Thirty-two playoff spots. Twelve are secure. How will the other 20 shake out? That’s the focus of this week’s Around the Nation podcast.

Some conferences are easy to figure, with head-to-head games lined up to decide who takes home the automatic bid. Some are a little complicated, including the potential four-way tie in the Centennial and the Northern Athletics Conference.

And then there’s the at-large bids. We identified up to 14 teams that could get consideration for Pool C bids. Problem is, there’s just six spots to go around.

Who? When? And where can you get the selection show? Yeah, that’s important. And that’s why we lead off this most important week of the Division III football season with this Around the Nation podcast.

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

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Four teams clinched. A couple teams played their way out of at-large bids. A few new quarterbacks took the field and the PAC had a … wait, a not-so-new champion.

Suddenly, it seems Washington and Jefferson has lost more PAC championships than it’s won over the past five years. What happened? That’s one of many topics Keith McMillan and Pat Coleman take on in this week’s Around the Nation podcast.

In addition, get their take on the first regional rankings and a look at how they might change. Find out how a backup quarterback prepares and gets prepared for being thrust into the lineup, and how it makes a difference for everyone else on the offense. We pick up on a handful of teams that are flying below the radar but still having surprisingly strong seasons. Plus, a look back at Dome Day and Maine Maritime’s record rushing day.

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

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It’s the time of year where playoff implications abound. Where conference races begin to make sense. Where it’s no time for a letdown, but occasionally it’s time for a wake-up call.

The wake-up call? That was for Centre, which got shut out by Millsaps. No letdown? That’s Wittenberg and Mississippi College. Playoff implications, all over the place, for sure.

Also, we haven’t talked about Pool B very much this year, and Keith McMillan and I explain why in this week’s Around the Nation podcast.

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

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Also, check out Otterbein’s video of their final touchdown.