Around the Nation podcast: Season wrapup


Matt O’Connell got knocked around just a little.
Photo by Ryan Coleman, d3photography.com

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The season is over, sadly. But we had plenty of things to talk about after the game, nonetheless. We had to decide who our Players of the Year and Coach of the Year would be, and Pat and Keith weighed in — who should be No. 2?

We also gave our take on the game, and Keith asked one particular Mount Union player who the best team was he faced. The answer might surprise you. And who will be the best teams for 2013? The elite level might not change.

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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

Around the Nation Podcast: Stagg Bowl XL preview


The crowd had something to get excited about in Alliance.
Photo by Ryan Coleman, d3photography.com

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A Salem regular and a Salem newbie will meet Friday night for the 2012 Division III football national championship, as No. 1 Mount Union will face No. 4 St. Thomas in yet another matchup of purple programs. Could St. Thomas someday be a Purple Power? Shoot, can St. Thomas even beat Mount Union this week? Pat Coleman and Keith McMillan discuss in this week’s Around the Nation podcast.

They each talk about what they saw in Saturday’s semifinals, and in fact, Keith gets to turn the tables on Pat and ask the questions for once. Why is this St. Thomas team more successful than the ones preceding it, despite what seems like less star power? Did Kevin Burke perform well under pressure against Mary Hardin-Baylor? Was Nate Wara affected by the broken pinky finger? What’s next for UMHB? Plus, a lot of talk about the two head coaches and a sales pitch to get fans to come to Salem.

Updated bracket, playoff features

(Disclaimer: Although the podcast is sponsored by the City of Salem this year, that’s not part of the advertising agreement. If you remember past year’s podcasts, we did the same thing then, too!)

We talk about that and more (Gagliardi Trophy favorites, anyone?) in this week’s Around the Nation Podcast, sponsored by the City of Salem, hosts of Stagg Bowl XL. Tickets on sale now!

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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

D3reports postgame show

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

Also, the Mount Union postgame news conference (audio only).

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

How to watch Saturday’s semifinals

ESPN is televising the Division III football semifinals as it did last year, but those expecting to simply click on a link and watch video feeds like we do most of the season might run into trouble on Saturday. The best advice I can give is to test out whichever method you plan to watch the game well in advance of kickoffs, as there are several hoops to jump through.

  • D3football.com scoreboard page, with audio, video, live stats
  • ESPN3 is showing the live feed of both games. The network’s online channel also archives the games, so in case you miss it, you’ll be able to pull it up later. This is also good if you’re interested in both games, since they run concurrently.

    ESPNHere’s the link for Mary Hardin-Baylor at Mount Union. That kicks off at 2 p.m. EST, not noon local time, which is standard for D-III playoff games.

    It also airs on ESPNU on Thursday, Dec. 13 at 1 p.m. ET.

    ————-
    ESPNHere’s the link for UW-Oshkosh at St. Thomas, which kicks off at 3.

    It also airs on ESPNU on Friday, Dec. 14 at 1 p.m. ET

    Our D3football.com scoreboard page is still the best place for live updates during the games, and links to live stats, audio and the video.

    ESPN3 is not necessarily available to everyone, though. You need to subscribe to certain cable or internet providers to get access. The game is not being televised live on any channel. It’s online, and you need to figure out which ESPN3 rules apply to you. Here’s their FAQ. (There’s a distinction between ESPN3 and WatchESPN explained there too, but I’m not sure it’s terribly important for our purposes).

    Me, for example, I wouldn’t get access through my television provider because I use DirecTV, which is not on the list. However, I get internet through Verizon and I have an XBox Live account, so that gives me two options. I’ve also downloaded and tested the Watch ESPN iPhone app.

    I would advise you to read through all these rules and test out your system during a non-D-III live event on Friday night or early Saturday morning. It might be easy for you. It might be a hassle. But the last thing you want is to wait until kickoff to find out.

    Failing those options, here’s a link I found on how to set up a free ESPN3 account when your ISP provider doesn’t give you access. I haven’t tested it out, but if you’re this far down the list of options, anything is worth a shot.

    The games will be replayed on ESPNU, as noted above, but next Thursday and Friday, at 1 p.m., meaning it’s probably only useful to rewatch the teams who advanced as they get ready for Friday’s 7 p.m. Stagg Bowl. The national championship will be televised live on both ESPNU and ESPN3.

    If you’re anywhere near St. Paul or Alliance, Ohio on Saturday, your best bet is to just be there in the stands.