THE LIGHTNING ROUND--WEEK 4

Last week--16-8 (.667)
Year-To-Date--49-25 (.662)

Wow, what a difference two weeks, or two games make! Just two weeks ago, Montana State appeared to be riding on cloud nine after upsetting Colorado on the road. Now the Bobcats have fallen to earth with a tremendous thud, as they have lost not only to NCAA Division II Chadron State (Neb.), but most recently last weekend to UC Davis, 45-0.

Also, there's NCAA Division II Central Washington going on the road, and dropping I-AA Eastern Washington to 0-3 with a 21-14 stunner. And what about Linfield (Ore.), who fell to 0-2 in the D-III ranks after being defeated by Hardin-Simmons in Texas 21-6. Is it time to hit the panic button in McMinnville? But, as the paraphrase of a well-known sportscaster goes, "That's why they play the games!" Oh, and Delaware Valley suffered its first regular season loss since 2003, as the Aggies fell to Wilkes 14-7 in overtime. Again, that's why they play the games!

With that said, let's move on to this week's predictions!

Projected winners are highlighted in RED

Key games are highlighted in BOLD type.

Classic games are highlighted in italics.

DIVISION I-AA

UC Davis (2-1) at Youngstown State (2-1)

Chattanooga (1-2) at Georgia Southern (1-1)

Monmouth (3-0) at Colgate (1-1)

Central Connecticut State (3-0) at Albany (N.Y.)--(2-1)

(Big showdown in Northeast Conference)

Towson (3-0) at Hofstra (1-1)

Norfolk State (2-0) at Bethune-Cookman (2-1)

Texas Southern (2-1) at Alabama A&M (2-1)

Drake (2-1) at Valparaiso (2-1)

DIVISION II

Missouri Western (3-0) at Northwest Missouri State (3-0)

(A share of first place on the line in the MIAA)

South Dakota (3-0) at St. Cloud State (2-1)

Arkansas Tech (2-0) at Valdosta State (3-0)

Missouri Southern State (3-0) at Pittsburg State (2-1)

Central Washington (2-1) at Minnesota-Duluth (2-1)

Northern Michigan (2-0) at Saginaw Valley State (2-1)

St. Joseph's (2-1) at Indianapolis (2-1)

Johnson C. Smith (2-1) at Virginia Union (2-1)

Augustana (S.D.)--(3-0) at Nebraska-Omaha (2-1)

(Biggie in the North Central Conference)

Elizabeth City (3-0) at Newberry (3-0)

DIVISION III

Ithaca (3-0) at St. John Fisher (3-0)

(Real biggie for share of first place in Empire 8 Conference)

Hobart (2-0) at Rensselaer Tech (2-0)

(Liberty League opener for both teams)

Alfred (2-0) at Springfield (2-0)

Wisconsin-Stout (2-0) at Whitworth (2-0)

Lycoming (2-0) at Delaware Valley (1-1)

DePauw (2-0) at Trinity (Tex.)--(2-1)

Rochester (2-1) at Union (N.Y)--(1-1)

Western New England (2-0) at Curry (3-0)

NAIA

Montana State-Northern (3-0) at Carroll (Mont.)--(3-0)

(A share of first place in the Frontier Conference is at stake)

McKendree (1-1) at Urbana (2-1)

Walsh (3-0) vs. Webber International (2-1)

Northwestern (Iowa)--(3-0) vs. Nebraska Wesleyan (3-0)

(First place on the line in the Great Plains Conference)

Valley City State (2-1) at Jamestown (3-0)

(Big showdown in the Dakota Athletic Conference)