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DII Playoffs: Brackets Filling Out

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DII Playoffs: Brackets Filling Out

We do not have all of the information for the new USAR Fall 15s Championships sponsored by ACRA, but considering teams have qualified for playoffs that will occur in two weekends' time, we're publishing all of the information we do have.

While the DI landscape is more difficult to decipher in terms of participants, the DII championship is more transparent. This "new" DII fall championship looks a lot like last year's ACRA playoffs, unlike DI, which has included Big Ten teams and accepting more at-large bids.

ACRA has published the DII playoff brackets HERE, but there are still some holes. Below are updates on the various conferences for the Round of 32, and as soon as the at-large bids are named, we'll update:

GREAT PLAINS BRACKET

Great Waters: See Midwest Bracket. UW Steven's Point and UW Whitewater have already guaranteed their Round of 32 spots in this bracket, but this Sunday's game between the two undefeateds will determine their opponents in playoffs. Sunday's victor will play Mankato, while the loser will play Winona on Nov. 8.

Mid-America: Like Rocky Mountain, this conference's championship serves as a Round of 32 match. On Nov. 8, Nebraska and Missouri will play for a spot in the Nov. 9 final against Arkansas. Arkansas defeated reigning Mid-America champion Nebraska 48-15 during the regular season and Missouri 69-0 on Oct. 4.

Northern Lights: The conference is sending its top two teams to the Round of 32. ACRA champion Winona is the undisputed leader, having won its seventh consecutive conference title after last weekend's 100-0 win over UM Duluth. Mankato gave the Black Katts their best competition of the season, losing 39-7, and heads to the playoffs with the #2 spot.

Rocky Mountain: The conference is hosting its championship this weekend. After its 40-15 win over Utah State last Saturday, Utah Valley moved into the top spot in its division and will play Colorado College in Saturday's semifinal. On the other side of the bracket, Utah State and Mesa State will battle for a spot in Sunday's final.

MID-ATLANTIC BRACKET

Excelsior: Colgate won the conference after last weekend's 29-22 win over Oneonta to remain undefeated. Colgate did emerge as the best team in the league but played some close games (14-10 v Cortland) to make for a more challenging season.

Mid-Atlantic: The conference quarterfinals and semifinals will be contested this weekend, and the Nov. 8 championship will serve as a seeding match for the national Round of 16. In other words, whoever exits this weekend undefeated is guaranteed a spot at nationals. The victor - Kutztown is the heavy favorite - will compete in the Northeast bracket at Dartmouth. The #2 team (Bloomsburg is the best candidate) will compete in the Round of 16 at Vassar.

Rugby Northeast: The conference champion will compete in this bracket, while the second-place team heads to the Northeast regional competition. There is one more week of league play before the standings determine who moves onto the Round of 32, but right now, Stonehill is looking like the top RNE rep. After dominating its previous opponents, Stonehill stood up to then-undefeated St. Michael's last weekend and banked the 33-12 win. Stonehill is now 6-0 with 410 point differential.

New England Small College: The conference is sending its second-place team to this bracket, while the champion will compete in the Northeast bracket. The top two teams - Bowdoin and Tufts - will sort out the seeds this weekend at the conference championship. Bowdoin won 54-0 when it saw Tufts in the regular season.

New England Wide: Conference standings will determine the playoff representatives, and NEWCRC gets two. Coast Guard and Vermont currently lead the standings, and after this weekend's final match, the Mid-Atlantic bracket will welcome whichever team finishes second.

Tri-State: The conference is sending two reps to the Round of 32, but in two different brackets. The conference championship is this weekend and will be contested between Vassar and Rutgers. The former escaped a powerful Hofstra in last weekend's 27-17 semifinal win, while Rutgers handled Marist to a 48-0 victory. The schematic doesn't indicate which seed will compete in which bracket, but in all likelihood, it's because Vassar College is a Round of 32 site, and regardless of conference finish, will be playing at home on Nov. 8-9.

MIDWEST BRACKET

Allegheny: IUP has been the clear leader throughout the regular season, going undefeated and not relinquishing a single point against. It appears there is a final game between IUP and Slippery Rock, with the victor moving onto the playoffs.

Great Lakes: Davenport locked up the conference title after this weekend's 109-0 victory over Central Michigan. Danielle Ordway and Jennifer Harig teamed up for seven tries. The Panthers distanced themselves from the league competition, but spiced it up with wins over DI Michigan and Lindenwood.

Great Waters: See Great Plains Bracket. The top two teams are competing in the Great Plains bracket, but schematic indicates that the conference could send a third team. UW Oshkosh and University of Illinois-Chicago will be playing for third place this Sunday.

Illinois: Illinois State hosted the conference championship last weekend and won it all with a 48-21 win over Western Illinois. Jess Dombrowski (3) and McKenna Larson (2) led the try count.

Ohio Valley: The title will come down to heavy favorite Notre Dame College and Cincinnati. The conference championship occurs this Saturday, but both teams are moving on regardless of finish. The Falcons are the contender to unseat reigning ACRA champ Winona, but may be using this weekend's game to work its depth.

Upstate New York: Ithaca is coming off a 48-0 win over Brockport, a victory that kept the conference leader's undefeated record intact. This Saturday marks the final week of league play (game's against DI Buffalo), but it would be a big surprise if Ithaca didn't walk away with the title.

NORTHEAST BRACKET

Mid-Atlantic: See Mid-Atlantic Bracket. The Northeast gets the MARC champion in the Round of 16, and in all likelihood, it'll be Kutztown. The conference is taking the next two weekends to name the champion, but expect last year's ACRA Final Four team to be in Hanover, N.H.

New England Small College: See Mid-Atlantic Bracket. Undefeated Bowdoin is the heavy favorite to win the conference and compete in the Northeast bracket.

New England Wide: See Mid-Atlantic Bracket. It'll be Coast Guard or Vermont, and this Saturday will determine which.

Rugby Northeast: See Mid-Atlantic Bracket. The second-place team will compete in this competition, and it comes down to St. Michael's and St. Anselm. Both are 5-1 this season, and whoever wins this match-up will take the playoff spot. St. Michael's is favored, especially after the tough game it gave conference leader Stonehill. St. Anselm lost 62-7 when it played Stonehill earlier in the season.

Tri-StateSee Mid-Atlantic Bracket. It'll be either Rutgers or Vassar, both of which are undefeated this season.

Upstate New York: This bracket sees second-place finisher Buffalo State. There's one more week of league play, but the team has it locked up in the standings. Buffalo State provided conference leader Ithaca with its only real competition this season, losing 27-10 in the opening week of play. Last weekend, Buffalo State beat Fredonia 48-5.