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Might have missed it but any discussion on a GAC columnist for this upcoming season?
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I guess not… -
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I’m disappointed none of young SI staffers in the GAC have stepped up. I appreciated Luke (SNU) giving it try for 3 years. Seems like the old heads in SI departments would rotate this among their up and coming staffers.
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Sports Information is way more work that you realize. I doubt they have the margin. Luke was not a SI staffer.Originally posted by OldBison View PostComment
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“I wish these young and underpaid SIDs would focus less on their actual jobs so they can do this unpaid menial task that makes me happy online”Originally posted by OldBison View Post
You could do it yourself if it matters to you that much, but instead you’d rather blame the underpaid and overworked sports info staffers in the league for not doing extra unpaid work to entertain you for 5 minutes per week. Incredible lack of awareness on display here.Comment
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Reddie Made acting like in todays world some poor underpaid SID just wanting to spend time with his young family would be stuck on the road going from campus to campus trying to interview coaches and players for next weeks article, recording notes in some worn spiral note book and spending his or her own money on gas when they had it - hitching rides across Arkansas and OK when they didn't. Yes, incredible lack of awareness on display here.Originally posted by ReddieMade View Post
I'm no writer so I gave Chat some instructions. Write an article covering the first game of the season for each of the GAC schools. Each game should have three paragraphs. The first 2 paragraphs are for each of the 2 teams competing. The team paragraphs should be the result of:
- Any available preseason coaches poll or preseason ranking
- Last year head to head
- Last years total season performance for each team
- A comparison of the 26 and 25 roster (some schools don't have their updated 26 rosters in yet) - with a calculated loss in performance on either side of the ball (TDs, Rushing Yards, Passing Yards, TFL, Tackles, Sacks - etc) associated to the missing players from the 25 roster
- If it looks like on the 26 roster teams tried to address significant player losses through the portal
With the third and final paragraph for each game, something about what each team might do based on the first 2 paragrahps and a score prerdiction.
Then I hit enter.
Here is the article it spit out. Have no idea how close it will be. Took 15 minutes to type the instruction out and about 7 seconds for Chat to write the article. I would have been happy with this from some poor struggling SID.
GAC Football — Opening Week 2026 Predictions
The 2026 Great American Conference football season opens September 3 with all 12 teams in conference action. As usual, last year's records tell only part of the story. Returning production, personnel losses, recruiting, transfers, matchup history and the trajectory of each program all matter when trying to determine what these teams will look like when they take the field for the first time.
The predictions below are based on the available data from 2025, including team and individual performance, head-to-head results and the personnel currently expected back for 2026. Where significant production has departed, consideration is also given to whether a program appears to have recognized the need and attempted to address it through the transfer portal, its recruiting pipeline or players already developing within the program.
Southeastern Oklahoma State at Arkansas-Monticello
September 3, 2026 — 6:00 p.m.
Southeastern Oklahoma State finished 5-6 in 2025, but the Savage Storm were better than that record suggests in several important areas. Their defense allowed only about 299 yards per game and was particularly effective against the run. Southeastern also finished the season with a victory over East Central and played several of the conference's better teams competitively. Most importantly for this matchup, Southeastern beat Arkansas-Monticello 44-13 in last year's opener. The Savage Storm enter 2026 with meaningful experience returning at quarterback and much of the core of that defense still intact. There is some offensive production to replace, particularly in the running game, but this looks more like replacing selected pieces than rebuilding an entire unit.
Arkansas-Monticello enters the season trying to improve on a 2-9 record. The Weevils averaged just over 300 yards per game in 2025 and had considerable difficulty establishing the run, averaging less than 100 rushing yards per game. Defensively, UAM surrendered more than 425 yards per contest and struggled particularly against physical running teams. Turnovers created another problem, with the passing game producing yards but also putting the football in danger too frequently. Monticello did show flashes, including an upset of Arkansas Tech, but those performances were difficult to sustain. The available preseason information suggests improvement is possible, although UAM still has considerable ground to make up on the conference's middle and upper tiers.
Prediction: Southeastern Oklahoma State 31, Arkansas-Monticello 16. This is a difficult matchup for Monticello because Southeastern's greatest strength attacks one of UAM's biggest weaknesses. The Weevils struggled to run the football last season, while Southeastern fielded one of the conference's better run defenses and returns important pieces from that unit. Playing in Monticello should make this more competitive than last year's 44-13 result, but Southeastern appears to have the more established roster and the better matchup. The Savage Storm should be able to control the game defensively and gradually create separation.
