State teams in hunt for D-II playoff spots

■ NCAA Division II football ends its regular season Saturday, and three Arkansas teams — Ouachita Baptist (10-0), Southern Arkansas (8-2) and Harding (8-2) — hold out hope to be among the field of 28 teams when the playoff bracket is announced on Sunday afternoon.

The top 7 teams in each of Division II’s 4 Super Regions normally make the field, which puts No. 2 OBU and No. 7 SAU in prime position.

Harding moved from No. 9 to No. 8 after it defeated Southeastern Oklahoma State 24-10 last Saturday and Pittsburg State lost to Washburn.

Pittsburg State (7-3) fell to No. 10, but Fort Hays State (8-2) moved from No. 7 to No. 5 with a 17-16 victory over Northwest Missouri State (8-2) in the Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

Northwest Missouri, which fell to No. 6, plays its regular-season finale at Central Missouri (5-5). Fort Hays plays host to 0-10 Northeastern (Okla.) State on Saturday.

SAU, which lost 35-10 to OBU, remained ahead of Harding because of its 28-23 victory at Harding in the second week of the season, said Donnie Wagner, the NCAA’s associate director of championships in Division II.

SAU plays Saturday at Arkansas-Monticello (5-5) and Harding hosts Arkansas Tech (3-7).

“A lot of things can still happen,” Wagner said.