THE LANGSTON LIONS RULE THE WORLD – Regular readers of Balladeer’s Blog are familiar with the way each week in college football season brings at LEAST one NAIA team upsetting a team from NCAA Division 2. For newbies to these divisions this is like when a 1AA (FCS) team upsets a 1A (FBS) team. The NAIA’s Lions took it on the road and brought down D2’s PANHANDLE STATE AGGIES 27-20. This is Langston’s 2nd such upset this season after several in 2011, too.
Honorable mention goes to the CONCORDIA (AL) HORNETS who earlier this year toppled both a D2 team and a DIVISION ONE team. Yesterday the Hornets fell short in a 28-26 road loss to D2’s STILLMAN TIGERS.
NUMBER THREE TAKES A FALL – The 3rd ranked team in NCAA Division 2, the storied NORTHWEST MISSOURI BEARCATS, were hosting the number 9 MISSOURI WESTERN GRIFFONS (helmet at left) in a game that ensured the winner would take this year’s conference title in the MidAmerica Intercollegiate Athletics Association. The Griffons rose up against their rivals and emerged with a 21-20 victory in this undeniable Instant Classic.
TOP 25 UPSETS – NAIA – The number 12 team in the rankings, the SOUTHERN OREGON RAIDERS (helmet at left), won a homestand against the 7th ranked MONTANA TECH OREDIGGERS and ended their stellar 2012 regular season with a 46-28 loss. This win earned the Raiders a share of the Frontier Conference title. ### … And at number 15 the WILLIAM PENN UNIVERSITY STATESMEN tried to make up for last week’s disappointment by upsetting the visiting 9th ranked GRAND VIEW VIKINGS in a 17-12 nailbiter. Balladeer’s Blog will cover how this affects the NAIA playoff seedings later on.
TOP 25 UPSETS – NCAA DIVISION 2 – The INDIANA UNIVERSITY- PENNSYLVANIA CRIMSON HAWKS were in the unlucky number 13 spot in the rankings but toppled the visiting number 10 team, the SHIPPENSBURG RED RAIDERS, in a 41-10 drubbing. ### … And the unranked SAGINAW VALLEY CARDINALS held serve to bring down the 17th ranked GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY LAKERS in a 55-52 shootout for the ages.
TOP 25 UPSETS – NCAA DIVISION 3 – The WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON PRESIDENTS (helmet at left) invaded the home of the number 18 WAYNESBURG YELLOW JACKETS and handed them a 31-14 veto. ### … And the ADRIAN BULLDOGS likewise played road warriors, eking out a 17-16 victory over the 17th ranked HUNTINGDON HAWKS. ### The (13) HEIDELBERG STUDENT PRINCES had a close call but held on at home to win a 35-34 contest with the Continue reading →
CLASH IN THE GREAT AMERICAN CONFERENCE – Two Great American Conference rivals met on the gridiron last night. The HARDING UNIVERSITY BISON were on the road against the SOUTHERN ARKANSAS UNIVERSITY MULERIDERS, the team Coach Tommy Tuberville played his college ball for. The Bison logged a valuable road win in league play by doubling up on the Muleriders by a score of 28-14. 
ROLE REVERSAL IN THE GULF SOUTH CONFERENCE – Oh how times have changed! There was a time when the UNIVERSITY OF WEST ALABAMA TIGERS were perennial doormats in the Gulf South Conference and the DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY STATESMEN were one of the perennial powers in the league. The Statesmen are down this year and the Tigers are very very up, coming in at number 14 in the rankings and crushing the visiting DSU team 48-14.
HOME, HOME ON MESABI RANGE – The MESABI RANGE COLLEGE NORSE, playing on a short week after their clash last Saturday with Rochester Tech, traveled to take on the ITASCA COLLEGE VIKINGS in a Scandinavian-themed gridiron Ragnarok. Both teams played hard as usual but when all the sturm und drang was over and done with the Norse emerged with a Continue reading 
