The selections are made. The bracket is filled. There are just 28 teams remaining in the DII football season and it's time for some playoff football. The 2023 DII football championship kicks off on Saturday, Nov. 18. While the No. 1 seeds sit back and watch until the second round, 24 teams will try to advance to the title game on Saturday, Dec. 16 in McKinney, Texas.
PLAYOFF SZN — Everything you need to know:
- Follow the bracket | Game-day updates and scores
- The last Power 10 rankings of the regular season
- How the DII football championship works
- The most championships in DII football history
Who will win and move on? Well, that's the beauty of a bracket — we have no idea. At least I don't — but that doesn't mean I'm not going to try and figure it out. Below is my annual bracket prediction, as well as a little insight into each Super Region.
Super Region One
Team to beat: Slippery Rock. Yes, I know The Rock just lost to Kutztown, but their paths won't cross again unless the two make the Super Region championship game. And that's what happened last year — Shepherd lost to Indiana (PA) in the PSAC Championship, the world wondered if the Rams could win Super Region One, and then they defeated IUP a mere weeks later to advance to the semifinals. Should The Rock escape the first round, they will have their hands full with a very tough Tiffin squad, but I think the experience of this program, especially on the coaching staff, gives them the edge in the entire Super Region.
Team to watch: Charleston (WV). The Golden Eagles haven't been in the postseason since 2015, so why wouldn't you tune in to see what they can do? Chavon Wright is one of the best running backs in DII football, and despite being listed at 5-foot-11, wide receiver Tae Marrero has been a big touchdown target with 10 scores this year. Charleston has the MEC's top offense, so it can definitely hang with just about anyone in this part of the bracket, but it is also one of the top sack machines in DII football and can get to opposing quarterbacks to disrupt the tempo. Going back to that 2015 tournament the Golden Eagles last made, this part of the bracket sees little surprise — only once did the No. 1 or No. 2 seed not advance to the national semifinals, and that was No. 3 Shepherd in 2016. Let's see if the Golden Eagles have some magic to buck the trend.
Upset watch: Virginia Union over Kutztown. This is a fun game between two consistent programs that have never faced each other. The Kutztown defense is for real and can shut down anyone, but that offensive line and all-world running back Jada Byers of the Panthers can dictate the tempo of the game and either blow a team out or do just enough to grind out a tight victory. This is an intriguing Super Region One vs. Super Region Two matchup and the unfamiliarity between the two could lead to the upset.
Super Region Two
Team to beat: West Florida. This is a tough one, because I think Delta State is really good and Patrick Shegog is the exact kind of leader that a team needs to make a deep playoff run. However, the Statesmen are matched up against their GSC foes in the first round, and anyone that has watched this rivalry knows that West Florida has a big upper hand. The Argos have won five of the last six, including a 38-27 win in the second round last year. Yes, it is a new coaching regime, but with all the success West Florida has had in such a short time, it is the team to beat here. That said, if Delta State solves the riddle that is the Argos and moves on, I think they advance to the semifinals.
Team to watch: Benedict. Well, no kidding. The Tigers are the No. 1 seed after all. But let's not forget, these same Tigers made their tournament debut last year, came into the No. 1 seed with a perfect 11-0 record, and were upset coming off the bye by an unseeded team in the bracket. Now, there is a lot back from that team that lost — especially on what may very well be the best defense in DII football — so they will be hungry to prove doubters wrong. That said, if my prediction is right and they face Lenoir-Rhyne — a proven DII powerhouse with plenty of tournament experience and a potent offense — the Tigers will have their hands full and a very tough test to pass.
Upset watch: Limestone over Valdosta State. This is no slight to the Blazers. Valdosta State is playing very well and enters the matchup red hot. Limestone does as well, and a victory in the bracket seems like the next step of their journey. Last year, the Saints went from 1-9 to a playoff team and got smoked in their tournament debut by West Florida. With so many key players back from that 2022 playoff team, it seems like they enter this game with a chip on their shoulder and something to prove.
