Ferris vs Harding for the Natty

[Bballfan]

Hopefully this game will be better than the second 2 CFP matches that are terrible. Woof.

Of course everyone will have the opportunity to watch both Ferris quarterbacks on Saturday. Both the current and the former.

[Divisiontwo]

I think I’m with you on this one except for maybe the final outcome. It’s likely to come down to whoever has the ball last. I don’t think the Ferris D is as good as last year and Harding has something extra to play for after the whuppin they took last year. Harding will have to control the time of possession to keep the Ferris O off the field to keep it close. Ferris (and GV for that matter) has shown their ability to defend the flexbone in the past. If it’s a lopsided blowout, it’ll be a Ferris win. If it’s close….its anybody’s game. Honestly, I’m not a fan of either team and wish there was a way for both of them to lose.

Hurt your feelings last year, didn't we?

[mavsfan98]

Everyone here is assuming this will be a one score, super close game - and probably rightfully so. But, nobody has considered or predicted this game to be a blow out? We did all think the 2023 Harding vs Mines game would be super close too….

[Divisiontwo]

Everyone here is assuming this will be a one score, super close game - and probably rightfully so. But, nobody has considered or predicted this game to be a blow out? We did all think the 2023 Harding vs Mines game would be super close too….

Man I’d love for that to be the case again. But I think it’s a different deal. Mines didn’t hold up physically. And there was a large discrepancy there. Don’t think Ferris is going to get beat physically like that.

[Predatory Primates]

Everyone here is assuming this will be a one score, super close game - and probably rightfully so. But, nobody has considered or predicted this game to be a blow out? We did all think the 2023 Harding vs Mines game would be super close too….

I could see it going a lot of ways. These are the 2 hardest to prepare for offenses in the country, and they both have dudes, so I dont think you can just out athlete either one. I think it'll be a coaches' duel.

[KleShreen]

Everyone here is assuming this will be a one score, super close game - and probably rightfully so. But, nobody has considered or predicted this game to be a blow out? We did all think the 2023 Harding vs Mines game would be super close too….

It's because nobody knows what's going to happen. Ferris crushed them last year, but this year's Harding team is better than last year's, while Ferris' is probably similar. As others have said, I think everyone expects it to be a close game, but if a blowout happens, it's likely to be in Ferris' favor.

[4nick8]

I wonder if the smoke alarms will be blaring in the Bulldog locker room after they dismantle the Bisons. Will the NCAA hand down a two game suspension next year.

[Thelakerman]

I wonder if the smoke alarms will be blaring in the Bulldog locker room after they dismantle the Bisons. Will the NCAA hand down a two game suspension next year.

Just to set the record straight…..the “cigar smoking” suspension as it was reported by the NCAA ,also included several thousand dollars worth of damage to the GV locker room.

[MrsThortonMelon]

Just to set the record straight…..the “cigar smoking” suspension as it was reported by the NCAA ,also included several thousand dollars worth of damage to the GV locker room.

Just to really set the record right the suspension from the NCAA was for the damage to the McKinney TX locker room, not the GVSU locker room. There was no fines or suspensions from the GVSU issues. GVSU paid for all cleanup. Thats over, let it go. Beat them on the field not on the keyboard.

[BisonBones]

Everyone here is assuming this will be a one score, super close game - and probably rightfully so. But, nobody has considered or predicted this game to be a blow out? We did all think the 2023 Harding vs Mines game would be super close too….

I don’t see a blowout for the Bisons, but the data point to support it isn’t Mines. GVSU in 2023 shutdown the Bison offense except for one drive. Then we know what happened in 2024. I don’t think the same thing will happen to Ferris, but the offensive coaches have been thinking about how to overcome the Ferris defense for a year.

[KleShreen]

I don’t see a blowout for the Bisons, but the data point to support it isn’t Mines. GVSU in 2023 shutdown the Bison offense except for one drive. Then we know what happened in 2024. I don’t think the same thing will happen to Ferris, but the offensive coaches have been thinking about how to overcome the Ferris defense for a year.

The 2024 GVSU team was markedly much worse than the 2023 GVSU team. The Ferris 2025 team is not really any different from the 2024 team. And there's only so much your offense can do to change, schematically. There are some things that can be done, but the overall arch of Ferris not having to really veer away from focusing on the run is still going to be there. And that's tough to overcome on the Harding side when you're facing an individually-talented and athletic team.

The only downfall to the Harding offense is it struggles against elite athletes, because they can frequently overpower the scheme and make up for mental mistakes. But, good news for Harding, is that there's only like three programs in the country who usually have those types of athletes. I'd love for GVSU to adopt the same kind of offense as Harding runs, but it would be a struggle against Ferris every year lol.

Anyway, we'll find out today!

[BisonBones]

The 2024 GVSU team was markedly much worse than the 2023 GVSU team. The Ferris 2025 team is not really any different from the 2024 team. And there's only so much your offense can do to change, schematically.

Anyway, we'll find out today!

That’s why I said I don’t think it’ll be a HU blowout like Mines or 2024 GVSU.


There is plenty to change schematically. A lot of it is adjustments up front that are hard to pick up on the fly. A lot is said about the physicality of the offense opening up the offense in the second half for HU, but a big part of that is also the adjustments made by the offensive coaching staff over the course of the game.

[Predatory Primates]

By all accounts, they were perfect gentlemen at Pitt. I think maybe they just had a couple of bad apples for a year or 2.

[Predatory Primates]

The 2024 GVSU team was markedly much worse than the 2023 GVSU team. The Ferris 2025 team is not really any different from the 2024 team. And there's only so much your offense can do to change, schematically. There are some things that can be done, but the overall arch of Ferris not having to really veer away from focusing on the run is still going to be there. And that's tough to overcome on the Harding side when you're facing an individually-talented and athletic team.

The only downfall to the Harding offense is it struggles against elite athletes, because they can frequently overpower the scheme and make up for mental mistakes. But, good news for Harding, is that there's only like three programs in the country who usually have those types of athletes. I'd love for GVSU to adopt the same kind of offense as Harding runs, but it would be a struggle against Ferris every year lol.

Anyway, we'll find out today!

I agree with the elite athlete part.

During their run, it seems like NW had one or more future NFL guy/guys on the DL every year and elite speed at LB. Harding could never keep it going against that. Most teams couldn't, regardless of scheme.

That said, Pitt has played Ferris more times than any non gliac team over the last several years, and while this year's Ferris D is good, I don't think they have quite the absolute wrecking ball type players up front that they did in past years.

To be fair, They played Pitt in week 0, so maybe that guy or those guys have come into their own since then?

For that reason, I think Harding will score a decent amount. I don't think they'll score quite enough, though.

[cwfenn]

Ferris up 7-0 and just recovered an errant option pitch.