Tag Archives: college football

December 27, 2011 · 3:50 pm

BALLADEER’S BOWL II – THE NAIA CHAMPS VS THE NCAA D3 CHAMPS

 It’s time for the 2nd edition of Balladeer’s Bowl, the annual event where I pit the NAIA college football champs against the champs from NCAA Division 3. The outcome is decided by votes from you readers. This year the NAIA is represented by the pride of Rich Koz-land AKA Chicago, IL, the St Xavier University Cougars (helmet at left). The Cougars pulled off the very difficult task of winning the title in their very first appearance in the championship game. Plus they had to do it by defeating the CC Fighting Saints, the dominant NAIA football dynasty of the past decade.

Making their second appearance in Balladeer’s Bowl are the NCAA D3 champs, the Whitewater Warhawks. The Warhawks once again defeated the Mt Union Purple Raiders for a Threepeat in D3 titles. Last year the Warhawks  lost to the 2010 NAIA champs, the aforementioned CC Fighting Saints, by a two to one margin in the voting. Will it be a 2nd straight victory for the NAIA team in the most illustrious Bowl of the season? Get your votes in and I’ll announce the winner next Tuesday, January 3rd. To keep the voting honest and prevent multiple votes by the same people you can vote by Continue reading →

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December 19, 2011 · 11:19 pm

2011’s COLLEGE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS

SXU Cougars QB Jimmy Coy, Offensive Player of the Game

 Sad to say, the college football playoffs and bowls for the divisions covered by Balladeer’s  Blog are all over now, except for some All-Star Games. The SXU Cougars won the NAIA football championship in the latest game of Saturday night, giving the Cougars and their head coach Mike Feminis their first national title. It’s not at all true that when Feminis hoisted the trophy over his head that he cried out “This one’s for Dianne!” (As in Zajdell, a Cougar of a different kind)

Anyway, to wrap up this year’s gridiron action here’s a final nod of recognition to the 2011 champions and the teams they played in their title matchups.

NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics ) – Champions – SAINT XAVIER UNIVERSITY COUGARS  Runners up – CC Fighting Saints

NCAA Division 2 – Champions – PITTSBURG (KS) STATE GORILLAS   Runners up – Wayne State Warriors 

NCAA Division 3 – Champions – WHITEWATER WARHAWKS (Threepeat)   Runners up – Mt Union Purple Raiders

NJCAA – Champions – EAST Continue reading →

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December 18, 2011 · 1:03 am

SAINT XAVIER UNIVERSITY COUGARS DETHRONE THE CC FIGHTING SAINTS FOR THE NAIA TITLE; GORILLAS TAKE D2 CROWN

 The ST XAVIER UNIVERSITY COUGARS dethroned the defending NAIA college football champions the CC FIGHTING SAINTS in a 24- 20 game for the ages. I throw the term “Instant Classic” around with giddy abandon here at Balladeer’s Blog, but there’s no denying the fact that this game lived up to that label. Both teams played focused, virtually mistake- free football that the attendees in Rome, GA will be telling their grandchildren about. The Cougars lost to the Fighting Saints in the semi- finals last season but Continue reading →

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December 16, 2011 · 12:35 am

COLLEGE FOOTBALL’S CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND KICKS OFF TONIGHT

 The final 3 championship games of the year for the divisions of college football covered by Balladeer’s Blog will be played tonight and tomorrow. NCAA Division 3 gets things started tonight in Salem, VA, where the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl will see the 7th straight clash between the Whitewater Warhawks (helmet at left) and the Mount Union Purple Raiders.

Yes, remarkably, both teams have survived the D3 playoff field of 32 teams for 7 YEARS IN A ROW, emerging when the dust settles to square off for the national championship. The teams have won 3 titles each in the preceding 6 years, so this is the rubber game of the match (so far). Adding to all that drama is the fact that Continue reading →

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December 13, 2011 · 10:32 pm

COOL FOOTBALL HELMET: SOUTHERN NAZARENE UNIVERSITY CRIMSON STORM

 Location: Bethany, OK

Site: http://sports.snu.edu/ 

Comment: The SNU Crimson Storm have got one of the coolest names around and they sport incredibly cool helmets, too. Plus, the Crimson Storm is the favorite NAIA college football team of my special friend Rachel Laird, so this Continue reading →

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December 11, 2011 · 2:03 am

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RESULTS FROM DECEMBER 10TH

CCCAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

 BORING HELMETS, EXCITING GAME – The defending CCCAA champs, the MT SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE MOUNTIES, fell to the CITY COLLEGE OF SAN FRANCISCO RAMS in a thrilling finish followed by an unfortunate brawl. The final score of 52-42 doesn’t do justice to how exciting the game was. At first it looked like the Rams might win in a blowout as they seized a 28-7 lead with half-time approaching, but a pick-6 by the Mounties made it 28-14 instead. In the 2nd half the shootout was on, and with 6:40 left in the game CCSF led “Mount SAC” by a score of 38-35. The Rams added another TD with 3:53 left but the ever- tough Mounties responded with 7 points of their own at the 2:47 mark. With just 41 seconds left in the game the 45-42 CCSF lead became 52- 42 and an unfortunate fight resulted. Both teams, after all, have a lot of players who may well transfer to Division 1 schools next year (rimshot). The Mounties failed to score in the time remaining and 52-42 was the final.  

NCAA DIVISION 3

SEVEN IN A ROW – Yes, for the 7th straight year, it will be the WHITEWATER WARHAWKS, the defending champs, taking on the MT UNION PURPLE RAIDERS in the NCAA Division 3 Championship Game, better known as the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. The teams have split 3 titles each during that run so this will be the rubber game of the match, at least until the 2012 Stagg Bowl probably finds these same 2 juggernauts clashing yet again. Whether you’re excited about this rivalry or yawning about it, let’s review yesterday’s semi-finals.

