Well, Gang, Saturday has us on the mid-point of the season. I've lamented for years when I was writing the column how sad it makes me that these seasons go by in the blink of an eye. Unreal. Weather has been staying on the warm side, so if you haven't made it out to one of these schools yet this year for a game make sure you do so soon! Might be a bit cool tomorrow, but the Upper Midwest looks to be nice and dry.


Wayne State vs Findlay - For as much as I literally flipped a coin on Wayne's game vs. Hillsdale last week (hat tip to on the correct pick to the silver dollar I have on my desk that my Grandad gave me long ago), the Warriors did pretty much what I thought they might: they physically beat up Hillsdale's defense. The Chargers were thin to begin with, and just couldn't withstand the pounding they took on the ground. Fast forward to this week, and I think we have a similar scenario: Wayne likes to physically handle folks, and I don't think Findlay can hang with that for 60 minutes. The Oilers won't just lie down, and I actually think this game takes on a certain "entertaining" quality to it...UF's passing offense can light things up quick if it gets rolling. That said, Wayne rolls in (perhaps literally and figuratively) with the league's top rushing offense and they seem to be picking up steam week to week. In the end, this is just too much O-Line, Brown, and Stinson and Wayne beats Findlay into submission.


Tiffin vs Walsh - You know, this game has all the earmarks of a "letdown" affair for the Dragons. They come off the huge, emotional high of the team's biggest win since joining the GLIAC, and they visit a winless team that plays better defense than what everyone expects. This just screams upset. That said, I have a hunch that Pipken and Co. have figured a couple of things out and will be more potent over the rest of the season. Walsh will have its day this year, but I just can't find my way around to it being here.


Northwood vs Ashland - As for letdown games, probably a bit safe to say that Ashland had theirs a week ago. Quite the lament for Northwood who really has played better than people think this season. Prior to notching their first win a week ago, the Woodies had three straight games wind up in the L column on the game's final play. While I'm not sure that they have the balance or firepower to hang with AU for four quarters, I do think they have what it takes to make this one interesting...UNTIL we come back to the point made earlier that the Eagles are coming off of a VERY disappointing loss in a letdown after beating Ferris. Yeah, I think the Woodies would have been better served to play AU a different week. Look for the Eagles to come out angry in this one.


Ohio Dominican vs Lake Erie - As I'm writing these picks, they almost seem to be indicating that this could be a "letdown Saturday". While I don't think ODU has any real shot at having a letdown allow them to be nipped by Lake Erie, I wouldn't be surprised if they came out a bit flat in the early going. ODU played hard, physical, valiant football last week and arguably could/should have beaten Grand Valley. Six turnovers later, they didn't, and there has to be a disappointment factor involved. Not to mention, the ODU/GV games over the last few years have been highly physical...anytime you have a game like that, there's simply a certain "hangover" factor involved. So what fixes a hangover? While I have always subscribed to either McDonald's cheeseburgers and a fountain coke OR a Wendy's Big Bacon Classic (may it rest in peace) and a frosty, I'm sure the Panthers will find a defense yielding 577 yards and 49 points per game to be all the Happy Meal they need. Panthers big.


Northern Michigan vs Saginaw Valley - You know, this game is actually pretty darn hard to pick. Both clubs are 3-2, and have shown a penchant for battling all year. Northern's offense is far more put together and potent, but the Cardinal defense is surprisingly stingy and has a penchant for making big plays. Saginaw's offense is still largely listless and ineffective, but Northern's D has struggled to consistently get stops. While I think that Northern is likely more talented from top-to-bottom, I'm going with a total gut call here and rolling with the Cards. They play as hard and gritty as any team in the league, they force tons of turnovers, they pressure the QB, and they have consistently come up with game changing plays on special teams. Add in the Troll Effect, and this one just feels like a game where Saggy is probably out-gained and out-possessed, but they come up with big plays when they need them, they win the turnover battle, and wind up scoring what they need off of short fields and at least one defensive or special teams return. I wouldn't normally hang my hat on that sort of formula, but it seems to be what makes this year's Cardinal outfit tick...not to mention there is a long-standing penchant of scenarios like that working against a Northern team when it isn't at home.


Ferris State vs GVSU - As entertaining as I think several of the games on this week's slate will be, it's hard to argue that this is the darling of them. Two ranked teams within a game of each other in the standings, and are arch-rivals to boot. The storyline of the programs is interesting enough...GV won 11 in a row in the rivalry, only to have Ferris start its own streak of 4 straight. But then, the Ferris run ends when the two teams meet for the first time ever in the playoffs and the Lakers prevail. Fun, huh? This one will be something to be sure, particularly if the crowd in Allendale pushes near (or perhaps above) the 16,000+ mark. OK, so on to these two teams on the field. It's hard to argue that Ferris has played the more difficult schedule thus far, and while they've won more than they've lost they really haven't been particularly impressive outside of Week 1. GV ran roughshod for four weeks against teams that aren't as tough collectively, but really struggled last week against ODU. While I feel the "hangover" effect could definitely be at play for GV given the physicality of last week's game, this rivalry will sober up just about anyone pretty quick. Plus, it's hard to argue that Ferris has shown themselves to be a "dominant" force on a weekly basis.

Look, while I think the rivalry aspect will bring a top-flight performance from Ferris, and GV may be a bit beat up, this is a game between two really good teams and that almost demands that as a pseudo-journalist I focus on the trends. The trends are that Ferris converts only 43% on third down this year (the JVL led teams of '14 and '15 hit on 56%), and they only score TD's on 46% of their red zone trips. Conversely, GV hits on 58% of their third downs (that includes a 2 for 11 mess last week), and scores TD's on 83% of their red zone trips. Converting third downs and finishing drives will be CRUCIAL in this game, and GV seems to have those pieces figured out a bit better to this point. Add in the fact that Ferris is the most penalized team in the league and it just strikes me that this year's Bulldog outfit just doesn't trend to being as "crisp" as they need to be. I noted those stats heading into the Ashland game, and those same traits wound up costing Ferris in that affair. Genuinely, there aren't any outcomes to this game that would surprise me, but if GV gets back on their mistake-minimized, conversion-heavy path and they limit Reggie Bell's big plays, this just seems like a game GV wins.


That's it for this week, Friends. Like I said, get out to one of these campuses and catch a game live...they are definitely worth the time! If for some reason you just can't make it, of course you can always following along here at the GLIAC Week 6 Game Day Homepage.