Quick Hits: Name this rivalry

Posted on September 15, 2017 by Pat Coleman

We all know what the big game is this week and you don’t need a poll on social media to tell you. But there are 110…109… make that 108 other games this week, at least as of Friday at midnight, and even though No. 1 is playing No. 6, some of those other games might be worth looking at. That’s what our crew does in Quick Hits.

Our regular crew is Keith McMillan, Ryan Tipps, Pat Coleman, Adam Turer and Frank Rossi. Our sixth spot goes to a guest each week, and this week’s is Kevin Niehus, former Thomas More quarterback.

— Pat Coleman; photo by Joe Fusco, d3photography.com

Other than UMHB-Linfield, what’s the game of the week?

Keith’s take: No. 16 Illinois Wesleyan at No. 5 North Central. With the Titans’ hot start and the Carthage-Wheaton clash, we’ll get an idea how CCIW will shake out.	Ryan’s take: No. 16 Illinois Wesleyan at No. 5 North Central. Curious how the Titans fare against their second tough foe of 2017.	Pat’s take: Carthage at No. 4 Wheaton. While everyone is focused on a different CCIW game, I’m wondering how many points Carthage allows.
Adam’s take: Thomas More at No. 18 Washington and Jefferson. The playoffs start now for the Saints.	Frank’s take: No. 16 Illinois Wesleyan at No. 5 North Central. Some folks have doubts about the rankings of both — winner justifies ranking.	Kevin’s take: John Carroll at Baldwin Wallace. Just a hunch; Coach Hilvert will have his kids jacked up for their home opener.

Which Top 25 team is most likely to get upset?

Keith’s take: No. 23 Concordia-Moorhead. Excluding the six teams in Question 1 (not brave enough to pick Carthage), Bethel could take advantage if Cobbers are still patting themselves on the back.	Ryan’s take: No. 9 John Carroll. Baldwin Wallace has kept this matchup interesting in recent years.	Pat’s take: None. I don’t see it this week. Too many head-to-head games that don’t qualify for upset status.
Adam’s take: No. 9 John Carroll. Baldwin Wallace makes a statement in Jim Hilvert’s home debut.	Frank’s take: No. 18 Washington & Jefferson. vs. Thomas More — Saints will bounce back from loss; haven’t lost two straight in season since 2012.	Kevin’s take: No. 18 Washington & Jefferson. Saints leave the PAC following the season. There’s no love lost here. Both teams’ run defenses will be tested.

Who wins the UMHB-Linfield game and why?

Keith’s take: UMHB. Neither wowed in opener, and both lost a lot from last season. Linfield might have lost more.	Ryan’s take: UMHB. They’re back this year more loaded than the Wildcats are.	Pat’s take: UMHB. But for a game that’s picked unanimously, it will be competitive.
Adam’s take: UMHB. Championship pedigree separates two evenly matched teams.	Frank’s take: UMHB. In battle of new starting QBs, edge goes to the Cru.	Guest’s take: UMHB. Division III fans are the big winner with a great early-season matchup which probably determines home field in the semifinals.

Which team picks up a much-needed win after a winless start?

Keith’s take: Augustana. I jumped the gun on St. Norbert; The Vikings have been competitive, and should win at Carroll in the third of three road games to open, and four against “C” teams.	Ryan’s take: No. 24 Wesley. There’s no doubt the sting from two weeks ago lingers — now conference play starts.	Pat’s take: Pacific. Oh, wait, never mind. There are no forfeits awarded for a program refusing to take the field. Thanks, Obama (‘s alma mater).
Adam’s take: UW-Whitewater. The Warhawks take care of the football and avoid an 0-3 start.	Frank’s take: Franklin vs. Defiance — rough schedule in first two games will make this game seem like a cakewalk.	Guest’s take: Gettysburg. Also Franklin. And Chicago.

Pick a winner in the NESCAC not named Amherst or Trinity.

