Category Archives: Around the Nation

Our Around the Nation column takes on the world of podcasting.

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ATN Podcast 345: Well, that doesn’t happen every day

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We can’t say in any way, shape or form that we called it. But in podcast 343, we did identify Alma as a team that could challenge Mount Union. But when push comes to shove, no, Alma scoring 24 points in the fourth quarter to defeat Mount Union was not something any of us saw coming.

The magnitude of the victory may not have sunk in yet for everyone at Alma. We catch up with Scots quarterback Carter St. John, who talks us through that final drive and the game-winning touchdown with 10 seconds left. We also talk about the reaction to the loss in Mount Union circles and whether people should circle the wagons around their head coach. Plus, has anyone ever scored 24 in the fourth quarter of an elimination game against Mount Union? Our crack research staff has the answer.

How about another thrilling finish? That’s what happened when Cortland went for two, then held on against a field goal attempt from Grove City in the closing seconds. Cortland was always going for two, and Red Dragons head coach Curt Fitzpatrick comes on to talk about it.

Plus, it’s still hard to believe that North Central has to travel to UW-La Crosse this week. It’s just as unbelievable for North Central coach Brad Spencer, whose monologue about how we have to do better for student-athletes is well worth your time to listen to.

Patrick and Greg talk about all eight second-round games, and take your questions in this edition of the podcast.

This edition of the podcast is sponsored by d3photography.com, the licensed photography bureau contracted by D3sports.com.

We also hand out game balls and spotlight the key stats in the bracket.

Patrick Coleman and Greg Thomas discuss, in this edition of the podcast.

The D3football.com podcast is a weekly in-season podcast by Patrick Coleman and Greg Thomas, which was started in 2007.

Hit play, or subscribe to get this podcast on your mobile device.

Full episode:

D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast [ 1:11:14 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

You can subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in Apple Podcasts, and many other places. You can also get this and any of our future Around the Nation podcasts automatically by subscribing to this RSS feed: http://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/?feed=podcast

Here’s how to find us on some of the major podcasting apps:

Theme music: Power 2 by DJmentos.
Photo: Alma athletics photo 

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ATN Podcast 344: Running down the first round

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In our first week of playoffs, the teams that should have been hosting went and won on the road anyway, and while we only had a couple of games go down to the final possession, those were certainly thrilling, memorable games. Endicott gets so close to winning a playoff game once again. Susquehanna almost avoided getting upset at home for a second year in a row. Wheaton just got past Mount St. Joseph.

Patrick and Greg talk about all 16 games in the first round, plus some of the bowl games, and take your questions in this edition of the podcast.

Jason Couch, head coach of Alma, winners of 11 games for the second year in a row, joins us for Fast Five. Thanks to the magic of schools posting their postgame news conferences to social media, it’s possible to hear from people all over the country with their reactions about their games.

This edition of the podcast is sponsored by d3photography.com, the licensed photography bureau contracted by D3sports.com.

Plus, did the Presidents’ Athletic Conference redeem itself now that it finally got a chance to play non-conference games? Which teams are most likely to win road games next weekend? And what are Patrick and Greg thankful for?

Plus, we hand out game balls and spotlight the key stats in the bracket.

Patrick Coleman and Greg Thomas discuss, in this edition of the podcast.

The D3football.com podcast is a weekly in-season podcast by Patrick Coleman and Greg Thomas, which was started in 2007.

Hit play, or subscribe to get this podcast on your mobile device.

Full episode:

D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast [ 1:03:05 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

You can subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in Apple Podcasts, and many other places. You can also get this and any of our future Around the Nation podcasts automatically by subscribing to this RSS feed: http://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/?feed=podcast

Here’s how to find us on some of the major podcasting apps:

Theme music: Power 2 by DJmentos.
Photo: Ellie Anderson, Alma College; Steve LaBonte, d3photography.com

 

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ATN Podcast 343: Strength of what, exactly?

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Oh man.

Back in 2011, Patrick wrote a piece on Selection Sunday morning with the headline “Two-loss teams need not apply,” essentially calling out the NCAA football committee for not even considering two-loss teams in previous years and wondering if that would change.

It did change. It changed that season and in multiple seasons which followed. As the seasons have progressed, getting comfortable that a strong SOS would be rewarded has led teams to schedule some really top-quality non-conference games.

This year, we’re back in the bad-ol’ days, it seems like. And when you ask for an explanation as to how the criteria were applied, the only answer seems to be that there aren’t enough at-large bids.

We know this. Thanks.

That puts a damper on what otherwise is not a terrible bracket. Unless you like competitive balance. Unless you like the criteria to actually be used to determine who gets to have home games and who should be traveling. Sometimes there’s a common opponent result that should be consulted.

Patrick and Greg try to understand why, and we also answer a number of listener questions. What teams do we think can actually win the national championship? How would we try to work within the current system to get more at-large bids? That and more, plus, Whitworth coach Rod Sandberg joins us for our Fast Five interview to talk about his team’s last-minute win at Linfield.

This edition of the podcast is sponsored by d3photography.com, the licensed photography bureau contracted by D3sports.com.

Plus, we hand out game balls and spotlight the key stories in each region.

Patrick Coleman and Greg Thomas discuss, in this edition of the podcast.

The D3football.com podcast is a weekly in-season podcast by Patrick Coleman and Greg Thomas, which was started in 2007.

Hit play, or subscribe to get this podcast on your mobile device.

Full episode:

D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast [ 1:12:11 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

You can subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in Apple Podcasts, and many other places. You can also get this and any of our future Around the Nation podcasts automatically by subscribing to this RSS feed: http://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/?feed=podcast

Here’s how to find us on some of the major podcasting apps:

Theme music: Power 2 by DJmentos.
Photo: Doug Sasse, d3photography.com