High school classmates probably wouldn't quite recognize Tyler Doane this time of year.

Doane, a 2007 Valparaiso High graduate, is a three-year starting defensive tackle for DePauw. All of the big, beefy guys up front refrain from shaving toward the end of the season, so Doane is sporting a beard.

He bears little resemblance to the kid who played for Vikings coach Mark Hoffman, or even his photo in the DePauw media guide.

"As a defensive line we've always done it toward the end of the year," Doane said. "We've kind of kept it going this year. It's been a tradition for a while, so I'm happy to continue that tradition."

Doane and the Tigers have started what they hope will be another tradition this season: advancing to the NCAA Division III playoffs.

DePauw, a school of 2,400 in Greencastle, earned a playoff berth for the first time in school history. The Tigers earned the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference's automatic bid on Nov. 7 with a 34-23 win over Austin (Texas) College.

That was DePauw's sixth consecutive win, but the Tigers still had to sweat out the result of another conference game later that day to earn the bid. Things worked out when Centre (Ky.) -- which handed DePauw its only conference loss -- lost to Trinity (Texas).

"We knew that we had to win to give ourselves an opportunity to get in," Doane said. "We could only control one aspect of it. But after the game we went out to the parking lot where they had the tailgate, and one of our guys had a laptop and watched the broadcast of the Trinity game."

DePauw's defense surrenders just 20.9 points per game. Doane starts, and rotates in and out of the game every three plays. He ranks eighth on the team with 23 total tackles, including six for a loss of 23 yards.

The Tigers are entering the tournament on a bit of a downswing after losing the Monon Bell game last Saturday, 32-19 to nearby rival Wabash. As a result of that win, Wabash earned an at-large bid to the playoffs.

Having another game to play took some of the sting away from losing the Monon Bell, which DePauw had won the past two seasons.

"It's definitely an exciting time," Doane said. "It's exciting to be part of something that hasn't been done at DePauw before. It's one of those things where football has been at DePauw for over 100 years, so a lot of credit goes to the people before us."

Other Region players on the DePauw roster include Lake Central's P.J. Gbur, a starting cornerback, and punter Adam Hill, who has averaged 36.9 yards on 31 kicks. Freshmen Mat Barras (Hobart) and John Fagan (South Central) have not played.

Doane, also a thrower on DePauw's track and field team, is pleased that he chose DePauw over several other options.

"One of the goals is to compete for a national championship, so you want to go to a program where you have the opportunity to do such a thing," Doane said. "I thought at DePauw there was an opportunity to play for a conference championship, play in a big rivalry game and compete for the Division III playoffs.

"I've loved every minute of it. The team is excited about the opportunity to play for a national championship."

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

NCAA Division III Playoffs

DePauw (7-2) at Thomas More (10-0)

Where: The Bank of Kentucky Field, Crestview Hills, Ky.

When: 11 a.m. Saturday.

Local DePauw Players: Mat Barras (Hobart), Tyler Doane (Valparaiso), John Fagan (South Central), P.J. Gbur (Lake Central), Adam Hill (Lake Central).