RFC Small College Preview: Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC)--(NCAA Division III)

Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC)

2014 Football Standings

Looking back: While the St. Scholastica Saints won yet Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) championship, what was overlooked from the 2014 season was that five of the league's 10 football-playing schools finished the year with at least six wins or more. In the end, however, the Saints were stomped by Saint John's, 35-7, in the first round of the NCAA Division III playoffs.

Looking ahead: St. Scholastica will be the team to beat in the UMAC again, but multiple other teams in the conference will be looking to at least close the gap in 2015.

Predicted order of finish (2014 overall record in parentheses):

1. St. Scholastica (12-1): The Saints have lost just one conference game dating back to 2011, while advancing to the NCAA Division III playoffs four years in a row. They hope to make it five straight postseason appearances in 2015. Not only that, they also hope to win their first-ever playoff game, assuming they get there.

2. Northwestern (Minn.)--(8-2): The Eagles hope that this is the year that the St. Scholastica stranglehold will end.

3. Greenville (7-3): The Panthers will face CSS and UNW at home to close out the 2015 season.

4. Westminster (Mo.)--(6-4): The Blue Jays must overcome the loss of at least 10 seniors if they're to claim a UMAC championship this fall.

5. Iowa Wesleyan (6-4): The Tigers hope to take another step towards being serious UMAC title confenders after posting their first winning season since 1994, when they finished 8-3 overall.

6. Crown (4-6): The Storm will head into the 2015 campaign hoping to build on a four-game winning streak that ended the 2014 season.

7. MacMurray (3-7): The Highlanders will look to their first conference title since 2002.

8. Eureka (2-8): The Red Devils enter 2015 on a five-game losing streak that ended 2014.

9. Martin Luther (2-8): The Knights will look to move forward after going backward following back-to-back 4-6 seasons.

10. Minnesota-Morris (0-10): The Cougars last win came on November 9, 2013, when they crushed MacMurray.

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