 The WESLEY WOLVERINES deserve huge props for the fight they gave the Purple Raiders in their own house. The Wolverines actually led 14-13 at halftime, which by itself must have been very disconcerting for the Mt Union fans who are used to seeing their team dominate from kickoff to the Continue reading →

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December 8, 2011 · 12:05 am

COOL FOOTBALL HELMET: PIERCE COLLEGE BRAHMA BULLS

 Location: Woodland Hills, CA

Site: http://www.piercecollege.edu/

Comment: I defy you to name one young football player who wouldn’t want to Continue reading →

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December 4, 2011 · 4:20 pm

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF AND BOWL RESULTS DECEMBER 3RD

 NAIA SEMIFINALS – The ST XAVIER  UNIVERSITY COUGARS came into Indianapolis determined to make up for their lone regular season loss. That loss came at the hands of the MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS who, by virtue of their win in that game became the number 1 team in the polls and the top seed in the playoffs. SXU sank to the 5 seed but after today’s sweet revenge advance to the championship game in Rome, GA on December 17th. SXU came out on top 30-27 in this post-season Instant Classic.

Meanwhile, in the other NAIA semifinal the defending champions, the CC FIGHTING SAINTS, proved as potent as ever, embarrassing the visiting GEORGETOWN (KY) TIGERS by a score of 35-3. The score was 14-3 at halftime but apparently the Fighting Saints were just toying with Georgetown like a cat playing with a mouse. The Hellions from Helena have won 6 of the past 9 NAIA football titles and the SXU Cougars will have a difficult time dethroning them. But who knows? St Xavier put itself on the national football map for good in 2006 by upsetting CC in Helena, so maybe they have a decent shot in a neutral stadium in Rome, GA.

NJCAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

   EL TORO BOWL – The EAST MISSISSIPPI  LIONS won their 1st national championship in any sport yesterday in a 55-47 shootout win over the ARIZONA WESTERN COLLEGE MATADORS. The Continue reading →

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November 27, 2011 · 12:48 am

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RESULTS FROM NOVEMBER 26TH

 NAIA FOOTBALL DOWN TO ITS FINAL FOUR TEAMS – The MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS, who are the Top Ranked and Top Seeded team in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, completely annihilated the 11th seeded ST FRANCIS (IL) FIGHTING SAINTS by a score of 49-7. The Fighting Saints pulled off the upset of the 6 seeds from Morningside last Saturday, but the Knights would have none of it. Marian played focused on both sides of the ball and made St Francis’ trip to Indiana a nightmare for them.  

COUGARS CLAW THE PIONEERS – The SAINT XAVIER COUGARS, who were ranked at number one in the polls for the bulk of the 2011 season saw their one loss – to then- number 2 Marian in the next- to the last game of the regular season – drop them to a 5 seed in the playoffs. They rose above that bizarre snub and have taken care of business in the first 2 rounds, yesterday slapping around the 4th seeded MIDAMERICA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY PIONEERS by a score of 29- 14. Mike Feminis’ boys move on to the semi- finals and you can’t want to play this team with the roll they’re on.

NO, NOT THAT GEORGETOWN – The GEORGETOWN (KY) TIGERS clashed with their fellow NAIA football power the ST FRANCIS (IN) COUGARS in this quarterfinal matchup. Home standing Georgetown College came out on top 26- 14. 

TWO MINUTE DRILL – With barely two minutes left in regulation, the CC FIGHTING SAINTS, the defending champions of NAIA football, wrested the lead from the AZUSA PACIFIC UNIVERSITY COUGARS and won by a score of 17- 14. Just like last year an eventful season for APU was cut short by the Hellions from Helena.

CCCAA PLAYOFFS

INSERT YOUR OWN DUDLEY DO- RIGHT JOKE HERE – If the CCCAA was the NFL yesterday would have been the NFC and AFC championship games. The MT SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE MOUNTIES, the defending champs of BOTH the SCFA and the CCCAA, won an Instant Classic over the visiting CERRITOS  COLLEGE FALCONS. The Mounties won 17-14, notch another SCFA title and go on to play in the CCCAA championship game on December 10th.

RAM ON RAM VIOLENCE – The Continue reading →

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November 26, 2011 · 3:40 pm

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SCOREBOARDS FOR NOVEMBER 26TH

 Yes, newbies to Balladeer’s Blog, the divisions of college football covered here settle their seasons on the field. Today the CC Fighting Saints, the defending champions of NAIA football, welcome the Azusa Pacific Cougars to Helena, MT for quarter- final action. Will CC once again derail the Cougars’ post season run or will APU rise up and dethrone the champs? Watch and see.

Meanwhile the NAIA’s Top Seeded Marian University Knights will host the University of St Francis (IL) Fighting Saints and the St Xavier University Cougars, who spent most of the 2011 season ranked at number 1 in the polls, travel to take on the MidAmerica Nazarene Pioneers.

In SCFA college football the Mt San Antonio College Mounties, the defending SCFA champs as well as the defending CCCAA champs, welcome the Cerritos Falcons for the SCFA crown. The winner will play for the CCCAA title against the winner of the NCFA championship game today between the Fresno City College Rams and the defending NCFA title holders, the San Francisco Rams.

All this plus 2nd round playoff action in NCAA Divisions 2 and 3. Here are links to updating scoreboards for the divisions covered by Balladeer’s Blog:

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

D3 – Continue reading →

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