D3 Eastern Football Rankings - November 4 2011

With the playoffs just 2 weeks away, teams are fighting for conference titles and potential playoff seeding. How good do we think undefeated Delaware Valley is? What about Kean and Montclair? How much respect does Hobart deserve? It's time for our Division 3 Eastern Football Rankings for November 4, 2011.

1. Delaware Valley 8-0
2. Salisbury State 7-1
3. Widener 8-1
4. Hobart 6-0
5. St John Fisher 7-1
6. Kean 7-1
7. Montclair 7-1
8. Lycoming 7-1
9. Cortland 6-2
10. Western New England 8-1

Delaware Valley gets the top spot, but their last two games are at Lycoming, and home versus Widener. Lycoming's tough defense will prove difficult to overcome on the road for the Aggies, and Widener is arguably the hottest offensive unit in all of Eastern Region.

I really like Salisbury (who the NCAA ranks in their Eastern Region poll, but lists as a Southern Region member. The Gulls play in the Empire 8). Losing a close fought road game to national power Wesley is not reason to drop them from the top two.

Yes, Hobart is playing an abbreviated schedule this season. And the Liberty League competition is as weak as it has been in several seasons. But I have one thing to say to the Hobart doubters: "56-20." That is the score Hobart thrashed St John Fisher by on September 24.

I love the competition of the NJAC, but I don't see one team which seems like a dominant regional powerhouse. The conference looks to be the deepest in Eastern Region, with bottom tier teams like Brockport and Buffalo State sure to give a tough game to any opponent. But Montclair lost its starting quarterback. And Kean is coming off a recent loss to TCNJ. Let's see if one team emerges in the next two weeks.