Thr first playoff game has a big hurdle to overcome for Hope. Hope athletics photo by Lynne Powe

Welcome to Round 2 of Playoff Quick Hits! Thanksgiving weekend brings us a fresh feast of postseason football with 24 teams kicking off their playoff journeys and eight first-round winners looking to keep their momentum rolling. As if opponents in this stacked second round were difficult enough, Old Man Winter is crashing the party across the Midwest, promising snow, wind, and plenty of opportunities for weather-related dramatics.

Once again this week, we’re all business- just winners and scores for all 16 second-round matchups.

Our playoff panel rolls in with the regular crew- Greg Thomas, Pat Coleman, Logan Hansen, Riley Zayas, Carlo Guadagnino, and Kobe Manzo- plus the return of UW-Eau Claire alum Mike Shoultz from the Voices in the Stands podcast and Around The Nation founder and longtime D-III sage Keith McMillan.

— Greg Thomas

Mount Union bracket

Muhlenberg at Mount Union 

Greg's take:	14	42
Patrick's take:	14	45
Keith's take:	14	35
Logan's take:	21	42
Riley's take:	20	38
Carlo's take	21	41
Kobe's take:	28	38
Mike's take:	24	41

Consensus: The panel sees the tournament's top-seeded Purple Raiders sailing through to the round of 16.  

Randolph-Macon at John Carroll

Greg's take:	17	24
Patrick's take:	14	31
Keith's take:	14	17
Logan's take:	21	35
Riley's take:	17	34
Carlo's take	10	28
Kobe's take:	14	28
Mike's take:	10	27

Consensus: Unanimous picks for John Carroll, generally by more than one score.  

Hardin-Simmons at Trinity(Texas) 

Greg's take:	28	20
Patrick's take:	31	21
Keith's take:	38	28
Logan's take:	31	24
Riley's take:	24	17
Carlo's take	30	20
Kobe's take:	42	21
Mike's take:	30	20

Consensus: Unbothered by a 25-year playoff drought, the panel picks the Cowboys to advance in a higher scoring contest. 

LaGrange at Berry

Greg's take:	17	41
Patrick's take:	7	38
Keith's take:	10	34
Logan's take:	10	41
Riley's take:	13	28
Carlo's take	7	42
Kobe's take:	7	28
Mike's take:	7	42

Consensus: It's an undivided panel picking a very good day for Berry. 

North Central bracket

Hanover at North Central

Greg's take:	10	52
Patrick's take:	6	48
Keith's take:	7	42
Logan's take:	10	49
Riley's take:	10	45
Carlo's take	0	42
Kobe's take:	21	35
Mike's take:	0	42

Consensus: The defending champions are heavy favorites in this round. 

UW-La Crosse at Hope

Greg's take:	28	24
Patrick's take:	21	20
Keith's take:	33	28
Logan's take:	27	24
Riley's take:	31	27
Carlo's take	24	26
Kobe's take:	21	30
Mike's take:	24	26

 
Consensus: Our first divided panel. There's a lean toward UW-La Crosse, in a close game. 

Alma at UW-Platteville 

Greg's take:	19	27
Patrick's take:	31	35
Keith's take:	15	22
Logan's take:	27	35
Riley's take:	23	30
Carlo's take	28	21
Kobe's take:	21	28
Mike's take:	21	24

Consensus: We predict another close game for a WIAC representative with more, but not quite unanimous, support for UW-Platteville. 

Coe at Bethel

Greg's take:	17	20
Patrick's take:	21	31
Keith's take:	19	29
Logan's take:	17	34
Riley's take:	20	23
Carlo's take	27	35
Kobe's take:	14	21
Mike's take:	27	35

Consensus: The panel likes the Royals to take out Coe for the second consecutive tournament. 

Wartburg bracket

Wheaton at Wartburg

Greg's take:	22	19
Patrick's take:	15	21
Keith's take:	12	13
Logan's take:	20	24
Riley's take:	20	24
Carlo's take	14	21
Kobe's take:	17	20
Mike's take:	14	17

Consensus: One of the closest games of the round, the panel predicts the homestanding Knights to eek by in a low scoring game. 

DePauw at UW-Whitewater 

Greg's take:	13	23
Patrick's take:	14	20
Keith's take:	17	27
Logan's take:	21	28
Riley's take:	20	17
Carlo's take	21	28
Kobe's take:	28	21
Mike's take:	16	20

Consensus: A 6-2 split for the Warhawks in another low scoring game in the top right quadrant.  

Monmouth at St. John's 

Greg's take:	16	29
Patrick's take:	21	38
Keith's take:	21	23
Logan's take:	28	41
Riley's take:	27	41
Carlo's take	14	28
Kobe's take:	14	28
Mike's take:	14	28

Consensus: Much closer than the playoff matchup between these two 20 years ago, but a unanimous pick for the Johnnies. 

Chapman at UW-River Falls

Greg's take:	9	37
Patrick's take:	13	54
Keith's take:	13	45
Logan's take:	7	49
Riley's take:	14	49
Carlo's take	7	45
Kobe's take:	10	35
Mike's take:	7	45

Consensus: The panel doesn't see weather or Chapman being able to ground the Top Gun offense. 

Christopher Newport bracket

Susquehanna at Christopher Newport 

Greg's take:	32	35
Patrick's take:	31	28
Keith's take:	24	23
Logan's take:	36	35
Riley's take:	34	28
Carlo's take	38	35
Kobe's take:	27	30
Mike's take:	38	35

Consensus: A tight contest in a high scoring game, the panel leans toward Susquehanna avenging the Week 4 loss at CNU.  

Eastern at Franklin & Marshall

Greg's take:	19	28
Patrick's take:	10	35
Keith's take:	14	24
Logan's take:	10	31
Riley's take:	13	35
Carlo's take	17	27
Kobe's take:	14	42
Mike's take:	17	27

Consensus: All picks have the Centennial champion Diplomats advancing by multiple scores.

Endicott at Salisbury 

Greg's take:	29	27
Patrick's take:	24	31
Keith's take:	25	35
Logan's take:	28	38
Riley's take:	31	42
Carlo's take	31	44
Kobe's take:	14	35
Mike's take:	31	44

Consensus: One outlier, but generally the pick is for Salisbury to win a high scoring affair. 

Springfield at Johns Hopkins

Greg's take:	13	28
Patrick's take:	17	27
Keith's take:	21	38
Logan's take:	14	28
Riley's take:	13	28
Carlo's take	10	24
Kobe's take:	20	21
Mike's take:	14	24

Consensus: A clean sweep for the Blue Jays to advance to the round of 16. 

Got picks? Put them in the comments! Include your scores!