Congratulations to Coach Mike Feminis and his Saint Xavier University Cougars (logo at left) who are now ranked number 1 in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll. This is the first time in school history that the SXU football team is first in the nation and two teams called Fighting Saints played a role in this milestone. The CC Fighting Saints, the previous number 1, were upset by the unranked Eastern Oregon Mountaineers on Saturday (see my usual Sunday look at Noteworthy College Football Results) and the Cougars themselves defeated the other Fighting Saints team, St Francis (IL) (not to be confused with St Francis, Indiana, whose teams are called Cougars just like SXU) Just be glad the University of Sioux Falls moved up to D2 after last season or all of the Top 3 teams would be called Cougars. Speaking of USF, the Morningside Mustangs no doubt don’t miss them at ALL as they are at number 3 and hoping to win their first Great Plains Athletic Conference title in years. The 4th ranked Marian Knights continue to prove that last season was no fluke AND that I was 100% right in my prediction last year that they were about to break out in a big way. The William Penn Statesmen, the least appreciated quality football team in the country last year (remember the playoff snub?) are getting some props this year as they come in at number 6. Anyway, congrats again to Coach Fem and SXU! And now, just to be my usual odd self, here are the Top Six from each of the four divisions of college football covered by Balladeer’s Blog:
NAIA – 1. SXU COUGARS … 2. ST FRANCIS (IN) COUGARS … 3. MORNINGSIDE MUSTANGS … 4. MARIAN KNIGHTS … 5. CC FIGHTING SAINTS … 6. WILLIAM PENN STATESMEN
NCAA DIVISION 3 – 1.WHITEWATER WARHAWKS … 2. MT UNION PURPLE RAIDERS … 3. MHBU CRUSADERS … 4. ST THOMAS TOMMIES … 5. BETHEL (MN) ROYALS … 6. LINFIELD WILDCATS
NCAA DIVISION 2 – 1. UMD BULLDOGS … 2. ABILENE CHRISTIAN WILDCATS … 3. NORTHWEST MISSOURI BEARCATS … 4. TAMK JAVELINAS … 5. DELTA STATE STATESMEN … 6. SHEPHERD RAMS
NJCAA – 1. NAVARRO COLLEGE BULLDOGS … 2. BLINN COLLEGE BUCCANEERS … 3. ARIZONA WESTERN MATADORS … 4. NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI RANGERS … 5. BUTLER (KS) GRIZZLIES … 6.IOWA WESTERN REIVERS
