October 14th, 2008 12:00am
If there is one thing I've learned from my nearly five seasons of writing for this website, it's that once in a while I write something I consider fairly innocuous that ends up striking a nerve with readers.
Last week in the mailbag section of my column, a reader asked the simple question: "What do you dislike the most about Division II football?"
My answer (paraphrasing) was that I don't care for the regionalized playoff system because too many teams that don't deserve to be there get in each year. I also stated that I think the division is too top heavy because the same small group of teams play for the national title each year and that I feel many D-II schools don't put enough emphasis on running a solid football program.
Apparently, my comment about not enough schools putting emphasis on football is the one that got the attention of readers. I received emails with a whole spectrum of opinions from those that completely agreed with me to those that called my position elitist. So let me try to explain further.
Right now I think that out of the roughly 150 football schools in D-II, only about half really care if they win or not. And just so we're clear, I'm not talking about the coaches and players on these teams, I'm talking about administrations that don't take the steps necessary to have successful programs.
Take Lock Haven, for example. This school has an embarrassingly bad football program. The team is 0-7 this year and has been outscored 284-30. You have to go all the way back to 1981 to find the last year that the team even finished better than .500.
But yet the school has a $5.5 million dollar athletic budget, funds some sports at the D-I level, and just won a national championship in women's softball a couple of years ago. I will grant you that not every place is a "football school" and obviously not every school can be a powerhouse in every sport. But c'mon, it almost takes a conscious effort for a football program to be as bad as Lock Haven's.
My point is that there are too many Lock Havens in D-II football right now, including two or three more similar programs in the PSAC alone. I just cannot understand the point of even fielding a team at some of these places if no effort is going to be put towards, at the very least, avoiding the embarrassment of being completely blown out each week.
Now I know that there are those that will respond to my argument by stating that not every school can afford to fund football, this isn't D-I, etc. I will grant that, to a certain extent, some of that thinking is true.
But clearly, there are a bunch of schools in D-II right now that, quite truthfully, need a kick in the rear end to remind them just how complacent they are when it comes to football.
Games to Watch this Week
Abilene Christian (6-0) @ West Texas A&M (7-0)
Ever since I watched ACU dismantle Northwest Missouri in the season opener, I have been looking forward to this game. I think it's quite possible that these are the two most talented teams in the Lone Star Conference going all the way back the Texas-A&M-Kingsville team that played for the national title in the mid-90's. It should be a terrific game that could foreshadow another match up later on in the playoffs.
The make up of these two teams is similar. Both teams have great senior quarterbacks, both have speed and quality at receiver, and both have multi-talented running backs that can make things happen in both the running and passing games. Add it all up, and you have the top two scoring offenses in all of D-II this season. The two teams have defensive units that have been overshadowed, but they have also played at a very high level this season.
I'm going to cut to the chase: I'm going with ACU in this game because I think the Wildcats are just a bit more talented and diverse offensively. ACU could very well have the top players in all of D-II at three or four offensive positions and that's a tall order for any defense to contend with. Abilene Christian 38 West Texas A&M 31.
North Alabama (7-0) @ Delta State (5-1)
This should be the game of the year in the Gulf South as these two teams have met four times in the last two seasons. UNA used a last second touchdown to knock DSU out of the playoffs last year to return the favor for the Statesmen ruining the Lions' unbeaten season in the 2006 playoffs.
Even though both teams are undefeated against D-II competition (DSU's only loss is to FCS McNeese State) the two teams have taken entirely different paths to get here. UNA has been dominant, winning six of its seven games by 21 or more points. DSU, on the other hand, has won two games in overtime and another two that were close contests late into the fourth quarter.
There are two reasons I think UNA will win this game. First of all, the Lions are a stronger defensive team than is DSU and it's apparent in just about every defensive category you want to look at. And secondly, UNA has A.J. Milwee. This will be Milwee's fifth career start against DSU, and he's done just fine so far with a 3-1 record. North Alabama 31 Delta State 20.
Nebraska-Omaha (4-2) @ Pittsburg State (6-1)
These two teams are very similar in their approach. Both feature offenses that would prefer to grind it out on the ground and control the game. Both teams have senior quarterbacks (Mark Smith for PSU and Zach Miller for UNO) that put pressure on opposing defenses with their running ability. Both also run 3-4 defensive schemes that have been suspect at times this fall.
I do think UNO is a bit more talented, especially on the defensive side of the football. But the Mavericks have so mistake prone this fall that it is hard for me to pick UNO in this game. The Mavs have given up five defensive touchdowns in the last three weeks and those kinds of mistakes won't get it done against a PSU team that is not only hungry to pick up a win on Homecoming, but also desperately wanting a return to the postseason after a two year hiatus. Pittsburg State 27 Nebraska-Omaha 23.
