HOLIDAY HYSTERIA--THE ROAD TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP

BREAKING DOWN THE BRACKETS--THE NCAA DIVISION III PLAYOFFS

Bracket A

Mount Union (10-0) vs. Hope (7-3)

Mount St. Joseph (9-1) vs. Wheaton (9-1)

Concordia (Wis.)--(10-0) vs. North Central (8-2)

Capital (9-1) vs. Wittenberg (7-3)

Analysis: The team to watch in this bracket is none other than Mount Union, whose Purple Raiders hope to win a ninth national championship in 14 years. But there are plenty of challengers wanting to knock off the Ohio purple people eaters, as the Mount St. Joseph-Wheaton winner could find themselves facing Mount Union in round two. Also, don't be surprised if the Purple Raiders end up facing Ohio Athletic Conference rival Capital in a potential quarterfinal re-match.

Bracket B

Wilkes (10-0) vs. Washington & Lee (7-3)

Hobart (8-1) vs. Rowan (7-2)

St. John Fisher (9-1) vs. Union (7-2)

Springfield (9-1) vs. Curry (11-0)

Analysis: This bracket has the potential for at least two re-matches in the later rounds: Hobart vs. Union, and St. John Fisher vs. Springfield, both in round two. Or how about more juicier match-ups down the road, like Wilkes-Hobart, Hobart-SJF, SJF-Rowan or even Curry-Wilkes. But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves, as anything can happen in round one.

Bracket C

Wesley (10-0) vs. Dickinson (8-2)

Carnegie-Mellon (10-0) vs. Millsaps (7-3)

Christopher Newport (8-2) vs. Washington & Jefferson (9-1)

Mary Hardin-Baylor (8-2) vs. Hardin-Simmons (8-1)

Analysis: This bracket is also packed with intrigue, as it has two undefeated teams (Wesley, CMU) that could collide in the second round should they get past the first round; another program that hasn't been to postseason play in more than three decades (Millsaps), a Virginia squad that has made the playoffs in six of the first seven years of the program (CNU), not to mention a program that played in the national title game just two years ago (UMHB). That alone should make for some interesting storylines in the 2006 D-III dance.

Bracket D

Wisconsin-Whitewater (10-0) vs. St. Norbert (10-0)

Wisconsin-LaCrosse (8-1) vs. Bethel (Minn.)--(9-1)

Whitworth (10-0) vs. Occidental (9-0)

Central (Iowa)--(10-0) vs. St. John's (Minn.)--(9-1)

Analysis: This probably has to be the most competitive of all four brackets, with five unbeaten teams. Four of those squads (Whitewater vs. St. Norbert, and Whitworth vs. Occidental) will square off in round one this weekend. Which is a shame, because only two of those teams will be assured of continuing their perfect seasons when the smoke finally clears.