Triple Take: Don’t look too far ahead

At least among the top 25, Week 7 is one without many major clashes. But when it’s expected to do well, that’s when a team’s focus can wane. It’s human nature. The best teams avoid those lapses. Ryan Tipps, Pat Coleman and Keith McMillan take a stab at which ranked teams will have a slip-up, which will get caught looking ahead to their Week 8 showdowns and which teams have to show everyone something against this week’s opponent.

Game of the Week
Ryan’s take: No. 9 Capital at John Carroll.
How does a team like Capital bounce back from a punishing loss against the OAC’s big dog? Are they nursing their wounds or out for blood? The relatively overlooked Blue Streaks are 4-1 and probably wondering the same thing. John Carroll hasn’t been tested much in wins against three of the OAC’s bottom-rung teams, and Capital will certainly add a new dimension to JCU’s strength of schedule. Capital needs to rebound while John Carroll needs to prove it’s for real.
Pat’s take: No. 6 Wabash at Wittenberg. These teams have to be considered to be much closer together than their No. 6 vs. unvoted-on rankings would suggest. Wittenberg will need to be able to hold onto the football a little better than it did against Washington U., a 30-27 loss in which it turned the ball over four times.
Keith’s take: Ripon at Monmouth. Given third choice, I’ll go with a game in one of the conferences I write about the least. It’s nothing personal, it’s just that St. Norbert usually has things wrapped up by now. Maybe it just seems that way. The potential here for Ripon, a program with a proud history, to take a step toward a place it hasn’t been in quite some time is significant by itself. Then you throw in the possibility of a three-way race in the MWC, or that the conference could potentially make a run at its first Pool C bid, and we’ve got a game that bears watching.

Surprisingly close game
Ryan’s take: Johns Hopkins at Ursinus.
Johns Hopkins is hot; Ursinus is not. While the Blue Jays have already matched their win total from last year and are looking at having their best season since 2005, the Bears are on a (lopsided) two-game slide. Atmosphere will be on Ursinus’ side in front of a Homecoming audience, but at seven weeks into the season, Ursinus is the only team in the Centennial not to have had an athlete named as a conference player of the week. But it’s a team effort, and the team — especially the defense — will be needed Saturday. This game shouldn’t be close, but it will be.
Pat’s take: Heidelberg at No. 1 Mount Union. I mean, surprisingly close in that it’ll be closer than the eight-touchdown game that seems to be expected.
Keith’s take: Mississippi College at No. 3 Mary Hardin-Baylor. After losing their first two games, plus star quarterback Adam Shaffer to a season-ending knee injury, the Choctaws have settled down under freshman Tommy Reyer and gone 2-1. The final score might not reflect it, but they could give the Crusaders a scare for a while.

Most likely Top 25 team to get upset
Ryan’s take: No. 22 Carleton.
The Knights are having something of a Cinderella season at the top of the competitive MIAC, but there are still lots of spoilers along the way, including Gustavus Adolphus this week. The Gusties have shown that they can move the ball on good teams, and Carleton’s defense took a big hit last week giving up 41 points. So confidence may be a factor. But the Knights also have a knack for winning the turnover battle and for a measured and balanced offense of runs and passes. The Gusties will need to disrupt that dance to win.
Pat’s take: No. 9 Capital. I’m thinking the Crusaders are in line for a little bit of a letdown after last week’s pounding at Mount Union, while John Carroll needs the win to stay anywhere near the playoff hunt. JCU has allowed just 14.6 points per game, though it will need to put some points on the board.
Keith’s take: No. 8 North Central. It’s not that I think the Cardinals are bad; I have had them ranked higher than their poll position for several weeks now. Choosing a top 25 upset is never easy, and if you’re the slowest “expert” to grab the file and you get third pick of the available games, it’s even harder. Carthage is talented enough to push North Central, which could be too eagerly anticipating its rivalry clash and potential defacto title game vs. Wheaton next week.

