The Division II playoff bracket has been released, and its top teams are headlined by coaches in their first year leading the program.
Colorado Mines, who finished last season as the runner-up to Ferris State and lost head coach Brandon Moore to the University of San Diego (FCS) earlier this year, sits atop the rankings.
2022 FootballScoop Offensive Coordinator of the Year Pete Sterbick has done an incredible job leading the Mines program this season and they look primed for another deep playoff run.
Sitting at #2 in the rankings was GLIAC regular season champion Grand Valley State, also led by a first year head coach in Scott Wooster. GVSU lost their season opener to Mines in a 31-28 nail-biter.
You may recall, the NCAA announced back in March an unheard of suspension for Tony Annese, the head coach of back-to-back defending national champions Ferris State University (D-II - MI), electing to suspend him for the program's first future playoff game for some rather controversial reasons.
Ferris State ended this season ranked 3rd nationally at 7-2. They lost an inter GLIAC game to #2 ranked Grand Valley for the second straight season, and their other loss came against FCS power Montana in a game that ended 17-10.
Despite those three teams being ranked 1, 2 and 3 respectfully, the top seeds of each Super Region were announced as:
Tiffin (OH)
Benedict (SC)
Harding (AR)
Colorado School of Mines
Each of those teams will enjoy a first-round bye in their region.
This year's bracket is full of teams that put together deep runs, including teams like Valdosta State (who missed the field last year, but was a national runner up the year before), Shepherd (who was a semifinalist team), and Tiffin (whose offense leads the country in nearly every imaginable category).
Here's what the bracket looks like.
Top left
Bottom left
Top right
Bottom left
The story that will, and should, dominate headlines, is the back-to-back defending national champs will have to sit their head coach for their rematch against Grand Valley.
Last year, GVSU won in the regular season, but Ferris got the best of them in the playoffs. Now the back-to-back defending national champs will have to do the same, without their leader in order to win their third national title in three seasons.
Last year's national title game saw Ferris State completely dismantle Colorado Mines in a 41-14 win.