GLIAC Football Preview & Predictions For Week 7 Of The 2025 Season
GLIAC Football Preview & Predictions For Week 7 Of The 2025 Season
Here’s a look at the matchups for the GLIAC teams during Week 7 of the 2025 season, along with predictions for each game.
This is the week things really start to change in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
While it’s still early in the GLIAC slate, two teams will emerge as front-runners for the 2025 conference championship.
OK, maybe that’s a little dramatic with so many games left to play, but let’s take a look at why this week is so pivotal.
Entering Week 7, four teams are undefeated in GLIAC play, and while they may only be 2-0, half of them will be going back to class Monday after their first conference loss of the season.
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- Division II Football Rankings 2025 Week 7: UTPB Falls, CWU Surges, Ferris Holds
- Division II Scores In Week 6 Of 2025: Here’s Who Won
Ferris State, Grand Valley State, Michigan Tech and Saginaw Valley State have won when it mattered most this year, but it only was a matter of time before they had to play each other and create some separation in the standings.
The opening game on this week’s GLIAC schedule is a showdown between Ferris State and Michigan Tech at noon Eastern.
On paper, no one is going to beat FSU right now, but also, the Bulldogs can’t reign forever, right? Eventually another team is going to step up and change the whole trajectory of the conference.
Could that team be Michigan Tech? Could the Huskies deliver the stunning first punch this week and set things up for a GVSU knockout punch next week in the 2025 Anchor-Bone Classic?
The other clash to keep an eye on will be SVSU and Grand Valley State at 2 p.m. EDT.
The Cardinals will hit the road seeking redemption for a near-miss in 2024, while the Lakers will look for a momentum-building win ahead of next week’s battle with the Bulldogs.
The remaining GLIAC matchups this week will be Davenport and Wayne State, along with…. wait for it…. Northern Michigan and Roosevelt.
The latter truly is the game all eyes will be on Saturday, but to lead with that would’ve been as predictable as the GLIAC games have been in recent weeks.
There may end up being two surprising picks later in this story, but I’m willing to put my perfect GLIAC picking record on the line for a couple of underdogs this week.
Here’s a look at the matchups for the GLIAC teams during Week 7 of the 2025 season, along with predictions for each game.
Note: All start times for Saturday are Eastern. Games marked with an asterisk will be streamed live on FloCollege.
GLIAC Teams In Week 7
Oct. 18 (Saturday)
* Ferris State At Michigan Tech, Noon
There’s no doubt that at 5-1 overall and 2-0 in conference play, Michigan Tech is having its best season in recent years.
A win this week could be the breakthrough the Huskies have been waiting for while seeing previous strong starts turn into mediocre campaigns, and it also could turn the GLIAC race upside down.
Unfortunately, facing Ferris State right now is like trying to carry groceries up an icy driveway, in the rain, while wearing bowling shoes, while giving your nephew a piggyback ride with his hands over your eyes.
The Bulldogs, who are 6-0 overall, 2-0 in conference play and riding a 20-game winning streak, simply are on another level in their title defense this season, outscoring their opponents 339-57, with 34 of those points coming 41-34 squeaker against Tiffin in Week 2.
And, regardless of the level of talent Ferris State has faced recently, the Bulldogs’ last three games were shutouts of 76-0, 66-0 and 59-0 against Rio Grande, Roosevelt and Wayne State, respectively.
Michigan Tech is scoring 32.33 points per game this year, while giving up 17.67, and coming off back-to-back road wins over conference foes Wayne State and Davenport.
All time, since their first meeting in 1947, the series between FSU and Michigan Tech is pretty tight, with the Bulldogs holding a 35-34-4 advantage. However, the current era of the rivalry belongs entirely to Ferris State, which has won their last 12 meetings, including a lopsided 51-13 contest in 2024.
The last time Michigan Tech defeated Ferris State was 2011, the last of nine consecutive wins over the Bulldogs.
Clearly, their rivalry is cyclical. But is this the year things reset?
PREDICTION: Michigan Tech probably will be the first team to score against Ferris State since Sept. 13, and the Huskies may even keep the Bulldogs under 50 points, but not by much – and not enough to take this year’s game. Ferris State wins 45-14.
* Davenport At Wayne State, 1 p.m.
Davenport is having a tough season, at least compared to the rest of its short history, but the Panthers aren’t alone on the struggle bus, which will be rolling into Detroit for a 1 p.m. kickoff Saturday against Wayne State.
The teams are a combined 2-9 this year, with both victories belonging to Davenport.
The Panthers, 2-3 overall and 1-2 in GLIAC play, will make the trip to Tom Adams Field after a cancellation and back-to-back conference losses to Grand Valley State (37-14) and Michigan Tech (16-14).
Wayne State is returning home at 0-6 overall and 0-2 in conference games after a 59-0 shellacking last week against the No. 1 team in NCAA Division II football, Ferris State.
