A little past halfway, the Centennial feels pretty deep through the top five, but nobody has really separated themselves. There are several teams I could see winning the league, although I'm not sure any has established itself as an elite national contender yet. That should make for a fun finish, even if we end up beating each other up along the way.

These are power rankings, with results carrying the most weight, but also some consideration for the schedule and how teams are playing. There isn't much daylight between a few of these spots.

1. Ursinus (6–0, 3–0)
The Bears have earned this. Pound the rock, keep the chains moving and make the other team play at their pace. Against Hopkins, they put together a 19-play touchdown drive that took more than ten minutes and went 12-for-16 on third down. That's a miserable afternoon for a defense trying to get off the field. They've also been good at answering when games get tight. I still want to see them against the rest of the contenders, but they know what they do well and keep doing it. F&M will be a good test of just how far that approach can take them.

2. Carnegie Mellon (4–2, 3–0)
John Carroll and Berry were a tough nonconference slate, and losses of 17–7 and 16–10 deserve that context. Since conference play started, CMU has outscored opponents 114–20. They're getting stops, creating turnovers and making things happen on special teams. The catch is that those wins came against the bottom three teams on this list. They've handled that stretch convincingly; now we need to see how it carries over against the contenders. The defense gives them a chance in any matchup. Whether the offense can consistently do enough without extra possessions or short fields is what will decide how high they finish.

3. F&M (5–1, 2–1)
That defense looks elite by Centennial standards. Allowing 11.7 points per game is impressive, and holding Dickinson to seven, with no rushing touchdowns, was a strong response to the Muhlenberg loss. F&M can run the ball, defend and win without needing a big offensive afternoon. I know putting them above Muhlenberg invites an argument. Five wins and one three-point loss give them a slight edge for me over the full season, especially after the Dickinson result, but that fourth-quarter collapse in Allentown absolutely counts against them. There's very little separating these next two spots. Ursinus coming to Lancaster should tell us a lot about both teams.

4. Muhlenberg (4–2, 2–1)
I'm giving the Mules a narrow edge over Dickinson, and they could be significantly higher on this list soon. Beating F&M after trailing by 14 in the fourth quarter is a meaningful result. Endicott exposed them, but Endicott is also a top-ten team nationally. If we're giving CMU credit for a difficult nonconference schedule, Muhlenberg deserves that consideration too. The seven-point outing against Ursinus is the bigger concern for me within the league. Still, there's enough offense here to make things interesting, and the McDaniel game was complete domination—441–15 in total yards. The question is whether they can put together that kind of complete performance against the other contenders.

5. Dickinson (4–2, 2–1)
Big, tough and happy to make it a physical game. When Dickinson gets that running game going, they're a handful. They're still averaging about 221 rushing yards per game, and the Randolph-Macon win and comeback against Hopkins shouldn't get forgotten because of one loss in Lancaster. The Davidson loss also needs the obvious FCS context. What F&M showed is that Dickinson becomes much more manageable when you keep the ground game from finishing drives. They moved the ball but left too many opportunities out there. Fifth feels a little harsh, but someone has to land here. I still think they can beat anyone in this league when they're getting their way up front.

6. Hopkins (1–5, 0–3)
Honestly, this is still the hardest one to make sense of. For more than two decades, Hopkins has been the model for coaching, talent and reloading. How a program that has done that so reliably ended up here this year is difficult to explain, even accounting for injuries. The schedule has been brutal: Ithaca, Randolph-Macon and Susquehanna outside the league, followed by Dickinson, CMU and Ursinus, all three on the road. That deserves acknowledgment, but it still doesn't fully explain 1–5. They've been competitive for stretches, then watched games get away—up 21–7 on Dickinson at halftime, tied with Ursinus in the third quarter. Everyone keeps expecting them to turn the corner, and it just hasn't happened.

7. Gettysburg (2–4, 0–3)
There have been some encouraging stretches, and the Washington and Lee game feels like one they'll wish they had back. They can move the ball through the air, but the running game and run defense make it hard to sustain anything against the better teams. Averaging about 75 rushing yards while allowing 226 puts a lot of pressure on everything else. I have them below Hopkins for now, although that's hardly a comfortable pick given how Hopkins has played. Their upcoming meeting is a good chance for Gettysburg to show there's more here than the conference results suggest.

8. McDaniel (1–5, 0–3)
The Catholic win was a promising start, but it's been tough sledding since. There just hasn't been enough offense to stay in games, and turnovers and special-teams mistakes have made that harder. Fifteen total yards against Muhlenberg, with the only touchdown coming on an interception return, tells the story of that afternoon. Before worrying about climbing the standings, they need to find a way to string together possessions and stop giving opponents easy opportunities. Right now, there's a gap between McDaniel and the rest.

