Late April is college championship time, and we're down to four separate final fours, plus one more final.

Here's a rundown:

D1A

Everyone's talking about the shockers, and why not? While the results weren't really that shocking - we knew Penn State had a shot against BYU, and Saint Mary's went into the game against a surging Lindenwood team carrying some injuries.

But still. Two teams that have been at or near the top of the heap for a long time got dumped in the quarterfinals. And it was almost three, as Cal just survived a superb Navy effort.

That set up the semifinal matchups of Cal at Life in Marietta, GA, and Lindenwood playing Penn State in Moraga, CA. Except ... not. Sunday night the D1A Executive Committee voted to change the semifinal matchups to ensure higher fan attendance for better TV visuals, and to save on travel costs.

So it's Lindenwood vs Cal in Moraga, CA, and Penn State at Life. Both Saturday, April 28.

D1AA

Dartmouth slammed Nevada 60-20 in the D1A Spring Final, and that wasn't really a surprise, as Dartmouth has emerged as the class team of the spring. The good news for UNR was that the Wolf Pack scored three tries, which is a much better showing than the previous two Big Green playoff opponents.

The Big Green are headed to California in two weeks time for the D1AA National Championship vs. Mary Washington. Great job lads! pic.twitter.com/vBtZVw30tr

— Dartmouth Rugby (@dartmouthrugby) April 21, 2018

Patrick Sheehy is playing some inspired rugby at flyhalf these days, and Luke Beinstock is a powerhouse running in the centers (he scored two tries against Nevada). Hooker Mason Koch also scored two. Now Dartmouth looks ahead to a May 5 date with Mary Washington for the D1AA all-season championship.

Women D1 Elite

The way the women's playoffs work is that the Round of 16 is D1, and then the winners of that round will be either D1 Spring, or D1 Elite. To be in the D1 Elite final four, you have to win on the second day of competition.

Is there much of a difference between D1 Elite and D1 regular? Yes, quite a lot, in fact, and so much that we really need to find a better way.

The Day Two winners were Life, Lindenwood, BYU, and Penn State. The average score (and this was against teams that had won the day before): 80.5 to ... zero. That's right. Four shutouts. Lindenwood 71 Chico State 0; BYU 92 UC Davis 0; Penn State 59 Virginia 0; Life 100, Central Florida 0.

Those four losing teams are not bad teams. They are solid women's university club sides, but they were overmatched, and that's not going to be any different.

Kudos to James Madison, by the way, as being the only team to score against those four. The Round of 16 average score for those Elite four was 116-2. 

Something needs to be done to avoid these mismatches. This year shows that, at present, no one is going to catch lightning in a bottle and become Elite as a surprise. Not unless you find a way to incorporate some of the stronger fall teams (and not even then) or some of the NIRA teams (unlikely).

Women D1

Can we call it Women D1 Regular and Women D1 Extra Crispy? Just an idea ... 

There is no reliable data with which anyone can choose a top team from Chico State, UC Davis, Central Florida, or Virginia, but if maybe it's Chico State.

Women D2

There are many, many more strong D2 teams playing in the fall, and that's just a function of the density of colleges in the Northeast and Midwest that play their rugby during the autumn. The spring playoffs couldn't even find a full bracket of 16.

However ... Tulane looked very, very good. Playing against teams that seemed to have more strong athletes, and seemed to be bigger, Tulane played smarter, tougher, and with better technique, and scored tries (which we hear is important).

Alexandra Clarke at prop and Madeline Brenner at No. 8 know what they're about. Tulane was impressive.

(One more small aside. Eckerd might have ended up winless this weekend, but fullback Katherine Scheerer is the real deal.)

Claremont Colleges had to battle and scrape and scrap it's way to the final four, but with fullback Alexandra Parker's help, made it through. Salisbury, finally following the championship footsteps of its men's program, crushed all before them. Everything seems to go through Sara Mercado at scrumhalf. (We mean that in a good way, not that she can't tackle.)

Fresno State didn't have to play two games, and instead got a by (as did UC Irvine), and those two played a quarterfinal. Fresno State, with 29 points from flyhalf Jenna Balestra, won 74-10.

So it's Tulane vs. Fresno State, and Claremont Colleges vs. Salisbury May 4 in Fullerton, CA. Right now it's looking like Tulane and Salisbury might be favored to make the final.