* NAIA SEMIFINALS *
EVERYBODY MUST GET STONEHOUSE – The top-seeded UNIVERSITY OF THE CUMBERLANDS PATRIOTS proved exceptionally skilled at getting to Dakota Stonehouse, the Quarterback for the visiting CARROLL COLLEGE FIGHTING SAINTS. These two teams kept each other scoreless in the 1st Quarter but the Patriots were leading 13-3 as Halftime approached when the Fighting Saints made it 13-10 instead. CC – winners of 6 of the last 11 National Championships – racked up a 24-20 lead as the 3rd Quarter ended. A Touchdown by UC followed by a Field Goal by CC left the score knotted at 27-27. A crucial sack of Stonehouse when the Fighting Saints were moving into Field Goal range sent the game into Overtime. After the Patriots managed 7 points in the extra session it was Carroll College’s turn. Soon ANOTHER sack of Stonehouse ended CC’s hopes on 4th and goal! UC wins 34-27 and moves on to the title game on December 21st!
IN A BLOWOUT NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU YAWN – The GRAND VIEW UNIVERSITY VIKINGS played host to the MORNINGSIDE COLLEGE MUSTANGS in this much-anticipated game that turned into a laugher by Halftime. The Vikings led last year’s runners-up in NAIA football 7-0 after one Quarter of play but had parlayed that into a 28-0 lead by the break. The Mustangs never even sniffed the scoreboard throughout the 2nd Half but Grand View mustered another Touchdown to win a trip to Rome, GA for the Championship Game. The final score was 35-0, setting up a battle of unbeatens between the Patriots and the Vikings.
* NCAA DIVISION 2 QUARTERFINALS *
LIONS AND CLOSE GAMES AND BEARS – OH MY! – The LENOIR-RHYNE UNIVERSITY BEARS welcomed the UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA LIONS for what turned out to be D2’s closest game of the day. The Lions carried with them decades of postseason tradition as well as 2013’s last hope for the Gulf South Conference to retain the Championship. The Bears were unintimidated, however and went blow for blow with the team from Florence, emerging with a Continue reading →
The college football season is behind us now until August when the divisions covered here at Balladeer’s Blog kick off their seasons. I’ve been getting a lot of emails asking me to predict next year’s champions given my blog’s reputation for predicting the ascension of various college football teams over the past few years. Yes it may be true that in 2010 I predicted a national championship for the Marian University Knights by 2015 (they won the title in 2012) and I accurately foresaw the 2013 playoff run for the Tabor College Blue Jays at the end of the 2012 season. 
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