Yikes...pretty tough Week One for our favorite band of teams. Didn't anticipate so many losses, or as many instances where some of our clubs just, well, didn't look particularly good. Let's see if Week Two fares us any better:


Tiffin @ Lake Erie

The Dragons jumped out to an early lead, but Findlay soon figured out they could run the ball at will...and did so to the tune of 337 yards on the game. Once the Oilers took control, TU had its troubles. Now, the Dragons still cranked out nearly 400 yards of offense on their own, and if there is one thing LEC squads have been known for in recent years it's been an inability to stop, well, anyone. I like TU to right things here.


Michigan Tech @ Hillsdale

Despite all of the changes up at Tech, the Huskies came out strong in week one and got a solid win. How they fare in their first roadie of the season will be fun to watch. These two teams are the models of ball-control, mistake-free offensive game plans...it's kind of interesting to consider how they might prepare for each other since they traditionally try to be teams in similar fashions. For me, while I was impressed by Tech's first outing, I also noticed that they ran the ball REALLY well and kept the game plan uncomplicated for new QB Jake Brown. How much the Huskies are willing to unshackle Brown in this game will be telling. HC played the run great last week (allowing only 96 yards), but don't confuse Mercyhurst's offense with Tech's. In the end, HC at home, and with an elite passing combination of Stewart to Brock is something we just don't know if Tech has. I'm picking HC, as much as I hate going against a league team. Further, I have lamented out here for many years picking Hillsdale games is like trying to figure out the installation instructions for a knock-off IKEA shelving unit...endlessly frustrating, illogical, and bewildering. Damn glad I only have to pick this one game of theirs this year.


Walsh @ Saginaw Valley

The cards handled the first of their G-MAC opponents well last week. Walsh probably has a better D than AB does, but their offense doesn't seem to be markedly better than last year's just yet. Tommy Scott (as predicted) was nails last week, and while the sledding may be a bit tougher in this one I still like him to be a catalyst for the Cards. The score may stay relatively close, but SV controls this one throughout.


Indianapolis @ Wayne St

After last week's win over GV, UIndy made this one even more intriguing. The 'Hounds used a relentless ground game to control tempo, and after a couple of early turnovers really played a nearly flawless game. While I was impressed, I'm still not sure what to make of this club. That's not to be disrespectful, but let's face it...that may have been one of GV's worst performances in several seasons and they still were a play away from leaving town with a win. Wayne very quietly went about its business last week, rushing for nearly 300 yards and putting Walsh away in the first half. This game has slugfest written all over it, and my gut tells me that Wayne will be ready to go and UIndy is set up for a letdown game, particularly on the road. To win Wayne must establish their ground game (something GV did not do last week), and since they arguably do that better than anyone in the GLIAC I'll take my chances with it. If the 'Hounds knock off their second straight GLIAC club, we will all take note of what they have brewing heading into their GLVC slate.


ODU @ Ashland

Both of these clubs schedule top-end PSAC clubs for their openers. And, both lost by three points or less. The difference is that AU controlled the game early and just couldn't finish...ODU, on the other hand, spent half of the game down by double-digits before scoring 20 unanswered points in the 2nd half and having a last second FG narrowly miss. So, who has the edge here? To be honest, I'm not sure. The Eagles seemed to struggle in moving the ball in the 2nd half last week, so how they sort those issues out will be telling. I'm taking the Eagles at home and with a solid week of practice to clean some things up, but I don't know if any result in this game would be particularly surprising.


Davenport @ GVSU

Well, the Lakers sure didn't look the part of a Top Five, league favorite last week. UIndy deserves some credit for that, but it sure felt like GV just didn't have everything together for much of that game. Sure, missing two of your starting three receivers didn't help, but the 'Hounds had a similar issue so you can't use that as an excuse. In the end, the Laker ground game that was so monstrously effective last season was all but silenced. In a case of "it'll cure what ails ya", the Lakers get a Davenport unit that allowed 170 yards and nearly eight yards per carry to Concordia's Joe Conner last week. While I think DU will put up a fight in their first, true GLIAC game, this one will tell us far more about GV than anything. Do they start to get right, or was what we saw last week a sign that this team is significantly short of what we all thought they were prior to the season?


Ferris @ Findlay

2016's Regional Champs finally get their season rolling. Findlay gave them fits last year, and it took a late Bulldog surge in order to get the win. Look, Ferris is the more talented team...there is little to argue that. Their ability to avoid mistakes is really the biggest catalyst for what results they will generate this season. In the first part of the year, when they struggled with penalties, turnovers, and red zone inefficiency, they struggled. Makes sense. As the season progressed, they cleaned a lot of that up and went on their run to the semi's. That's really what it comes down to here...if they avoid the bulk of the "first game mistakes", I think they cruise. If they keep Findlay in the game by being inefficient, the Oilers have enough ponies to win.


Northern @ Angelo St

I will always hate picking against the GLIAC when they play out of conference. With that said, we have a Northern club that nearly always struggles away from home, a new coach in his debut, a QB making his first start, and a LONG trip to an opponent that CLOBBERED a team that had a winning record last year. I'm genuinely rooting for Coach Nystrom and his crew to get a win...both for their program and for the league. With that said, it's hard to not see that there are just WAY too many factors stacked against them on paper. Go get'em, 'Cats! Giving up a point in the pick'em is a price I will gladly pay for you guys to notch a win.


Northwood @ Missouri S&T

The Woodies did their thing last week with an easy win against an NAIA opponent. S&T, frankly, blew their game. They threw the ball all over the lot and outgunned a decent West Florida team significantly. Three turnovers and inability to finish drives did them in, however. I think NU has its hands full here, but I hate picking against our guys. Had to do it twice already this week, so can't let it happen again. Don't let me down, 'Wolves! I think NU has shown that they actually play better defense than folks realize (allowed 92 total yards last week, for example), and this may give them an edge in this one.


Keep up with everything today on the Week Two GLIAC Game Day Homepage, and don't forget to following along on Twitter @GLIACFootball.