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Around the Nation podcast: Season wrapup

Pat Coleman — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 05:38:33 +0000

Matt O’Connell got knocked around just a little.
Photo by Ryan Coleman, d3photography.com

Subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in iTunes.

The season is over, sadly. But we had plenty of things to talk about after the game, nonetheless. We had to decide who our Players of the Year and Coach of the Year would be, and Pat and Keith weighed in — who should be No. 2?

We also gave our take on the game, and Keith asked one particular Mount Union player who the best team was he faced. The answer might surprise you. And who will be the best teams for 2013? The elite level might not change.

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You can subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in iTunes. You can also get this and any of our future Around the Nation podcasts automatically by subscribing to this RSS feed: http://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/?feed=podcast

Around the Nation Podcast: Stagg Bowl XL preview

Pat Coleman — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 07:30:15 +0000

The crowd had something to get excited about in Alliance.
Photo by Ryan Coleman, d3photography.com

Subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in iTunes.

A Salem regular and a Salem newbie will meet Friday night for the 2012 Division III football national championship, as No. 1 Mount Union will face No. 4 St. Thomas in yet another matchup of purple programs. Could St. Thomas someday be a Purple Power? Shoot, can St. Thomas even beat Mount Union this week? Pat Coleman and Keith McMillan discuss in this week’s Around the Nation podcast.

They each talk about what they saw in Saturday’s semifinals, and in fact, Keith gets to turn the tables on Pat and ask the questions for once. Why is this St. Thomas team more successful than the ones preceding it, despite what seems like less star power? Did Kevin Burke perform well under pressure against Mary Hardin-Baylor? Was Nate Wara affected by the broken pinky finger? What’s next for UMHB? Plus, a lot of talk about the two head coaches and a sales pitch to get fans to come to Salem.

•Updated bracket, playoff features

(Disclaimer: Although the podcast is sponsored by the City of Salem this year, that’s not part of the advertising agreement. If you remember past year’s podcasts, we did the same thing then, too!)

We talk about that and more (Gagliardi Trophy favorites, anyone?) in this week’s Around the Nation Podcast, sponsored by the City of Salem, hosts of Stagg Bowl XL. Tickets on sale now!

Hit play, or subscribe to get this podcast on your phone or portable device.

D3reports postgame show

Here’s this week’s D3football.com reports, highlight packages and postgame interviews.

Also, the Mount Union postgame news conference (audio only).

And this week’s photo galleries from our friends at d3photography.com:

Mary Hardin-Baylor at Mount Union

UW-Oshkosh at St. Thomas

Around the Nation podcast: We’re semi-fine with it

Pat Coleman — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 07:40:02 +0000

Wesley had just four second-half possessions against UMHB ending in a punt, an interception, a field goal and a fourth-down stop.
Photo by Andrew Zavoina, d3photography.com

Subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in iTunes.

Two great games, two not-so-great ones. And you can probably guess based on past experience which region was involved in the not-so-great games. We talk about all four games that took place in the national quarterfinals, of course, including the great plays, the special teams miscues. And, of course, the big bracket miscue that results in the No. 1 and No. 2 teams meeting this week instead of next week in Salem.

•Updated bracket, playoff features

And it had to happen eventually. After seven years or so of doing this podcast, we finally ran into a technical problem we didn’t discover until it was too late. There is an Around the Nation podcast this week, but the recording gets a little jittery a little way into the broadcast.

Pat and Keith give their thoughts on what it means to have a new team in Salem. Keith talks about what he missed in watching Mount Union games to make him think Widener had a chance. And we talk about why it’s important for all Division III fans to come to Salem, not just the ones whose teams are playing in the game.

We talk about that and more in this week’s Around the Nation Podcast, sponsored by the City of Salem, hosts of Stagg Bowl XL. Tickets on sale now!

Hit play, or subscribe to get this podcast on your phone or portable device.

D3reports postgame show

Here’s this week’s D3football.com reports, highlight packages and postgame interviews.

And this week’s photo galleries from our friends at d3photography.com:

Wesley at Mary Hardin-Baylor

ATN Podcast: Down to the final eight

Pat Coleman — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 08:35:57 +0000

Jasper Collins caught five touchdown passes. That’s all. No big deal.
Photo by Dan Poel for d3photography.com

Subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in iTunes.

When you have just eight games in a given week, we definitely have time to do a thorough breakdown, and a rundown of the four games coming up next week. So no, there weren’t too many surprises in this particular second round of the playoffs but the highest-ranked teams advanced in every instance.

