That’s where I am, anyway. Obviously there are great games with automatic bids on the line all over the place but I’m at this one, where Widener (6-2, 5-0) can wrap up the Middle Atlantic Conference automatic bid with a win against Albright (7-1, 5-0). Albright, Delaware Valley and Widener are all still in play in this league’s race, and Albright has yet to play either of the other two.

Elsewhere, we’ll be keeping an eye on at least nine other games where an automatic bid could be awarded, and more of the 19 remaining bids could be determined if the conference leaders get some help.

Here, it’s a chilly early afternoon, about 50 minutes before game time and standing at about 52 degrees. Widener’s Leslie C. Quick, Jr. Stadium is in a bowl and surrounded on three sides by threes. The home stands are in an impressive permanent grandstand, making for a nice atmosphere when this place is full, or at least crowded.

My first national-type Division III football game was in this stadium in 1998, the year before we launched D3football.com, as Widener hosted Lycoming in a battle of ranked teams. Widener led 13-2 with 3:03 left and had pinned Lyco on its 1-yard line before the Warriors rallied for a 15-13 win. Last time I was here was in 2002, when Widener beat Lycoming in overtime 20-14, converting its own blocked field goal into a touchdown in an ending similar to the Central/Linfield Miracle in the Mud.

On with the show, folks. Games already underway in the East, including the Wash U/Case game that keys Pool B hopes for several teams.

Yes, game day on a Friday morning. And you have to be a real football junkie to take in five games in one day, even if you don’t have to move to do it.

Such is the UMAC’s Dome Day, a five game cross-divisional event held in the Metrodome in Minneapolis. Games start at 8 a.m. local time, and even Keith and I won’t be taking in all five. We leave that to Ryan Coleman, who’s coordinating photo efforts to shoot all five games for the league and shooting more than a few frames himself, we’re sure.

I’m standing on the sidelines with my laptop, jotting down thoughts between plays as Principia, which we ranked No. 238 out of 238 in Kickoff during the preseason, plays Trinity Bible, a non-Division III team that plays in this league, a non-Division III league at least for football terms. Principia has about 32 players in uniform this morning, with Trinity Bible about the same.

Already so far, both teams have passed up chip shot field goals, while Trinity Bible is 1-for-2 … in an ugly manner … on extra points. Such is the state of special teams at this level. The crowd is a little low but it’s early. Principia ran a fake punt from inside its 15 on fourth-and-16 and gained 15 yards, leading to Trinity Bible’s first score. It’s been an eventful first quarter-plus.

We’ll check back in throughout the day with observations from the booth and sidelines as the weekend gets started a little early.

Last year when Springfield traveled to St. John Fisher in mid-October, I was able to witness one of most amazing performances by a single player of the season and perhaps in Springfield football history. In my D3sports.com travels, I’ve seen Allison Coleman of Eastern Connecticut State take over a women’s basketball game and will her team to win in the NCAA tournament. In my first year with D3football.com, I was able to see an injured Tom Arth drag John Carroll into the national semifinals with a gutty performance against Brockport on a frigid day in Rochester. Those are just two of many that come to mind.

But, nothing tops the performance last October by Springfield quarterback Chris Sharpe. Sharpe ran for seven touchdowns and 280 yards in a 55-38 win by Springfield over St. John Fisher. Each run was more mind-boggling than the next, including a 69-yard scamper for a touchdown on a broken play.

The two teams met in the playoffs at Springfield and St. John Fisher came away with a victory and generally held Sharpe in check.

Today, the Cardinals and the Pride step onto the new turf at Benedum Field for their third meeting in the last two years. The game will be videocast as part of the D3football.com East Region Game of the Week. Before the season, I’d have told you this would be a barnburner and be a battle of top 10 teams. And I still think it will be a scorefest since Sharpe is one of the most versatile quarterbacks in Division III and St. John Fisher’s offense can light up the scoreboard; the two teams have just taken different roads to get here.

Each team will be fighting potentially for their playoff lives as opposed to battling for first place a season ago. After haughty preseason expectations, Springfield’s come back down to earth and enters today’s game 3-3. Teams have slowed up Chris Sharpe and his numbers this year appear mortal. The good news for Springfield is that the majority of their remaining games are at home (after five of its first six on the road) and they can boost their own stock over the next few weeks with wins over teams in front of them in the Empire 8 – Fisher, Ithaca, and Hartwick.

While St. John Fisher is ranked eighth nationally, the Cardinals need a victory this afternoon. The Cardinals loss to Hartwick several weeks ago means that they need to win out in conference play and hope that Alfred stumbles in the final weeks of the season to clinch the Empire 8 auto bid. Alfred has yet to lose in conference, Fisher has one loss. The two teams will meet in the final week of the regular season. St. John Fisher certainly has a chance at a Pool C bid, but a second loss may knock them out of contention.

What will happen in this year’s meeting between St. John Fisher and Springfield? Tune in to the this afternoon to find out.

http://www.d3football.com/news.php?item=1292

Elsewhere this afternoon, every Top 25 team is in action and St. Norbert can virtually clinch a playoff berth with a win today. The only game where two Top 25 teams will meet is in Wisconsin where No. 20 UW-Stevens Point will host No. 3 UW-Whitewater.

The Saturday blog is open.