RFC Originals--DEBUT EDITION

Well, here it is! The debut of the "RFC Originals", articles on small college and minor league professional football not available elsewhere. First up is the first-ever RFC "Dandy Dozen" poll. This is where we rate the top 12 small college football teams in the nation, whether it be the Football Championship Subdivision of NCAA Division (formerly NCAA Division I-AA), NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, or the NAIA. So, what are we waiting for? Let's get started!

RFC Dandy Dozen Debut Poll--FCS

1. Richmond (13-3 in 2008): Despite a third-place finish in the Colonial Athletic Association South Division, the Spiders peaked at the right time, winning their first-ever national championship. Can they win back-to-back titles in 2009? An October visit to defending division champion and intra-state rival James Madison, and a home showdown against Villanova could decide if UR will even get that chance--to return to the playoffs at least.

2. Appalachian State (11-3): The Mountaineers quest to win an unpredecedented fourth straight FCS national championship was de-railed by this aforementioned Richmond squad in last year's quarterfinals. A healthy Armanti Edwards leading the way at quarterback could determine whether or not the Mountaineers win four FCS crowns in the five years.

3. Montana (14-2): After falling to Richmond in last year's title game, the Grizzlies will look to win--or share--the Big Sky Conference crown for the 11th straight season.

4. Northern Iowa (12-3): The Panthers hope to have a happy ending in 2009 after losing a heartbreaker to Richmond in last year's FCS semifinals. They'll find out quickly just how good they are when they pay a visit to Big Ten Conference foe Iowa to open the season on September 5.

5. James Madison (12-2): The Dukes are re-loading for 2009 after going unbeaten (8-0) in the CAA South Division in 2008, losing to Montana in the FCS national semifinals. Senior defensive end Sam Daniels is among three Sports Network preseason All-Americans hoping to lead JMU to its second national championship in six years.

6. Villanova (10-3): Despite a second place finish (7-1) in the CAA South, two of the Wildcats three losses last season came to James Madison, with the latter coming in the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs, a season-ending 31-27 setback. 'Nova will be tested quite often this season, as the Wildcats must travel to New Hampshire (October 10), James Madison (October 17), and defending national champion Richmond (November 7).

The Other Six

7. Weber State (10-4): Shared Big Sky title with Montana last season.

8. Southern Illinois (9-3): Another conference co-champion, the Salukis shared the Missouri Valley Football Conference championship with Northern Iowa in 2008.

9. New Hampshire (10-3): Winners of the CAA North title a year ago, the Wildcats managed to outlast Southern Illinois, 29-20, before losing a heartbreaker to UNI, 36-34, in the FCS quarterfinals.

10. Wofford (9-3): A second place finisher in the Southern Conference last year, it'll be interesting to see if the Terriers can mount a serious challenge to Appalachian State's supremacy in that league this year.

11. Eastern Kentucky (8-4): The Colonels enter the 2009 season as the defending Ohio Valley Conference champions after a 7-1 finish in league play in 2008.

12. Maine (8-5): The Black Bears fell in the first round of the FCS playoffs to Northern Iowa, 40-15.

Questions or comments about the Dandy Dozen? Send them to realfootballcentral@gmail.com.

New e-mail address for RFC

Effective immediately, the dawkndqbfb@yahoo.com e-mail address for RFC will no longer be used. Instead, please send any responses to realfootballcentral@gmail.com. That's realfootballcentral@gmail.com. Thank you.

COMING SOON!!!

The RFC Originals. Articles and/or interviews not available anywhere else.

NFL Draft Coverage

Visit realfootballcentral.blogspot.com starting Saturday, April 25 for complete coverage of the 2009 NFL Draft, including coverage at the "RFC News Center" regarding any small college players who have been drafted or have signed free agent contracts with any NFL teams.

2009 af2 Preview--Part 3

Our preseason outlook for arenafootball2 wraps up with a round-up of the Southwest Division, courtesy of af2.com.

Southwest Division

2009 af2 Preview--Part 2

Our preview of the 2009 arenafootball2 season continues with an inside look of the Central and West Divisions, courtesy of af2.com.