They’ll be on your radar
Ryan’s take: Lycoming.
The Warriors are rallying hard this year under their new coach, having already beaten the MAC’s two most-talked-about teams from ‘07. Wilkes has carried its difficulties from last season with it into this year, opening the door for Lycoming to gain momentum going into a showdown against fellow conference kingpin Delaware Valley next week.
Pat’s take: Chapman. But with the Panthers’ home game against No. 24 Occidental kicking off at 10 p.m. ET, they may not be on your radar until sometime on Sunday. Chapman has fared well against a schedule that is comparable to Occidental’s.
Keith’s take: Thomas More. I thought about Cal Lutheran, WPI, Plymouth State and Wooster in this spot, but none of them have more to prove than the 4-1 Saints, who face 4-2 Grove City with a chance to stay unbeaten in the PAC and establish itself as a playoff darkhorse. Defense has been the specialty of late, with none of the past three opponents scoring more than 12 points. The Wolverines represent perhaps Thomas More’s most significant challenge since a season-opening loss against John Carroll.

What’s the better rivalry-type game this year: UW-Oshkosh vs. UW-Whitewater (100 meetings), St. John’s vs. St. Thomas (77 meetings), Wabash vs. Wittenberg (11 meetings) or Trinity, Texas vs. DePauw (nine meetings)?
Ryan’s take: Wabash vs. Wittenberg.
It feels strange after spending so much of the season with loyalty blinders on that I now balk at hyping an important game involving my alma mater, Wabash. But I know the intensity of this game — and the series, which at 6-5 means that just one win in Wittenberg’s favor separates the two teams. A rivalry has tradition and meaning to it, and the 2002 regular season upset of Wittenberg in overtime was the start of a fall for the Tigers, and they haven’t won a playoff game since. But on the line is often the North Coast automatic playoff bid, which this game has decided in each of the past three years. The twist for ‘08 is that Wabash is still breaking in a new coach, who brings a playbook full of new schemes on offense and defense. For Witt and ‘Bash, neither side will be fully aware of what the other is capable of.
Pat’s take: Wabash-Wittenberg. Enough said.
Keith’s take: That was going to be my choice too, over the Minnesota face-off. It’s a huge achievement for the winner, to emerge from the game favored among three contending NCAC teams. The Little Giants and Tigers have a history that seems to befit a rivalry longer than 11 years.

Which team stumbles on the way to next week’s big matchup, Delaware Valley, Lycoming, North Central, Wheaton, Linfield or Willamette?
Ryan’s take: North Central.
Carthage’s win over Illinois Wesleyan in Week 5 proves that the Red Men have the chops to take down tough competition. But they’re not necessarily riding high at the moment after a loss last weekend. However, you don’t blow leads in the fourth quarter without learning something, and Carthage will be looking to pluck the feathers off a North Central team that has feasted its way to an undefeated record by playing teams that are only a combined 5-21.
Pat’s take: Lycoming. Wilkes on the road screams out as a classic trap game. Wilkes hasn’t played poorly but is 1-4, with three of the losses by one score.
Keith’s take: Willamette. There’s a chance none of them falter, and yes North Central was my pick to stumble while looking ahead under an earlier category. But in the interest of diversity, Pacific Lutheran seems as likely an opponent to pull off an upset as any of the others we have to choose from. The Lutes returned just eight starters, and have been competitive in losses to three teams with three wins each (St. Olaf, Cal Lutheran and Gustavus Adolphus). It’s time the young players grow into their roles.

With a win this weekend, which unbeaten team will most deserve a place in the Top 25: Curry, Monmouth, Trine or RPI?
Ryan’s take: Monmouth.
It’s not just that the Scots have already beaten the Nos. 3 through 6 teams in the Midwest Conference, it’s that in most instances, they’ve manhandled the bunch. Ripon is Monmouth’s last big threat — and a win here against the 5-1 Red Hawks would give Monmouth an impressive win and vote of confidence toward the Top 25.
Pat’s take: Trine. I wouldn’t cast a ballot for any of the other three, since they haven’t played anyone in my current Top 40 so far this season. But RPI has the best chance later in the season.
Keith’s take: Trine. You could make a pretty good case for all of them, to be honest, but if the Thunder improves to 6-0, it will include a win over then-No. 14 Franklin and the defending MIAA champ/playoff representative in Olivet.

Triple Take: ‘Turning Point’ Ahead

OK, you know what? We’ve got pride here at D3football.com, but not that much pride. We’ll trot out the ‘turning point’ thing once again, because heck, that’s what Saturday is in more places than not.

