With four weeks to go, there is a whole lotta interesting still to come. A couple of league leaders have some heavy hitters left on the slate, and a few folks still hanging around in potential playoff contention have contests remaining that could earn them a spot. Of course, the league title itself is still up for grabs, so as if the games themselves weren't interesting enough there is plenty of drama attached to them. On to Week Eight!

Saginaw Valley vs Wayne State

This one seems interesting at first glance: 6-1 Wayne is rolling through a solid season. 4-2 Saginaw Valley is surprising folks with their resurgence that may have come a year earlier than expected with a new QB, etc. But when you really look at it, a couple of things stand out about their offense: 1) It almost didn't show up a couple of times, as Saginaw needed defensive and special teams TD's to snag a couple of its wins; 2) The O has only really had one truly solid game, but it was against NMU and they're pretty well prone to giving up a ton of offense. At the end of the day, Wayne's defense is too stout. And, perhaps more importantly, Saginaw yields 177 yards per game on the ground...which looks even worse when you consider that of the six opponents they have faced thus far only one (Northwood) ranks higher than seventh in the league in rushing. This is a run defense that isn't that good, folks, and it still has to face the league's top three rushing attacks over the remainder of the schedule. This one plays right into the hands of the homestanding Tartars (the GLIAC's #1 ground game)...give me Wayne at home at The Jewel.


Lake Erie vs Ferris State

Lake Erie was having a rough enough go this year as it was, but things just got a little more complicated with their Head Coach being released this week. Rumor has it that the departure wasn't even football related. Ouch. The Storm will venture to a Ferris club that is in the middle of a three game home stand and who trounced the league's second worst defense a week ago. No red zone slow downs last week, and none this time around either against the GLIAC's most porous D. Lake Erie will play hard because that's what they do, but it just won't be enough. Ferris puts this one away early.


Ohio Dominican vs Northern Michigan

Northern actually has some guys on their D that can do some things...but it sure appears they aren't doing enough of those things as the Wildcats have dropped two straight and have sunk to the bottom tier of the league in most defensive categories. Playing at home always means a certain "swing" in terms of a point spread for Northern, but is it enough of a swing to overcome their D in this one? While I'm never a fan of picking a team that as to travel as far as ODU does to play at the Dome, the Panthers have quietly won three of their last four and have shown they can move he ball...particularly against less stout defenses. They key to this one is ODU avoiding the turnover bug. If they don't help the Wildcat defense out, I think they put up enough points to withstand the fight they're going to get from NMU.


Michigan Tech vs Northwood

A month ago, Tech was sitting at 2-1 and their loss had come to Ferris on a last second FG. Not a bad spot to be. The past month has been unkind to the Huskies, however, as three straight losses have sullied their record. Making matters worse is that collapsing late is a root cause of their issues: a three-point game at Hillsdale turned into a 27-point blowout over the last 20 minutes; Tech then led SV for the entire game, only to see the Cards notch a win on the strength of an 82-yard pass and a 100-yard kickoff return...both in the fourth quarter; and most recently the Huskies led Tiffin 17-0, and then watched the Dragons score 24 points over the game's final nine minutes. Now, add in that Coach Tom Kearly has to stay in Houghton this week due to doctor's orders, and it's hard to know what we'll get from MTU. Neither team has proven to be particularly potent offensively, and both defenses have played well this year. But Northwood's D has actually been better than average. I think the overall lack of offensive punch costs the Huskies here, particularly on the road. This may be the week they figure some things out and finish, but my gut tells me that after three straight collapses and w/o their coach and on the road for the fourth time in five weeks that this just winds up being Northwood's day.


Findlay vs Tiffin

I kinda thought Tiffin was on an "uptick". While they did win last week and have prevailed in five of their last six, they basically sleepwalked through the game's first 50 minutes or so. Their punt team seemed to forget what they were out there to do a couple of times, and set up Tech with VERY short fields and TU trailed despite holding the Huskies to only one real "drive" on the day. While I don't think anyone is going to mistake Findlay's offense for Tech's, the Oilers will come into Frost-Kalnow with a defense that isn't particularly stout. Maybe just enough of an opening to wake up the Dragon offense? I think this is actually a coin-flip game, but I'm going to forego it and roll with the Dragons at home. Outside of a bit off a lapse last week, TU's offense has been efficient and should be again against their nearest geographic rival.


Ashland vs Kentucky Wesleyan

The nation's third most prolific offense against its 141st ranked defense. For the second straight week, just move along people...nothing to see here.


GVSU vs Hillsdale

The final installment in GLIAC annals of the Lakers and the Chargers. Muddy Waters has been kind to Hillsdale this year, as all three of their wins have come at home. Now, the offenses that HC has faced at home haven't exactly been juggernauts. Against some of the league's better offenses the Chargers have given up more than 41 points per game, resulting in their three losses. Is that because the games were on the road or because their injury-riddled defense is playing a ton of underclassmen pressed into duty? I'm inclined to think it is a bit of both, but will home-field advantage be enough for HC to pull off some magic one last time? (They beat GV twice in the Lakers' last four trips to Hillsdale.) It may well come down to the ground game for Grand Valley. In the games the Lakers have been most dominant this year, they have been able to run the ball effectively. Hillsdale enters the game yielding more than 170 yards per outing on the ground, including 235+ each of the last two weeks. If that trend continues and GV even sniffs the 225 range or more running the ball, they may be able to out ball-control Hillsdale's ability to play ball-control. While I think the Charger offense will come out pumped and will actually do some things against one of the better defenses they'll have faced, I'm just not convinced that the HC defense will be able to stifle GV for four quarters. This game does have a rivalry feel to it so you never know, but in the end I just think GV's O is too potent for a HC D that has looked over-matched the last two outings.


Malone vs Walsh

Ahh, one more year of picking the "Collision in Canton". Or, as these two call it, the battle for the Bankert-Gallagher Memorial Trophy (sorry...I like my moniker better). In an case, while Malone has actually managed to win a couple of games neither victory has come against a DII team...one was NAIA, and I haven't the faintest idea what a "Haywood" is. So, while Canton comes in winless, they have actually played, well, real teams thus far and have done a pretty good job against them defensively. Since I can't really tell what Malone has done this year, it's actually pretty hard to pick this one...particularly since it's a rivalry game. Well, the Cavs are still in the GLIAC so we roll with the GLIAC homer pick. Walsh notches Win #1 on the season.


Whew, looking back at this there were actually several of these games that could go in a bunch of directions and weren't particularly straight forward. Be sure and follow along at the GLIAC Football Week 8 GameDay Home Page. I'll be making a visit to Hillsdale to tweet out some pics and updates from the 40th and final GLIAC meeting between Grand Valley and Hillsdale. Be sure and follow along on Twitter @GLIACFOOTBALL.