Category Archives: college football

October 23, 2011 · 2:54 pm

NOTEWORTHY COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM OCTOBER 22ND

 SOUTHERN OREGON RULES THE WORLD – Another Saturday, another NAIA college football team takes down a higher division opponent! This week the SOUTHERN OREGON RAIDERS joined the other NAIA teams in bringing down an NCAA Division 2 team in a gripping 31-28 win over the SIMON FRASER CLAN (as in Scottish clan). Simon Fraser is one of the Canadian institutions that compete in American intercollegiate sports divisions. The Raiders trailed 21-3 at one point before turning the tables on the Clan. Every week this season at least one NAIA team has toppled a D2 or higher team.

NUMBER TWO TAKES A FALL – NCAA Division 2’s 2nd ranked ABILENE  CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY WILDCATS lost on the road to the number 13 MIDWESTERN STATE MUSTANGS in a mind-blowing 70- 28 manhandling. If anyone outside the MSU locker room says they saw this coming, they’re lying, trust me. A nice trivia note is that Abilene Christian is where the fathers of Colt/ Case McCoy and Jordan/ Jaxon Shipley played their college football … and yes, they too were roommates, little dreaming of the tradition they were starting.  

NUMBER ONE SURVIVES A SCARE – Meanwhile D2’s top-ranked DELTA STATE STATESMEN had to struggle to hold on at home against the 10th ranked VALDOSTA STATE BLAZERS in a tight 36-33 affair. The number 1 team in D3 had a fight on their hands yesterday, also, as the defending champs, the WHITEWATER WARHAWKS, survived a road tussle with the 20th ranked OSHKOSH TITANS by a score of 20-17. Continuing this theme the NJCAA’s top ranked BLINN COLLEGE BUCCANEERS, where Cam Newton played his college ball before transferring to Auburn, also had a tough road fight against the KILGORE RANGERS, but improved to 8-0 with a 52-45 win.

TOP 25 UPSETS – NAIA – The number 8 AZUSA PACIFIC COUGARS fell at the LINDENWOOD LIONS in a 38-31 Instant Classic   …   The 17th ranked CUMBERLAND BULLDOGS needed a last- minute field goal to do it, but they upset the number 14 BETHEL (TN) WILDCATS in an unforgettable 36-34 gridiron duel    …   And the unranked CUMBERLANDS PATRIOTS stunned the number 25 team, the SHORTER HAWKS, by a score of 35-10. Both teams now have identical 4-3 records.   

TOP 25 UPSETS – NCAA DIVISION 3 – Continue reading →

15 Comments

Filed under college football

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

October 22, 2011 · 12:34 am

COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCOREBOARDS FOR OCTOBER 22ND

 The NAIA’s 5th ranked MidAmerica Nazarene Pioneers (helmet at left) will host the number 7 Benedictine Ravens today in a crucial matchup in the Heart of America Athletic Conference. The Pioneers are the defending HAAC champs but Benedictine currently tops the conference standings. MNU will be led by quarterback Sean “How Bad” Ransburg as they take on the Ravens’ revered defense, which is 2nd in the nation in scoring and 4th overall.

The battle for the Frontier Conference title may well be decided today as the CC Fighting Saints are Continue reading →

6 Comments

Filed under college football

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

October 18, 2011 · 9:27 pm

COLLEGE FOOTBALL POLLS WEEK OF OCTOBER 17TH

 The Blinn College Buccaneers (helmet at left), the team for which Cam Newton played before transferring to Auburn, are still ranked number 1 in the NJCAA Poll after holding on to win a 30-27 nail- biter with Trinity Valley this past Saturday. As expected the Delta State Statesmen are the new number 1 in D2 after they took down the previously top-ranked North Alabama Lions (coached by THE Terry Bowden) in last Thursday night’s overtime classic. No change to the number one teams in the other divisions covered by Balladeer’s Blog.