Seton Hill (7-0) @ Charleston (5-2)
I talked in last week's column about Seton Hill's amazing ability to win close games and the Griffins did it again scoring a touchdown in the final seconds to knock off previously unbeaten West Virginia State last Saturday. SHU is an experienced team that finds ways to win down the stretch.
Charleston sits at second place in the WVIAC with a 4-1 conference mark. The Eagles rely on a diverse rushing offense that features five backs with 200 or more yards rushing this year. If Seton Hill has a major weakness, it is defending the run, as opposing offenses average 183 yards per game and 4.9 yards per carry on the ground. Plus, it's just very difficult for a team like Seton Hill to continue winning every close game without slipping up somewhere along the way. I'm going with the mild upset this week. Charleston 26 Seton Hill 21.
Minnesota-Duluth (7-0) @ St. Cloud State (5-2)
Minnesota-Duluth may have slid a bit beneath the radar this season, but there may not be another team in D-II that has been as dominant as the Bulldogs have been. UMD has won every game by at least 22 points and leads the nation in total defense, rushing defense, sacks, and passing efficiency. The Bulldogs have not played a great schedule, but blowout wins over solid Augustana and Missouri Western teams prove that this team is for real.
After struggling offensively early in the season, SCSU seems to have found itself the past three weeks, scoring 152 points. SCSU doesn't have the overall offensive talent that UMD does, but the Huskies will be the first defense the Bulldogs have seen all season with the physical ability to make things difficult. This game is essentially for the NSIC North Division championship, and with the rivalry factor and the game being in St. Cloud, I expect this to be quite a battle. But UMD has a difference maker in Ted Schlafke at quarterback and he will make enough plays for his team to win. Minnesota-Duluth 28 St. Cloud State 17.
Albany State (5-1) @ Tuskegee (6-0)
The following statement should be all you need to know to explain the magnitude of this game: These two teams have combined to win 13 of the last 14 SIAC championships, including eight straight. Obviously, this is the game of the year every year in the SIAC.
Both teams play terrific defense, in fact they both rank in the top 20 nationally in total defense. But the difference between the two lies on the offensive side of the football, largely because the Golden Tigers have Jacary Atkinson playing quarterback. Tuskegee is eighth in the country in total offense and I just can't see a very average Rams offense keeping pace, especially if the Golden Tigers can jump out to an early lead. Tuskegee 26 Albany State 14.
Mailbag
[Q] How can you not include (Tuskegee QB) Jacary Atkinson on your list for the Harlon Hill Trophy? The perception is that it's because he is from an institution that fails to participate in the D2 playoffs. Is this true?
Marvin
[A] Let me preface my comments by first of all saying this: There is no doubt Atkinson is a talent. He's big and fast and is equipped with a great arm. Speaking solely from a talent perspective, there aren't many D-II quarterbacks out there with Jacary's ability.
That said; the reason I don't have Atkinson on my short list is that he's not had that great of a year, at least compared to the competition. Last season Atkinson led the country in passing efficiency and threw 31 touchdown passes against just nine interceptions. This year Atkinson is 28th in passing efficiency, has completed just 52% of his passes and has already thrown eight interceptions.
There are other quarterbacks out there that haven't lived up to the preseason hype, namely Zach Miller at Nebraska-Omaha and David Knighton at Harding. This doesn't mean they are bad players and with football being such a team sport, it's not entirely their fault things haven't completely worked out this year. But, to win the Harlon Hill award, a player has to have a great season statistically and it just has not happened for Atkinson this year.
Bob's Regional Power Polls
Super Regional One
1. Bloomsburg (7-0)
2. California (6-1)
3. Edinboro (6-1)
4. Seton Hill (7-0)
5. West Chester (5-2)
6. Indiana (4-2)
7. West Virginia State (5-1)
8. American International (6-0)
9. Fayetteville State (5-1)
10. Southern Connecticut (4-2)
Super Regional Two
1. North Alabama (7-0)
2. Delta State (5-1)
3. Valdosta State (5-1)
4. Wingate (7-0)
5. Tuskegee (6-0)
6. Carson-Newman (4-2)
7. Albany State (5-1)
8. Arkansas-Monticello (5-2)
9. Tusculum (5-2)
10. UNC-Pembroke (6-1)
Super Regional Three
1. Grand Valley (6-0)
2. Minnesota-Duluth (7-0)
3. Chadron State (6-1)
4. Ashland (5-2)
5. St. Cloud State (5-2)
6. Michigan Tech (5-2)
7. Augustana (5-2)
8. Minnesota State (5-2)
9. Mesa State (5-2)
10. Ferris State (5-2)
Super Regional Four
1. Abilene Christian (6-0)
2. Northwest Missouri (6-1)
3. West Texas A&M (7-0)
4. Central Washington (6-1)
5. Pittsburg State (6-1)
6. Central Missouri (5-2)
7. Texas A&M-Kingsville (5-2)
8. Washburn (5-2)
9. Nebraska-Omaha (4-2)
10. Tarleton State (6-1)
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