As you probably know by now, Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford won the Heisman trophy Saturday night in one of closest races in recent memory. Bradford, who becomes the fifth Sooner in history to win the award, totaled 1,724 total points in the voting, edging out Colt McCoy’s 1,604 points and Tim Tebow’s 1,575 points. While all three candidates seemed more than deserving to win the award, what was most interesting about this year’s voting process was that it was actually Florida’s Tebow - not Bradford - who received the most first place votes.

As our good friend Chris Huston of Heismanpundit tells us, Tebow’s third place finish is the first by a leading first-place vote getter since Oklahoma’s Tommy McDonald in 1956. As always Heismanpundit.com has the historic presentation covered from all angles, as Chris continues to recap Saturday night’s events and their implications for next year at his site.

While Bradford’s Heisman triumph was the college football story of the day it was by no means the only one, as the FCS, Division II, and Division III playoffs all rolled on, with the game of the day taking place in Cedar Falls, Iowa. After building a 20-7 lead in the fourth quarter the Northern Iowa Panthers looked poised to head to Chattanooga to face off against Montana in the FCS Title game, but a late-game surge by Richmond quarterback Eric Ward and the Spider offense ultimately put Richmond on top 21-20.

While it may have been tough to top Friday night’s Montana-James Madison finish the Spiders and Panthers did just that, with Ward’s touchdown pass to Joe Stewart with fourteen seconds left to go in the game completing Richmond’s comeback. It’s been an improbable run to the FCS Championship game for the Spiders, who weren’t on anyone’s radar to make the playoffs after starting the year at 4-3.

The stage is set for yet another Mt Union-Wisconsin Whitewater showdown in the Division III National Championship next week, as both the Purple Raiders and Warharks won their semifinal games to advance to the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. For the Purple Raiders is was all about senior running back Nate Kmic, who broke Danny Woodhead’s one year old NCAA rushing record with a 310-yard day against Wheaton College. Kmic, who we told you about last week, surpassed Woodhead’s mark by 24 yards in the win, boosting his career rushing total to 7,986 yards.

He currently holds the all-division NCAA mark for touchdowns and career points as well, with 129 scores and 774 total points in his illustrious career. Saturday’s game will mark the fourth straight meeting between Wisconsin Whitewater and Mt. Union for the Division III National Title, with the Purple Raiders looking to avenge last year’s upset loss.

In coaching news, Iowa State’s now-former headman Gene Chizek took the Auburn head coaching job, while Army, fresh off a seventh consecutive loss to Navy in the annual Army-Navy game, canned second year man Stan Brock. Yet with a defensive pedigree and a 5-19 career record as a head coach Chizek was not the answer Auburn fans were hoping for, writes SI.com’s Andy Staples. As far as Brock goes, his 0-2 record against Navy (losing the ‘07 and ‘08 games by a combined 78-3 margin) speaks for itself, but it was ultimatly his incompatability with coaching option football that doomed him. Who is next for the Black Knights?

My guess is they take a long look at Wake Forest offensive coordinator Steed Lobotzke. And how about Ball State’s Brady Hoke? After leading the Cardinals to a 13-1 regular season he’ll be taking hs services to San Diego State. Hard to imagine that being a step up, but when you’re offered a raise of nearly three times what you’re currently making in this economy I don’t blame him. Look for Ball State offensive coordinator Stan Parish to replace him in Muncie.

Finally, I’d like to direct you’re attention to a fantastic article about Navy senior quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada. Bill Wagner of the Annapolis Capital says that a lingering hamstring injury nearly led the signal caller to quit the team with a month left to go in the season, but that Navy offensive coordinator Ivin Jasper talked him into sticking the year out. It proved to be the best advice Kaipo received all season, as the Hawaii native returned against Army last week to give Navy’s offense a much needed spark in the 34-0 win.

I bring all of this up because I actually had a fairly awkward elevator ride with Kaipo coming out of the Navy-Notre Dame game a month ago in which you could pretty much tell the usually incredibly upbeat Kaipo wasn’t himself. After the game a couple of the other Navy beat writers and I had a conversation about it, and we all pretty much concluded that we wouldn’t likely be seeing Kaipo on the field for the rest of the season. Just goes to show how a little determination can go a long way, and how a determined and motivated college athlete can prove a group nosy sportswriters (and I include myself here) wrong any day.

