Clearly, peeps can’t wait to start being chatterboxes about this Saturday’s games, and rightfully so.
Therefore, in the absence of a well-thought-out Gordon Mann blog post to kick things off (although one is probably coming), here’s the ATN five games to watch and others to peek at with your peripheral vision:
Five games to watch
Skimming the schedule, I got about halfway down, seeing a few that intrigued me and the best game looking like Lycoming at Wilkes. And then we hit the mother lode. This is the week. Enough with the tune-ups against creampuffs and out-of-conference/out-of-division games. Some conference races are about to get ugly.
No. 10 Ohio Northern at No. 1 Mount Union
The Polar Bears are looking crazy-good right now, averaging a 29-10 win in four games, having given up single digits in the past three and coming off a 26-0 shutout of Otterbein. They’re giving up fewer than 150 yards per game as the nation’s No. 2 defense. And the Purple Raiders dwarf all of that. Their average win is 66-7, they’ve got two consecutive shutouts and the nation’s No. 4 defense, along with the No. 1 offense. And the game is in Alliance for the second consecutive season. The Polar Bears’ trump card, despite having fewer players back from last season, is that they won there last year 21-14.
No. 5 Hardin-Simmons at No. 12 Mary Hardin-Baylor
Here’s defacto title game No. 1 this week, and it’s never an easy one to predict. The Cowboys can come in riding high, like last season, and get chumped 38-7. Two seasons ago Hardin-Simmons won the midseason matchup 49-22, only to lose 42-28 to UMHB in the playoffs. The American Southwest title is likely on the line in a game that could have a ripple effect throughout Division III. If the Crusaders and Cowboys each make the postseason and Trinity (Texas) wins the SCAC, a Texas team will play an out-of-state team in the first round (there are no more byes to help avoid this) for the first time since HSU played Wittenberg in 2001.
No. 4 St. John’s at St. Olaf
A pair of 5-0s meet in a possible defacto title game, although there are MIAC challenges a plenty the rest of the way for the Oles. St. Olaf brought a 7-0 record into the game last year, lost 63-9 and let its playoff chances go the following week in a 49-35 loss to Concordia-Moorhead. They do get the Johnnies in Northfield this time, and St. John’s hasn’t overwhelmed in either of its MIAC games.
Washington & Jefferson at Thiel
This is the third game on the list that will likely decide a conference title, and because of the PAC’s Pool B status and each team’s early-season loss, the playoff implications are grand. Conference-title-wise, Thiel is 2-0 in PAC games already while it’s the Presidents’ opener, but since these are the only two conference teams with winning records, it’s safe to say the winner is in good shape.
Monmouth at St. Norbert
The fourth defacto title game, and I promise it’s the last time I’ll use that word this week. This one is more like an elimination game than any of the others, however, because the NCAA committee has never taken two Midwest Conference teams in the same season. Monmouth’s loss to Wartburg hurts its Pool C chances with a loss, and hurts the league’s profile (and therefore, St. Norbert’s chances) if the Scots win. The Green Knights haven’t lost since a 28-20 defeat in this game last year, and have only played one close game since, two weeks ago against Lake Forest. Oddly, like the ONU-MUC game, this one is at St. Norbert for the second year in a row.
Also keep an eye on — No. 3 Capital at John Carroll, UW-Platteville at No. 7 UW-La Crosse, No. 11 Occidental at Redlands, No. 13 Central at Luther, No. 15 St. John Fisher at Brockport State, Lycoming at No. 16 Wilkes, North Central at No. 20 Wheaton, Augustana at Elmhurst, Texas Lutheran at Howard Payne, Trinity (Texas) at Huntingdon, UW-Oshkosh at UW-Stout.
Actually I’m not sure there’s a better lead in to discussion than that. Two games pitting Top 25 teams against each other. Two games that are must wins for teams with playoff hopes. If that doesn’t get you juiced up, I don’t know what will.
My two-cents (plink, plink) on other games…
Wish you were here: Take your pick from any of the games above. If I had my choice and a private jet, I’d take the Texas showdown between HSU and UMHB. Remember that the Cowboys are down one half-game since their contest with Louisiana College was cancelled. If HSU loses this one, they would need UMHB to lose twice in conference to jump them in the standings, which doesn’t seem very likely.
Don’t sleep on this one: There’s something about the brown and gold of Rowan that brings out the best in The College of New Jersey. Even when the Lions are having a down year (see 3-7 in 2005), they play the Profs tough. This year the TCNJ gets the game as their home opener. They’ll need to throw the ball more than the 83.5 yards per game they’ve passed for so far to keep the ferocious Rowan front honest.