•Updated bracket, playoff features

Pat and Keith give their strengths and weaknesses for each of the eight remaining teams, looking at the matchups. Plus get Widener’s take on Salisbury and the Pride’s take on Mount Union. UW-Oshkosh linebacker Ryan Stefaniak talks about the play that turned the game, then his coach disputes that that was the turning point at all.

Plus, we talk about the retirement of legendary St. John’s coach John Gagliardi, his legacy, and explain who this Mike Grant person is everyone is talking about as the possible successor.

Keith and Pat talk about that and more in this week’s Around the Nation Podcast, sponsored by the City of Salem, hosts of Stagg Bowl XL. Tickets on sale now!

Hit play, or subscribe to get this podcast on your phone or portable device.

Postgame show

Here’s this week’s D3football.com reports, highlight packages and postgame interviews.

And this week’s photo galleries from our friends at d3photography.com:

Salisbury at Widener

ATN Podcast: When a surprise isn’t a surprise

Pat Coleman — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 08:04:07 +0000

Mary Hardin-Baylor bounced Louisiana College from the playoffs, perhaps a round sooner than it should have been.
Photo by Andrew Zavoina, d3photography.com

Subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in iTunes.

Maybe an upset isn’t an upset when 76 percent of you pick it to happen. There were five road teams who won on Saturday in the opening round of the playoffs and one of them was an upset if you believe in the other Top 25. But when Elmhurst and North Central each went on the road and won, and Bethel won on the road as well, they each struck blows for their conferences.

•Updated bracket, playoff features

But so did Concordia-Chicago. So did Framingham State, despite losing. There aren’t moral victories necessarily in the playoffs but it’s better to go out 20-19 or 24-23 than it is 73-14. But every game gets discussed and we look ahead to what we hope will be a great second weekend of the playoffs as well.

Keith and Pat talk about that and more in this week’s Around the Nation Podcast, sponsored by the City of Salem, hosts of Stagg Bowl XL. Tickets on sale now!

Hit play, or subscribe to get this podcast on your phone or portable device.

Postgame show

Here’s this week’s D3football.com reports, highlight packages and postgame interviews.

And this week’s photo galleries from our friends at d3photography.com:

Christopher Newport at Mount Union

ATN Podcast: Pat and Keith discuss the bracket

Pat Coleman — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 08:11:30 +0000

Adrian was already in the NCAA playoff field, but as we said last week, the Bulldogs had a lot to play for.
Adrian athletics file photo

Subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in iTunes.

Yeah, lots to talk about. We’ve already heard Pat Coleman a lot on this bracket in an interview with Brad Bankston, the football committee chair, so it’s Keith McMillan’s turn to weigh in on the Field of 32 in the Around the Nation Podcast.

And for all involved, where are the great first-round games in this bracket? Who is likely to pull off an upset? Who could give Hobart fits? Or Concordia-Chicago? Or Linfield? What are some of the great stories from Week 11 that led to teams getting into the playoffs, or getting better seeding? Plus, what were the great rivalry games?

Keith and Pat talk about that and more in this week’s Around the Nation Podcast, sponsored by the City of Salem, hosts of Stagg Bowl XL. Tickets on sale now!

Hit play, or subscribe to get this podcast on your phone or portable device.

Postgame show

Here’s this week’s D3football.com reports and highlight packages.

And this week’s photo galleries from our friends at d3photography.com:

Elmhurst vs. Illinois Wesleyan

ATN Podcast: Guest Brad Bankston, committee chair

Pat Coleman — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 04:13:46 +0000

How exactly did Bridgewater State get into the field? We get as much info for you as we can.
Bridgewater State file photo

Subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in iTunes.

We know you have plenty of questions about how teams were chosen for the Division III playoffs and why. While we’re always glad to answer them to the best of our knowledge, it’s good to hear something a little more authoritative, so we’re glad to be joined by Brad Bankston, the chair of the NCAA Division III football championships committee.

Bankston and Pat Coleman talk about everything from those invisible final regional rankings, the at-large decision-making process, and as much detail as possible about how Bridgewater State got in and how Concordia-Moorhead (and others) didn’t. Will the trend of two-loss teams getting at-large bids continue? Why don’t all four regions rank their teams the same way? How has the committee’s conference call changed technologically, and how might that affect the actual decision-making process?

It’s a good conversation, and Bankston is about as frank as any national committee chair has been in the past decade. This is not just the party line. Listen in.

Hit play, or subscribe to get this podcast on your phone or portable device.