NAIA – 1. ST XAVIER UNIVERSITY COUGARS   …   2. MARIAN KNIGHTS   …   3. CC FIGHTING SAINTS (defending champs)   …   4. GEORGETOWN (KY) TIGERS   …   5. MIDAMERICA NAZARENE PIONEERS   …   6. MORNINGSIDE MUSTANGS   …   7. BENEDICTINE RAVENS   …   8. AZUSA PACIFIC COUGARS   …   T9. MISSOURI VALLEY VIKINGS   …   T9. WILLIAM PENN STATESMEN   …   11. ST FRANCIS (IL) FIGHTING SAINTS   …   12. ST FRANCIS (IN) COUGARS   …   13. ST AMBROSE FIGHTING BEES (love that name)   …   14. BETHEL (TN) WILDCATS   …   15. OTTAWA (KS) BRAVES   …   16. VCS VIKINGS   …   17. CUMBERLAND BULLDOGS   …   18. DOANE TIGERS   …   19. DAKOTA WESLEYAN TIGERS   …   20. BETHANY  SWEDES   …   21. SOUTHERN NAZARENE CRIMSON STORM   …   22. EASTERN OREGON MOUNTAINEERS   …   23. NORTHWESTERN (IA) RED RAIDERS   …   24. LANGSTON Continue reading →

6 Comments

Filed under college football

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

October 16, 2011 · 3:12 pm

NOTEWORTHY COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM OCTOBER 15TH

AZUSA PACIFIC RULES THE WORLD YET AGAIN – The NAIA’s AZUSA  PACIFIC COUGARS went on the road and  eviscerated NCAA Division 2’s DIXIE STATE RED STORM by a score of 48-19. Over the years Azusa Pacific has wracked up an impressive number of wins against upper division teams, even taking down Division 1’s San Diego Toreros in their own house in the 2010 season. And so far this season every Saturday has found at least 1 NAIA team upsetting a D2 team. Add to that the sheer number of D3 teams who have had their butts kicked by NAIA teams this year and you can easily say the NAIA has owned the NCAA this season.

WAYNE STATE’S WORLD – Both D2 teams called Wayne State were ranked and both were upset yesterday. The 4th ranked WARRIORS fell to the ASHLAND EAGLES 20-17 and the 25th ranked WILDCATS were knocked out of the rankings by the CONCORDIA-ST PAUL GOLDEN BEARS 27-24.

TOP 25 UPSETS – NAIA – Yesterday I had put the 4th ranked MISSOURI VALLEY VIKINGS on upset alert as they took it on the road against the number 9 BENEDICTINE RAVENS. For the 2nd week in a row number 4 took a fall as the Ravens handed MVC a 35-19 smackdown   …   The unranked BACONE WARRIORS knocked the number 23 NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE RANGERS out of the rankings with a 35-28 victory, just one week after the Rangers upset the then- number 10 SOUTHERN NAZARENE CRIMSON STORM.    

TOP 25 UPSETS – D3 – The Continue reading →

10 Comments

Filed under college football

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

October 15, 2011 · 1:59 pm

COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCOREBOARDS FOR OCTOBER 15TH

 Close games were an unknown concept in last night’s matchups. Starting off with Centennial Conference action, the Johns Hopkins University Blue Jays (helmet at left) decimated the Dickinson Red Devils 47-6. D3’s top ranked defending champs, the Whitewater Warhawks, doubled up on the Stout Blue Devils 42-21. The Assumption Greyhounds crushed the Merrimack Warriors by a score of 44-24 and the only road team to win last night, the Bowie State Bulldogs, beat up on the Lincoln (PA) Lions 22-10. Thursday night brought us a new number 1 ranked team in D2 as the 2nd ranked Delta State Statesmen won in overtime 30-24 at the top ranked North Alabama Lions.

Looking ahead to today’s action the NAIA has no less than five clashes between Top 25 teams on the menu. The 2nd ranked and 7-0 Marian University Knights (insert my usual self-congratulatory remark about my predicting the explosion for MU football in my 2010 – yes, 2010 – preseason assessments) are on the road against the 6th ranked St Francis (IN) Cougars. The 3rd ranked CC Fighting Saints, who are also the defending champs of NAIA college football, host the number 21 Rocky Mountain College Battlin’ Bears. The Missouri Valley College Vikings, ranked at number 4, are visiting the 9th ranked yet perennially underrated Benedictine Ravens. The number 15 Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm (love that name) take on the 7th ranked MidAmerica Nazarene Pioneers and the 8th ranked Morningside Mustangs are at the number 13 Dakota Wesleyan Tigers. Meanwhile the 11th ranked William Penn University Statesmen try to avoid 2 losses in a row, this week at the hands of the visiting St Mary Spires, the road warriors who stunned the 14th ranked Bethany Swedes last Saturday. And Continue reading →

7 Comments

Filed under college football

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

October 13, 2011 · 8:53 pm

ONE VERSUS TWO IN D2 TONIGHT: DELTA STATE AT NORTH ALABAMA

What is it with this college football season? Tonight will be the THIRD regular season clash between the number 1 and number 2 teams in the divisions covered by Balladeer’s Blog. A few weeks ago we had two such matchups in one afternoon as the NAIA’s Top 2 teams and the NJCAA’s Top 2 teams collided. This latest gridiron Armageddon takes place in Florence, AL as the Delta State Statesmen travel to face the North Alabama Lions. The Statesmen played in last December’s D2 Title game but lost to UMD and the Lions are coached by THE Terry Bowden, the Continue reading →