Most likely Top 25 team to lose: Keith mentions some interesting games in which ranked teams play solid non-ranked opponents. But I think No. 3 Capital (vrs. John Carroll), No. 4 St. John’s (vrs. St. Olaf) and No. 7 UW-Lax (vrs. UW-Platteville) will all win by double-digits. No. 24 Delaware Valley is a threat to lose every week with their penchant for nail biters. So let’s go with No. 20 Wheaton (Ill.) against North Central. If Kam Kniss has a fantastic game, the Cards could pull off the upset here.
Last stand: In addition to W&J/Thiel and Monmouth/St. Norbert, there are a couple other games which could be last stands for potential playoff contenders. Winless Redlands can improve their postseason chances dramatically by upsetting No. 11 Occidental. Wittenberg, who needs to keep winning, has to find a way to slow down quarterback Justin Rummell (326.2 yards, 14 TDs) and the Earlham offense. And Lycoming’s best chance at the NCAA playoffs is to beat No. 16 Wilkes.
Super Ridiculous Pick of the Week: Before this week the last time the Mets won a playoff game was 2000 against the other team from New York that shall remain nameless in the World Series that didn’t happen. Before this week the last time the North Park Vikings won a CCIW game was 2000 against Elmhurst.
Before this week, that is. If the Mets were due for a win, so is NPU. Either that or I just wanted to gloat a little about the Mets’ win tonight and didn’t have anyone to share it with.
North Park 20 Millikin 14
Viva Julio Franco.
And finally…
Define “bounce back game”: After its first loss in over three seasons, Trinity (Conn.) plays Hamilton, 7-51 since we started tracking records.
Thank you for watching the UWL vs UWP game. While UWL is favored, I think we have a chance if we avoid turnovers. We are no longer intimidated by this team, having beaten them twice in the last 8 years. Also, we are good at rallying to victory. If we are within 10 at halftime, we have a chance. If UWP wins, we should fault into the top ten! God Bless
Keith…once again your bias against SJU comes out…”St. John’s hasn’t overwhelmed in either of its MIAC games.”…I guess 60-0 against Augsburg doesn’t count…of course Augy just pushed Concordia to overtime before losing…And believe it or not Carleton beat Bethel and then SJU overwhelmed them in the second half…with a second string QB. I can’t remember the last time I read anything positive from you concerning SJU…maybe I am wrong and if I am my bad…but maybe I’m right
Not sure Augsburg/Concordia-Moorhead is something that helps your cause, VOJ. It only muddies the waters.
Nobody will be champing at the bit to see the Union/WPI game. However, as there are no gimme’s in the LL, Union better execute successfully (read, win) or the will have torpedoed their season.
D3Keith – Are you feelin’ it for this Sunday at 4:15pm?!?! If you’re going down to the Linc, stop by Section 108, Row 26, Seats 4-13!!!!!
Our tailgate starts in the old Vet parking lot at 9:00am!!!!!!
There is no passion on the planet that will ever come close to what those of us who are fortunate enough to be at the Linc will be experiencing in person!!!!
Go Birds………and we’ll defend our turf in the stands and in the parking lots as well!!
We’ll have photographers at the top three games on your list Keith. Josh Bowerman will be at HSU/MHB, Larry Radloff will be at Monmouth/St. Norbert and Dave Sanders and I will be at St. John’s/St. Olaf.
I’m spending the weekend at home, which is nice, visiting the family. But piling into the car to see Washington and Lee play at Catholic.
Might be the last game I see at the alma mater for quite some time.
I don’t want to take the focus off this thread or the big games out there today, so I responded to the St. John’s bias claim on the Around the Nation thread on Post Patterns. Fit the theme of the week anyway.
I’m glad you folks think I’m so good at this I’m infallible, but I just missed the Augsburg game when reviewing the schedule. Mistake, simple as that. It happens.
UPdate: Halftime in Lacrosse: all tied at 14. UWP got 4 turnovers but only 7 points on them. 2touchdown passes to Joe Danielson. UWL moving ball but shooting itself in the FOOT!
Gordon – No nail biter in Doylestown today. Freshmen Isgro is getting better every game (21-30…..302 yards….4 touchdowns) and has a little bit of Knoblauch in him. Defense gave up just 84 total yards against a (up to this point) pretty decent Moravian team.
Great weekend……big win in Doylestown (in addition to getting to live in this wonderful enclave part time), the Yankees and their $210 million payroll are going down the tubes AGAIN and we’ve got World War III at the Linc tomorrow for the Eagles-Cowboys game!!!!!
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Although I may a be a bit biased, and I don’t want to take anything away from what any team has/personal has achieved. I strongly thing we could have put a handicapped two legged girl runner in as running/half back and still succeeded as a team. And I feel this shows the many accomplishments as a team. But on the same page I feel this under mines the conference’s best back in the league. Whether this be running back or receiving back, he can get the job done. I don’t want to brag about a specific back, I do want to get the recognition from one of the best D III conferences there is. So, this is for every back there is in the WIAC.
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