The Lindenwood Lions have won six games in a row and are in first place in the GLVC standings, heading into Week 9 of the NCAA football season. (Photo: Steven Delia)
by Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
The NCAA released its first Division II regional poll of the 2021 football season on Thursday, and Lindenwood was ranked No. 4 in Super Region Three.
The Lions (6-2 overall, 4-0 in conference) have bounced back in strong fashion after losing their first two games of the season. Since then, Lindenwood has won six in a row, including four straight in Great Lakes Valley Conference play, that has allowed the Lions to grab a strong hold on first place in the league standings.
Lindenwood has yet to lose a conference game since joining the GLVC in 2019. The Lions are currently 11-0 in league play and will be looking for win No. 12 in a row, this Saturday, when they travel to Liberty, Mo., to play William Jewell.
The top seven teams in each region will make the NCAA D2 playoffs, with the No. 1 seed earning a first-round bye.
Lindenwood pulled off one of the biggest upsets of recent tournament play, when it stunned then No. 5 nationally-ranked and No. 2 seeded Ouachita Baptist in 2019.
This year, if it can maintain its No. 4 ranking, Lindenwood might be in position to host a first round game.
The Lions have three regular season games remaining – October 30 at William Jewell, November 6 at Missouri S&T, and November 13 at home versus McKendree.
If Lindenwood can win those three games, it would not only claim its second straight GLVC title and extend its conference winning streak to 14 games, the Lions would also clinch a spot in the playoffs, which is a goal head coach Jed Stugart has stated his team already talks about.
“We’re speaking to it now,” Stugart said. “At the start of the season, you don’t really talk too much about the future. But now we’ve got our eyes on it. Two years ago, we had to have a lot of things happen for us to go to the playoffs. But this year, we control our own destiny. So now we will speak to it and say, hey, you can’t afford to stub your toe. You can’t afford to have a team sneak up and get you.”
Kickoff for Lindenwood’s game on Saturday at William Jewell is set for 1 p.m.
NCAA DIVISION II REGIONAL RANKINGS thru October 28, 2021
| SUPER REGION ONE | SCHOOL | IN-REGION RECORD | DIVISION II RECORD |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bentley | 7-0 | 7-0 |
| 2 | Kutztown | 7-1 | 7-1 |
| 3 | Shepherd | 7-1 | 7-1 |
| 4 | Cal U (PA) | 7-0 | 7-0 |
| 5 | Notre Dame (OH) | 7-1 | 7-1 |
| 6 | New Haven | 6-0 | 6-1 |
| 7 | Indiana (PA) | 5-2 | 5-2 |
| 8 | Slippery Rock | 6-1 | 7-1 |
| 9 | Stonehill | 5-2 | 5-2 |
| 10 | Charleston (WV) | 5-2 | 5-2 |
| SUPER REGION TWO | SCHOOL | IN-REGION RECORD | DIVISION II RECORD |
| 1 | Valdosta State | 7-0 | 7-0 |
| 2 | Bowie State | 5-0 | 7-0 |
| 3 | Albany State (GA) | 7-1 | 7-1 |
| 4 | West Georgia | 7-1 | 7-1 |
| 5 | West Florida | 3-1 | 5-1 |
| 6 | Wingate | 6-1 | 6-1 |
| 7 | Mars Hill | 5-2 | 5-2 |
| 8 | Newberry | 6-2 | 6-2 |
| 9 | West Alabama | 5-2 | 5-2 |
| 10 | Fayetteville State | 6-1 | 6-1 |
| SUPER REGION THREE | SCHOOL | IN-REGION RECORD | DIVISION II RECORD |
| 1 | Ferris State | 7-0 | 7-0 |
| 2 | Harding | 7-1 | 7-1 |
| 3 | Grand Valley State | 4-1 | 5-1 |
| 4 | Lindenwood | 6-0 | 6-1 |
| 5 | Northwest Missouri State | 6-1 | 6-1 |
| 6 | Henderson State | 7-1 | 7-1 |
| 7 | Nebraska-Kearney | 7-1 | 7-1 |
| 8 | Ouachita Baptist | 7-1 | 7-1 |
| 9 | Washburn | 6-2 | 6-2 |
| 10 | Southeastern Oklahoma | 6-2 | 6-2 |
| SUPER REGION FOUR | SCHOOL | IN-REGION RECORD | DIVISION II RECORD |
| 1 | Augustana (SD) | 7-1 | 7-1 |
| 2 | Colorado School of Mines | 7-1 | 7-1 |
| 3 | Central Washington | 5-1 | 5-1 |
| 4 | Midwestern State | 4-1 | 5-1 |
| 5 | Angelo State | 5-2 | 6-2 |
| 6 | Bemidji State | 6-2 | 6-2 |
| 7 | Wayne State (NE) | 6-2 | 6-2 |
| 8 | Colorado Mesa | 5-1 | 6-1 |
| 9 | Western Colorado | 7-1 | 7-1 |
| 10 | Minnesota Duluth | 6-2 | 6-2 |