Although Keith McMillan participated in putting the questions together, he was unable to take part in the interview because of scheduling. However, there will also be a full Around the Nation Podcast with Pat and Keith for Monday morning.

ATN Podcast: Who’s still in contention?

Pat Coleman — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 07:47:22 +0000

Cody Pohren and Pacific Lutheran benefited from the double losses in the MIAC. How?
PLU athletics file photo by John Froschauer

Subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in iTunes.

We’re down to a final week, with a number of teams left in contention unlike any we can remember. This week’s losses change how some of the teams line up in the pecking order for the seven at-large bids, and if you are new to this process in Division III football, this is your primer, your instruction manual, perhaps your Selection Sunday master class.

Keith and Pat talk about that and more in this week’s Around the Nation Podcast, sponsored by the City of Salem, hosts of Stagg Bowl XL. Tickets on sale now!

Plus there are a bunch of automatic bids left to be handed out, and some were handed out Saturday in interesting ways. We talk about what’s left to be decided as well, including the indecipherable mess that is the North Coast Athletic Conference. Pat and Keith talk about a lot of teams this week — check the tags at the bottom of this page to find out who is on the topics list.

Hit play below to listen, or subscribe to get this podcast on your phone or portable device.

Postgame show

Here’s this week’s D3football.com reports and highlight packages.

And this week’s photo galleries from our friends at d3photography.com:

ATN Podcast: There will be a new champ

Pat Coleman — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 06:25:45 +0000

Kevin Burke and Mount Union are going strong, despite Heidelberg actually scoring this week.
Mount Union athletics photo by JT Higgins

Subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in iTunes.

Now at least we know we will have no more than one Purple Power in Salem for the Stagg Bowl, after the elimination of UW-Whitewater from any reasonable playoff hopes with its third overall loss and second regional loss this week. If Mount were to advance, who might join them? And what do the potential No. 1 seeds need to avoid? Keith and Pat talk about it in this week’s Around the Nation Podcast, sponsored by the City of Salem, hosts of Stagg Bowl XL. Tickets on sale now!

As the season winds down, there are just 22 conferences left to have teams clinch automatic bids, so there’s still a long way to go. Not all of them can clinch this week either, but some can, and some teams on byes can actually clinch from home. Plus, as at-large bids go, some teams played themselves out of consideration this week by picking up a second loss, while some two-loss teams actually have strong resumes for consideration.

Pat and Keith talk about a lot of teams this week, including both teams in the Mount Union-Heidelberg game. Check the tags at the bottom of this page to find out who is on the topics list.

Hit play below to listen, or subscribe to get this podcast on your phone or portable device.

Postgame show

Here’s this week’s D3football.com reports and highlight packages.

And this week’s photo gallery from our friends at d3photography.com:

Albion vs. Olivet

ATN podcast: Will they get in?

Pat Coleman — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 06:00:04 +0000

Cory Wipperfurth’s touchdown catch against UW-Whitewater comes up in Keith’s breakdown of the game.
Photo by Daryl Tessmann for d3photography.com

Subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in iTunes.

There have been lots of “nevers” this year in Division III and we’re potentially headed for another one right now. Since the advent of the automatic bid, the defending national champion has never been on the bubble on Selection Sunday. But UW-Whitewater may well be there even if it wins out, and Pat Coleman and Keith McMillan discuss the Warhawks’ chances as part of this week’s Around the Nation Podcast, sponsored by the City of Salem, hosts of Stagg Bowl XL. Tickets on sale now!

But amid the doom and gloom, there are bright points for the Warhawks. Plus, if this is your first look at UW-Oshkosh, we give you a good description of what the Titans are all about.

It was a channel surfing Saturday for both Pat and Keith, who got their eyes on a lot of games. It was a tough weekend for Illinois Wesleyan and Lycoming, who played two pretty similar games but saw their fourth-quarter nine-point leads vanish at the hands of Wheaton (Ill.) and Widener.

Plus: Why does this unbeaten Johns Hopkins team look better than the last one? Who could be the first team to clinch an automatic bid? What CCIW team might have the best shot at an at-large bid? Who is the stealth unbeaten? And who might be a top candidate for the Gagliardi Trophy … in 2014? All of those questions are discussed in this week’s Around the Nation Podcast.

Hit play below to listen, or subscribe to get this podcast on your phone or portable device.

Postgame show

Here’s this week’s D3football.com reports and highlight packages.

And this week’s photo galleries from our friends at d3photography.com: