It’s Thanksgiving week and college football is as much associated with that holiday as pumpkin pie and leftovers. Yesterday the divisions of college football covered by Balladeer’s Blog played a variety of playoff games and Bowl games. Since my blog serves as a light introduction to these other divisions of college football let me emphasize that last statement for newbies: these divisions settle their seasons on the field.
Fans who forever moan and groan about the lack of a playoff in college football’s semi- professional division are seeing the light one person at a time and beginning to appreciate the post- season in the NAIA and the other divisions I cover. And now a look at yesterday’s results.
VICTORY BOWL – Yesterday saw the final event in the football season for the National Christian College Athletic Association. Because the two teams tied at the top of the NCCAA standings, Azusa Pacific and North Greenville, both made the playoffs in their respective divisions the Victory Bowl pitted the GREENVILLE COLLEGE PANTHERS against the CAMPBELLSVILLE TIGERS. Campbellsville notched an authoritative 21-7 win to close out their 2011 campaign.
NAIA PLAYOFFS
WHERE HAVE ALL THE VIKINGS GONE? – Heading into the NAIA’s opening playoff round there were no less than 3 teams called VIKINGS in the mix. All of them were eliminated in one afternoon. The Top Seeded MARIAN KNIGHTS and the 2nd seeded CC FIGHTING SAINTS shut out their Viking opponents with the Knights routing GRAND VIEW 31-0 and the Fighting Saints crushing VALLEY CITY STATE by a score of 47-0. The 10th seeded ST FRANCIS (IN) COUGARS completed the Hat Trick of Viking elimination by doubling up on the 7 seeds of MISSOURI VALLEY COLLEGE 28-14.
ANOTHER SATURDAY, ANOTHER 4TH QUARTER RALLY – Yesterday marked the 3rd game in a row that the ST FRANCIS (IL) FIGHTING SAINTS, seeded at number 11, mounted a 4th quarter comeback to snag a win. This time they did it on the road against the Continue reading