Fun game at Saginaw Valley last night. My thanks to Matt Woodbury and staff for their hospitality, and to Jeff Ligney and the GLIAC for facilitating the Live Blog we did. We thought it turned out well, and will hopefully be able to do stuff like that more often in the future.

We talked about mistakes going into last nights game, and Ashland sure made a bunch of them. The Cards took advantage and are guaranteed to still have the lead in the North heading into Week Nine. As for Week Eight, let's look into the remaining tilts:

Tiffin (0-6, 0-7) at Ohio Dominican (2-4, 3-4)

Ohio Dominican's comeback fell just short a week ago at Findlay, otherwise we could be talking about yet another win streak that the Panthers are putting together. We're guessing they won't need a comeback in this one as Tiffin is continuing to struggle to find consistency on both sides of the ball.

Tiffin Keys:
- QB Play? - We're not sure who will be under center in this one. James Capello has missed the bulk of the past three weeks due to injury, but Dan Pitts has shown he can move the team down the field in the passing game. Tiffin has to be pleased to know they have a couple of guys who can capably run the offense, but we wouldn't be surprised to see plenty of Pitts even if Capello is back to health. Pitts has led the passing game really well, and ODU is twelfth in the league in defending the pass. That is something the Dragons can exploit.
- Hang In - Living and playing through a season like this has to be tougher than most of us can imagine. The Dragons are running out of games to try and not go winless, so they need to keep the chins up and go out and fight.

Ohio Dominican Keys:
- Do what Works - The Panther ground attack is fourth in the league at nearly 219 yards per game. Tiffin is last in the GLIAC in defending the run. Some balance is nice, but no reason to re-invent the wheel here.
- Bring the Heat - While the ODU pass defense has had its struggles, they can help themselves by making the pocket an uncomfortable place for Capello or Pitts. Tiffin has allowed more sacks than any team in the league thus far, so the ODU front should pin its ears back get after it.

Prediction:
The Panthers have multiple solid efforts and several wins this year. They have proven to be more polished than Tiffin, and they're likely ticked at a mistake-filled effort a week ago that may have let a game get away. We don't think they'll slip like that two weeks in a row. Ohio Dominican 44, Tiffin 24.


Michigan Tech (3-3, 4-3) at Northwood (1-5, 2-5)

The expectations in Houghton coming into the season were huge. While the defense has (for the most part) lived up to its billing, an offense loaded with young players hasn't quite been able to keep up and the Huskies have dropped two straight. They'll make the trip to Midland to face a Northwood bunch that is coming off a win, but seems to be struggling with its identity a bit...The Woodbone normally puts NU in the top two or three teams in the league in rushing, but thus far they are in the bottom half of the league.

Tech Keys:
- Unique Test - While Tech's D has been one of the toughest in the league the last couple of years, facing the option-based attack Northwood employs always presents a unique challenge. If the offense sputters a bit on the road,the defense needs to shut down The Woodbone and keep the Huskies in the game.
- Bounce Back - Tech's back-to-back losses the last two weeks both game at home, and are due in part to a -4 turnover margin. Tyler Scarlett and the offense need to dial it back in and clean up the mistakes. They'll be facing an NU defense that is yielding nearly 388 yards of total offense a game. This is the time to get back on track.

Northwood Keys:
- Gotta Move It - As previously mentioned, the NU ground game just hasn't been as potent as we have seen in years past. Add to that the usual passing numbers that don't blow anyone's mind and you wind up with a team that's last in the league in total offense. If the 'Wolves want to give themselves a legit chance in this one they have to find a way to get some consistent offense...relying on big plays when you can sneak them in won't be enough.
- Stuff the Run - While NU's hallmark is the ground game, typically MTU also bases it's O on the rushing attack...and the Huskies have had their won struggles with this so far. If the Timberwolves can put Tech into passing situations they have the chance to get after Tyler Scarlett, who has at least resembled a freshmen a bit more over the last couple of weeks. NU needs to force more mistakes by the Tech offense, and harassing a young QB is a great way to do it.

Prediction:
While we think Tech is trying to figure things out and would rather not be doing so on the road, they still bring more than sufficient talent to handle this game easily. The play of the Husky front seven on defense is typically so good, we have a hard time seeing Northwood sorting out its offensive woes enough to post a win here. Tech 30, Northwood 18.