Minnesota-Duluth 45 vs California Pa 7
Northwest Missouri 41 vs North Alabama 7

Division II Championship Game
Minnesota-Duluth vs Northwest Missouri State

Super Region 1
California Pa 27 vs Bloomsburg 24

Super Region 3
Minnesota-Duluth 19 vs Grand Valley State 13 OT

Super Region 2
North Alabama 55 vs Delta State 34

Super Region 4
Northwest Missouri 45 vs Abilene Christian 34

Semi-Finals
California Pa vs Minnesota-Duluth
North Alabama vs Northwest Missouri

Super Region 1
California Pa 48 vs Seton Hill 7
Bloomsburg 28 vs West Chester 21

California Pa will play at Bloomsburg next week.

Super Region 3
Minnesota Duluth 20 vs Chadron State 10
Grand Valley State 40 vs Ashland 7

Minnesota-Duluth will play at Grand Valley State next week.

Super Region 2
Northern Alabama 37 vs Valdosta State 10
Delta State 27 vs Tusculum 19

Northern Alabama will play at Delta State next week.

Super Region 4
Northwest Missouri 38 vs Pittsburg State 35
Abilene Christian 93 vs West Texas A&M 68

Northwest Missouri will play at Abilene Christian next week.

Super Region 1
Seton Hill 14 at American International 7
Seton Hill will play at California Pa (10-1) next week.

Southern Connecticut 32 at West Chester 52
West Chester will play at Bloomsburg (10-1) next week

Super Region 3
Wayne State 17 at Chadron State 23
Chadron State will play at Minnesota Duluth (11-0) next week.

Minnesota State 16 at Ashland 27
Ashland will play at Grand Valley State (10-0) next week.

Super Region 2
Carson-Newman 20 at Valdosa State 24
Valdosa State will play at Northern Alabama (10-1) next week.

Albany State 33 at Tusculum 34
Tusculum will play at Delta State (9-1) next week.

Super Region 4
Nebraska-Omaha 21 at Pittsburg State 33
Pittsburg State will play at Northwest Missouri (10-1) next week.

Central Washington 42 at West Texas 49
West Texas will play at Abilene Christan (10-0) next week.

Last season Valdosta State ended Grand Valley State’s run at three consecutive Division II National Championships. Since 2002, Valdosa State has won 2 titles while Grand Valley State has won 4 titles. Both are in the playoffs once again.

In the 2007 championship game, Michael Terry’s one-yard plunge with 22 seconds remaining in the game propelled Valdosta State to the second NCAA Division II Football National Title in school history as the Blazers defeated Northwest Missouri State 25-20 in front of 7,532 fans at Braly Stadium. This season the playoffs start this week and culminate on December 13 at Florence Alabama for the title game. Here are the brackets for this season.

Super Region 1
6. Seton Hill (9-2) at 3. American International (9-1)
Winner plays at 2. California Pa (10-1)

5. Southern Connecticut (8-2) at 4. West Chster (8-3)
Winner plays at 1. Bloomsburg (10-1)

Super Region 3
6. Wayne State (9-2) at 3. Chadron State (10-1)
Winner plays at 2. Minnesota Duluth (11-0)

5. Minnesota State (9-2) at 4. Ashland (8-3)
Winner plays at 1. Grand Valley State (10-0)

Super Region 2
6. Carson-Newman (7-3) at 3. Valdosa State (8-2)
Winner plays at 2. Northern Alabama (10-1)

5. Albany State (7-3) at 4. Tusculum (8-3)
Winner plays at 1. Delta State (9-1)

Super Region 4
6. Nebraska-Omaha (7-3) at 3. Pittsburg State (10-1)
Winner plays at 2. Northwest Missouri (10-1)

5. Central Washington (10-1) at 4. West Texas (10-1)
Winner plays at 1. Abilene Christan (10-0)

The winner of Super Region 1 will play the winner of Super Region 3 in one semi-final game while the winner of Super Region 2 will play the winner of Super Region 4 in the other semi-final game.