In a week where No. 1 plays No. 4 and can hardly garner the hype befitting such a matchup (Hey Purple Raiders, any kind of drama you can provide would be appreciated), we at least were able to bring you a No. 1 (or No. 4) expert from Ohio to help prime faithful readers for what to expect. Mark Grossman does color for Mount Union’s radio broadcast, and has an uncanny feel for the Ohio Athletic Conference.

So without further ado, Mark, publisher Pat Coleman and columnist Keith McMillan point you towards Triple Take, Turning Point Saturday Style:

(yes, we’ll make it stop)

Game of the Week
Mark’s take: No. 4 Capital at No. 1 Mount Union: This one is easily the game of the week, and in my opinion, the regular season game of the year! I expect this game to be a real dogfight like the recent playoff contests that Mount won by three points (34-31 in ‘05 and 17-14 in ‘06), not the 37-0 Mount win last season. And even last season’s rout is very misleading as Capital’s defense held MUC in check better than anyone last year (including Whitewater), to the tune of only 286 yards on a picture-perfect fall afternoon. The problem last season for Capital was an injury-riddled offense capped by no Marty Assmann at quarterback and no Derick Alexander at wide receiver. Both are now healthy for the nation’s fourth-ranked offense and are joined in the backfield by a 220-poiund running back (Dominic D’Andrea) averaging over five yards a carry. So expect some fireworks against a young Raider defense that returns only two starters (Daryl Ely at cornerback and Joe Millings at defensive end). Mount Union counters with Division III’s best backfield tandem in all-American tailback Nate Kmic and quarterback Greg Micheli, but little else experience-wise. But if you need a foundation to build on, coach Larry Kehres couldn’t ask for more than the NCAA’s fifth all-time leading rusher and a quarterback that is as dangerous with his legs as he is his arm. In the end, I expect the two-headed monster of Kmic and Micheli to be the difference in another OAC classic battle as the Raiders make the plays in the fourth quarter to win 34-24.
Keith’s take: Occidental at No. 18 Redlands. OK, wow. Well, you don’t dial up a guest expert to talk about what he doesn’t know about. I think I was pretty clear in Around the Nation that there are a dozen or so big games this week, but forced to choose, I’d go way out west and stay up late for Tigers-Bulldogs. Chose it by a hair over St. Norbert-Monmouth, and here’s why: If Mount Union or Capital have their one bad Saturday this week, either could recover. But the SCIAC and MWC don’t churn out playoff teams in pairs. If there’s a single game for all the chips (or marbles, if you prefer), these are them.
Pat’s take: Lebanon Valley at No. 13 Delaware Valley. At least, it should be closer than last year, a 49-13 loss. Unlike a Mount Union game, this actually has a chance of being close. Lebanon Valley beat Wilkes for the first time in 16 years last week and is plus-6 on turnovers this season while leading the MAC in total offense. And it’s not like Delaware Valley hasn’t played some exciting games already this season.

Surprisingly close game
Mark’s take: No. 9 UW-Eau Claire at UW-La Crosse Eau Claire might be ranked No. 9 and La Crosse might be 0-4, but I have a hard time believing that the Eagles are really as bad as their record indicates. I don’t expect UW-L to win, but history says most WIAC games are tight on the scoreboard.
Keith’s take: Birmingham-Southern at DePauw. Staring at a date with No. 19 Trinity (Texas) next week, will the Tigers be able to put aside last week’s 55-13 thrashing at Millsaps and be sharp against the Panthers? DePauw didn’t look like a conference champion or playoff team last week, but it’s not far fetched to envision a three-way tie atop the conference if everything breaks right. I could see a sluggish start and a game closer than the Tigers would like.
Pat’s take: East Texas Baptist at No. 16 Hardin-Simmons. ETBU had a respectable showing at St. John’s and has won three games against the bottom teams in the American Southwest Conference, but will need to find the holes in the Cowboy defense.