Findlay (4-2, 4-3) at Lake Erie (0-6, 1-6)

Findlay is abuzz with their Oilers, who in addition to being one of the more pleasant surprises in the GLIAC actually have a legit angle on a GLIAC title at this point as they will face each of the teams above them in the GLIAC South. They need to watch out, however as they'll travel to Painesville to tangle with a Lake Erie club whose offense has been steadily improving over the past month.

Findlay Keys:
- First things First - Looking ahead to tilts with Ashland, Hillsdale and Wayne might be tempting but they need to be ready for an LEC offense that has posted 27.5 points and over 437 yards per game the last two weeks. The Oilers can't look at LEC's record going into this one.
- Don't complicate It - This looks simple to us: Findlay leads the league in rushing, and Lake Erie is next to last in the league in defending it. Look for Monterae Williams to have a big day and UF to do what it does best.

Lake Erie Keys:
- Hang Around - The Storm have done this repeatedly this year and just haven't been able to close out a win in the league. If they get enough chances they will sting somebody, so if they can be tight heading into the fourth quarter Findlay hasn't shown the depth of some of the league's other bunches...this might LEC's chance.
- Will there be Sean - Storm QB Sean Bedevelsky hurt his non-throwing hand a week ago. Not sure if he'll be able to go this weekend or not, but obviously the chances for LEC to win are tied very closely to if AND how he plays.

Prediction:
There's something about this one that really makes me think Lake Erie is going to win...not sure why, but it's just a gut feeling. While that's nice and all, the bottom line here is that Findlay has been far more consistent thus far than LEC has and the UF ground game is just so good. Plus, the question around whether or not LEC's best player will be available is still unanswered. Gotta stick with the Oilers. Findlay 31, Lake Erie 27.


Northern Michigan (2-4, 3-4) at Indianapolis (4-2, 5-2)

This contest pits (perhaps) the best example of two teams headed in opposite directions. Northern jumped out to a 3-0 record, and since then the wheels, doors, mirrors, you-name-it have all come off. They have dumped four straight, and outside of their failed comeback against Wayne the defeats have been progressively more decisive each week. The Greyhounds, on the other hand, have won four of their last five and are still in the hunt for league honors and a playoff berth. It's been a while since UI has been able to say that, and Coach Bartolomeo has his club playing some solid football.

Northern Keys:
- Offense Gotta Wake Up - The 'Cat offense has mustered 13 total points the last two weeks. That's a far cry from the 26.6 they averaged in their first five outings. Carter Kopach and Company have to put up at least 20 in this one to have a legit shot.
- Uh, so does the D - After being at the top of the league in total defense through the first three weeks, the 'Cats are now 11th in the league and are yielding 400+ per week. That's not a good sign, especially as they hit the road to face the GLIAC's most potent passing attack.

UIndy Keys:
- Be Consistent - After several weeks of lighting up the scoreboard, the UIndy offense sputtered a bit against Saginaw last week. It wasn't that they didn't move the ball, they just didn't score. The defense bailed them out with a couple of pick-sixes, but that's not a formula we'd want to lean on every week. The offense needs to finish drives and not waste scoring chances.
- Oiler Advice - Like we mentioned to Findlay, the 'Hounds need to take these next four weeks one at a time. Winning out could give them a shot at league glory and the playoffs. NMU is struggling, but wounded dogs (or, uh, 'Cats in this case) still have a lot of bite...can't look past them.

Prediction:
Until we see Northern put forth an effort that's impressive, we have a hard time picking them...especially on the road against Chris Mills and the passing game. We like UIndy rather easily here. Indianapolis 38, Northern 21.


Ferris State (4-2, 5-2) at Grand Valley State (3-3, 4-3)

Despite their three game skid a few weeks ago, Grand Valley (with a bit of help) actually controls its own fate when it comes to possibly sharing the GLIAC North. While that wasn't exactly their goal when the season started, it's certainly a worthwhile target given the adversity they faced during September. Step one in achieving that new goal is knocking off arch-rival Ferris. The Bulldogs have not defeated GV in ten years and they are eager to prove that they are a vastly superior outfit to the one that was clobbered 41-0 in Big Rapids a year ago. Add in the battle for the Anchor-Bone Trophy, and this rivalry game should be a big on on Saturday night.