Division II Poll


1 Grand Valley State 5-0
2 North Alabama 6-0
3 Abilene Christian 5-0
4 West Texas A&M 6-0
5 Northwest Missouri 5-1
6 Central Washington 5-1
7 Bloomsburg 6-0
8 Valdosta State 4-1
9 Minnesota-Duluth 6-0
10 Delta State 4-1
11 Tuskegee 5-0
12 California 5-1
13 Chadron State 4-1
14 Pittsburg State 5-1
15 IUP 4-1
16 Carson-Newman 3-2
17 Wingate 6-0
18 Edinboro 5-1
19 West Virginia State 5-0
20 Central Missouri 5-1
21 Tarleton State 5-1
22 Newberry 3-2
23 Seton Hill 6-0
24 Midwestern State 4-1
25 Nebraska-Omaha 3-2


Division III Poll


1 Mount Union (21) 4-0
2 UW-Whitewater (4) 4-0
3 Mary Hardin-Baylor 4-0
4 Capital 4-0
5 Muhlenberg 4-0
6 Wheaton (Ill.) 4-0
7 Wabash 4-0
8 UW-Eau Claire 3-1
9 North Central (Ill.) 4-0
10 Washington and Jefferson 5-0
11 Wesley 2-1
12 Millsaps 5-0
13 Delaware Valley 3-1
14 Cortland State 4-0
15 Case Western Reserve 4-0
16 Hardin-Simmons 4-1
17 Salisbury 4-1
18 Redlands 3-0
19 Trinity (Texas) 4-0
20 St. John Fisher 3-2
21 Willamette 5-0
22 Augsburg 4-0
23 Concordia-Moorhead 3-1
24 Hampden-Sydney 5-0
25 Otterbein 4-0


As we all know Appalachian State started the season by shocking everyone in the college football world when they upset Michigan, but they wanted to finish the season winning their third straight FCS Division championship. Delaware, led by two former University of Pittsburgh players, tried to put a stop to it, but could not do it. ASU had control of the entire game to win their third title in 3 years, 49-21.

The Division II game was probably the best game of the weekend. Valdosta State scored with under 30 seconds to go in the game to win the championship over Northwest Missouri State 25-20.

For the third time in 3 years, Mount Union played UW-Whitewater in the Division III championship. But for the first time in that time frame UW-Whitewater came out on top. The Raiders made a game of it in the second half, but UW-Whitewater pulled away to win 31-21.

Congratulations to Appalachian State, Valdosta State, and UW-Whitewater.

For the first time in three seasons, the Division II Championship will not include Grand Valley State. Northwest Missouri used its homefield advantage to beat GVSU 34-16. That loss snapped the Lakers’ 40 game winning streak. In the other semifinal, California (PA) had a chance to win the game late, but threw an interception in the endzone which sealed the victory for Valdosta State, 28-24. Valdosta State will face Northwest Missouri, kickoff for Saturday’s Championship Game is set for 11:00 AM at Braly Municipal Stadium. The game will be televised nationally by ESPN2.

In the one Division III semifinal, the Purple Raiders of Mt. Union continued their reign of dominance by beating Bethel 62-14. Mt Union was leading at the half, 41-0. Standing in the way of the Purple Raiders’ third consecutive title will be their familiar foe, UW-Whitewater. They held on to beat Mary Hardin-Baylor 16-7. The game between Mt. Union and UW-Whitewater will be a rematch of the 2005 and 2006 game where Mt. Union won them both. The 35th Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl is set for Saturday, December 15, at Salem Stadium in Salem, Virginia. Game time is set for 4:00 p.m. and will be televised live on ESPN.

Grand Valley State takes one step closer to winning their third Division II title in a row. Next week they will host NW Missouri State, while the other semifinal will showcase California (PA) and Valdosta State.

Northwest Region
Central Washington 21 at Grand Valley State 41

Southwest Region
NW Missouri State 26 at Chadron State 13

Northeast Region
Shepherd 38 at California (PA) 58

Southeast Region
North Alabama 23 at Valdosta State 37

Semifinals
NW Missouri State at Grand Valley State
Valdosta State vs California (PA)