Quote from: The Third Division on September 06, 2026, 02:20:40 AMHow many more years does Johns Hopkins have to play Ithaca before Johns Hopkins realized they're just the better team?

I am sure their decision to schedule a couple of two-year series has a lot more to do with the relationship between the programs. The last two head coaches at Ithaca were former Hopkins coaches, and Ithaca's DC is the son of the late Jim Margraff, which adds another direct connection between the programs.

The two programs have a great deal of respect for each other, and it's a quality non-conference game that helps prepare both teams for conference play.

It's always a little difficult to judge things at the beginning of the season, particularly when there are 4-5 teams in the CC that can have an up year and make a run at the playoffs. Obviously, some of those programs reload more consistently than others, and Hopkins, CMU and Muhlenberg have been the most consistent of the bunch over the past 10 years.

The good news, as we saw last year, is that if the CC performs well in OOC play, it can get two or even three teams into the playoffs.

And there are some really good OOC games. CMU has John Carroll and Berry. Muhlenberg has Endicott. F&M has Westminster. Hopkins has Ithaca, Randolph-Macon and Susquehanna. Ursinus has Del Val.

That is a long way of saying I'll hedge until a couple standout OOC games happen.

The semifinals did not disappoint. What a wild game to watch.

This was an absolute shootout and felt like a game that could have gone either way well into the fourth quarter.

Hopkins looked like Hopkins... balanced and largely in control on offense for long stretches. The usual suspects showed up, and the execution was there against an elite opponent on the biggest stage.

UWRF has one hell of a quarterback in Blaha. He took a tough hit early but quickly shook it off, settling in and making several big time throws in brutal conditions while playing with poise throughout.

River Falls looks more than capable of giving North Central a serious challenge. And based on what we saw, Hopkins belonged squarely in that same conversation.

In the end, it was a strong showing for both teams.

UWRF erased any doubt that the WIAC is the best conference in the country, and that its era of being overshadowed by others (La Crosse, Whitewater) is over.

Hopkins continues to profile as a national program with the depth and infrastructure to reload and compete for a Stagg Bowl appearance.

Well, three teams from the Centennial made the tournament... and one is still dancing.

For about a decade now, JHU has been the team good enough to keep advancing then eventually running into a D3 buzzsaw. This year feels a little different though. The trenches are as strong as they have been in a while, and there is a legit collection of weapons on offense, including a Gagliardi finalist.

It will be interesting to see how much the Maryland crowd enjoys what will feel like 6-degree football at River Falls. On the other side, this River Falls group looks like the best WIAC squad we have seen in a small handful of years.

The consensus is pretty clear. Most expect a River Falls win. I do not entirely disagree, but I also do not agree.

One thing is certain. Outside of Cortland beating NCC a few years back, this would be the biggest East Coast win in a long time.

F*** it.

JHU: 34
UW River Falls: 31

After seeing this thread, I too went back to evaluate the controversy at the end. My thought is that it is a non issue.

Two teams battled hard all day. It appeared JHU went to bring an end to the game by kneeling it out. Salisbury did not feel the game yet had advanced to that point and called a timeout to keep the game alive. I see no issue with Salisbury calling a timeout if they feel there is game left. I also see no issue with JHU playing hard to finish the game.

These players work their tails off to be on the field. I applaud both teams to playing until the last whistle.

I'll start by saying that I think you accurately portrayed the tension that we always see, and put forth a fair and logical solution (regional brackets) to limit the tension. For what it's worth, I also agree that the NCAA is doing the best they can do with the constraints they have.

Now... I'll vent why I don't want the regional brackets!! Now I'm not an old head and can't say anything with the wisdom of the landscape several decades ago. But I feel that the changes over the past several years has done a good job of introducing matchups that are unique. The 40 team field that is mathematically chosen, the protected top 8 seeds, the "goal" to avoid 1st/2nd rematches of regular season games, and a somewhat accepting NCAA that there has to be a number of flights to just merely complete the bracket, has all come together and created what appears to be a higher likelihood of teams in unique geographies playing each other. There will always be the urge of the committee to bring it back to regions when bracketing, but now there are a number of guidelines that they are admittedly trying to follow, and that has created more spontaneous possibilities.

I personally believe that this is enjoyable to followers of D3 and gives a better ability to showcase the parity (or lack thereof) across D3. It seems fun that if a conference plays and wins a solid OOC schedule, it can get multiple teams in the playoffs and try to wreak havoc, even if it ultimately ends in a loss to a superpower. Last year we got to see Susquehanna play St. John's and play Bethel and we got to see Hopkins play MHB. That must have been fun for region 2 more broadly.

