GLIAC Football Preview & Predictions For Week 8 Of The 2025 Season
GLIAC Football Preview & Predictions For Week 8 Of The 2025 Season
Here’s a look at the matchups for the GLIAC teams during Week 8 of the 2025 season, along with predictions for each game.
For most of the teams in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, this is just Week 8 and another chance to make a statement within the conference.
In reality, though, this is Anchor-Bone Classic Week in Michigan, and most eyes will be on the famed rivalry game between Ferris State and Grand Valley State, though this year’s edition might not have the same luster as years past.
Find out why things are different this season, see what else is happening this week in the GLIAC and check out our predictions for each game.
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- Division II Football Rankings 2025 Week 8: Top 3 Steady, Frostburg Enters The Chat
- GVSU vs. Ferris State: Everything To Know About Anchor-Bone Classic 2025
Two GLIAC teams are undefeated in conference play and share the top spot in the standings. It might not be who you expected, however.
If you guessed Ferris State and GVSU, you’d be correct in most years in recent memory. This time, though, it’s FSU and Saginaw Valley State, which finally had the breakthrough game we’ve been waiting on for years.
The question now is whether the Cardinals can capitalize on the win and momentum, or if Ferris State again will prove to be immovable for everyone else in the GLIAC.
At the other end of the conference standings, Northern Michigan finally saw its losing streak – which reached 28 games – come to an end against GLIAC newcomer Roosevelt.
The Wildcats’ reward is a meeting with a scorned Michigan Tech team that fell to Ferris State last week.
NMU will have the advantage of a home crowd that no doubt will be fired up after last week’s monumental win, but which will prevail at the Superior Dome – momentum or redemption?
The other two GLIAC games for Week 8 will be Roosevelt at Davenport and winless Wayne State traveling to face SVSU.
Here’s a look at the matchups for the GLIAC teams during Week 8 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.
How To Watch GVSU Vs. Ferris State
Game replays, highlights and breaking news will also be available on both platforms.
GLIAC Teams In Week 8
Oct. 25 (Saturday)
* Michigan Tech At Northern Michigan, Noon
Heading into last week, Michigan Tech was one of four teams undefeated in GLIAC action, and the Huskies had an opportunity for what could’ve been a season-defining win.
They also could’ve been the heroes of Division II football for ending top-ranked Ferris State’s 20-game winning streak.
Unfortunately, the Huskies became the latest victims of a Bulldogs team that has outscored its opponents 377-67 this season and fell 38-10. On the plus side, Michigan Tech was the first team to score against FSU in over a month.
Normally, at least in recent seasons, this week’s game against Northern Michigan would be a nice consolation and the perfect way to get back on track, but the Wildcats are in uncharted territory, having just won their first game since 2022.
NMU’s 28-game losing streak came to an end last week against Roosevelt in a pretty big way – by a score of 42-21 – so there’s no doubt the Wildcats and their home fans will be fired up and ready for more success.
The last time Northern Michigan beat Michigan Tech was 2009, with the Huskies winning their next 14 meetings, including a 39-9 rout in 2024.
Michigan Tech is 5-2 overall and 2-1 in conference play, so a shot a GLIAC title and/or a playoff spot still are very much within reach. For the first part to happen, someone will have to handle Ferris State along the way, but for either to be possible for MTU, the Huskies can’t slip up again.
Northern Michigan is 1-6 overall and 1-3 in GLIAC games, so the main focus for the Wildcats should be another win or two and staying ahead of Roosevelt and Wayne State in the conference standings. That certainly would be a nice foundation for NMU to build on for 2026.
However, if redshirt freshman running back Noah Dobert, the latest GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week, has anything to say about it, the Wildcats will do their best to run over Michigan Tech, too.
In last week’s win, Dobert rushed for 243 yards and three touchdowns, while leading NMU to the best rushing performance in program history. The Wildcats rolled up 538 yards on the ground and bested the previous team record of 477 yards, set in 1959.
Dobert and Jahi Wood (233 yards) became the seventh teammates in Division II history to each rush for more than 200 yards in a single game.
Northern Michigan certainly has the momentum coming into this week, along with the home-field advantage. Will those things be enough to see the Wildcats hoisting the coveted Miner’s Cup after Saturday’s big rivalry game?
PREDICTION: This will be the 98th meeting between Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan, which clashed for the first time in 1920. The Huskies own a 51-41-5 advantage in the series, including the last 14 and 18 of the last 20. NMU is better than in recent years and probably should have more wins, but this week won’t be the next one. Michigan Tech wins 34-13.
* Roosevelt At Davenport, Noon
Roosevelt opened the 2025 season with a victory, but the Lakers haven’t found the win column since, dropping five consecutive games, including a 42-21 loss to Northern Michigan that ended a 28-game skid for the Wildcats.
Davenport is having a down year, at least based on recent seasons, but did take care of struggling Wayne State and Northern Michigan pretty handily already this season on the way to a 3-3 mark (2-2 in GLIAC play).
