Did you say elimination games?

Sure, it's only the second week of college football, and it's a looooooong season, but this week marks the beginning of elimination rounds in MIAA football.

At 0-1, Central Missouri and Nebraska Kearney face must-wins to keep pace in the conference, and losses will not only erase their playoff chances, but put their shot at a bowl game in dire jeopardy.

And unfortunately for the players and fans of the Mules and Lopers, neither faces an easy test.

Central, who played good football in the second half of what appeared to be a lopsided defeat at Missouri Western, hosts No. 3 Northwest Missouri in what some might call the MIAA Game of the Week.

But sorry UCM fans, your shot at winning this game stands at just a mule's hair away from zero, so I'm picking Kearney's home opener with Emporia State as the premier matchup of Week 2.

You may already be sick of hearing me talk about the Hornets, but I figure if I'm getting on a bandwagon, I might as well push my way to the front and shove the driver of his or her perch and mount myself in the pilot's seat.

And this game is not only interesting because of Kearney's need to sneak in a victory in a brutal start to MIAA play (they play at MoWest and host Northwest in their next two games), but even though Emporia is 1-0, realistically speaking, each game is an elimination round of sorts, as they probably aren't going to fight for a conference title and need every win they can get to maintain their playoff/bowl game aspirations.

Elsewhere in the conference, Lindenwood has another what-should-be-a-tune-up in their MIAA home opener with Southwest Baptist; No. 7 Missouri Western hosts GLVC member William Jewell; No. 22 Washburn heads to Fort Hays; Northeastern State plays at Missouri Southern; and Lincoln hopes to avoid a 12th-straight MIAA loss in their return to the conference when they play at Truman State.

High 5Lincoln (0-1 overall, 0-1 MIAA) at Truman State (1-0, 1-0)Prediction: I want to see if Lincoln can build off the positives or fall backward. Either way, I think Truman takes care of the Blue Tigers. Truman State 27 Lincoln 14

Northeastern State (0-1, 0-1) at Missouri Southern (1-0, 1-0)PredictionSouthwest Baptist (0-1, 0-1) at Lindenwood (1-0, 1-0)PredictionWilliam Jewell (0-1, 0-0 GLVC) at No. 7 Missouri Western PredictionNo. 22 Wasburn (1-0, 1-0) at Fort Hays State (0-1, 0-1)PredictionCentral Oklahoma (0-1, 0-1) at No. 1 Pittsburg State (1-0, 1-0)PredictionNo. 3 Northwest Missouri (1-0, 0-0) at Central Missouri (0-1, 0-1)PredictionEmporia State (1-0, 1-0) at Nebraska Kearney (0-1, 0-1)Prediction[email protected].