North Central Heads To The Playoffs At No. 1
November 14, 2022
Categories: Coaches Poll, Division III,
The North Central Cardinals started the 2022 season at No. 1 and that’s where they are to end the regular season. The Cardinals finished off a perfect regular season with a 63-3 drubbing of Augustana (Ill.), clinching the program’s 16th College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin title. North Central now sets their sites on the NCAA Division III playoffs as they host Lake Forest (Ill.) in the first round.
No. 2 Mount Union (Ohio) survived against Baldwin Wallace (Ohio), 23-21, thanks to a last-second Hail Mary which bounced off a Yellow Jacket defenders head and fell into the hands of Purple Raider wide receiver Wayne Ruby Jr. who strolled into the endzone. The dramatic win gave Mount Union their 31st undefeated regular season and 33rd Ohio Athletic Conference title. The Purple Raiders will host No. 24 Salisbury (Md.) in the first round of the playoffs.
One of the biggest matchups in the first round of the playoffs sees No. 5 Trinity (Tex.) playing host to No. 10 Hardin-Simmons (Tex.). The Tigers are 10-0 for the first time since 2011 while Hardin-Simmons comes in at 9-1 with their only loss to No. 3 Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.).
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Last Week Next Game
1 North Central (Ill.) (44) 10-0 1172 1 D. Augustana (Ill.), 63-3 Nov. 19 vs. Lake Forest (Ill.)
2 Mount Union (Ohio) (1) 10-0 1101 2 D. Baldwin Wallace (Ohio), 23-21 Nov. 19 vs. No. 24 Salisbury (Md.)
3 Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.) (1) 9-1 1068 3 D. McMurry (Tex.), 62-3 Nov. 19 vs. No. 19 Huntingdon (Ala.)
4 Linfield (Ore.) (1) 9-0 1039 4 D. Lewis & Clark (Ore.), 70-7 Nov. 19 vs. Pomona-Pitzer (Calif.)
5 Trinity (Tex.) 10-0 949 5 D. Sewanee (Tenn.), 38-0 Nov. 19 vs. No. 10 Hardin-Simmons (Tex.)
6 St. John’s (Minn.) 9-1 932 6 D. No. 12 Bethel (Minn.), 28-10 Nov. 19 vs. Northwestern (Minn.)
7 Wisconsin-La Crosse 9-1 852 7 D. Wisconsin-Platteville, 31-10 Nov. 19 at No. 12 Wartburg (Iowa)
8 Delaware Valley (Pa.) 10-0 785 8 D. Widener (Pa.), 34-7 Nov. 19 vs. Gallaudet (D.C.)
9 Ithaca (N.Y.) 10-0 760 11 D. No. 9 Cortland (N.Y.), 34-17 Nov. 19 vs. Massachusetts-Dartmouth
10 Hardin-Simmons (Tex.) 9-1 733 10 D. Texas Lutheran, 45-16 Nov. 19 at No. 5 Trinity (Tex.)
11 Wisconsin-Whitewater 8-2 700 13 D. Wisconsin-Stevens Point, 79-10 Nov. 19 vs. Aurora (Ill.)
12 Wartburg (Iowa) 10-0 666 14 D. Coe (Iowa), 19-14 Nov. 19 vs. No. 7 Wisconsin-La Crosse
13 Susquehanna (Pa.) 10-0 628 15 D. Juniata (Pa.), 66-15 Nov. 19 vs. Utica (N.Y.)
14 Randolph-Macon (Va.) 10-0 543 16 D. Hampden-Sydney (Va.), 38-17 Nov. 19 vs. No. 17 Cortland (N.Y.)
15 Carnegie Mellon (Pa.) 10-0 471 17 D. Case Western Reserve (Ohio), 20-7 Nov. 19 vs. DePauw (Ind.)
16 Johns Hopkins (Md.) 9-1 451 18 D. McDaniel (Md.), 44-7 Nov. 19 vs. Stevenson (Md.)
17 Cortland (N.Y.) 9-1 408 9 Lost to No. 11 Ithaca (N.Y.), 34-17 Nov. 19 at No. 14 Randolph-Macon (Va.)
18 Wheaton (Ill.) 8-2 357 20 D. North Park (Ill.), 54-14 Nov. 19 vs. No. 20 Bethel (Minn.)
19 Huntingdon (Ala.) 9-1 305 21 D. LaGrange (Ga.), 55-7 Nov. 19 at No. 3 Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.)