Keith’s take: Wesleyan. The game at Middlebury will be the NESCAC’s closest this week, and it’ll require stout defense vs. UNLV transfer QB Jared Lebowitz and the Panthers.	Ryan’s take: Wesleyan. Though the matchup against Middlebury is pretty even.	Pat’s take: Tufts. Although Hamilton is an improving program, I still like the Jumbos in a big way. No, that’s just the play on words talking. In a medium way.
Adam’s take: Williams. Either Williams or Bowdoin will earn its first win since 2015. I’m picking the Ephs.	Frank’s take: Williams vs. Bowdoin — Mark Raymond gets his first NESCAC head-coaching victory.	Guest’s take: Middlebury. My cousin Tim’s Panthers open at home.

Which two teams playing in Week 3 should have a traveling trophy for their game but don’t yet? What would you call it?

Keith’s take: TMC and W&J. The PACto Defacto Title Game. Or Shenandoah-Hobart Yoder Bowl. The Loras-Dubuque Battle for Dubuque. Stop me anytime.	Ryan’s take: Averett Cougars and Ferrum Panthers. Call it The Cat Scratcher.	Pat’s take: Redlands and George Fox. Remember GFU’s surprise 2015 win? Calling this the Red-Fox Cup. This has nothing to do with red cups and everything to do with Sanford & Son, kids.
Adam’s take: Randolph-Macon and Catholic. The Guru Bowl participants need a trophy featuring prominent alums Pat and Keith. (Ed. note, no they don’t!)	Frank’s take: Catholic vs. Randolph-Macon. The Around the Nation Trophy-cast.	Kevin’s take: Mount St. Joseph vs. Bluffton. The Bridge Bowl 2: there ARE bridges along I-75 in Ohio. They could use the original ceramic bowl, currently collecting dust in Crestview Hills.

We invite you to add your predictions in the comments below. Download the Around the Nation podcast on Mondays, where Pat and Keith review the Quick Hits that were prescient, and the Quick Misses that were terribly off base.

ATN Podcast 174: Evaluating the surprise winners

Posted on September 11, 2017 by Pat Coleman

We certainly spent some time talking about teams that have lost unexpectedly through the first two weeks: UW-Whitewater, St. Thomas, UW-Whitewater again, Thomas More to name a few. But in this week’s D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast, Pat Coleman and Keith McMillan turn their attention to the teams that won those surprise games, where they began the season, what we should have expected and how that expectation changes.

Pat and Keith run through all the top news, the hidden highlights, the risers and sliders, the quick hits and quick misses and more from the week in Division III football. Plus, Luke Ravenstahl is no longer mayor of Pittsburgh and Millikin last started 2-0 in 2012. If you listen to this week’s podcast, you’ll understand.

The D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast is a regular conversation between Pat Coleman and Keith McMillan and guests covering the wide range of Division III football. During the season, it hits your feed weekly on Monday morning. This week, we thank Fanraise for sponsoring our podcast.

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Concordia-Moorhead athletics photo
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Quick Hits Week 2: Some teams just getting started

Posted on September 8, 2017 by Pat Coleman

On our podcast, Keith previewed a Week 2 which might not have as much star power as Week 1, but we still have some key non-conference games, such as Bethel facing Carthage and Cortland meeting Framingham State. Plus, Wabash guys take shots at DePauw and plenty of more matchups are highlighted below in this week’s Quick Hits.

Our regular crew is Keith McMillan, Ryan Tipps, Pat Coleman, Adam Turer and Frank Rossi. Our sixth spot goes to a guest each week, and this week’s is Kickoff contributor Greg Thomas.

— Pat Coleman

Which game will be Week 2’s game of the week?

Keith’s take: UW-Whitewater at Concordia-Moorhead. Warhawks essentially face the IWU of the MIAC; must play well to avoid 0-2.	Ryan’s take: Sul Ross State at No. 1 Mary Hardin-Baylor. The Top 25 votes for SRSU last week were from me. I’m interested.	Pat’s take: Augustana at Central. Also the game of 1984, when these teams met in the Stagg Bowl.
Adam’s take: Ithaca at No. 25 Brockport. After nearly upsetting a ranked opponent in Week 1, the Bombers get another opportunity.	Frank’s take: St. John Fisher at Hobart. No rankings, but a major battle to avoid 0-2 for recent East powers.	Greg’s take: St. John Fisher at Hobart. Top 25 teams just one week ago, both are looking to avoid 0-2 starts.