The history between WSU and Davenport is short and nearly even at a 4-3 Davenport advantage, but the Panthers have won their last three meetings.
The Warriors might just be a team that doesn’t see its own potential, but outside of last week’s performance against Ferris State, the Warriors really haven’t been too far from the win column many times over the last two seasons.
But through six games, Wayne State ranks among the bottom three teams in the GLIAC in most categories, including being outscored 35-11.7 this season.
Davenport is in the middle of the GLIAC pack after being consider a potential No. 3 team in the conference in recent seasons, behind Ferris State and GVSU. That definitely isn’t the case in 2025, and the Warriors are going to exploit that on Saturday.
PREDICTION: The potential certainly is there for Wayne State to take advantage of a struggling Davenport team and earn a season-changing victory. The Warriors will be at home, and they’ll probably still be mad about last week’s results – and they’ll take it out on the Panthers. This will be the first upset of the weekend. Wayne State wins 27-14.
* Saginaw Valley State At Grand Valley State, 2 p.m.
There is absolutely no reason Saginaw Valley State shouldn’t have beaten Grand Valley State last season, and the Cardinals have had a year to think about, rewatch the game tape and try to figure out what went wrong.
SVSU was up 9-3 at halftime and then never showed up for the second half, allowing the Lakers to score once in each quarter to escape with a 16-9 victory.
The game was a defensive masterpiece for the Cardinals, and a win would’ve been the perfect way to celebrate homecoming.
Destiny helped SVSU convert on fourth and 17 just as the game reached the second half’s two-minute warning. The Cardinals got as close to scoring as the GVSU 22-yard line but ran out of steam, failing to convert on fourth and 9. The Lakers got the ball back and ran out the clock to preserve the win.
The Cardinals never recovered, losing two of their last four games (by three points and four points) to finish 7-4 overall and 4-3 in conference games.
Here’s the most eye-opening stat: It was the 12th consecutive win for GVSU in the longtime rivalry between the two teams and the 20th Battle of the Valleys triumph for the Lakers in their last 21 meetings.
It has become very clear in recent years that if anyone is going to make a run at the GLIAC title, it’ll take beating Grand Valley State or Ferris State – but probably both.
So far this season, Saginaw Valley State is 3-3 overall, but coming off back-to-back conference wins against struggling Northern Michigan and Roosevelt.
Grand Valley State is 4-1 overall and coming off a 35-7 win over Northern Michigan. The Lakers’ loss came against Pittsburg State on Sept. 13 (17-14). The Gorillas were the last team to beat Ferris State, waaaaaay back on the opening weekend of the 2024 season.
On Saturday, the Lakers will have momentum and the home crowd on their side. Most importantly, though, they’re getting a solid opponent to help with final preparations for next week’s FSU-Grand Valley State Anchor-Bone Classic, which has become the GLIAC's unofficial championship game recently.
PREDICTION: The Lakers cruise in this one, but SVSU also gets a nice warm-up for next week, when the Cardinals meet Wayne State in a much more winnable contest. Grand Valley State wins this one, 39-14.
* Northern Michigan At Roosevelt, 2 p.m.
If you’re still reading, thank you. Also, that means you’ve reached the Drumroll Game of the Week.
Just by numbers alone, this is one of Northern Michigan’s two most winnable games of the season and the Wildcats’ best opportunity to end their 28-game losing streak.
It’s the No.6 (Northern Michigan) vs. the No. 7 (Roosevelt) scoring offenses in the eight-team GLIAC, with both squads averaging less than 20 points per game. They’re also sixth and eighth, respectively, in scoring defense, giving up 34 and 44 points per contest.
The rest of the key stats are pretty similar, except when it comes to rushing. There, NMU is No. 3 offensively with 213.5 yards per game and fourth defensively, allowing just 117.7 ypg.
The Northern Michigan passing defense isn’t bad either, but the offense just doesn’t seem to be holding up its end of the bargain – at least through the air – averaging more than 60 less passing yards per game than No. 7 Davenport.
So, if the other team knows you’re probably not going to throw the ball, at least successfully, that makes the defensive plan a little easier. At the same time, if your offense can’t find the end zone on the ground, it really doesn’t matter how good your own defense is.
The reason this game is so winnable for the Wildcats is because Roosevelt hasn’t yet found its footing in the GLIAC or at the Division II level.
In their debut season last year, the Lakers were 1-9 overall and 1-6 in the GLIAC. That one victory was a 16-10 win over Northern Michigan in mid-October.
This season, Roosevelt opened the year with a win against Quincy but has since dropped four straight, including a 55-10 beating from Saginaw Valley State last Saturday.
Roosevelt and NMU both have Wayne State ahead on the schedule, and the expectation entering the season was that whatever happened between those three teams this year would again determine who finishes last in the GLIAC.
In 2024, previously winless Wayne State closed the year with wins over both teams to catapult out of the cellar, while leaving Northern Michigan there for the second consecutive time.
