There's just something great about MIAA football in an NFL stadium. And while the 2011 Gateway Classic was a nice gesture, I'm not talking about two of the league's worst teams playing in a market where the conference doesn't even have a team yet.

That's right. Saturday is the 10th annual Fall Classic. Northwest Missouri and Pittsburg State travel to Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.. renewing one of the NCAA's greatest rivalries.

Attendence for this game was below 20,000 for just the second time last year, and I think with both teams coming in at 4-0 and pretty much consensus thoughts that Pitt State has a at least a chance to end their five-game Fall Classic losing streak, we should see that number swell back above 20-large.

Sure, there's other games in the conference this week, including a couple more non-con matchups as Truman travels to McKendree and Central Missouri hosts Arkansas Tech, Washburn heads to Emporia for the Turnpike Tussle, Fort Hays takes a trip to Lincoln and Missouri Western heads to Joplin for the "One of these days, we'll beat you like we should" Bowl.

But given all D2 eyes will be on Kansas City this weekend, guess where I'm starting in this week's game previews...

No. 1 Northwest Missouri (4-0, 3-0) at No. 16 Pittsburg State (4-0, 3-0)
Saturday, Oct. 1; 2 p.m.
Arrowhead Stadium; Kansas City, MO
MIAA TV

Break down all the numbers you want, but this game is going to come down to individuals making, or missing, plays. If I was an odds-maker, first I'd fire whoever hired me because I'm not very good, but then I'd still put Northwest as a heavy favorite in this game. The conference win streak (49), the explosive start (65 ppg), the all-around @$$-whooopings the Bearcats have handed on their opponents look a lot more impressive than what Pitt has done.

Bla bla bla. But Aaron, remember what they did to Missouri Western? Well that win is suspect as far as "quality" wins goes, and while they looked good in blowouts against Emporia and William Jewell, they were downright sloppy against Truman.

The Gorillas do have to pretty nice constants going for them though - rushing game and defense. If you're gonna be a sub-par passing team in the MIAA and you want to compete, those are two pretty nice pieces of the puzzle to have.

But is that defense enough to negate Northwest's relative Dream Team with names like Soy, Shaw, Simmons, Franklin, Kilgore and more? And can Zac Dickey running the option with Briceton Wilson really get you a win at Arrowhead against the best team in the country?

Blake Christopher will be back under center for the first time in three weeks for the Bearcats. Is anyone else concerned about this? He was electric in his first two games, but after sitting out with a broken bone in his hand and watching Trevor Adams fill in very nicely, will he have the same momentum he had before the injury? And if he starts slow, does NW head coach Adam Dorrel pull the plug?

A huge factor in this game is going to be whether or not Pitt State's offensive and defensive lines can keep up their early-season dominance. The Gorillas have a league-leading 17 sacks through their first four games, have given up only 3 (though they don't pass that often) and the O-line is making space for Dickey and Wilson to run wild.

Back to players making plays though. Who's it going to be? We know Jake Soy will get his. He only needs 59 yards to move up three spots into fourth on the all-time MIAA receiving list. Dickey's going to rack up some yardage, but can he air it out? With the way Northwest scores, Pitt's rush-heavy offense might not be able to keep up with the 'Cats, especially if Northwest can get up a score or two early.

I like to spend a lot of my time talking about offensive playmakers in this conference, and with due cause. There's plenty to talk about. But it's games like this that turn not on a long bomb to Jake Soy or a side-stepping end zone scamper by Dickey, but instead on a big hit by PSU linebacker Nate Dreiling or another interception by Northwest redshirt freshman CB Bryce Enyard, who shares the league lead of four picks with Pitt State safety Chas Smith.

The bottom line here is this. Pitt State's going to need more than one big play out of their defense. They're not just going to come in and shut down the Bearcats like another day's work. It's going to take fumbles, interceptions, bone-jarring hits on third down and whatever else they can throw at them.

