The 2009 Year-in-Review thread

[K-Mack]

Since the year is wrapping up, I must plea once more for anything that stood out -- or might have slipped under the radar -- about this season that was noteworthy or unique -- and the more unique the better.

Frequent readers will recongize the classic categories, but I don't think any suggestion is out of bounds.

I want the 68-62 Dome Day game, followed by the 3-0 game, to be considered. Pat had a funny quote about it, something like he was still reeling from teh first game so much he didn't even realize til halftime the second one was tied at 0.

[Cougswillwin]

How about the 2OT victory for Con. IL over Con. WI...a team they haven't beaten since 1987. The Falcons had a chance to win it in the first OT with a 42 yd. field goal. The kick had plenty of distance, but it bounced off the left upright sending it to the second OT. Falcons scored a TD and got the extra point, leaving the Cougars needing to score to stay alive. They scored a TD and decided to go for the win with a 2pt. conversion. The desicion to go for 2 in the second OT as was a gutsy one, but paid off as the 2pt. conversion was successful and kept the Con. IL Cougars playoff hopes alive, and sending the players, fans, and parents into a frenzy on the field.

[K-Mack]

How about the 2OT victory for Con. IL over Con. WI...a team they haven't beaten since 1987. The Falcons had a chance to win it in the first OT with a 42 yd. field goal. The kick had plenty of distance, but it bounced off the left upright sending it to the second OT. Falcons scored a TD and got the extra point, leaving the Cougars needing to score to stay alive. They scored a TD and decided to go for the win with a 2pt. conversion. The desicion to go for 2 in the second OT as was a gutsy one, but paid off as the 2pt. conversion was successful and kept the Con. IL Cougars playoff hopes alive, and sending the players, fans, and parents into a frenzy on the field.

That makes it more unique than your average 2OT victory.

Great contribution. Keep 'em coming.

[K-Mack]

Nevermind me everybody. Just making some notes.

Albright coming from 23 down to beat Leb Val in OT, likely for a spot in the playoffs, belongs too.

Rivalries roll into playoffs
DePauw clinched its playoff bid last week, but Wabash has done its best to sew up an at-large bid this week, defeating DePauw in the Monon Bell game 32-19. The win gives Wabash a 54-53-9 edge in the series and puts the Little Giants in the clubhouse at 9-1, making them the top at-large team in the North Region.

Hampden-Sydney clinched the Old Dominion Athletic Conference title, as Steven Fogleman returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to give the Tigers a lead and a 34-27 win against archrival Randolph-Macon. Hampden-Sydney held the ball for just 17:32 in the win. Saturday's scores.

All of the automatic bids have been handed out as we approach Selection Sunday, and the 3 p.m. ET announcement on ESPNews. Also, you can get more in-game notes by following @d3football on Twitter.

Maine Maritime became the first team to clinch a bid on Saturday, scoring on the last play of the game to beat Curry 48-42. A 36-yard touchdown pass completed the Mariners' 32-second drive. Susquehanna walked away from the Liberty League with a trophy (photo gallery), beating Union 28-17 to clinch an automatic bid before it heads to the Centennial in 2010. Montclair beat Kean 14-6 in a defensive struggle to win the NJAC. Lakeland wrapped up the NATHC title with a win while Concordia (Ill.) lost to Benedictine.

Illinois Wesleyan clinched up the CCIW with a 49-0 win against North Park, while Mississippi College did the same for the ASC with a 38-24 win against Texas Lutheran. Alfred and Johns Hopkins clinched automatic bids by finishing off overmatched opponents as well. Cal Lutheran clinched its first-ever Division III playoff spot with a win against Redlands.

Thomas More and Mount St. Joseph each ran the table and have already clinched playoff spots. But not all 9-0 records are created equal. No. 11 Thomas More proved that by crushing No. 25 Mount St. Joseph 42-17.

But you want to know what your at-large chances are, right? You can start with our most recent projected bracket. Pool C hopefuls got some good news when Ursinus defeated Dickinson 35-32 to knock the Red Devils out of playoff consideration. But if you're looking for help getting in, well, you didn't get much today. Dickinson lost, but St. Thomas, Coe, Mary Hardin-Baylor and Wabash all won, while Albright may well join them in Pool C with a 44-43 double overtime win against Lebanon Valley. The Lions rallied from a 23-point deficit in the final 20 minutes.

Other bubble teams won as well, with Ohio Northern crushing Wilmington, North Central defeating Elmhurst and Washington and Jefferson topping Waynesburg.

We'll be updating the automatic bid list all day. At the end of the night, we'll do one last set of playoff projections. Then get ready for the waiting game, as we prepare for the selection show at 3 p.m. ET.

No. 1 seed candidates Mount Union, UW-Whitewater, Wesley and St. John's finished running the table, while Case Western Reserve and Wittenberg did as well.

Outside of the playoff picture, Hanover sophomore wide receiver Daniel Passafiume set an NCAA all-divisions single-game record with 25 catches in a 42-28 loss. Passafiume finished with 153 yards and two touchdowns. His effort surpasses the mark of 24 set by receiver Jerry Rice and Chas Gessner. Amherst finished a perfect season by scoring 23 unanswered points in knocking off archrival Williams 26-21. It's the Lord Jeffs' first 8-0 mark since 1984.

Grove City corralled the Mercer County Cup with a 31-24 double-overtime win against Thiel. Greensboro finished with a winning record for the first time in the program's history, edging Shenandoah 23-20.

[K-Mack]

Shenandoah losing 6 games by 3, or whatever the stat in Tipps' column this week said.

[DadofBashWarrior..]

Must have "The Sneak" from the Monon Bell game at our own 18 Yard line by Matt Hudson and Coach Raeburn....Gutsy Gutsy call..."Coach I will not fail you"