Most likely Top 25 team to get upset
Mark’s take: No. 6 Wheaton The D3 poll loves the undefeated Thunder and has yet to give the 3-1 Vikings a single vote, but I think these two traditional CCIW powers play a close one. Much was made of Augie’s offseason ditching of the venerable Wing-T, but the Vikings continue to move the ball on the ground, averaging 200 yards per game, which is only 18 yards per game behind league leader Wheaton. Defense was the biggest reason Augie struggled to finish 5-5 last season (17.6 points per game allowed), but the “D” looks to be solved as they have surrendered only 6.3 a game so far. Only a 13-9 loss to UW-Platteville ,in which the Vikings outgained UW-P 349 to 218, keeps this from being a matchup of unbeatens.
Keith’s take: No. 15 Case Western Reserve. So many top 25 teams are playing quality opponents, it would be hard to call their losses upsets. In the case of Case (oh, shut it), Wooster is easily the most accomplished opponent it’s faced so far. The Scots are giving up just eight points a game, and the Spartans have had little go wrong while averaging more than 48 points per game, with just three total turnovers. If Wooster’s defense causes a little frustration early, perhaps it becomes a situation where the Spartans — thinking they must remain perfect to stay in the Pool B playoff chase — begin to press, and instead unravel.
Pat’s take: No. 18 Redlands. The Bulldogs will need a better performance from Steve Smith, who completed 13 of 24 passes for 156 yards and was picked off twice in his first start in relief of Dan Selway. Selway is out with a broken foot. Occidental is a few steps up from La Verne. The Tigers have had three weeks to game-plan, coming off a bye and a 38-0 blanking of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.

They’ll be on your radar
Mark’s take: Carleton. The 4-0 Knights have already matched their highest win total of any season in the past decade, but we still don’t know that much about them. Their Week 2 win versus Bethel caught my attention at the time, but Bethel is slogging along at 2-3 and hasn’t looked good doing it. This is the Knights’ week to prove they’re no fluke, when they host No. 22 Augsburg (4-0). Win this one and they’re in the Top 25 and well on the way to staking a claim to a playoff spot, as surprising as that sounds.
Keith’s take: Curry. Already looking like the class of the NEFC and with their biggest challenge, Plymouth State, still a couple weeks away, it’s easy for pollsters to lose the Colonels among all the big games and tight races. After a pair of less-than-convincing 7-point wins early, Curry has pulled away from its past three opponents, showing the form, especially defensively, of a team that warrants top 25 consideration.
Pat’s take: Kean. The Cougars are playing well and could hang in there a game behind Cortland State in the NJAC the rest of the season. Kean lost to Cortland 32-28 last week but has running back Jared Chunn seemingly coming into his own, averaging 156.2 yards per game, and Tom D’Ambrisi completing 68 percent of his passes with just two interceptions. Kean hosts Montclair State to close the season, a game that could well have playoff implications.

Of the conference races with Turning Point games, which one will be the most complicated?
Mark’s take: The logjam at the top of the Empire 8 is the easy choice, but I’m going to go with the MIAC. Two of the historic bottom feeders in the MIAC (Augsburg and Carleton) have surprisingly sprinted to two-game leads over conference giants St. John’s and Bethel, but the conference race is a long way from being over. Neither has played the Johnnies yet, nor Concordia-Moorhead (2-0 in-conference), so it’s very conceivable the MIAC champ could end with two losses and not be decided until the final week.
Keith’s take: The MAC. I agree, Mark, picking the Empire 8 was as easy as a 1-yard plunge. (If anyone mentions the Philadelphia Eagles, I swear I’m quitting the site.) The NFL team in Southeastern Pa. is actually a pretty good model for how I feel about all eight teams in this conference. With traditionally strong Wilkes bringing up the rear, and traditionally weak FDU-Florham looking plenty competitive (all four games decided by a TD or less), every MAC team looks talented enough to beat another, but it’s anyone’s guess if they’ll follow through. There have been five different MAC champions (all teams still in the conference) the past six seasons, which is just enough to make you wonder if this race will be undecided even after we figure out where Pa.’s 21 electoral college votes are going.
Pat’s take: The IIAC. I mean, let’s face it, at the end of Saturday either Loras or Buena Vista is going to be the unbeaten conference leader. That’s just bizarre. Wartburg still has a role to play in this race, as does Coe, which had Loras beat in Week 4.

Who will score more points, Hartwick or Linfield, Montclair State and Cortland State combined?
Mark’s take: Wow, this is a tough one. I’m going with the trifecta of Linfield, Montclair and Cortland simply because Hartwick faces an Alfred team that has been playing decent defense.
Keith’s take: The Trio. I’ll be making the six-hour drive to Cortland on Saturday morning (yes, Pat offered to have me fly this week; no, I did not book my plane ticket in time), and if somebody red doesn’t finish a few red-zone trips with touchdowns, I might strap on a helmet and pads and break out the ol’ free safety forearm shiver.
Pat’s take: Hartwick. Because it’s fun to consider the possibilities and I’m not convinced the teams that Alfred has shut down so far are all that. Jason Boltus is one of the premier players in Division III and Hartwick scores in bunches whenever he plays.