Northwestern Oklahoma State at Harding
September 3, 2026 — 6:00 p.m.
Harding enters 2026 after another dominant season. The Bisons went 15-1, won the GAC championship and reached the Division II national championship game while averaging more than 43 points and nearly 434 rushing yards per game. Andrew Miller returns after rushing for more than 2,000 yards and 28 touchdowns, giving Harding one of the country's most productive offensive players to build around. There are significant losses around him. Cole Keylon, Braden Jay and several other contributors accounted for a substantial percentage of the rushing and quarterback production, while the defense lost major production at linebacker and both interior defensive line positions. Those losses shouldn't be dismissed, but Harding appears to have anticipated them. Through the transfer portal, recruiting pipeline and players already developing within the program, the Bisons appear to have made a deliberate effort to reinforce the positions where the greatest production departed. That matters for a program whose system and depth have consistently allowed new players to step into established roles.
Northwestern Oklahoma State went 2-9 and finished at or near the bottom of most major GAC statistical categories. The Rangers averaged roughly 264 yards of offense per game while allowing more than 421. Their biggest problem in this matchup is run defense. Northwestern surrendered nearly 200 rushing yards per game overall, and Harding rushed for 484 yards in a 49-7 victory when the teams met last season. Northwestern enters 2026 under new leadership and returns enough experience to reasonably expect improvement, but this is about as difficult an opening assignment as a rebuilding program could receive.
Prediction: Harding 49, Northwestern Oklahoma State 10. Harding will have new faces in important roles, and early-season execution may not resemble what the Bisons look like in October or November. But there is still an enormous difference between these programs entering opening night. Miller provides an established centerpiece, the offensive system remains exceptionally difficult to prepare for, and Harding appears to have addressed several of its most obvious personnel needs through recruiting and the portal. Northwestern must first prove it can withstand Harding's running game before there is a reason to expect this matchup to be substantially different from 2025.
Henderson State at Southern Nazarene
September 3, 2026 — 6:00 p.m.
Henderson State finished 8-3 and tied for second in the GAC in 2025. The Reddies averaged more than 430 yards per game and featured one of the conference's best conventional passing attacks while allowing only about 313 yards per contest defensively. Henderson also finished the season playing extremely well, winning its final three games and closing with a convincing 41-14 victory over Ouachita. Last year's meeting with Southern Nazarene was equally decisive. Henderson won 48-13, outgained SNU 393-243 and forced three turnovers. One of the biggest questions entering 2026 is how Henderson replaces the passing production lost with the departure of Andrew Edwards, who was at the center of an offense that consistently stressed defenses through the air. The coaching staff appears to have recognized that potential loss of production and, through the portal, recruiting pipeline and development within the program, has attempted to strengthen the quarterback room and maintain the offensive balance that made the Reddies so productive last season.
Southern Nazarene finished 2-9, with defense being the biggest obstacle. The Crimson Storm allowed more than 437 yards per game and struggled to get opponents off the field. Offensively, SNU remained heavily dependent on the run, averaging nearly 187 rushing yards but only about 82 passing yards per game. There was an encouraging finish when Southern Nazarene rushed for 431 yards in a 49-19 victory over Oklahoma Baptist. SNU also brings meaningful experience into 2026, giving the Crimson Storm reason to believe they can be better than last year's record. The challenge is developing enough offensive balance and defensive consistency to compete with the top half of the conference.
Prediction: Henderson State 37, Southern Nazarene 20. Southern Nazarene should be more competitive than it was in last year's opener, particularly at home, but Henderson remains the more complete football team. SNU's running game can shorten the game if it consistently moves the chains, but falling behind creates problems because of the limited passing component. Henderson can attack in multiple ways offensively and has enough defensive ability to concentrate on stopping the run. Expect SNU to hang around longer than it did last season before Henderson pulls away.
East Central at Ouachita Baptist
September 3, 2026 — 7:00 p.m.
East Central finished 6-6 overall and was one of the most unpredictable teams in the conference. The Tigers beat Ouachita 24-22, Arkansas Tech 37-21 and Southern Arkansas 44-22, proving they could beat quality opponents. They also suffered several decisive losses, including games in which the defense was overwhelmed. ECU averaged about 361 yards per game and possessed enough passing ability to create explosive plays, but it allowed nearly 385 yards per contest. The 24-22 victory over Ouachita is particularly important because East Central enters this game knowing it doesn't have to imagine what an upset looks like—it did it a year ago.