Super Region Three
Team to beat: Ferris State. This is a tricky one, especially when you look at my picks. I typically focus on the team that I believe will win the Super Region here — which is Ferris State's first-round opponent Grand Valley State — but the Bulldogs are in a different atmosphere. The Bulldogs are on a run that is up there as one of the best in the history of DII football. Ferris State has won Super Region Three in five of the past six seasons, and the last four in a row. The one season it missed the national semifinals, the Bulldogs lost the Super Region Three championship by a mere two points. Now, the Bulldogs will have to go on the road and won't have their head coach for the first round, so it is certainly very different this time around. But no matter what seed the Bulldogs are, the two-time defending champions have the largest target on their back in the entire bracket, making them the team everyone wants to beat.
Team to watch: Central Missouri. The MIAA was essentially flipped on its head this season. Yes, Pittsburg State is still near the top, but Northwest Missouri State, Nebraska-Kearney, Central Oklahoma, and Washburn — all teams projected to finish in the top five — are home this postseason. Instead, it's the Mules still dancing. Now, Central Missouri's offense is clicking — quarterback Zach Zebrowski may be player of the year, leading DII football in passing yards and passing touchdowns — but this defense allows a lot of points. How will the Mules matchup against the tougher, bruising defenses of Harding, Ferris State or Grand Valley State? Well, that's exactly why this is the team to watch — they have the firepower to make a championship run.
Upset watch: UIndy over Pittsburg State. Let's be very clear. I don't think there will be any upsets in this part of the bracket. However... Pittsburg State quarterback Chad Dodson Jr. missed the final game of the season with an injury, and if he can't go, that is a big advantage for this UIndy team. It will be interesting to see how the Gorillas' tough defense — coming off a seven-turnover game — matches up against a tricky Greyhounds' team that can come at you in different ways.
Super Region Four
Team to beat: Colorado School of Mines. I know, I really went out on a limb here. The Orediggers finished the season 11-0 and have been the No. 1 team in all DII football since Oct. 15. They romped through the RMAC, outscoring their opponents 500-77, and nearly doubled up the three nationally (and regionally) ranked opponents they faced 104-56. John Matocha is a seasoned veteran, one of the best to ever do it at the DII level, and though his numbers don't match his bonkers 2022 player-of-the-year campaign, he's as good a leader for this high-scoring offense as he has ever been. The road goes through Golden as the Orediggers look to go to their third-straight national semifinals.
Team to watch: Texas Permian Basin. Let's start by saying this: This is a very weird part of the bracket. HALF of the teams playing first-round games are coming in off a loss, and in a time of year where momentum means everything, that means every team is one to watch in Super Region Four. That said, you just have to love the Falcons' story. UTPB was 5-6 last year and projected to finish seventh in the Lone Star Conference in 2023. Instead, the Falcons went 10-1, put up the Lone Star's best offense by a wide margin, took the conference title, and their one loss was by a touchdown to Western Colorado — the team ranked directly ahead of them. Making your tourney debut against a team (Bemidji State) that has won a playoff game in each of the past two seasons is a daunting task, but there is something special happening here.
Upset watch: Minnesota State over Augustana (SD). Like Super Region Three, I don't actually see any upsets here. Again, the unseeded teams in this part of the bracket are rolling in off a loss, and that is tough to find that momentum quickly. So, why Minnesota State? The Mavericks have struggled in their last four games of the season, losing two and going to the wire against a sub-.500 Winona State. The team that started that downward turn? Well, that was Augustana, when the Vikings upset top-10 Minnesota State 28-10. These two teams are familiar with each other, and the Mavericks clearly have a grudge. If there is going to be one upset in this part of the bracket, watch for it here.
Every game, predicted
Below is the 2023 DII football championship bracket with my picks for every game. Please remember, I am simply the DII beat writer for WBD Sports and this in no way reflects any opinion of the NCAA or selection committee. It is done for fun, and if you have followed my work for any amount of time, you know I don't care at all when I am wrong. Why? Because that means there are probably crazy upsets happening, and that is good for all the fans. Now, sit back, yell at me on Twitter, and enjoy the road to McKinney.