Wooster and Occidental are unbeaten and have a combined zero Top 25 votes. Will either of them get votes after this weekend?
Mark’s take: No,
because they’ll both lose this week. Wooster barely beat 0-4 Earlham last week and only Denison by 11, whereas Case Western Reserve drilled Denison by 31. Expect the Scots first loss to come with a resounding “thud” at CWRU. Occidental’s first three opponents are a combined 2-10, making the Tigers’ road trip to Redlands (3-0) a significant upgrade in competition. While Redlands’ opponents haven’t been much better (3-8 overall), they’ve looked better than Occidental and are at home. Go with Redlands to down Occidental.
Keith’s take: Yes. But now that I said that, does that mean I have to vote for one of them next week just to be right?
Pat’s take: Yes. If either of them plays close against their ranked competition they have a chance to slide onto a ballot somewhere, perhaps in where the loser of Augsburg/Carleton or St. John Fisher/Salisbury drops off.

Triple Take: Can sour seasons turn sweet?

Sometimes rough starts get rougher when conference play begins. In the case of 0-3 UW-La Crosse, for example, No.2 UW-Whitewater awaits. In conferences like the ODAC, NJAC and MIAC, the only chance a stumbling team has to get it together is against a traditional conference power.

We guarantee there’s no stumbling in this all-staff edition of your weekly primer. Well, at least no stumbling over each other, as D3Sports.com Deputy Managing Editor Gordon Mann, Publisher Pat Coleman and Columnist Keith McMillan are careful to each go their separate ways under each category. (For bonus points, try to guess who got first pick under each header by turning their answers in first! )

Check out which contests will be making waves on each coast and everywhere in between:

Game of the Week
Gordon’s take: No. 23 Willamette at Whitworth.
If the Bearcats are going to capture the NWC’s first automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs, they will have to win on the road. Linfield lurks in Week 8, but first Willamette has to beat the defending conference champ on homecoming.
Pat’s take: No. 21 Hardin-Simmons at No. 3 Mary Hardin-Baylor. This game has the potential to be better than the rankings would suggest. The Crusaders have played two of the bottom teams in the conference since losing running back Quincy Daniels to injury but have been much better at the quarterback position than projected. But it’s still endemic upon Hardin-Simmons to stop UMHB, and while the Cowboys have improved over last season, they’ve still allowed 22 points or more in each game.
Keith’s take: DePauw at No. 13 Millsaps. It’s a shame it’s taken gaudy scores for voters to get on board with the Majors, but it’s happening, as they surged from No. 19 in last week’s poll. The Tigers haven’t scuffled as much as their last two finals might suggest, although they briefly trailed in the second half against Centre. The SCAC has been a three-way race in recent seasons, and for Millsaps to really grab voters’ attention, a home win against fellow unbeaten DePauw is essential.

Surprisingly close game
Gordon’s take: Lycoming at Widener.
The defending MAC champs open conference play by hosting an opponent with whom they’ve played some wild games. Lycoming hasn’t challenged for the conference crown in a couple seasons but already showed it can play on the road by hanging with Ithaca. Keep an eye on Warrior sophomore Josh Kleinfelter who is averaging 134 rushing yards per game.
Pat’s take: No. 22 Wartburg at Buena Vista. The Beavers have put a couple of good performances up the past two weeks.
Keith’s take: Trine at Hope. From afar, with the Thunder 3-0 and the Flying Dutchmen 0-4, it looks like a mismatch, but no one in the MIAA would be surprised by a close one. Perennial contender Hope reaches for the stars in its non-conference scheduling, while Trine has not played nearly as well on the road as they have at home. Each side considers the AQ its ultimate goal, so expect this one to be a lot more of a slugfest than the records would indicate.

