While GRR has its overall D1AA rankings, those rankings mix up CRAA and NCR D1AA conferences, and, of course, there are different championships.

So we can see one team surging on to win after win, but they wouldn't be in a playoff because they're part of the other group. That's why this week we are looking at the D1AA games on their own and talking about the playoff scenarios.

NCR

Kentucky still heads up the division and had a good win over Alabama last week. They have a bye week now. Dom Rosson was solid in his first full game at fullback while Chester Hale played his first A-side game at hooker. Two freshmen, Harvey Goodwin and Bryson Shelton logged a full 80.

"The week off will be welcomed," said Kentucky Head Coach Sam Enari, who side has played four games in four weeks, with three against D1A or NCR D1 teams. "We got a decent result versus Alabama but still not anywhere close to our standard."

And their standard is pretty good.

Chasing Kentucky is an improving Clemson and a tough Tennessee side. Tennessee and Kentucky face off October 4.

UT just got out of a 46-17 win over Texas A&M.

“Our attack had a fantastic first half," said UT assistant coach Steven Harris. "Texas A&M tested our defense throughout the day, and the boys responded
with multiple defensive stands near the tryline. Credit to the Aggies for making the trip and battling for the entire match."

Harris added that the game was probably closer than the score indicates.

“The next step for our program is to turn in a full 80-minute performance, that is the standard we must hold ourselves to as we prepare for the tough road in front of us," said Harris. 

Tennessee is at Ohio State in a non-conference game this week.

In the MARC, there's still a question on who might be at the top, but West Chester stormed back to beat Maryland (which was fun), Delaware won comfortably over Penn, and St. Joseph's beat Rowan.

Maryland took a 22-14 lead at halftime and West Chester scored four tries in the second half to win 38-36. Colin Golato was player of the game.

St. Joe's, meanwhile, got two tries from wing Aidan McMullan and tries from flyhalf Jeffrey George and center Tommy O'Connell. George converted three for 11 points. This is a very young St. Joseph's Hawks team, and they started four freshmen and had four more on the bench; they started four sophomores, too, with three on the bench. So of the gameday 23, 15 were in their first two years at the school. 

St. Joe's is at Delaware this weekend but the game to watch is likely Virginia Tech at West Chester, with the always difficult Hokies already having beaten Princeton.

In the Liberty we talked about Yale and UMass starting strong and they could well be the best out of this conference. But don't sleep on Rhode Island. URI's defense is astonishing, having given up eight points in two games. They are now 2-0.

This weekend sees URI face Colgate, Nazareth at Columbia, Northeastern at UB, and UConn at Binghamton. But the big game ... the BIG game ... is Yale at UMass. 

CRAA

It's quieter in CRAA because the leagues in action right now are playing across fall and spring. Kansas has to shake off their close loss to Kansas State in Heart of America.

But the league to watch closely is Lonestar, with Texas at Sam Houston State and Rice at Texas State. SHSU is probably the top D1AA team in Lonestar, but we're still keeping an eye on their October 26 tilt vs Rice.