If we reverted to regional brackets, to your point, I think it solves a lot of the problems that people complain about and could possibly be a better style to have the "right" champion, but in my mind it would be a big step backward for the D3 experience.

Alright so this week in the CC appears to be the CMU vs. F&M game... and then everything else. Perhaps some bowl game considerations with the Ursinus vs. Dickinson game.

CMU 24
F&M 21

It's a must win game for both teams. If F&M wins, they are in the playoffs. Otherwise, they have to beat Hopkins to make it. CMU has to win out to have a shot. It's tough to say which F&M team is going to come out... the one that beat Ursinus by 32... or the one that played a 1 score game to a winless Gettysburg.

Dickinson 21
Ursinus 28

Ursinus on a down year still seems to have the upper hand here.

Gettysburg 14
Muhlenberg 49

Muhlenberg has to win out to make the playoffs. They should have no issue achieving that, but they'll play 4 quarters hard to ensure it.

JHU 66
McDaniel 7

I'm not sure there's much to say here. Both teams should just hope for no unnecessary injuries.

Consequential day in the Centennial.

Great win for Muhlenberg. CMU with a little de ja vu of the hopkins game, with them letting the mules crawl back into it. It's a tough loss for CMU who had multiple opportunities to take the game. 

F&M seems to be the under-the-radar team to compete for the CC. Dominating performance against Ursinus as of this writing. With wins against Muhlenberg and Ursinus, F&M is putting themself in a good spot for a pool C, with room for 1 additional loss across the rest of their schedule.

Overall, the Centennial is shaping up to have at minimum 2 teams in the playoffs, and I could see 3 in many situations. It's a lot of moving parts, but (with the help of Logan Hansen's arsenal of tools he shares) here's the team-by-team playoff paths:

Hopkins can lose 3 games and still make the playoffs. They are the clear favorite for a Pool A.

Muhlenberg would be a playoff lock if they beat Hopkins, but should still be a pool C team with a loss to Hopkins only.

F&M as described above should be a pool C as a 2 loss team, with possibilities of a pool A.

CMU, as hard as it is to believe after today's loss, can win out and make the playoffs as a 3 loss team, although it appears they would need a little luck on their side. This is the most difficult playoff team to predict with purely wins. But their losses are now to a top WIAC contender in UWL, Hopkins, and now a 6-1 Muhlenberg.

More of a fun thought experiment, I am trying to envision a possible path for 4 CC teams to make the playoffs. It is obviously a long shot, and perhaps I'm flawed here, but here's what I came up with in two scenarios for this:

1. CMU wins out and squeezes in the last 1 or 2 pool C slots. This is the key for the scenario.
2. F&M wins out and only loses to CMU (notably they beat Hopkins). Finishes with 2 losses. 
3. Muhlenberg loses to Hopkins and finishes with 2 losses. They can also beat Hopkins and finish with 1 loss. 
4. Hopkins finishes with 1 loss to F&M or 2 losses to F&M and Muhlenberg.

As the playoff picture starts to become clearer, I expect the d3 experts will make this more of a topic of conversation.

How different the playoffs have become. The CC is no WIAC, but it has come a long way -- the addition of CMU, combined with the current set up of 3 out of conference games per team since the Landmark split, and NPI really showing that strong out of conference record is an absolute must, it may be possible to see more years of sustained success and multiple CC teams each year.

Should be a fun one in the CC headlined by CM vs MC game.

Carnegie Mellon 35
Muhlenberg 27

Tough match-up where the team with the least mistakes comes out on top. CM leaves victorious but the game is closer than the score indicates. Dante Mahaffey has a big day with his legs to extend drives.

Ursinus 24
F&M 21

F&M isn't able to capitalize on their momentum after Muhlenberg. Ursinus bounces back in a much needed way.

McDaniel 10
Dickinson 31

The middle of the pack in the CC is too much for the green terror to come close.

Gettysburg 17
Johns Hopkins 53

The Bullets are overwhelmed by a Blue Jays offense that seems to have taken a big step up this year. Bay Harvey pushes downfield all afternoon with his arsenal of weapons headlined by Cole Crotty. 

Muhlenberg has up years and down years, but they are always competitive and near the top of the conference. They are well coached and rarely get beaten convincingly.

CMU has earned the right to be the favorite based on strong play against a really tough schedule, but it will likely require 4 quarters of complementary football to win the way that is currently expected.