The late Oakland Raiders icon Al Davis is synonymous with the quote, "Just win, baby," and that's what Humboldt State is going to have to do for the remainder of the season. First and foremost, winning out guarantees the GNAC title that eluded the Lumberjacks last year, but it also puts them in position to sneak into the NCAA Division II playoffs.
However, lost in the mix of "are the 'Jacks gonna make the playoffs?" is the fact that at 5-1 in GNAC play, Western Oregon sits atop the standings a half game ahead of Humboldt State. No one needs to remind either team that the fifth GNAC win of the season came at Humboldt's expense.
Let's take a look at what's in store this week...

Western Oregon (5-1 GNAC, 5-3 overall) vs. Dixie State (1-4 GNAC, 1-7 overall)
Let's start with the GNAC leaders. Western Oregon stays at home this week for its senior day, where 19 players suit up for a final time at home. It's hard to quantify how the emotions of playing at home for the last time actually affects a player and if it does affect a guy, in what way? Perhaps equally difficult is predicting the potential for a letdown after such a huge win for the Wolves over the then-league leading Lumberjacks last week.
Regardless emotions and last week's game should have no bearing on whether the Wolves move to 6-1 in GNAC play.
For Dixie - and this was mentioned in a blog post earlier this week - there's no such thing as a good loss, so maybe Dixie can't look at it this way, but others might be able to do just that. The Red Storm "held" CWU to just two sacks against Dixie last Saturday, outgaining CWU in total offense and losing by just seven. Is there something there to build on? That's up to the Red Storm to decide.
They have a whopper of an opponent though, and it's an opponent who blanked DSC in St. George 56-0 last month.
WOU scored on the first play from scrimmage and was up 21-0 after one and 42-0 at halftime. Despite having three turnovers (Dixie countered with three picks) and 106 penalty yards, Western Oregon outgained Dixie State 497-180 in total offense.
Alright, what has happened since then for both teams?
The loss to WOU was the first of a current five-game losing streak for DSC. Stefan Cantwell has taken over as starting quarterback for the Red Storm and has thrown for 300-plus yards twice already in five games (but less than 200 yards in the other three games). Dixie State still has no consistency in its running game and has suffered a league-worst 48 sacks for an average of six per game.
For Western Oregon, the Wolves have experienced a mixed bag of success, losing two straight (to Abilene Christian and Central Washington) before besting Simon Fraser and Humboldt State. Taking away the 10-spot it was held to against Central Washington three weeks ago, the Wolves have averaged nearly 37 points per game after its 56-0 win over DSC, so offensively, they're sound.
At the end of the day, Western Oregon is at home for the third straight week, which means it's been a full week of practice uninterrupted by traveling, whereas Dixie has a long road trip to play a team that already has that huge mental edge with its earlier win. WOU will improve to 6-1 in GNAC play with a 45-7 victory over DSC.

#25 Humboldt State (4-1, 6-1) vs. Simon Fraser (1-5, 2-6)
First thing that jumps out in regards to this matchup? This is just the third home game in eight dates for Humboldt State. You have to win no matter what the logo on the field looks like, but it's easy to assume the Lumberjacks will relish playing on their own field after three weeks off bus trips.
The best way to get over last week's loss to WOU is to prepare for the next game.
"The bottom line is you need to be ready to play and we were far below our best. It's just one loss," HSU head coach Rob Smith said in HSU's game preview release. "We still have everything in front of us. Our primary focus is on ourselves. We need to regroup after the disappointing defeat. Every goal we set is still ahead of us."
Best part about that quote? "Our primary focus is on ourselves." Sure, a team can't win without preparing for an opponent, but of course, you can't prepare without taking care of yourself. It's a good inward perspective.
Will Humboldt State bounce back from last week's punch in the mouth? In a word, yes.
As much as Simon Fraser has improved from last year, the fact remains the Clan were overmatched in Burnaby last month with the Lumberjacks taking a 35-7 victory. HSU had 200 yards on the ground, another 274 in the air and seven different receivers caught passes from Mike Proulx.
Defensively, Humboldt was on as well. SFU had 16 drives on the day, 12 of those drives last three plays or less. To be fair, one of those drives resulted in a touchdown, but it doesn't discount the statistic that the Clan couldn't do much offensively against the 'Jacks.
A few big guns are out for Humboldt State as TE Chris Bolt suffered a season-ending leg injury and DB Guy Ricciardulli is out for the week with a groin pull. Also expected to be out are offensive lineman Max Little and defensive lineman Tonio Celotto. Both have recently suffered concussions.
But that shouldn't stop Humboldt from being effective in Arcata, as the Lumberjacks are very talented. Humboldt, 41-9 over Simon Fraser.

Central Washington (3-4) at #16 West Texas A&M (5-2)
This contest should still garner plenty of attention, although maybe not for the reasons many figured back in August. Despite its record, Central Washington has shown flashes of brilliance and has put together a few very good, well-balanced games. West Texas has plenty of classic Texas football talent and its two losses have been to top 25 teams in Colorado State-Pueblo and Abilene Christian.
Why should it be a primary game in SR4? Well, WT needs this win, as the Buffaloes are ranked sixth in this week's regional rankings (the top six make the postseason). One loss could be detrimental to the Buffaloes, which is why Humboldt State might be huge CWU fans this weekend as the Lumberjacks are ninth and a CWU win could help HSU's cause.
The teams have split the only two games played. WT took a win in the 49-42 shootout in the first round of the 2008 playoffs and CWU returned the favor with its 34-10 victory the following fall.
For West Texas, the Buffaloes have done a pretty good job scoring early against opponents and WT can put the points on the board, averaging 36 points per game and holding opponents to less than 18, which says something in a league known for its offense. Even in its two losses, WT has been competitive, losing to CSU-P by two and ACU by 10.
The Buffaloes put the ball in the air, throwing for an average of 353 yards per game, whereas CWU's defense holds its opponents to 222 yards per contest thus far this year. To give a bit more comparison, CWU averages 352 yards in total offense, one yard less than what WT puts up in the air. That could be an issue for the Wildcats.
It's difficult to predict what type of team Central Washington will bring to Canyon, Texas, for Saturday's game. Only a handful of current Wildcats were in Canyon for the 2008 nailbiter that ended CWU's season, so the revenge factor might not come into play here. The Wildcats are out of the playoffs, so playoff ramifications aren't a factor either. While Humboldt is really hoping CWU wins, it's safe to say CWU isn't playing for Humboldt's sake as well.
As for playing the role of spoiler, that might not mean much either. Whether a team is a spoiler isn't the question. You play to win. It doesn't matter if it's a 0-10 team or a 10-0 team.
The road, though won't be easy for Central Washington as the classic firepower from an LSC team will be difficult to match. West Texas, 40-30.

Jon Guddat covers the GNAC for D2football.