Central Division

West Division

2009 af2 Preview

As hard as it is to believe, the 10th anniversary season of arenafootball2 opens Friday night, with the Tri-Cities Fever facing the Central Valley Coyotes, followed by the Florida Firecats playing host to the South Georgia Wildcats on Saturday. Here are previews of the three divisions that make up the American Conference, courtesy of af2.com.

East Division

Midwest Division

South Division

The "Twitter Ticker" is here!

Now available on Real Football Central, the RFC "Twitter Ticker". Your source for scores and breaking news related to the world of small college and minor league professional football, both indoors and outdoors. Follow all of the action on realfootballcentral.blogspot.com, and click the "Follow me on Twitter" link in the upper right hand corner of the blog.

COMING SOON TO RFC!!!!

The Real Football Central "Twitter Ticker"! Here, you will find breaking news, as well as scoring updates from some of the top games in small college and minor league professional football, both indoors and outdoors! Watch for it at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com!

WE'RE BAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!

After a hiatus of more than a month, RFC is back with a new feature, the "RFC News Center". It features the latest headlines in the world of small college and minor league professional football, indoors as well as outdoors. Check it out on the top right of the homepage at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Real Football Central says Happy New Year, with hopes for a prosperous 2009! As always, RFC will go on hiatus for the upcoming NFL playoffs, with regular posting to resume after Super Bowl XLIII in February. Here are the final tallies for the 2008 season on the "LIGHTNING ROUND".

CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES (FCS, NCAA Division III, NAIA)

2-1 (.667)

FINAL TOTALS FOR 2008

306 games right, 162 wrong (.654)

And as a new year gets underway, and RFC goes on hiatus, Arena Fan Online explores what 2009 will be like without arena football, as the Arena Football League board of directors voted to cancel its upcoming season. Still, it won't be a total loss.

SEASON'S GREETINGS!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

AND

HAPPY NEW YEAR

FROM

REAL FOOTBALL CENTRAL!!!

National champs crowned

The 2008 small college football season ended this past weekend, with one national champion crowned Friday night, and two others on Saturday. Here's what happened...

FCS Championship--at Chattanooga, Tenn.

Richmond 24, Montana 7

The University of Richmond Spiders completed one of the greatest Cinderella stories in all of sports Friday, as the knocked off the University of Montana Grizzlies for their first-ever NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly NCAA Division I-AA) title.

Complete coverage...

Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch

Billings (Mont.) Gazette

Chattanooga Times Free Press

NCAA Division III Championship--at Salem, Va.

Mount Union 31, Wisconsin-Whitewater 26

One year after being denied a three-peat, the Purple Raiders of Mount Union College won their 10th national championship in the last 16 years by dethroning the defending national champion Warhawks Saturday.

Article courtesy of Mount Union College Sports Information

NAIA Championship--at Rome, Ga.

Sioux Falls 24, Carroll (Mont.) 7

The Cougars win their second national championship in three years, and deny the Saints their sixth title in seven years, in convincing fashion.

Article courtesy of naia.cstv.com

National title games end 2008 season

It may hard to believe, but this is the last weekend of the 2008 small college football season, as three games will decide national championships in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formeryly NCAA Division I-AA), NCAA Division III, and the NAIA. Here's a quick look at each of those contests.

FCS Championship (Tonight [Friday] at Chattanooga, Tenn.)--Montana vs. Richmond

Probably one of the most unlikely title game pairings in FCS history will take place between the No. 4 seeded Grizzlies, and the unseeded Spiders. Montana upset No. 1 seed James Madison, 35-27, in a national semifinal game last week, while Richmond rallied to stun No. 3 seed Northern Iowa on the road in the other semifinal contest.

NCAA Division III Championship (Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl)--(Saturday at Salem, Va.)

For the fourth straight year, it's Mount Union vs. Wisconsin-Whitewater for all of the marbles in D-III. The defending national champion Warhawks will look to make it back-to-back titles, while the Purple Raiders hope to take back the title that Whitewater took away last year. Should be yet another hard-fought, down-to-the-wire game.

NAIA Championship (Saturday at Rome, Ga.)

In a battle of 13-0 teams, Carroll (Mont.) hopes to win an unprecedented sixth national championship in seven years, while Sioux Falls hopes to win a second title in three teams. The Cougars won the crown in 2006.