20 Bethel (Minn.) 8-2 291 12 Lost to No. 6 St. John’s (Minn.), 28-10 Nov. 19 at No. 18 Wheaton (Ill.)
21 Mount St. Joseph (Ohio) 10-0 243 22 D. Rose-Hulman (Ind.), 40-31 Nov. 19 at No. 22 Alma (Mich.)
22 Alma (Mich.) 10-0 233 24 D. No. 19 Albion (Mich.), 34-31 Nov. 19 vs. No. 21 Mount St. Joseph (Ohio)
23 Endicott (Mass.) 10-0 207 23 D. Western New England (Mass.), 26-21 Nov. 19 vs. Springfield (Mass.)
24 Salisbury (Md.) 9-1 97 25 D. Christopher Newport (Va.), 36-33 Nov. 19 at No. 2 Mount Union (Ohio)
25 Albion (Mich.) 9-1 71 19 Lost to No. 24 Alma (Mich.), 34-31 Season Complete
Dropped Out: None
Others Receiving Votes: John Carroll (Ohio), 62; DePauw (Ind.), 46; Lake Forest (Ill.), 28; Trinity (Conn.), 11; Howard Payne (Tex.), 10; Ursinus (Pa.), 9; Utica (N.Y.), 6; Washington (Mo.), 6; Aurora (Ill.), 5; Baldwin Wallace (Ohio), 5; Coe (Iowa), 5; Wisconsin-River Falls, 5; Washington & Jefferson (Pa.), 4; Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.), 3; Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 3; Birmingham-Southern (Ala.), 2; Central (Iowa), 2; Massachusetts-Dartmouth, 1.
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The North Central Cardinals started the 2022 season at No. 1 and that’s where they are to end the regular season. The Cardinals finished off a perfect regular season with a 63-3 drubbing of Augustana (Ill.), clinching the program’s 16th College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin title. North Central now sets their sites on the NCAA Division III playoffs as they host Lake Forest (Ill.) in the first round.
No. 2 Mount Union (Ohio) survived against Baldwin Wallace (Ohio), 23-21, thanks to a last-second Hail Mary which bounced off a Yellow Jacket defenders head and fell into the hands of Purple Raider wide receiver Wayne Ruby Jr. who strolled into the endzone. The dramatic win gave Mount Union their 31st undefeated regular season and 33rd Ohio Athletic Conference title. The Purple Raiders will host No. 24 Salisbury (Md.) in the first round of the playoffs.
One of the biggest matchups in the first round of the playoffs sees No. 5 Trinity (Tex.) playing host to No. 10 Hardin-Simmons (Tex.). The Tigers are 10-0 for the first time since 2011 while Hardin-Simmons comes in at 9-1 with their only loss to No. 3 Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.).
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Last Week | Next Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Central (Ill.) (44) | 10-0 | 1172 | 1 | D. Augustana (Ill.), 63-3 | Nov. 19 vs. Lake Forest (Ill.) |
| 2 | Mount Union (Ohio) (1) | 10-0 | 1101 | 2 | D. Baldwin Wallace (Ohio), 23-21 | Nov. 19 vs. No. 24 Salisbury (Md.) |
| 3 | Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.) (1) | 9-1 | 1068 | 3 | D. McMurry (Tex.), 62-3 | Nov. 19 vs. No. 19 Huntingdon (Ala.) |
| 4 | Linfield (Ore.) (1) | 9-0 | 1039 | 4 | D. Lewis & Clark (Ore.), 70-7 | Nov. 19 vs. Pomona-Pitzer (Calif.) |
