JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – If the football season ended today, Carson-Newman would be left out of the playoffs.
Division II's first region rankings came out Monday afternoon. The Eagles are ranked seventh. The top six teams make the NCAA playoffs. There will be three more region polls, with the final one determining who makes the playoffs.
North Alabama landed in first place. The Eagles opponent this week, Lenoir-Rhyne, is ranked second. A 6-1 Delta State club is third. The SIAC's Tuskegee is ranked fourth while 5-2 Valdosta State and 6-2 West Georgia round out the top six.
Last year the Eagles debuted at seventh in the poll, dropped a spot to eighth and then vaulted to fourth with wins over Newberry and Wingate for the final iteration of the poll.
Carson-Newman has the 148th toughest schedule in the country this season. Of the teams ranked in front of C-N, Lenoir-Rhyne has the lowest strength of schedule at 66. Every other team is in the top 30.
Albany State, Fort Valley State and Miles round out the top 10 of the region rankings.
Carson-Newman and the fourth-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne Bears clash at 1 p.m. at Burke-Tarr Stadium. Pregame coverage begins with the Appalachian Electric Cooperative Tailgate Show at noon on Joy 620 (WRJZ-AM, Knoxville), Mountain Country 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