Those results aren’t much different than what the Panthers accomplished in 2024, but the first meeting in history between Davenport and Roosevelt – new to Division II football and the GLIAC in 2024 – was much closer. The Panthers held Roosevelt scoreless in the second half to escape with a 19-14 victory.
Was that just a down week for a talented Davenport team, or an up week for a Roosevelt squad that went on to finish its debut Division II season at 1-9?
Is it possible the Panthers and Lakers could meet somewhere in the middle this week, and this might be the most entertaining or closest contest in the GLIAC on Saturday?
Unless there’s a typo in the 2025 GLIAC statistics, Roosevelt actually has the No. 1 passing offense in the conference with 252.7 yards per game, while Davenport has the No. 1 passing defense, allowing just 144.3 yards per contest.
At the same time, Roosevelt rushes for less than 100 yards per game, seventh among the eight GLIAC teams, so it seems pretty easy to guess what the Lakers’ game plan might look like.
Quarterback Zach Zella is 108 for 175 this year for 1,136 yards and eight touchdowns. He’s second in the GLIAC behind Grand Valley State’s Andrew Schuster. Can that continue against Davenport?
Davenport’s main obstacles the last couple of years have been GVSU and Ferris State. That can be frustrating and really impact morale. It also can be mentally draining year after year.
PREDICTION: This isn’t the same Davenport team we’ve seen, and Roosevelt still is a bit of a wild card while trying to gain traction in its new surroundings. If this game was in Illinois, this guess might be different. Davenport still is the stronger squad and will be at home. Davenport wins 27-21.
* Grand Valley State At Ferris State (Anchor-Bone Classic), 1 p.m.
Since 2001, either Grand Valley State (11) or Ferris State (six) has earned at least a share of the GLIAC title 17 times – never together – and the annual FSU-Grand Valley State Anchor-Bone Classic has played an important role in determining which team would get to add to its dynasty.
Though the rivalry is much older, the Anchor Bone Trophy itself debuted in 2002 during a very dominant time in GVSU football history.
The Lakers won the iconic trophy the first nine years it was up for grabs, along with seven GLIAC championships from 2002-2010, and four national titles during the same span.
However, in the cyclical world of college sports, things have turned in Ferris State’s favor, with the Bulldogs winning 12 of the last 17 meetings between the two teams (including playoffs), six conference crowns and three NCAA Division II nationals titles in the last four seasons.
GVSU (2002, 2003, 2005, 2006) and Ferris State (2021, 2022, 2024) account for seven of the GLIAC’s eight football national championships, with Northern Michigan winning the first in 1975.
In recent seasons, the Anchor-Bone Classic has served as an unofficial conference championship, though the victor still needed to continue winning, as the last time a team with more than one conference loss won the GLIAC title was 2011 (Hillsdale was 8-2).
With the Division II playoff structure the way it was, Ferris State and GVSU both made regular appearances in the postseason, with redemption coming for an Anchor-Bone loss on more than one occasion.
This year, while that’s still entirely possible, the Division II rules have changed, and winning the conference championship also means an automatic bid to the playoffs.
The other difference this season is that Grand Valley State already suffered a loss in GLIAC play. The Lakers were upset by Saginaw Valley State last weekend, 20-19 – the sixth one-score game in their last 10 meetings – and the first time since 2012 SVSU won the Battle of the Valleys.
That puts the SVSU and Ferris State as the front-runners in the GLIAC so far this year, with their Nov. 8 clash setting up to be the biggest GLIAC game of the season – potentially.
GVSU may have a loss, but the Lakers still are a top-20 team and perfectly capable of shaking things up with a win over the Bulldogs on Saturday, which also would end Ferris State’s winning streak at 21 games.
The Lakers did win the Anchor-Bone Classic in 2022 and 2023, before the Bulldogs got the job done in 2024 (34-7), so it really could go either way – except the GVSU offense likely would have to reach a level it hasn’t seen this year.
In the all-time series, GVSU holds a 32-24-1 advantage. The last time the Anchor-Bone Classic was held on Ferris State's home turf was 2022 - a 22-21 Lakers win after six consecutive losses to the Bulldogs.
On the way to a 7-0 mark this season, Ferris State has scored 377 points, while allowing just 67. Grand Valley State is 4-2 (with losses to Pittsburg State and SVSU) and has scored 198 points, which is the fourth-best in the eight-team GLIAC.
GVSU also might be playing for its 2025 life, as any further sliding down the Division II rankings could see the Lakers slip right out of contention for an at-large bid to the playoffs.
PREDICTION: Honestly, Ferris State is just too good right now, and GVSU is having a down year, despite having the GLIAC’s top quarterback. It happens. There’s no doubt the tides will change again – just not now. Ferris State wins 51-24.
* Wayne State At Saginaw Valley State, 2 p.m.
Saginaw Valley State is 4-3 overall, but undefeated where it matters most. And the Cardinals finally did the hard thing in getting past Grand Valley State for the first time since 2012.
It’s not a secret that the road to the GLIAC title, or even the playoffs, has to go through GVSU and/or Ferris State.
However, the next two weeks are incredibly important for the Cardinals, who can’t skate on the momentum of their recent success.