Most likely Top 25 team to get upset
Gordon’s take: No. 11 Washington & Jefferson.
[Pat chose first]. Shoot, I was going to pick UW-Eau Claire, too. He who hesitates picks someone else. And Washington & Jefferson, who plays at Geneva, is “someone else” in a week without a lot of upset candidates.
Pat’s take: No. 9 UW-Eau Claire. The Blugolds haven’t shown the ability to put points on the board. (They scored 28 against Hope, compared to Carthage scoring 70 and Wheaton putting up 47.) While they may well beat UW-Oshkosh 13-7, I think it’s more likely Oshkosh puts enough together to win it.
Keith’s take: No. 5 Muhlenberg. W&J is gone too, eh? Okay then. No. 2 UW-Whitewater is a tempting pick against rival UW-La Crosse, but the Mules haven’t been pushed too hard, nor have they been flawless in a 3-0 start. Johns Hopkins is playing its first home game in a month, and is coming off a 33-10 loss to the Mules archrival, Moravian. You think the Bluejays were focused this week in practice?

They’ll be on your radar
Gordon’s take: UW-Stevens Point.
The Pointers are 3-0 but it’s tough to know what to make of their three victories. Last week they beat Azusa Pacific who is usually solid and already beat UW-La Crosse. But we’ll know more if Stevens Point takes care of business on the road at UW-River Falls.
Pat’s take: Lycoming. Maybe it’s a bold pick, but even when Lycoming has been down in recent years, they have played Widener tough. I don’t see it being any different this week.
Keith’s take: Otterbein. With three wins under their belts, surrendering just seven points in each while scoring at least 37, the Cardinals are making bold statements. With Capital and Mount Union still a few weeks down the road, Otterbein must be consistently good against the OAC’s middle class. Another convincing win might catch some observing eyes nationally.

Who is more likely to sweeten a sour season — Bridgewater (vs. Hampden-Sydney), Bethel (vs. St. John’s) or Brockport (vs. Rowan)?
Gordon’s take: Brockport.
The Rowan teams from the early part of this decade probably beat this Brockport team by 20-plus points. But they would’ve beaten Bridgewater State and William Paterson by larger margins than the 2008 version did, too. Rowan is still the favorite but the long drive from southern New Jersey to western New York gives the Golden Eagles a better shot at the upset.
Pat’s take: Bethel. The Royals have had a couple of tough losses, one of which it seemed they clearly outplayed their opponent (Wheaton) but lost in a rainstorm on a punt return. They are out of the running at the moment for the MIAC title but can put St. John’s in the same boat with a win.
Keith’s take: Bridgewater. Looks like I get the Eagles. Not a terrible proposition, though, since Bridgewater owned Hampden-Sydney until last season’s 38-31 road loss. Falling behind 34-0 in last week’s 17-point loss to Lycoming was a low point few Eagles in recent memory have seen, and a defeat would give Bridgewater more losses than it’s had since 1999. The now-humbled Eagles know the Tigers well and have no problems getting up for H-SC. Perhaps Bridgewater reaches into the past and pulls back a ODAC-shaking upset.

Who scores more, Wheaton, St. John Fisher or Salisbury?
Gordon’s take: Salisbury.
The Sea Gulls didn’t win last week, but their triple-option offense was still impressive. Quarterback Ronnie Curley is one of, if not the, best quarterback I’ve ever seen at running this attack. I don’t envy Newport News who hosts a Salisbury team that is hungry for a bounce back victory.
Pat’s take: St. John Fisher. And I choose them not because Hartwick is the worst opponent but because the Hawks will likely put up some up points and force St. John Fisher to stay on the offensive a little longer than Wheaton will need to against North Park or Salisbury against Newport News.
Keith’s take: Wheaton. North Park, which is significantly less successful once the CCIW schedule begins, could be out of the game early. The Thunder might not be able to call off the dogs. Carroll of the MWC hung 55 on the Vikings.

Which surprise undefeated team stumbles?
Gordon’s take: MIT.
It’s tempting to pick Trine since its opponent, Hope, plays a hard non-conference schedule just to prepare itself for MIAA play. But the Thunder’s win last week over Franklin pushes the spotlight elsewhere. MIT plays at Mass-Dartmouth who needs a win to avoid falling two games behind NEFC Boyd frontrunner Curry. Beavers lose by the skin of their teeth.
Pat’s take: Carleton. While the Knights’ emotions will be running high after St. Olaf took it to them to the tune of 85-28 last season, emotions won’t be quite enough.
Keith’s take: Elmhurst. A 3-0 start after a late summer coaching change is encouraging, but Augustana will be a notch above in quality of play.