ATN Podcast: Who’s still in contention?

Cody Pohren
Cody Pohren and Pacific Lutheran benefited from the double losses in the MIAC. How?
PLU athletics file photo by John Froschauer

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We’re down to a final week, with a number of teams left in contention unlike any we can remember. This week’s losses change how some of the teams line up in the pecking order for the seven at-large bids, and if you are new to this process in Division III football, this is your primer, your instruction manual, perhaps your Selection Sunday master class.

Keith and Pat talk about that and more in this week’s Around the Nation Podcast, sponsored by the City of Salem, hosts of Stagg Bowl XL. Tickets on sale now!

Plus there are a bunch of automatic bids left to be handed out, and some were handed out Saturday in interesting ways. We talk about what’s left to be decided as well, including the indecipherable mess that is the North Coast Athletic Conference. Pat and Keith talk about a lot of teams this week — check the tags at the bottom of this page to find out who is on the topics list.

Hit play below to listen, or subscribe to get this podcast on your phone or portable device.

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You can subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in iTunes. 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

Postgame show

Here’s this week’s D3football.com reports and highlight packages.

And this week’s photo galleries from our friends at d3photography.com:

First 2012 NCAA regional rankings

The first (and second-to-last) NCAA regional rankings have been released.

Remember that regional rankings primarily take regional games into account. Teams are listed with their regional record first, followed by their overall record. For more information about the playoff format and how participants are determined, check out our FAQ.

Teams which have clinched automatic bids are in bold.

EAST
1    Hobart    8-0    8-0
2    Widener    8-0    8-0
3    Cortland State   7-1    7-1
4    Rowan    6-1    6-2
5    Salisbury    5-2    6-2
6    Lycoming    6-2    6-2
7    St. John Fisher    5-2    6-2
8    Salve Regina    8-1    8-1
9    Framingham State    8-1    8-1
10    Bridgewater State    8-1    8-1

NORTH
1    Mount Union    8-0    8-0
2    Concordia-Chicago    8-0    8-0
3    North Central (Ill.)    7-1    7-1
4    Wabash    5-1    7-1
5    Elmhurst    7-1    7-1
6    Heidelberg    7-1    7-1
7    Wittenberg    7-1    7-1
8    Adrian    7-1    7-1
9    Ohio Wesleyan    6-1    7-1
10    Franklin    6-1    6-2

SOUTH
1    Mary Hardin-Baylor    7-0    8-0
2    Wesley    5-1    7-1
3    Johns Hopkins    8-0    8-0
4    Waynesburg    9-0    9-0
5    Huntingdon    4-2    5-2
5    Washington and Lee    6-2    6-2
7    Louisiana College    4-2    6-2
8    Muhlenberg    5-2    6-2
9    Hampden-Sydney    6-2    6-2
10    Hardin-Simmons    4-3    5-3

WEST
1    Linfield    6-0    7-0
2    Wisconsin-Oshkosh    7-0    8-0
3    St. Thomas    8-0    8-0
4    Bethel    7-1    7-1
5    Concordia-Moorhead    6-1    7-1
6    Cal Lutheran    6-1    6-1
7    Coe    8-0    8-0
8    Pacific Lutheran    5-2    5-2
9    UW-Platteville    6-2    6-2
10    Lake Forest    8-1    8-1

How to use these regional rankings: If you are an at-large candidate, you want to be sure you are the top at-large candidate in your region. That will ensure you get discussed by the national committee and have a chance to be put in the field.

For example, if you are Huntingdon, remember that Mary Hardin-Baylor, Johns Hopkins and Waynesburg will each get automatic bids if they remain undefeated. Wesley would get the one Pool B slot (set aside for teams without a conference or automatic bid to play for). Then Huntingdon would hit the table from the South Region and be discussed with the top candidate from each of the other regions.

There are 24 automatic bids, one Pool B bid and seven Pool C (true national at-large) bids. Selection Sunday is Nov. 11.

Being listed in these rankings is not a guarantee of selection to the playoffs. There is no guarantee an at-large team will be taken from each region.

ATN Podcast: There will be a new champ

Kevin Burke
Kevin Burke and Mount Union are going strong, despite Heidelberg actually scoring this week.
Mount Union athletics photo by JT Higgins

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Now at least we know we will have no more than one Purple Power in Salem for the Stagg Bowl, after the elimination of UW-Whitewater from any reasonable playoff hopes with its third overall loss and second regional loss this week. If Mount were to advance, who might join them? And what do the potential No. 1 seeds need to avoid? Keith and Pat talk about it in this week’s Around the Nation Podcast, sponsored by the City of Salem, hosts of Stagg Bowl XL. Tickets on sale now!

As the season winds down, there are just 22 conferences left to have teams clinch automatic bids, so there’s still a long way to go. Not all of them can clinch this week either, but some can, and some teams on byes can actually clinch from home. Plus, as at-large bids go, some teams played themselves out of consideration this week by picking up a second loss, while some two-loss teams actually have strong resumes for consideration.

Pat and Keith talk about a lot of teams this week, including both teams in the Mount Union-Heidelberg game. Check the tags at the bottom of this page to find out who is on the topics list.

Hit play below to listen, or subscribe to get this podcast on your phone or portable device.

[display_podcast]

You can subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in iTunes. 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

Postgame show

Here’s this week’s D3football.com reports and highlight packages.

And this week’s photo gallery from our friends at d3photography.com: