As we've been saying in recent weeks, D2 is like pouring oil on water—the oil floats on top of the water and the top 15-20 teams are significantly stronger than the other teams. 

Yes there might be one or two exceptions, but we probably know who will advance in the playoffs. That means that there don't end up being a lot of matchups where we're thinking "hey, check this one out!"

At least not where we're wondering who might win a conference. It's gotten so NCR has scheduled a sort of seeding challenge match between IUP and Grand Valley State not as a knockout game but as a way of figuring out how to place two teams that are dominating (a word we don't like to use but which is appropriate) in their respective conferences.

This will then ... UMBC vs Georgetown? That could be one of interest. Lowell vs Coast Guard? Probably Loyola vs Northwestern is the game is the big one as both are at the top of the Great Midwest South and both had to just squeak by University of Chicago to get there.

Northwestern, Loyola, Set Table for Meeting Next Week

But let's have a look at some of those top teams.

IUP beat Kent State by a wide margin and will play them again this week in an Allegheny semifinal.

They will be without flanker/prop Cam Taylor this week but are getting performances from newer players—freshman wing Dylan Deasy scored five tries against them Kent Statelast week.

The key for IUP, said Head Coach Seth Erwin, is that the team is much improved in their kick response, something that was a weakness held on the down-low in their championship run last year. Dom Holmes is a big part of that and this year he topped 600 points scored for the Crimson Hawks, which is quite the milestone.

But the other thing is holding the team to a standard. As the personnel changes and they keep winning conference games by wide margins, IUP still needs to play with the understanding that it gets harder.

“The four guys who were on that 1st 7s championship team have been important leaders for us," said Erwin. "They are helping the younger guys to play the way we play and put defense first.”

(Update. Kent State has unfortunately forfeited this match.)

Grand Valley State plays Ferris State this week and then takes on Central Michigan, and they aren't looking past those challenges. However, they are favored in those games.

"The way we handle it is that Mondays and Wednesdays we hit hard," said Head Coach John Mullett. "They battle each other and that’s how they keep the standard up."

Memphis is idle for the next two weeks (!) until the SCRC playoffs. We have hardly looked at them because they have controlled their destiny throughout. 

Last week against Tennessee Tech, Memphis Head Coach David Hill said the team started slowly.

They scored 24 points in the first half. That's what these types of teams are dealing with. Up 24-10, the Tigers cored 53 unanswered points in the second half to win 77-10. No. 8 Harry Hagan was player of the game with four tries in his 60 minutes of work. (Shout-out to Lane Travis, T-Techs fullback, who was very good in a losing cause). But that's the same approach—you can't be satisfied with 24-10, because there are other title contenders not content with it.

RPI—maybe a breakout team. One of those games we anticipate is coming soon in the Liberty. Not right now. But we do have this cool Ray Santiago interview so here you go: