. He's not an alumnus of Pacific Lutheran. But he's taken over one of the Division III programs most identified with its traditions, and so far, the Lutes, and their alumni, have responded. Adam Turer has more in Around the Nation.

October 7, 2018 Read & React: Avoiding the trap There were a pair of prototypical trap games played yesterday, but the favorites prevailed to set the stage for Week 7 showdowns. Read how they avoid getting tripped up, plus a remembrance of the great John Gagliardi.

October 4, 2018 Re-ranking the conferences for 2018 With non-conference games essentially over and done with, there's plenty to dig through. Which conferences helped themselves and moved up D3football.com's conference rankings? Check out Adam Turer's take in Around the Nation.

September 30, 2018 Read & React: New teams at the top Three perennial conference champions who rarely lose a conference game each dropped their 2018 conference opener. That opened the door for their challengers to enter October atop the conference standings. The races are just beginning.

September 27, 2018 A touchdown worth more than six points Being a teenager, of whatever race, gender or orientation, is just plain difficult. When you throw in having to deny who you are, it gets even more so. When Wyatt Pertuset became the first openly gay college football player to score a TD, it brought a lot of notice, and stories from those who went before him. More in Around the Nation.

September 23, 2018 Read & React: Streaking into history Misericordia had never won more than one game in a season. In the program's seventh year, the Cougars finally strung together their first winning streak. What changes did Mark Ross make in the offseason and how have they led to unprecedented success?

September 20, 2018 Calling your alma mater home Division III is home to many coaches who have made a life out of coaching at the same school they played at. Some of those coaches graduated, coached elsewhere and came home as head coach, while some never left. Adam Turer talks to a handful of young coaches who arrived as teenagers and are now young head coaches in this edition of Around the Nation.

September 16, 2018 Read & React: Setting the standard One week doesn't make or break a season, but an impressive Saturday showing can help propel a program into the national conversation. Hear from Ithaca and Thomas More coaches, whose teams made statements with comeback wins on Saturday.

September 13, 2018 'You don't get better playing bad people' There are many different ways to build a non-conference schedule, perhaps as many as there are coaches. But Monmouth went out and scheduled tough, and the Scots were not alone. They talk about the lessons and the gains with Adam Turer in Around the Nation.

September 9, 2018 Read & React: Fast cleats to fill North Central and Lake Forest both graduated All-America running backs, but started their seasons with promising production from the position. It helps that each team also returns its experienced star quarterback.

September 6, 2018 Slow starts; fast finishes Three nationally prominent teams all faced similar situations in Week 1: They came out a little slow and either led by small margins or, in one case, trailed big at the half. But in each case, the second half was a different story. Adam Turer talks to them all in Around the Nation.

September 2, 2018 Read & React: The long road of independence Thomas More started its ten-week playoff campaign 0-1. Wash U. can relate after a similarly challenging schedule in 2017. What can the Saints learn from the Bears?

August 30, 2018 The brotherhood of football There is very little incentive to be a Division III football player. But those who come out, put in the work, and suit up on Saturdays come away with something far more valuable than a little exercise.