Not going to lie, as much as Saturday is reserved for football, being able to split a religious experience like college football into two days (Thursday and Saturday) is very much welcomed.

So with that, let's take a look at three more season openers for the GNAC.

Western Oregon (6-5 in 2011) vs. #4 Grand Valley State (8-3 in 2011)

The biggest game of the week clearly is Western Oregon's home opener against perennial powerhouse Grand Valley State. The Wolves are looking to return the favor, if you will, of a pretty convincing defeat (44-20) last year at the hands of the Lakers in Allendale, Mich.

Both teams bring back a ton of proven talent on both sides of the ball, something that both coaches acknowledged in pre-game interviews.

"On the field, they have depth and they have special players," WOU head coach Arne Ferguson said on the Wolves Weekly broadcast.

Ferg's counterpart was more specific.

"The biggest thing is the physicality of their defense," GVSU's Matt Mitchell said on the Grand Valley Sports Network, acknowledging that in practice GV's offensive line has been used to playing against its defensive line that is smaller than WOU's.

WOU has the talent to stop GV's #1's, but when GV gets gassed, they have the personnel to keep the momentum going. That's not to say that the Wolves aren't deep, but the Lakers are deep everywhere on the roster. Specific to WOU, its defense was what Mitchell discussed more so in the interview on the Laker athletic web site. Of course, it was a defense that was on the field too much last year as the Wolves were out possessed six and a half minutes per game, so preventing clock-eating drives against the Wolves will be key.

Specific to Grand Valley, who isn't dangerous? Heath Parling at quarterback led the nation in passing efficiency in 2011 and he will be behind an offensive line that brings back four starters. The offense has garnered more pre-season accolades, but it's the defense that is dominated by juniors and seniors, all with ample playing time from last year.

It's surprising a bit that Grand Valley is getting so much pre-season hype at being ranked #4 in the nation when they weren't even in the playoffs last year (the first time since 2000), but looking at what the Lakers have coming back and seeing how they ended last year on a seven-game winning streak, it starts to paint a picture as to what WOU is dealing with. The Wolves will counter with 10 returning GNAC all-conference picks from last year (the most of the then-five GNAC teams last year), so Western Oregon is certainly no slouch.

The Wolves will make this one better than last year, but will still fall to one of the premier teams in the country, 30-20.

Central Washington (4-6 in 2011) at Texas A&M-Kingsville (6-5 in 2011)

A road win against a usually strong Texas team would do a lot to erase a significant blemish that was 2011 for Central Washington. On paper, the Wildcats have peppered solid offensive pickups with a strong returning class. CWU, known for its defense over the previous handful of years have certainly turned the spotlight on the other side of the ball for 2012.

CWU returns all five offensive lineman from last year (six if you include 2009 starter James Meeks) and that could be an issue for a Kingsville squad that looks like it took a step back on the d-line based on returners. And while CWU lost Justin Helwedge to graduation, the 'Cats bring back Anthony Spain, Leon La Deaux and Robert Akeo-Orr. Spain had a huge coming out ceremony in the road loss to Humboldt State last year and will be a primary target for senior quarterback Ryan Robertson. The Javalinas probably have the most inexperience in the defensive secondary, something that can be abused if CWU plays it right.

Defensively CWU lost quite a bit, but has experience coming back in all positions whereas TAMUK is loaded on offense to test the returners on the field.

It's a wild card here, but the vibe in Ellensburg is certainly different than it was a year ago with chemistry the No. 1 factor that seems to be more in place than it was last year. CWU in an upset, 27-24.

Dixie State (1-10 in 2011) vs. Adams State (6-5 in 2011)

A week before the season opener a coach commonly has a two-deep in place with starters in pen, rather than pencil. Then an injury happens that is a huge blow in the gut for Dixie State.

Joe Don Duncan is a big target at tight end who received a lot of national attention as pre-season prognostications came out and was a bright spot on a team that went 1-10 last year. However, the senior will be on the sidelines all season with a leg injury suffered four years ago that has become enough of a problem to require season-ending surgery. Will he get a medical redshirt? Sure, but a tight end in 2013 does nothing for a team in desperate need of a playmaker in 2012.

Dixie State brings back three offensive linemen with experience and added two JC transfers. Former quarterback, now offensive coordinator Judd Thompson, must get a rushing offense in place - DSC was last in the GNAC in rushing in 2011 - in order to be more balanced on offense. With Utah transfer Griff Robles (6-5, 230 pounds) at the helm at quarterback and JC transfer A.J. Johnson slated as the No. 1 running back, the offense may become less one-dimensional than it has been in previous years.

If Duncan was suited up, Dixie would have enough experienced talent to possibly knock off Adams, picked to finish fourth in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Clearly this Red Storm team looks to be a better squad than in previous years, but it's a team that hasn't been tested yet. Adams State in this one, 31-20.

Jon Guddat covers the GNAC for D2football.com. Contact Jon at [email protected]