That's right, it's the time of year again for our playoff capsules. Every year since D3football.com started in 1999 we've taken a look at each playoff team, giving readers a little more knowledge about the teams they may only know from a line in the Scoreboard.

So how will you know if North Central is playing well? How far can Wabash advance in this bracket? What was the turning point that propelled Curry into the postseason, or Millsaps, or Thomas More?

How many playoff teams are running the spread these days? How will Occidental line up on defense? Does Plymouth State ever throw the ball? How many playoff games has Washington and Jefferson won? (And how many wins do the Purple Raiders have, anyway?)

Get those answers and more in the 2008 Playoff Capsules.

Playoff toolbox: 2008 bracket | Pick 'em contest | Around the Region Post-selection show analysis | To come: Predictions

Franklin takes another crack at ending the HCAC's playoff doldrums with a trip to Otterbein, with All-American quarterback Chad Rupp at the helm.

But it's likely neither last year's playoff trip nor this one would have been possible if Rupp hadn't changed his mind about something. Clyde Hughes has more in this week's Around the Midwest.

The bracket drew a variety of reactions from across the country: relief in Milton, Mass., likely a combination of anticipation and trepidation in Ashland, Va., and perhaps a nod of knowing familiarity in Cleveland.

That last part is because Case Western Reserve gets a familiar foe returning to its backyard, with Wabash coming in for a second year in a row. And Case has a lot of the same pieces in place, chief among them quarterback Dan Whalen.

Whalen, who's thrown only four interceptions this season for the unbeaten Spartans and has a line strikingly similar to 2007, had a significantly different offseason, however. He spent the summer working out with Columbia University ... oh, and that's because he was working at Sports Illustrated.

Matt Florjancic writes more in this week's Around the Great Lakes.

Playoff toolbox: 2008 bracket | Pick 'em contest | Week 11 coverage Post-selection show analysis | To come: Team capsules, predictions

Randolph-Macon, which won an automatic bid at 6-4, got the toughest draw in the entire bracket, traveling to Mount Union in the first round. How do the Yellow Jackets prepare for such a dominant opponent? Ryan Tipps has the story in Around the Mid-Atlantic.

Everything worked out for Plymouth State on Saturday, which controlled its destiny on the field. But for Curry, which needed a lot of help and a benevolent committee on its side, this past week was a lot different. Tom Haley explains in Around the Northeast.

Two games take place in the Around the South territory, with two completely different storylines. Plus, if you thought the East was irate last year at Mount Union getting moved into the bracket, what must they feel this year? That and more in this week's Around the Region.