They have to stay strong and pick up wins against winless Wayne State and struggling Davenport for any of it to matter, and for SVSU’s showdown with Ferris State on Nov. 8 to be ultra-significant – especially if GVSU can somehow rally back and take down the Bulldogs, as the Lakers have done many, many times.
There’s not really a whole lot more to say.
Wayne State is 0-7 overall, 0-3 in GLIAC play and coming off a 49-14 loss to Davenport. The Cardinals should be able to handle this one if they look forward and not back at last week’s win.
The Warriors rallied late last season to catapult off the bottom of the conference standings, and they’ve played a couple of tight games over the past season and a half, but do they have the firepower to derail surging SVSU?
The SVSU coaches have to be thinking – “Did we come this far, just to come this far?”
The answer should be a resounding NO, followed by two more wins to give them the best chance at conquering the biggest obstacle in Division II football – Ferris State.
PREDICTION: There’s no reason the Cardinals shouldn’t win this game, unless they somehow get in their own way, like they have many times in recent seasons. They’re in an enviable spot right now but can’t be looking too far ahead. Just take it one quarter at a time, and handle business. SVSU wins this one, 28-14.
Additional Anchor-Bone Classic Coverage
Want to read more about the Anchor-Bone Classic between GVSU and Ferris State?
- Anchor-Bone Classic Results, History: Here's Who Won Every Game Since 2003
- Anchor-Bone Classic 2025: Top Taggart Field vs. Lubbers Stadium
- GVSU vs. Ferris State: Everything To Know About The Anchor-Bone Classic 2025
How Did The GLIAC Football Teams Perform In Week 7?
- Ferris State def. Michigan Tech, 38-10
- Davenport def. Wayne State, 49-14
- Saginaw Valley State def. Grand Valley State, 20-19
- Northern Michigan def. Roosevelt, 42-21
Watch More GLIAC Football On FloCollege
Latest Division II Rankings
FloCollege D2 Football Rankings: Week 8
- Ferris State (Prev. 1)
- Harding (Prev. 2)
- Kutztown (Prev. 3)
- West Florida (Prev. 4)
- Western Colorado (Prev. 5)
- CSU Pueblo (Prev. 10)
- Central Washington (Prev. 7)
- Minnesota State (Prev. 6)
- Indianapolis (Prev. 13)
- Virginia Union (Prev. 14)
- Pittsburg State (Prev. 12)
- Augustana (SD) (Prev. 11)
- Delta State (Prev. 18)
- Northwest Missouri State (Prev. 21)
- Minnesota Duluth (Prev. 19)
- West Alabama (Prev. 9)
- Slippery Rock (Prev. 17)
- Findlay (Prev. 23)
- Angelo State (Prev. 24)
- Grand Valley State (Prev. 8)
- UT Permian Basin (Prev. 15)
- Frostburg State (Prev. NR)
- Ashland (Prev. RV)
- Benedict (Prev. RV)
- Michigan Tech (Prev. 16)
Also Received Votes: Emory & Henry, Albany State, Johnson C. Smith, MSU Moorhead, Wingate, Northwood, California (Pa.), Charleston (W.Va.), Southern Arkansas, UNC Pembroke, East Stroudsburg, Newberry.
AFCA Division II Coaches Poll For Week 8 Of 2025 Season
- Ferris St. (30) (Prev. 1)
- Harding (Prev. 2)
- West Florida (Prev. 3)
- Kutztown (Prev. 4)
- Augustana (S.D.) (Prev. 6)
- Western Colorado (Prev. 5)
- Colorado St.-Pueblo (Prev. 9)
- Central Washington (Prev. 10)
- Minnesota St. (Prev. 11)
- Pittsburg St. (Prev. 12)
- West Alabama (Prev. 8)
- Virginia Union (Prev. 14)
- UIndy (Prev. 15)
- Findlay (Prev. 16t)
- Minnesota-Duluth (Prev. 16t)
- Northwest Missouri St. (Prev. 19)
- Delta St. (Prev. 18)
- Grand Valley St. (Prev. 7)
- Angelo St. (Prev. 21)
- Ashland (Prev. 22)
- Benedict (Prev. 24)
- Johnson C. Smith (Prev. 23)
- UT Permian Basin (Prev. 13)
- Slippery Rock (Prev. 25)
- Southern Arkansas (Prev. NR)
Dropped Out: UNC Pembroke (20)
Others Receiving Votes: Frostburg St., 36; Albany St., 17; Chadron St., 9; UNC Pembroke, 8; California (Pa.), 6; Assumption, 3; Henderson St., 2; Northern St., 2; Carson-Newman, 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.
Trinidad Chambliss Highlights In The 2024 Anchor-Bone Classic | Ferris State vs. GVSU Football
Watch quarterback highlights from Ferris State quarterback Trinidad Chambliss in the 2024 Anchor-Bone Classic vs. Grand Valley State.
Ferris State won 34-7 on Oct. 26, 2024.
Chambliss now stars for Ole Miss in the Southeastern Conference.
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