It's a good thing Harding is facing Northwest Missouri State physically and not mystically Saturday afternoon at First Security Stadium in Searcy.

If the situation was reversed, the Bisons would already be packing up equipment and pads for the year.

The teams will lock horns in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs at 1 p.m. for a matchup that, on paper, may be more suited for a semifinal instead of a postseason opener.

But for Harding Coach Paul Simmons and his team to win a second national championship in three years, they must find a way to beat whoever is in front of them, whenever they're in front of them.

"They're a really, really good team," Simmons said about the Bearcats. "They were the No. 3 team in our region up until the last game of the regular season. And if it

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