BREAKDOWN--The NCAA Division III Playoff Picture

Here's another outlook on the games that have potential conference championship and/or playoff implications. This installment focuses on some key games played at the NCAA Division III level this weekend.

Mount Union (8-0) at Otterbein (8-0): Here's a game that's fit for the "Who would've thunk it?" category. The perennial powerhouse Purple Raiders face a Cardinals that's never won more than seven games in a season for at least the last nine years. At least, until this year. The winner of this game will win at least a share of the Ohio Athletic Conference, and that league's automatic bid to the playoffs to boot.

Hampden-Sydney (7-1) at Huntingdon (8-0): The upstart Hawks from Montgomery, Ala. (and the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference--yes, they're really are members of the SLIAC--associate members, anyway) host the Tigers from Hampden-Sydney, Va. in a rare late-season non-conference battle with potential postseason implications. While the game itself may not count in any conference standings, it could go a long way toward deciding if either team gets an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs. Also, the Hawks will look to maintain their perfect record going into their season finale against LaGrange (Ga.), while the Tigers hope to wash the bad taste from their upset loss to Catholic two weeks ago out of their mouths.

Rowan (7-1) at Montclair State (7-1): With Cortland State (N.Y.)--(8-0) already having clinched the New Jersey Athletic Conference autobid to the D-III playoffs, the battle between the Profs and the Red Hawks will be for the so-called "Pool C" at-large bid to the "little big dance".

Augustana (Ill.)--(6-2) at North Central (8-0): The Cardinals can move one step closer towards a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin title with a win over the Vikings.

Carleton (6-2) at Concordia-Moorhead (5-3) and Augsburg (5-3) at St. John's (6-2): With four teams (Carleton, Gustavus Adolphus, SJU, and C-M) all tied for first place in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference at 4-2, a fifth squad, St. Thomas (5-3, 4-3) a half-game behind that quartet, and two others, Augsburg (5-3) and Bethel (Minn.)--(4-4) a full game off the pace at 3-3, unpredictability is the name of the game in this suddenly competitive D-III conference. Still, these two aforementioned contests could help clear up who might end up getting this league's automatic bid to the D-III dance.

Williams (5-2) at Amherst (5-2): With Trinity (Conn.)--(7-0) clinching the New England Small College Athletic Conference title last weekend, this game is for second place in a league which doesn't send any of its teams to postseason play. Even so, fans of both Amherst and Williams, respectively, don't need to be reminded of just how big the "Biggest Little Game In America" is to these passionate fan bases.

Honorable mention: Ithaca (7-1) at Alfred (6-2), Trine (8-0) at Adrian (7-1), Fitchburg State (4-5) at Maine Maritime (6-3), Hobart (6-1) at RPI (7-0), Wisconsin-Stout (5-3) at Wisconsin-Whitewater (7-1), and Wisconsin-Stevens Point (7-1) at Wisconsin-Eau Claire (5-3).