There are three weeks remaining in the 2019 DII football season. The championship bracket began to take a little more shape on Monday with the release of the first Super Regional rankings.
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Let's take a look at the four Super Regions and what we learned from the first of three rankings before the selection show on Sunday, Nov. 17.
What are the DII football Super Regions?
Unlike most of the other NCAA DII tournaments, which are composed of eight regions, the DII football championship bracket is made up of four Super Regions. The three regional rankings released prior to the selection show will rank the top 10 teams from each Super Region, with the top 7 getting a bid to the 2019 DII football championship.
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Here's a look at the conference breakdown of each Super Region.
| SUPER REGION | CONFERENCES |
|---|---|
| Super Region 1 | G-MAC, MEC, NE10, PSAC |
| Super Region 2 | CIAA, GSC, SAC, SIAC, Independent (UNC-Pembroke) |
| Super Region 3 | GAC, GLIAC, GLVC, MIAA |
| Super Region 4 | GNAC, LSC, NSIC, RMAC |
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Super Region One
No. 1 seed: Kutztown
Team to watch: No. 5 West Virginia State
Big matchups remaining:
- Kutztown vs. West Chester, Nov. 2
- Assumption vs. New Haven, Nov. 9
- Notre Dame vs. West Virginia State, Nov. 16
- Urbana vs. Truman, Nov. 16
- PSAC championship: Nov. 16
Kutztown grabs the No. 1 seed for now, but that could all change this coming weekend with a battle against No. 6 West Chester. Should the Golden Bears win, they will solidify the hold on that spot until a likely showdown with Slippery Rock in the PSAC championship. Urbana is a pleasant surprise here with two losses against two of the Mountain East Conference's best, but a big win against West Virginia State this past weekend helped them jump into the mix. Obviously, both Slippery Rock and Notre Dame (OH) are teams to watch. The Rock has one of the most electric offenses in DII and the Falcons have the premier running back in the division, but keep an eye on those Yellow Jackets. They handed Frostburg State its only loss this season and have two big matchups against Charleston (WV) and Notre Dame that could improve their stock.
| SUPER REGION ONE | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | School | In-Region Record | DII Record | |
| 1 | Kutztown | 8-0 | 8-0 | |
| 2 | Slippery Rock | 7-0 | 8-0 | |
| 3 | Notre Dame (OH) | 8-0 | 8-0 | |
| 4 | Indiana (PA) | 7-1 | 7-1 | |
| 5 | West Virginia St. | 6-1 | 6-1 | |
| 6 | West Chester | 7-1 | 7-1 | |
| 7 | Urbana | 6-2 | 6-2 | |
| 8 | Shepherd | 6-2 | 6-2 | |
| 9 | Tiffin | 7-1 | 7-1 | |
| 10 | Ohio Dominican | 5-2 | 5-2 |
Super Region Two
No. 1 seed: Valdosta State
Team to watch: No.7 Virginia State
Big matchups remaining:
- Wingate vs. Lenoir-Rhyne, Nov. 2
- Valdosta State vs. West Florida, Nov. 9
- Virginia Union at Virginia State, Nov. 9
- CIAA and SIAC championships: Nov. 16
Valdosta State remains not only the team to beat in Super Region Two but in DII football. The Blazers have two tough games remaining, with next week against West Florida a likely top-20 matchup. We'll know more about the South Atlantic Conference cluster in the middle of the pack with a big Lenoir-Rhyne/Wingate showdown this weekend, which could open the door a bit for Carson-Newman, which has three very winnable games remaining. Virginia State has a game with Virginia Union left on its slate and the winner of that could change the landscape of the bottom of this Super Region.
| SUPER REGION TWO | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | School | In-Region Record | DII Record |
| 1 | Valdosta St. | 8-0 | 8-0 |
| 2 | Lenoir-Rhyne | 8-0 | 8-0 |
| 3 | Bowie St. | 7-0 | 8-0 |
| 4 | Wingate | 8-0 | 8-0 |
| 5 | West Florida | 5-1 | 5-1 |
| 6 | Carson-Newman | 5-2 | 5-2 |
| 7 | Virginia St. | 6-1 | 6-1 |
| 8 | Mississippi Col. | 4-2 | 4-2 |
| 9 | Virginia Union | 5-2 | 5-2 |
| 10 | Albany St. (GA) | 5-3 | 5-3 |
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Super Region Three
No. 1 seed: Ferris State
Team to watch: No. 3 UIndy
Big matchups remaining:
- Grand Valley State at Ferris State, Nov. 9
- Truman at UIndy, Nov. 9
- Northwest Missouri State at Fort Hays State, Nov. 8
- Central Missouri at Northwest Missouri State, Nov. 16
- Henderson State at Ouachita Baptist, Nov. 16
Look at those big matchups remaining. While Ferris State has the hold on the top spot, there are top-25 matchups all over this Super Region that could lead to a lot of movement in the coming weeks. UIndy is absolutely steamrolling its competition and with T.J. Edwards at quarterback, the Greyhounds could pose a big threat to the Bulldogs. Keep an eye on Fort Hays State. Since dropping their first two games, the Tigers are red hot. That matchup against the Bearcats, as well as the Battle of the Ravine on Nov. 16, could shake this Super Region up aplenty.
| SUPER REGION THREE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | School | In-Region Record | DII Record |
| 1 | Ferris St. | 7-0 | 8-0 |
| 2 | Central Mo. | 8-0 | 8-0 |
| 3 | UIndy | 7-0 | 7-0 |
| 4 | Ouachita Baptist | 8-0 | 8-0 |
| 5 | Harding | 7-1 | 7-1 |
| 6 | Northwest Mo. St. | 7-1 | 7-1 |
| 7 | Grand Valley St. | 5-1 | 7-1 |
| 8 | Missouri Western | 6-2 | 6-2 |
| 9 | Fort Hays St. | 6-2 | 6-2 |
| 10 | Henderson St. | 7-1 | 7-1 |
Super Region Four
No. 1 seed: Tarleton State
Team to watch: No. 7 Augustana (SD)
Big matchups remaining:
- Texas A&M-Commerce at West Texas A&M, Nov. 2
- Augustana (SD) at Winona State, Nov. 9
- Minnesota State at Sioux Falls, Nov. 9
- Texas A&M-Commerce at Angelo State, Nov. 16
This Super Region has two No. 1 seeds. Tarleton State has an impressive resume of late, taking down two top-25 teams in the past four weeks, but the Texans also played two games out of division to open the year. Minnesota State has owned the NSIC for almost four years and doesn't look to be slowing down any time soon. If it comes down to a battle between these two, we'll all be in for a treat. Colorado School of Mines is no slouch itself, showing that potent offense has a defense to go with it with consecutive shutouts earlier this season. That said, keep an eye on the Vikings. If they want to hold that bottom spot, they'll likely have to win out, especially that Nov. 9 matchup against Winona State.
| SUPER REGION FOUR | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | School | In-Region | DII Record |
| 1 | Tarleton St. | 6-0 | 6-0 |
| 2 | Minnesota St. | 8-0 | 8-0 |
| 3 | Colo. Sch. of Mines | 8-0 | 8-0 |
| 4 | Colorado St.-Pueblo | 7-1 | 7-1 |
| 5 | Angelo St. | 7-1 | 7-1 |
| 6 | Tex. A&M-Commerce | 5-2 | 5-2 |
| 7 | Augustana (SD) | 6-2 | 6-2 |
| 8 | Sioux Falls | 6-2 | 6-2 |
| 9 | Winona St. | 6-2 | 6-2 |
| 10 | West Tex. A&M | 5-2 | 6-2 |
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