| 5 | Trinity (Tex.) | 10-0 | 949 | 5 | D. Sewanee (Tenn.), 38-0 | Nov. 19 vs. No. 10 Hardin-Simmons (Tex.) |
| 6 | St. John’s (Minn.) | 9-1 | 932 | 6 | D. No. 12 Bethel (Minn.), 28-10 | Nov. 19 vs. Northwestern (Minn.) |
| 7 | Wisconsin-La Crosse | 9-1 | 852 | 7 | D. Wisconsin-Platteville, 31-10 | Nov. 19 at No. 12 Wartburg (Iowa) |
| 8 | Delaware Valley (Pa.) | 10-0 | 785 | 8 | D. Widener (Pa.), 34-7 | Nov. 19 vs. Gallaudet (D.C.) |
| 9 | Ithaca (N.Y.) | 10-0 | 760 | 11 | D. No. 9 Cortland (N.Y.), 34-17 | Nov. 19 vs. Massachusetts-Dartmouth |
| 10 | Hardin-Simmons (Tex.) | 9-1 | 733 | 10 | D. Texas Lutheran, 45-16 | Nov. 19 at No. 5 Trinity (Tex.) |
| 11 | Wisconsin-Whitewater | 8-2 | 700 | 13 | D. Wisconsin-Stevens Point, 79-10 | Nov. 19 vs. Aurora (Ill.) |
| 12 | Wartburg (Iowa) | 10-0 | 666 | 14 | D. Coe (Iowa), 19-14 | Nov. 19 vs. No. 7 Wisconsin-La Crosse |
| 13 | Susquehanna (Pa.) | 10-0 | 628 | 15 | D. Juniata (Pa.), 66-15 | Nov. 19 vs. Utica (N.Y.) |
| 14 | Randolph-Macon (Va.) | 10-0 | 543 | 16 | D. Hampden-Sydney (Va.), 38-17 | Nov. 19 vs. No. 17 Cortland (N.Y.) |
| 15 | Carnegie Mellon (Pa.) | 10-0 | 471 | 17 | D. Case Western Reserve (Ohio), 20-7 | Nov. 19 vs. DePauw (Ind.) |
| 16 | Johns Hopkins (Md.) | 9-1 | 451 | 18 | D. McDaniel (Md.), 44-7 | Nov. 19 vs. Stevenson (Md.) |
| 17 | Cortland (N.Y.) | 9-1 | 408 | 9 | Lost to No. 11 Ithaca (N.Y.), 34-17 | Nov. 19 at No. 14 Randolph-Macon (Va.) |
| 18 | Wheaton (Ill.) | 8-2 | 357 | 20 | D. North Park (Ill.), 54-14 | Nov. 19 vs. No. 20 Bethel (Minn.) |
| 19 | Huntingdon (Ala.) | 9-1 | 305 | 21 | D. LaGrange (Ga.), 55-7 | Nov. 19 at No. 3 Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.) |
| 20 | Bethel (Minn.) | 8-2 | 291 | 12 | Lost to No. 6 St. John’s (Minn.), 28-10 | Nov. 19 at No. 18 Wheaton (Ill.) |
| 21 | Mount St. Joseph (Ohio) | 10-0 | 243 | 22 | D. Rose-Hulman (Ind.), 40-31 | Nov. 19 at No. 22 Alma (Mich.) |
| 22 | Alma (Mich.) | 10-0 | 233 | 24 | D. No. 19 Albion (Mich.), 34-31 | Nov. 19 vs. No. 21 Mount St. Joseph (Ohio) |
| 23 | Endicott (Mass.) | 10-0 | 207 | 23 | D. Western New England (Mass.), 26-21 | Nov. 19 vs. Springfield (Mass.) |
| 24 | Salisbury (Md.) | 9-1 | 97 | 25 | D. Christopher Newport (Va.), 36-33 | Nov. 19 at No. 2 Mount Union (Ohio) |
| 25 | Albion (Mich.) | 9-1 | 71 | 19 | Lost to No. 24 Alma (Mich.), 34-31 | Season Complete |
Dropped Out: None
Others Receiving Votes: John Carroll (Ohio), 62; DePauw (Ind.), 46; Lake Forest (Ill.), 28; Trinity (Conn.), 11; Howard Payne (Tex.), 10; Ursinus (Pa.), 9; Utica (N.Y.), 6; Washington (Mo.), 6; Aurora (Ill.), 5; Baldwin Wallace (Ohio), 5; Coe (Iowa), 5; Wisconsin-River Falls, 5; Washington & Jefferson (Pa.), 4; Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.), 3; Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 3; Birmingham-Southern (Ala.), 2; Central (Iowa), 2; Massachusetts-Dartmouth, 1.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out insider.afca.com and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
