The NCAA Division III Football Committee released the regional rankings on Wednesday and Lake Forest College was listed 10th in the West Region. The Foresters have already claimed at least a share of the 2012 Midwest Conference title and can secure a berth in the NCAA Playoffs with a victory at St. Norbert College on Saturday.
Lake Forest is 8-1 overall this season and a perfect 8-0 in MWC play. The Foresters' conference title is just the fifth in program history and the first since the 2002 team captured a share of the title with a victory at St. Norbert to close out the regular season. The 2002 squad is also the only Lake Forest football team to advance to the NCAA Playoffs.
The Foresters' eight victories on the year match the 2004 team for the second-highest total in program history. Their eight consecutive triumphs represent the longest single-season winning streak in school history and a victory on Saturday would tie the team record nine-game streak that began in 1937 and ended in 1939.
Lake Forest is also among the others receiving voted in this week's American Football Coaches Association and D3football.com Top 25 Rankings.
Linfield College (McMinnville, Oregon) sits atop the NCAA Division III West Region rankings with an 8-0 overall record and is one of four undefeated teams on the list. The rankings are used to help select the participants and bracket placement in the NCAA Division III Playoffs.