Ouachita finished 7-4, which was below the standard the program has established in recent seasons, but the way the Tigers arrived at that record is important. After starting 1-3, Ouachita won six consecutive games before losing the Battle of the Ravine. The offense averaged more than 420 yards per game and was one of the conference's most balanced units. More importantly entering 2026, Ouachita appears to have one of the healthier returning-production situations among the conference contenders. Significant offensive production remains in place, as does experience on defense. Rather than needing to reconstruct large portions of the roster, Ouachita appears positioned to build around players who already understand the system and have produced within it.
Prediction: Ouachita Baptist 35, East Central 23. East Central has enough offensive ability to make this dangerous, and last year's result eliminates any reason for Ouachita to overlook the Tigers. The difference this time is location, continuity and circumstance. Ouachita gets ECU in Arkadelphia and enters the season with an experienced core that should allow it to start faster than it did in 2025. East Central should create some explosive plays and make this competitive, but Ouachita's ability to run and throw the football should eventually force ECU to defend too much of the field. Look for Ouachita to avenge last year's loss.
Southern Arkansas at Oklahoma Baptist
September 3, 2026 — 7:00 p.m.
Southern Arkansas went 8-3 in 2025 and tied for second in the conference. The Muleriders averaged more than 400 yards per game, including better than 216 on the ground, and fielded one of the GAC's more balanced teams. They dominated Oklahoma Baptist 49-14 in last year's opener, producing 537 total yards and 304 rushing yards without turning the football over. SAU does enter 2026 facing one of the more significant quarterback transitions among the conference contenders. Nearly all of last year's passing production has departed, along with meaningful rushing production from the position. Southern Arkansas appears to have recognized that vulnerability, however, and through the portal and its recruiting pipeline has attempted to bring experience into the quarterback room while retaining a number of established players around that position. The question isn't whether SAU has addressed the need; it's how quickly the new pieces can reproduce the efficiency of last year's offense.
Oklahoma Baptist also finished 2-9, but the Bison's problems extended across the roster. OBU could throw the football, averaging nearly 250 passing yards per game, but turnovers and the lack of a dependable rushing attack prevented that production from becoming consistent offense. Defense was the larger concern. Oklahoma Baptist allowed more than 454 yards per game and an extraordinary 281.5 rushing yards per contest. The Bison also enter 2026 replacing considerable production at quarterback, running back and throughout the defense. The roster suggests the coaching staff understood the scope of the problem. Through the portal and recruiting pipeline, OBU appears to have made an aggressive effort to add college experience at several of the positions most affected by those departures. That could make this a considerably different roster, although incorporating a large number of new pieces creates its own uncertainty.
Prediction: Southern Arkansas 38, Oklahoma Baptist 24. There are legitimate unknowns on both sides, which makes this more interesting than last year's 35-point margin suggests. Oklahoma Baptist appears to have attacked its personnel deficiencies aggressively, while Southern Arkansas must demonstrate that its new quarterback situation can maintain offensive balance. The deciding factor is the matchup on the ground. SAU rushed for 304 yards against OBU last season, while the Bison eventually finished last in the conference in rushing defense. Until Oklahoma Baptist demonstrates that problem has been corrected, Southern Arkansas's physical running game remains the safest thing to trust in this matchup.
Southwestern Oklahoma State at Arkansas Tech
September 3, 2026 — 7:00 p.m.
Southwestern Oklahoma State was one of the GAC's biggest positive stories in 2025. The Bulldogs went 6-5 for their first winning season since 2015 and finished 5-0 against Oklahoma opponents. SWOSU averaged more than 386 yards per game, including better than 213 on the ground, and complemented that running game with efficient quarterback play. The Bulldogs threw 21 touchdown passes against only seven interceptions. The one result that stands out is the opener. Arkansas Tech went to Weatherford and beat Southwestern 32-10. What happened afterward suggests that game may say more about where SWOSU was in early September than where the Bulldogs finished the season.
Arkansas Tech went 7-5 overall after losing a one-point postseason game and demonstrated an ability to beat good teams. The Wonder Boys defeated both Ouachita and Henderson State and thoroughly controlled last year's meeting with Southwestern. Tech possessed the football for more than 38 minutes, converted 12 third downs, outgained the Bulldogs 366-245 and forced four turnovers. At the same time, the full-season statistics show a team that was effective without being dominant. Tech averaged about 345 yards per game offensively while surrendering more than 411 defensively. That suggests the actual difference between these teams entering 2026 is considerably smaller than last year's 22-point result.