5 Comments

Filed under college football

Tagged as , , , , , ,

October 10, 2011 · 8:38 pm

COLLEGE FOOTBALL POLLS: WEEK OF OCTOBER 10TH

The Saint Xavier University Cougars remain at number 1 in the NAIA football poll for the 5th straight week, but to get some helmet variety in here I went with a pic of the 2nd ranked Marian University Knights. The Knights are enjoying another week at their highest ranking in team history and continue to make me look like a gridiron Nostradamus. Back in 2010 during the preseason I predicted that the Knights were about to take off in a big way. Marian then had a stellar season and won their first round playoff game, then this season came out blazing since Week 1 just to show last year was no fluke. The Menlo Oaks, meanwhile, move back into the Top 25 one week after falling out. The Chabot College Gladiators (love that name!) moved up to 10th in the NCFA Poll. And now the rankings in the divisions of college football covered by Balladeer’s Blog.  

NAIA – 1. SXU COUGARS   …   2. MARIAN KNIGHTS   …   3. CC FIGHTING SAINTS (defending champs)   …   4. MISSOURI VALLEY COLLEGE VIKINGS   …   5. GEORGETOWN (KY) TIGERS   …   6. ST FRANCIS (IN) COUGARS   …   7. MIDAMERICA NAZARENE PIONEERS   …   8. MORNINGSIDE MUSTANGS   …   9. BENEDICTINE RAVENS   …   10. AZUSA PACIFIC COUGARS (1st Top Ten ranking since 2006)   …   11. WILLIAM PENN STATESMEN   …   12. ST FRANCIS (IL) FIGHTING SAINTS (Upset former #4 William Penn)   …   13. DAKOTA WESLEYAN TIGERS   …   14. ST AMBROSE UNIVERSITY FIGHTING BEES   …   15. SOUTHERN NAZARENE UNIVERSITY CRIMSON STORM (Love that name!)   …   16. OTTAWA (KS) BRAVES   …   17. BETHEL (TN) WILDCATS   …   18. VCS VIKINGS   …   19. DOANE TIGERS   …   20. CUMBERLAND BULLDOGS (Up 5 spots from last week)   …   21. ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLLEGE BATTLIN’ BEARS   …   22. BETHANY SWEDES (Down 8 spots from last week)   …   T23. EASTERN OREGON MOUNTAINEERS   …   T23. NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE RANGERS   …   25. MENLO OAKS

NCAA D3- 1. WHITEWATER WARHAWKS (defending champs)  …   2. MT UNION PURPLE RAIDERS (Warhawks and Purple Raiders have played each other in the last 6 D3 title games in a row, splitting 3 each)   …   3. ST THOMAS TOMMIES   …   4. MHBU CRUSADERS Continue reading →

2 Comments

Filed under college football

Tagged as , , , , , ,

October 9, 2011 · 3:12 pm

NOTEWORTHY COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM OCTOBER 8TH

FIGHTING SAINTS UPSET NUMBER 4 STATESMEN – The NAIA’s 15th ranked ST FRANCIS (IL) FIGHTING SAINTS brought down the mighty number 4 WILLIAM PENN STATESMEN in a pigskin Ragnarok yesterday. The final score in this game with national and MSFA implications was a tight 36-35. The Fighting Saints faithful await the next poll rankings with baited breath.  

EDWARD WATERS AND LANGSTON RULE THE WORLD – Each week usually gives us at least one NAIA team toppling a higher division team but yesterday we had two. The EDWARD WATERS TIGERS won an Instant Classic against D2’s LIVINGSTONE BLUE BEARS by a score of 14-13. The NAIA’s LANGSTON LIONS pulled off their THIRD upset of a D2 team this season, bringing down the PANHANDLE STATE AGGIES 41-23.   

RANGERS AND THE STORM (For you Doors fans) – I had put the NAIA’s 10th ranked SOUTHERN  NAZARENE CRIMSON STORM on upset alert yesterday and was proven right when they fell on the road at the NW OKLAHOMA  STATE RANGERS. The Crimson Storm led 12-6 at one point but the Rangers’ Black Cloud defense stepped up big, shutting SNU out for the rest of the game. The Crimson Storm wound up losing 28-12.