THE LIGHTNING ROUND--WEEK 17 (THE SEASON FINALE)

Last Week: 2-4 (.333)
Year To Date: 304-161 (.654)

KEY: Projected winners highlighted in RED.

FCS CHAMPIONSHIP--at Chattanooga, Tenn. (Friday)

Montana (14-1) vs. Richmond (12-3)

NCAA DIVISION III CHAMPIONSHIP (Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl)--at Salem, Va. (Saturday)

Mount Union (14-0) vs. Wisconsin-Whitewater (13-1)

NAIA CHAMPIONSHIP--at Rome, Ga. (Saturday)

Carroll (Mont.)--(13-0) vs. Sioux Falls (13-0)

PLAYOFF RECAP--Minnesota-Duluth wins first-ever D-II title

After having no postseason wins prior to this year, the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs won four such contests en route to their first-ever NCAA Division II national championship. UMD handed Northwest Missouri State its fourth straight title game loss in a 21-14 win at Florence, Ala. Saturday.

Article courtesy of the Florence (Ala.) Times-Daily (click on title above)

A little late...

but better late than never...as Minnesota-Duluth and Northwest Missouri State prepare to play for an NCAA Division II football national championship today. Therefore, there's some catching up to do.

FCS

James Madison won its first two playoff games in close fashion (Wofford 38-35 and Villanova 31-27). But Friday night, the No. 1 seeded Dukes finally ran out of luck, as they were upset by No. 4 seed Montana, 35-27. The Grizzlies now await the winner of Saturday's Northern Iowa-Richmond contest in next week's title game at Chattanooga, Tenn.

As for how the Grizzlies got to the FCS finals, they defeated Texas State, 31-13, then avenged their lone regular season loss to Weber State by knocking off the Wildcats, 24-13. UNI earned its way into the national semifinals with a thrilling 36-34 win over New Hampshire at home in the quarterfinals last Saturday.

NCAA Division II

No contest in either national semifinal game last weekend. Really.

Northwest Missouri State 41, North Alabama 7

Minnesota-Duluth 45, California (Pa.) 7

Enough said.

NCAA Division III

Mount Union advanced to yet another national semifinal game with a convincing 41-14 win over Cortland State. The 13-0 Purple Raiders face the upstart Thunder from Wheaton, who downed Franklin 45-28 to advance to the D-III semis.

On the other side of the bracket, defending national champion Wisconsin-Whitewater outlasted Wartburg 34-17, while Mary Hardin-Baylor crushed Washington & Jefferson 63-7 to set up the other national semifinal contest.

NAIA

It will be a battle of 13-0 teams in next week's NAIA championship game at Rome, Ga. on Dec. 20, as defending national champion Carroll (Mont.) facing Sioux Falls (S.D.). The Saints edged Lindenwood (Mo.) 38-37 in one national semifinal game last weekend, while the Cougars rolled past St. Francis (Ind.) 24-6 in the other semifinal match-up.

THE LIGHTNING ROUND--WEEK 16

Last Week: 6-6 (.500)
Year To Date: 302-157 (.658)

KEY: Projected winners highlighted in RED.

FCS PLAYOFFS--SEMIFINALS

Montana (13-1) at James Madison (12-1)

Richmond (11-3) at Northern Iowa (12-2)

NCAA DIVISION II CHAMPIONSHIP--at Florence, Ala.

Minnesota-Duluth (14-0) vs. Northwest Missouri State (13-1)

NCAA DIVISION III PLAYOFFS--SEMIFINALS

Wheaton (11-2) at Mount Union (13-0)

Wisconsin-Whitewater (12-1) at Mary Hardin-Baylor (12-1)

SWAC CHAMPIONSHIP--at Birmingham, Ala.

Grambling State (10-2) vs. Jackson State (7-4)

Minnesota-Duluth football grabs attention of locals

As they prepare to play in their first-ever NCAA Division II championship game at Florence, Ala., the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs football program is narrowing the gap between it and its more successful hockey program.

Article courtesy of the Duluth (Minn.) News Tribune

What went wrong for Appalachian State?

Last weekend, Appalachian State was on the march for a fourth straight NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision national championship. This weekend, the Mountaineers find themselves watching from the sidelines, as Richmond pulled off the improbable upset in the second round of the FCS playoffs. College Sporting News explores what went wrong in this article listed below.

FULL STORY