I mean let's not forget. It's not like Northwest is winning games 65-60. They've given up a league-best 11 points a game. Their defense, a slight question mark coming into the season, has played well beyond expectations.

While the defense is going to be huge in this game, if you're expecting a low-scoring slug-fest, you're going to be disappointed. The question is, can Pitt State hang? And I just don't think they can. The Bearcats seal the deal mid-to-late fourth quarter on a Dickey interception converted into a touchdown.

Prediction: Northwest Missouri 44 Pitt State 28

No. 9 Washburn (4-0, 3-0) at Emporia State (1-3, 1-3)
Saturday, Oct. 1; 1 p.m.
Welch Stadium; Emporia, KS

It's still funny to me that Tyler Eckenrode's least-productive game of the season resulted in Emporia's first win. Maybe they should keep it on the ground more, relying on their trio of running backs. That might not bode well against Washburn though, because we know Dane Simoneau and company can put up some points.

I do like the Eckenrode-to-Shjaun Robinson combo to hook up a few times in this game, but I think Simoneau, RB Justin Cooper and the rest of the Washburn squad are too much.

Prediction: Washburn 38 Emporia 23

Arkansas Tech (1-3, 0-1 GAC) at No. 18 Central Missouri (3-1, 3-1)
Saturday, Oct. 1; 1:30 p.m.
Walton Stadium; Warrensburg, MO

Frankly, nothing about Arkansas Tech, a former Gulf South team who left to help form the Great American Conference, really scares me. Freshman quarterback Preston Conder is good for about 200 passing yards and another 40ish on the ground per game. Their ground game and defense are sub-par on a good day.

The Mules should hope to get some more production out of their running backs so that when they face Northwest next week, they'll be confident they can show them a balanced attack. UCM gunslinger Tommy Corwin goes wild early in this one, and the backs take over to finish off a beating.

Prediction: Central Missouri 52 Arkansas Tech 21

Missouri Western (2-2, 1-2) at Missouri Southern (1-2, 1-2)
Saturday, Oct. 1; 2 p.m.
Fred G. Hughes Stadium; Joplin, MO

Could we see another MoSouth over MoWest upset this year? It's certainly possible. Southern running back Steven Sumpter and wide receiver Landon Zerkel are putting up nice numbers through three games. This game could either really work out for Missouri Western or be really bad.

The Griffons need some help in the passing game, and the Lions are the worst pass-defense in the MIAA, giving up over 303 yards a game, so that could be good. But, Southern is the best run defense in the league, and if Travis Partridge can't get things going, it might be tough for the Griffons.

I have a feeling this game isn't going to be pretty, but I think Western ends the streak of upsets.

Prediction: Missouri Western 28 Missouri Southern 17

Truman State (1-3, 1-3) at McKendree (0-3, D2 provisional)
Saturday, Oct. 1; 1:30 p.m.
Leemon Field; Lebanon, ILL

Another former NAIA power that is struggling in provisional status in Division II, McKendree could be an interesting matchup for Truman State. But I like what quarterback J.B. Clark is doing for the Bulldogs, though he will need to improve his accuracy.

Truman wins in a game easier than the score indicates

Prediction: Truman State 24 McKendree 17

Fort Hays State (1-3, 1-2) at Lincoln (1-3, 0-3)
Saturday, Oct. 1; 2 p.m.
Dwight T. Reed Stadium; Jefferson City, MO

Will the Black and Blue Tigers let up less than 50 points in a conference game this year? It's starting to look doubtful, and with a potent rushing attacking heading into Jeff City, the chances don't really look great this week either. Look for Hays RB Andre Smith to increase his MIAA lead in rushing with another big day.

Prediction: Fort Hays 50 Lincoln 10

Agree with my predictions? Disagree? Good, now tell me why. Leave a comment below, e-mail me at [email protected], @ me on twitter @miAARONd2 or message me at Facebook.com/apheintz.