Prediction: Arkansas Tech 30, Southwestern Oklahoma State 28. This looks like the best candidate for a one-possession game on opening night. Southwestern became a much better team after losing last year's opener, and another four-turnover performance shouldn't be assumed. Arkansas Tech nevertheless gets several small advantages: home field, experience winning close games and evidence from last year's matchup that it can control possession against SWOSU. There isn't much separating them. A late possession—or even a late field goal—could decide it.
Opening-Night PicksOpening week should provide an early indication of how much returning production still matters in a conference increasingly affected by player movement. Some programs enter September relying primarily on continuity. Others lost substantial statistical production but appear to have anticipated those losses and attempted to replace it through recruiting, the transfer portal and their existing developmental pipeline.Southeastern Oklahoma State at Arkansas-Monticello Southeastern Oklahoma State 31-16 Northwestern Oklahoma State at Harding Harding 49-10 Henderson State at Southern Nazarene Henderson State 37-20 East Central at Ouachita Baptist Ouachita Baptist 35-23 Southern Arkansas at Oklahoma Baptist Southern Arkansas 38-24 Southwestern Oklahoma State at Arkansas Tech Arkansas Tech 30-28
That distinction is important. A team losing a productive starter is not automatically weaker by the exact amount of production that disappeared from the stat sheet. The better question is whether the program identified the loss early enough to create a credible succession plan. At the same time, adding experienced players doesn't guarantee that last year's production will immediately be reproduced. Fit, development and how quickly a new player learns a system still matter.
That makes several of these opening games particularly useful tests. Harding will show how quickly one of Division II's deepest programs can reload around an established core. Ouachita gets an immediate opportunity to demonstrate whether continuity can translate into a faster start. Southern Arkansas and Oklahoma Baptist will provide an early look at programs attempting to offset significant personnel losses, while Southeastern has an opportunity to show that a strong returning defensive foundation can push the Savage Storm higher in the conference.
The numbers give us a starting point. On September 3, we begin finding out which programs actually solved the problems those numbers identified.Comment
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Call the Harding SID and ask if he’d like to write the weekly column. I guarantee you it would be a hard pass. Those guys generally work 60+ hour weeks during the year. And to do the column right you’d have to be paying close attention to the other games, which they probably don’t have time to do. Such an ignorant and condescending response.
Give the SID crews major props for the work they do for your schools and don’t minimize their work.Comment
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No one was minimizing the SID work. Again no idea how close these predictions will be, but through chat - and chat can monitor the other games for the next weeks columns, it was an attempt to minimize the work around the weekly column.Originally posted by OBUGrad View PostComment
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Great, sounds like you’re the new GAC columnist since you’re so passionate about it. I look forward to reading your AI slop every week — thanks for all your hard work.Originally posted by BisonswithanS View PostComment
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Until D2 assigns a GAC columnist - AI Slop is the best you're going to get.Originally posted by ReddieMade View PostComment
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The board just assigned you. You obviously care enough to complain about it and have now openly talked about how easy it is. So unless you are just a massive hypocrite, I look forward to your computer generated preview and recap articles twice a week for the next 12 weeks!Originally posted by BisonswithanS View PostComment
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Nah, we can have higher standards than that. All that Chat spit out was a wordier reading of the stat sheet, something any of us could just go do on our own time.Originally posted by BisonswithanS View Post
Biggest problem is there's no nuance or human element. That article had four names in it, two of which are gone. We like sports (especially at this level) because of the players and their stories. The best written stories focus on the guys actually playing and as helpful as AI can be, that element just won't ever come close to a human writing a story.
I do wish I still had the margin to do this each week. Always appreciated the feedback and I know the articles were well received because (humbly) it was good writing and I knew what I was talking about. Can't replace that with AI, no matter how hard our society tries.
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Agree...there was no human element because there is no human doing it. The last columnist (human) produced GAC article came from week 2 of the 2025 season. The GAC played for 16 weeks. I get that someone signed up for the task then had to step away - he needed (and still needs) to be replaced. I thought you did a great job of filling that role and clicked on your columns the day they came out. We absolutely can (and should) have higher standards but higher standards met with blank results doesn't even feel like a moral victory.Originally posted by LukeMcConnell1 View PostComment
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Wrong, you’re a human and have agreed to do it because it’s so easy, remember?Originally posted by BisonswithanS View PostComment
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