Which Top 25 team is most likely to get upset?

Keith’s take: No. 25 Brockport. Beat Ithaca by double digits past two seasons, but I think rest of top 25 coasts.	Ryan’s take: No. 25 Brockport. Despite Ithaca’s move, still there’s an E8 smash-’em-up mentality.	Pat’s take: No. 14 Illinois Wesleyan. Well, well, well, how the turntables … (stares at camera)
Adam’s take: No. 25 Brockport. This might be the team to give Dan Swanstrom his first win as Ithaca head coach.	Frank’s take: None. Week 2 has some pretty lop-sided matchups on paper.	Greg’s take: No. 15 UW-Whitewater. A road game against a sneaky tough team from one of D-III’s top leagues? The same recipe tripped up UWW in Week 1.

Which team is going to wish it already had a game under its belt?

Keith’s take: Pomona-Pitzer. Sagehens make 1,760-mile trip to Rhodes, a 45-42 cross-country winner at Willamette Week 1.	Ryan’s take: DePauw. Mount St. Joseph is 1-0 against an OAC team. Make them an automatic threat.	Pat’s take: Whittier. Although another 10 games would not be enough vs. No. 24-and-climbing Whitworth.
Adam’s take: No. 7 Linfield. I nearly picked Chapman to knock off the Wildcats in their first game post-Sam Riddle.	Frank’s take: Rochester. Small roster lacks experience as they play at Carnegie Mellon, which had good Week 1 win.	Greg’s take: DePauw. With a lot of new starters, the Tigers may find themselves in a tricky spot at Mount St. Joseph.

Which team will surprisingly be 2-0?

Keith’s take: Oberlin. Kenyon crushed the Yeomen during an 0-10 2016, but D was sharp in Week 1 vs. Kalamazoo.	Ryan’s take: Guilford. Last week’s win really surprised me; this week’s won’t as much.	Pat’s take: Allegheny. An impressive Week 1 performance is a start, but beating Wooster would mean more.
Adam’s take: King’s. Monarchs surprise by starting 2-0 and upsetting Stevenson, which surprisingly falls to 0-2.	Frank’s take: Illinois Wesleyan. The surprise is that they had to get through UWW to do it.	Greg’s take: Sewanee. W&L needed a furious fourth-quarter rally to get past Sewanee in 2016.

Pick a conference that wins a majority of games from another conference:

Keith’s take: MIAA over HCAC. Our 17th-rated conference in Kickoff could go 3-0 vs. No. 22, the HCAC.	Ryan’s take: NWC over SCIAC. Lots of teams playing their debuts in these matchups.	Pat’s take: ODAC over USAC. There are four matchups and the ODAC should be able to win three.
Adam’s take: IIAC over MWC. Wartburg and Coe over Monmouth and Cornell, respectively.	Frank’s take: NWC over SCIAC. I’d explain why, but it took me hours to find an answer.	Greg’s take: NWC over SCIAC. Whitworth and Linfield feel safe. Surely there’s one more win in there this week for the NWC.

Pick a conference-game winner which contradicts the Kickoff preseason ranking:

Keith’s take: Muskingum (115) over Otterbein (77). Muskingum shut out Waynesburg Week 1, and faces Otterbein in OAC’s only game.	Ryan’s take: McDaniel (182) over Moravian (118). They already went in opposite directions in Week 1.	Pat’s take: Wilkes (138) over Lebanon Valley (122). Making a mess in the muddle in the middle of the MAC.
Adam’s take: St. Vincent (142) over Thiel (141). They were separated by one spot in Kickoff. Let’s flip a coin.	Frank’s take: FDU-Florham (179) at Widener (65). MAC Week 1 results suggest Widener lacks offense; the Devils don’t.	Greg’s take: McMurry (121) over Southwestern (113). Not exactly a warm welcome to the ASC for the Pirates.