THE LIGHTNING ROUND--WEEK 12

Last Week--30-13 (.698)
Year-To-Date--258-134 (.658)

The playoffs have arrived for the NCAA Division II, Division III, and NAIA levels, while the final weekend of the regular season has arrived for the soon to be re-named NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (soon to be former NCAA Division I-AA). There are many games at the FCS level that will have conference championship, as well as postseason implications this Saturday. So, without further ado, let's move on to this week's predictions!

Projected winners highlighted in RED

Key games highlighted in BOLD type.

Showcase games highlighted in italics.

DIVISION I FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SUBDIVISION

Montana (9-1) at Montana State (7-3)

(A share of the Big Sky Conference championship on the line! Grizzlies can clinch title outright with a win!)

Lehigh (6-4) at Lafayette (5-5)

(142nd meeting all time! Winner gets Patriot League automatic bid to FCS playoffs!)

Yale (7-2) at Harvard (7-2)

(It's the Bulldogs vs. the Crimson in "The Game"! Winner wins a share of the Ivy League crown!)

James Madison (8-2) at Towson (7-3)

Bethune Cookman (5-5) vs. Florida A&M (6-4)*

*--Florida Classic at Orlando, Fla.

Charleston Southern (9-1) at Coastal Carolina (8-2)

South Dakota State (7-3) at North Dakota State (9-1)

DIVISION II PLAYOFFS--FIRST ROUND

First Round Byes: Grand Valley State (11-0), Nebraska-Omaha (8-2), North Carolina Central (11-0), North Alabama (10-0), Shepherd (10-0), Bloomsburg (10-1), Northwest Missouri State (11-0), Chadron State (11-0)

South Dakota (8-3) at Northwood (8-2)

Winona State (9-2) at North Dakota (9-1)

Delta State (9-2) at Elizabeth City State (9-2)

Albany State (Ga.)--(7-3) at Newberry (10-1)

Southern Connecticut (7-3) at Merrimack (7-3)

West Chester (8-3) at Bryant (8-2)

Missouri Western (9-2) at Midwestern State (9-2)

Abilene Christian (8-2) at West Texas A&M (10-1)

DIVISION III PLAYOFFS--FIRST ROUND

Hope (7-3) at Mount Union (10-0)

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

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

**--Game played at Milwaukee, Wis.

Wittenberg (7-3) at Capital (9-1)

Washington & Lee (7-3) at Wilkes (10-0)

Hobart (8-1) at Rowan (7-2)

Curry (11-0) at Springfield (9-1)

Dickinson (8-2) at Wesley (10-0)

Millsaps (7-3) at Carnegie-Mellon (10-0)

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

Hardin-Simmons (8-1) at Mary Hardin-Baylor (8-2)

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

(It's the Midwest Cofnerence versus the WIAC in a battle of undefeated teams!)

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

Occidental (9-0) at Whitworth (10-0)

(It's Southern California against the Pacific Northwest in another battle of unbeatens!)

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

(How about a once-beaten team taking on an unbeaten team?)

ECAC DIVISION III CHAMPIONSHIPS

RPI (6-3) at Cortland State (9-1)

Rochester (7-3) at Alfred (7-3)

Bridgewater State (7-2) at Coast Guard (8-2)

Salisbury (5-5) at Delaware Valley (8-2)

Widener (6-4) at Ursinus (8-2)

King's (6-4) at Kean (6-4)

NCCAA VICTORY BOWL--at Tigerville, S.C.

Malone (7-3) at North Greenville (9-2)

NAIA PLAYOFFS--FIRST ROUND

Walsh (9-2) at St. Francis (Ind.)--(10-0)

Jamestown (8-2) at Sioux Falls (10-0)

Morningside (8-2) at St. Ambrose (10-0)

Montana State-Northern (9-2) at Carroll (Mont.)--(10-1)

(Third meeting between the Lights and the Saints!)

Bethel (Kans.)--(9-1) at Missouri Valley (11-0)

Black Hills State (8-2) at Northwestern (Iowa)--(10-1)

St. Xavier (8-2) at Georgetown (Ky.)--(9-1)

Friends (9-1) at Bethel (Tenn.)--(9-1)