As we get ready to deliver the D3football.com preseason Top 25 next week, I’m reminded of something that comes up every poll season: Not all records are created equal.

A 6-0 for one team isn’t necessarily as good as a 4-2 for someone else. With 234 teams in Division III, you could go years without playing a schedule worthy of getting into the Top 25. While in Division I-A there are less than five teams for every spot in the Top 25, there are more than nine teams for every Top 25 spot in Division III.

In fact, it’s almost twice as hard in Division III. There are 117 Division I-A teams, 234 Division III teams (though provisionals are not eligible for our Top 25). So when your favorite Centennial Conference or Midwest Conference or USA South or MIAA team doesn’t make the Top 25, it isn’t because we’re biased against your team, it’s because you haven’t earned the spot yet.

See last year’s playoff results for confirmation.