Ferris Keys:
- Schneider-ize'em - The Lakers struggled with the magic act that Sean Bedevelsky pulled last week. While Ferris QB Tom Schneider's skill-set isn't exactly the same (nor is FSU's scheme), dual-threat QB's have consistently given Grand Valley fits over the last couple of years. Looks for Schneider to throw and pass in this one and try to create lots of one-on-one situations for the Laker defense.
- D must make Plays - While the Bulldog defense is yielding less than 20 points per game, they have had the advantage of catching a few clubs when their offenses weren't at their best...LEC and Northern come to mind. When they caught a club that had it running good (Findlay), they had a 43-spot hung on them. Grand Valley's offense has been very good over the last three weeks and will be a tough test for the 'Dawgs. They must rise to the challenge.

Grand Valley Keys:
- D Make Plays - Upon closer inspection, Grand Valley's defense has actually played relatively well of late. Their issue has been the five to eight plays per game that provide their opponent half or more of their offensive total for the game. While the turnover totals are up, better tackling and avoiding mental mistakes also need to increase. Ferris has big play ability so the Lakers can't allow lapses or they'll be behind.
- Match Intensity - There is no doubt that the Bulldog will be up for this one in a big way. The Lakers must match that...especially on offense as GV's losses have come in games where the O sputtered early.

Prediction:
This one is just loaded with storylines: Arch-rivals facing off; big promo at Grand Valley with "Laker Blue Night" and their adidas TECHFIT uniforms; Ferris without its top RB in Skyler Stoker, and Grand Valley possibly without theirs in Norman Shuford (both are hurt); one club trying to fight the notion that it's "down", while the other is out to prove it is on its was "up". Should be a good one. While we think this will be a close game, the Grand Valley offense has been virtually unstoppable over the past few weeks and leads the league in scoring. While their defense hasn't been superb, it has been improving and has shown a knack for stymieing the Bulldogs...especially in the second halves of their games. We'll take the Lakers, but don't expect a blowout like we've seen over the last three weeks. Grand Valley 36, Ferris 31.


#12 Wayne State (5-1, 6-1) at Hillsdale (5-1, 5-2)

While the Thursday night tilt between Saginaw and Ashland was important, there's no bigger game in the league this weekend than this one. First place in both the South AND the overall GLIAC standings is on the line at Muddy Waters Stadium. Wayne is smarting after last week's loss, but Hillsdale is still holding the bitter taste of missed opportunities and a tough defeat in Detroit a year ago. In addition to the inside track to the GLIAC, positioning for the playoffs is absolutely at stake in this one.

Wayne State Keys:
- Gotta Rebound - While the defense gave up a 14 point fourth quarter lead last week, the offense didn't do them any favors as the Warriors accumulated their lowest outputs of the season. Mickey Mohner and Josh Renel need big games in this one and must get back to form.
- 3rd Downs - On both sides of the ball are key here. Hillsdale converts them more than 54% of the time (best in the league) and they demoralize defenses when they can't get off the field. The Warriors can't let the Chargers maintain rhythm on offense and tire out the WSU D. They MUST get stops. Conversely, HC's defense has been better of late...and they'll play with more fire if they get stops. Wayne must put solid drives together, prove they are superior to the Charger D, and NOT let Anthony Mifsud and company put their long drives together.

Hillsdale Keys:
- O-line must be Incredible - We all know that Joe Glendening and what he does on the ground is the basis for Hillsdale's O. With that said, he doesn't do it alone and without running lanes he can only do so much. Wayne's rush defense is tops in the GLIAC, so the front five needs to open big holes and keep them open so JG can get to the secondary.
- D keep it Going - The HC D had its best outing of the season last week at Tech. Vear, Hixson and crew need to be sure tacklers and keep everything in front of them. Ashland didn't allow big plays last week, and that is the basic blue-print for holding down the Warrior offense. They must find a way to do that again here.

Prediction:
We have to admit that we can fathom dozens of scenarios for this one. At the end of the day, Hillsdale is at home and has proven they can win close games. Conversely, Wayne folded last week and nearly did a couple weeks early at Northern. When things get tight (and they should again in this one), the Chargers simply have a better track record. We're uneasy about it as Wayne has to be ready to come out with their hair on fire after getting dumped last week, but we'll take Hillsdale at home. Hillsdale 20, Wayne State 16.