HYLININGSFEST HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA – The number 14 BETHANY  SWEDES were celebrating both Homecoming and Hyliningsfest yesterday . That way you don’t have to do your holiday shopping separately for each event. The ST MARY SPIRES played Grinch to the celebrating Swedes, however, by upsetting the home team in a nail-biting 35-32 Instant Classic. 

TOP 25 UPSETS – NAIA –   In addition to the above mentioned upsets, the 17th ranked EASTERN OREGON Continue reading →

18 Comments

Filed under college football

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

October 8, 2011 · 2:49 pm

COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCOREBOARDS FOR OCTOBER 8TH

In the NAIA the William Penn University Statesmen are ranked 4th in the nation and continue saying “Just TRY to leave us out of the playoffs this year”. Last year WPU ended the year ranked at 11 but were unjustifiably left out of the 16 team NAIA playoff field. (That’s right, the divisions of college football covered by Balladeer’s Blog settle things with a playoff!)   The Statesmen are on the road today against the 15th ranked St Francis (IL) Fighting Saints in a crucial Mid States Football Association matchup. Both teams lead their respective divisions of “The Association” as Jim Rome would call it, and are unbeaten in conference play.  

Keeping to the theme of games between ranked teams today, the 9th ranked Morningside Mustangs, back on track to take the Great Plains Athletic Conference title following their upset at the hands of the Nebraska Wesleyan University Prairie Wolves a few weeks ago, host the 13th ranked Doane Tigers, who upset Midland University last week. The number 25 Cumberland Bulldogs meanwhile are at the 22nd ranked Shorter Hawks with the loser obviously knocked out of the rankings completely. Only one team is ranked in what I think may be the most exciting game of the day as the number 10 Southern Nazarene University Crimson Storm are on the road against the ever-tough Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers. 

D2 treats us to a Show Me State showdown between the 7th ranked  Northwest Missouri Bearcats and the number 14 Central Missouri Mules. D3’s only matchup between ranked teams finds the 15th ranked Cortland State Red Dragons at the number 11 Montclair State Red Hawks. And now, links to updating scoreboards for the divisions I cover:    

NAIA – http://www.victorysportsnetwork.com/sport/0/14.php

D3 – http://d3football.com/scoreboard/composite

D2 –  http://www.d2football.com/scores/

NJCAA – http://www.njcaa.org/sports_schedules.cfm?category=Schedules%2FScores&sid=11&divid=0&slid=5

SCFA – http://www.scfafootball.com/statistics/scoreboard.html

NCFA – http://www.cccaasports.org/football/men/

8 Comments

Filed under college football

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

October 4, 2011 · 10:21 pm

COLLEGE FOOTBALL POLLS: WEEK OF OCTOBER 4TH

 Coach Mike Feminis and his Saint Xavier University Cougars remain the pride of Chicago as they retain the top spot in the NAIA Top 25 for the 4th consecutive week. The 5-0 Cougars from the land of Koz (As in Rich Koz) once again received all of the 1st place votes. Meanwhile, there are new number 1’s in 2 of the polls after some upsets this past Saturday.

NAIA – 1. SXU Cougars   …   2. Marian Knights (highest ranking in team history)   …   3. CC Fighting Saints (defending champs)   … 4. William Penn Statesmen   …   5. MVC Vikings   …   6. Georgetown (KY) Tigers   …   7. St Francis (IN) Cougars   …   8. MidAmerica Nazarene Pioneers   …    9. Morningside Mustangs   …   10. Southern Nazarene University Crimson Storm   …   11. Benedictine Ravens   …   12. Azusa Pacific Cougars   …   13. Doane Tigers   …   14. Bethany Swedes   …   15. St Francis (IL) Fighting Saints   …   16. Dakota Wesleyan Tigers   …   17. Eastern Oregon Mountaineers   …   18. St Ambrose Fighting Bees   …   19. Ottawa (KS) Braves   …   20. VCS Vikings   …   21. Bethel (TN) Wildcats   …   22. Shorter Hawks   …   23. Rocky Mountain College Battlin’ Bears   …   24. Midland Warriors   …   25. Cumberland Bulldogs 

NCAA DIVISION 3 – 1. Whitewater Warhawks (defending champs)   …   2. Mt Union Purple Raiders (The Warhawks and the Purple Raiders have played each other in the past 6 D3 championship games in a row, splitting 3 each)   …   3. St Thomas Tommies   …   4. MHBU Crusaders Continue reading →

15 Comments

Filed under college football

Tagged as , , , , , , ,