It won’t be dark when this game ends, but is this the week the stars align for Northern Michigan?
Their meeting last year went to overtime after they ended regulation knotted at 10. NMU tied it early in the fourth quarter, but Roosevelt won it with a rushing touchdown in OT.
A week away from the cavernous Superior Dome will be good for the Wildcats. They’ll be far from the echoes of despair and in another state completely, which also will be good.
PREDICTION: The last time NMU won a game was against Lake Erie College, in Ohio, at the end of the 2022 season. Now, it could be under the bright skies of Illinois. After some well-played games this season, the losing streak will come to an end. I’m risking my perfect GLIAC record on this one. Don’t let me down, Wildcats. Northern Michigan wins 27-14.
How Did The GLIAC Football Teams Perform In Week 6?
- Ferris State def. Wayne State, 59-0
- Saginaw Valley State def. Roosevelt, 55-10
- Michigan Tech def. Davenport, 16-14
- Grand Valley State def. Northern Michigan 35-7
Watch More GLIAC Football On FloCollege
Here’s a look at the Division II rankings, the schedule for Week 7 of the 2025 college football season and more.
Latest Division II Rankings
FloCollege D2 Football Rankings: Week 7
- Ferris State (Prev. 1)
- Harding (Prev. 2)
- Kutztown (Prev. 3)
- West Florida (Prev. 4)
- Western Colorado (Prev. 5)
- Minnesota State (Prev. 8)
- Central Washington (Prev. 13)
- Grand Valley State (Prev. 9)
- West Alabama (Prev. 10)
- CSU Pueblo (Prev. 12)
- Augustana (SD) (Prev. 14)
- Pittsburg State (Prev. 15)
- Indianapolis (Prev. 20)
- Virginia Union (Prev. 16)
- UT Permian Basin (Prev. 6)
- Michigan Tech (Prev. 17)
- Slippery Rock (Prev. 22)
- Delta State (Prev. 18)
- Minnesota Duluth (Prev. 7)
- Emory & Henry (Prev. 19)
- Northwest Missouri State (Prev. 25)
- Charleston (WV) (Prev. 21)
- Findlay (Prev. 24)
- Angelo State (Prev. 11)
- UNC Pembroke (Prev. 23)
Also Received Votes: Benedict, Albany State, Ashland, Henderson State, MSU Moorhead, Anderson (SC), East Stroudsburg, California (PA), Johnson C. Smith, Northwood.
AFCA Division II Coaches Poll For Week 7 Of 2025 Season
- 1. Ferris St. (Prev. 1)
- 2. Harding (Prev. 2)
- 3. West Florida (Prev. 3)
- 4. Kutztown (Prev. 4)
- 5. Western Colorado (Prev. 5)
- 6. Augustana (S.D.) (Prev. 7)
- 7. Grand Valley St. (Prev. 8
- 8. West Alabama (Prev. 9)
- 9. Colorado St.-Pueblo (Prev. 11)
- 10. Central Washington (Prev. 13)
- 11. Minnesota St. (Prev. 14)
- 12. Pittsburg St. (Prev. 15)
- 13. UT Permian Basin (Prev. 6)
- 14. Virginia Union (Prev. 17)
- 15. UIndy (Prev. 18)
- T16. Findlay (Prev. 19)
- T16. Minnesota-Duluth (Prev. 10)
- 18. Delta St. (Prev. 20)
- 19. Northwest Missouri St. (Prev. 22)
- 20. UNC Pembroke (Prev. 23)
- 21. Angelo St. (Prev. 12)
- 22. Ashland (Prev. 24t)
- 23. Johnson C. Smith (Prev. 24t)
- 24. Benedict (Prev. NR)
- 25. Slippery Rock (Prev. 24t)
Dropped Out: California (Pa.) (16), Frostburg St. (21)
Others Receiving Votes: Emory & Henry, 36; California (Pa.), 27; Southern Arkansas, 26; Henderson St., 25; Frostburg St., 21; Indiana (Pa.), 15; Nebraska-Kearney, 13; Charleston, 9; Chadron St., 7; Albany St., 2; Assumption, 1; Michigan Tech, 1.
When Do The 2025 NCAA Division II College Football Playoffs Start?
The first round of the 2025 NCAA Division II Playoffs will be Nov. 22.
The 2025 Division II Football Championship title game will be played Dec. 20, 2025, at McKinney ISD Stadium in McKinney, Texas.
Grand Valley State Football vs. Northern Michigan Highlights | 2025 GLIAC Football
Watch the highlights from the 2025 meeting between Grand Valley State and Northern Michigan.
GVSU won 35-7 on Oct. 11.
Archived Footage On FloCollege
Video footage from all games will be archived and stored in a video library for FloCollege subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.
Watch The 2025 College Football Season On FloCollege
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Don’t miss the latest college football action by bookmarking the FloCollege schedule page for the latest games.
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