The cold reality a which hit a few weeks ago still stings a bit for any GNAC follower: It's the third year in a row in which the GNAC will be on the outside looking in when the playoff brackets are announced in a couple of days.

Another reality? The season isn't over yet.

While some might look at the top half of the GNAC and say, "what's going on?" another might look at the bottom half and say, "nice job," and offer a pat on the back.

Followers of the GNAC are no stranger to what's taken place within the round robin schedule. Since Central Washington's run of the GNAC slate in 2008 and 2009, not one team has done the same since then. The Wildcats went 7-1 in 2010, missing a playoff berth in the process, and Humboldt State went 7-1 last year, with that lone loss to Western Oregon being the final nail in the playoff coffin. And speaking of Western Oregon, they Wolves have always been in the conversation for league superiority, but have never been able to complete it.

This year? Both Humboldt and Central sit atop the league standings together with a 6-3 record with Western Oregon right there at 5-4 and still in contention for the GNAC crown (with a little help, which we'll get to in a bit). Neither CWU and HSU are as intimidating as they have been in the past couple of years. Both have shown an inability to finish games this year (Humboldt lost a 24-0 lead on Simon Fraser to lose 41-37; CWU has lost one-score games to Dixie State, Azusa Pacific and HSU), but there are still more positives than negatives with these teams. Both have a chance to win outright or share the GNAC title with Saturday's contests.

But let's look at the bottom half the GNAC. First things first, the bottom half is a heckuva lot more competitive this year than in year's past. Simon Fraser, Dixie and Azusa all have wins over Humboldt or Central. Simon Fraser has a chance to put together a winning record in its third year as an NCAA member. Dixie's 1-10 campaign in 2011 is already two wins better this year around (and who knows what the Red Storm would have done had they not lost tight end Joe Don Duncan to injury in August). Azusa Pacific? After losing its first six games, the Cougars are on a three-game winning streak.

You can spin this parity two ways: 1. It means there are no cupcakes on the schedule. Every game is up in the air until the final buzzer. That makes for exciting football in terms of you don't know who's going to win. 2. It means the GNAC will beat up on each other and playoff berths will suffer because of said parity. That doesn't make for exciting football because no matter the game result, the season result will be the same.

But back to one of the original points: There's still more football to play with a league title on the line.

Western Oregon (5-4, 5-5) vs. Humboldt State (6-3 GNAC, 7-3 overall)
Clearly this is the game of the week as a win for Humboldt guarantees the Lumberjacks no worse than a tie for the GNAC title. A win for Western Oregon (coupled with a loss by CWU) means a three-way tie for the crown for WOU, CWU and HSU.

Got it?

The first time these two teams met, Western Oregon jumped out to a 21-0 first quarter lead and never looked back as the Wolves put the hurt on the host Lumberjacks, 42-14 five weeks ago.

But that's not to say this time around will be easy, even with playing at home.

One guy in particular WOU head coach Arne Ferguson admitted keeps him up at night is Nick Ricciardulli.

"Their running back flat out flies. He probably plays the hardest out of anybody in our conference," Ferguson said in Wolves Weekly. "And he's fun to watch. He's a great player and we're really going to need to contain him."

Not many teams have contained him as he's one of the best in the biz this year with 1431 yards, 12 touchdowns and a 5.5 yards per carry average. He had just 78 yards against the Wolves last months, so a better showing is imperative for Ricciardulli and the 'Jacks.

On the other end, Ryan Bergman will need to show improvement from last week's performance. While the redshirt freshman quarterback for WOU played relatively mistake-free based on the stat sheet (no picks, no fumbles, two sacks), he threw for just a 48 percent completion rate and at times played very rattled by the CWU defense.

Anybody who has seen Western Oregon's home field will know the grass turf has taken a beating due to wear and tear and weather. That certainly will play a role in the flow of the game, however, it affects both teams the same.

From a fan perspective, what a great situation to watch unfold with a league title on the line. After a demoralizing road loss for Humboldt last week, only to be followed up again with another long road trip, this one goes in Western Oregon's favor, 24-21.

Central Washington (6-3, 6-4) vs. Dixie State (3-6, 3-7)
Like Humboldt and Western Oregon, the GNAC title plays into this game as Central Washington can claim no worse than a tie for the crown with a win over Dixie State.

What's on the line for Dixie? Proving the Red Storm's 29-21 victory over the Wildcats last month wasn't a fluke and that the team continues to improve as the season progresses.

In last month's meeting, the Red Storm went nuts in the air, with the tandem gunslingers of Kaleo Nawahine and Griff Robles combining for 479 yards and two touchdowns. And despite getting just 104 yards on the ground (35 yards under its season average) DSC did just enough to hold off CWU for the Red Storm's first-ever win in nine tries.

The Dixie loss was monumental for Central Washington as it effectively ended any chance at the playoffs for the Wildcats and was the beginning of a 1-3 slide before picking up a very close win over Western Oregon last week. It also showed a stark contrast from the previous week when the Wildcats dismantled a then-No. 9 Humboldt State team, 31-3.

Central Washington simply needs to be more effective with the ball. The Wildcats amassed a paltry 307 yards to Dixie's 593 and quarterback Ryan Robertson completed just 40 percent (12-of-30) of his passes. Central Washington stumbled through three 3-and-outs and eight offensive sets that accounted for less than 25 yards. That's not going to get it done.

For Dixie, keep the passing attack alive. The Red Storm throw for nearly 260 yards of nearly 400 total yards. DSC also dominated the clock, holding the ball for nearly 12 minutes more than CWU.

Momentum hasn't been kind to the Red Storm as Dixie is 0-4 for the last four weeks. Add the fact that Central Washington is at home and that Dixie has never played well in Ellensburg makes this one go in CWU's favor, 38-22.

Azusa Pacific (3-6, 3-7) vs. Simon Fraser (4-5, 5-5)
This one showcases two teams that have surprised some teams repeatedly this year, but after taking a harder look at things, shouldn't be a surprise after all. Both teams are situated in heavily populated areas (APU, Los Angeles; SFU, Vancouver, BC) rich with talent.

Simon Fraser's win over Humboldt last week was big. Huge. Bigger than last year's "W" over CWU as the Wildcats were in a down year, whereas this year's win could have knocked Humboldt out of contention for the GNAC crown.

The Oct. 6th matchup in Burnaby featured all gas pedal and very little brake in the 66-38 victory for the Clan. Round two in the series looks like it will be every bit of the same on Saturday.

While both squads aren't the greatest defenders in the league, what SFU has over APU is the fact that it's better offensively. SFU's Trey Wheeler is throwing for a shade less than 300 yards per game and Bo Palmer rushes for another 86 yards a contest. Lemar Durant and Bobby Pospischill are 1-2 in receiving yards per game at 123 and 72. Even if Azusa scores 40 on Simon Fraser, the Clan will probably score more.

And they will. SFU ends the season with a winning record and a 50-40 victory.

Jon Guddat covers the GNAC for D2football.com