This is going to be a big week in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

There’s the potential to see the emergence of a crystal-clear front-runner for the conference title or to set the stage for next week’s showdown between Ferris State and Saginaw Valley State to become the most significant game of the season – so far.

For the latter to happen, FSU and SVSU, both 4-0 in GLIAC play, must handle their business Saturday.

Saginaw Valley State will open the day’s action against Davenport in a contest that really could go either way, especially with Davenport playing host and coming off a 75-23 home rout of Roosevelt. 

Ferris State definitely was tested last week in its win over Grand Valley State, but the Bulldogs now get a very winnable opponent in Northern Michigan, which has won only one game since the start of the 2023 season. 

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Should Saginaw Valley State or Ferris State (or both) falter in Week 9, Michigan Tech (3-1) and Davenport (3-2) are next in the standings, no doubt waiting for an opportunity to pounce.

Even farther down the eight-team list is perennial powerhouse Grand Valley State, which no longer should be thinking about the conference title. At 4-3 overall and 2-2 in GLIAC games, the Lakers are going to be fighting to remain in the playoff conversation.

Finally, Northern Michigan, Roosevelt and Wayne State again have settled at the bottom of the standings and will continue battling to not be last when the season ends.

But, if we talk about all the great storylines here, we’ll have nothing valuable to add at the bottom of this story. That said, here’s a look at the GLIAC schedule for Week 9, along with a prediction for each game. 

Note: All start times for Saturday are Eastern. Games marked with an asterisk will be streamed live on FloCollege.

GLIAC Football Teams In Week 9

Nov. 1 (Saturday)

* Saginaw Valley State At Davenport Football, Noon

Cardinals are known for having amazing eyesight, which is ideal for finding food, identifying predators and maneuvering through even the toughest terrain.

In the world of college football, the journey through the GLIAC gauntlet always is a challenge to navigate, but the Cardinals of the Saginaw Valley State variety have been eating very well and have enjoyed a successful migration to the top of the conference standings.

As pleasant as the view might be, however, they can’t look too far ahead, as Michigan is full of dangerous predators. 

A glance into the distance will reveal the Ferris State Bulldogs waiting on the horizon, but if they look a little closer to their current perch, the Cardinals will see the Davenport Panthers ready to attack.

SVSU already handled its first big challenge – Grand Valley State in Week 7 – but there’s much more work to be done. 

That began last Saturday with a 28-7 win against winless Wayne State, but the newer rivalry with Davenport has been a coinflip through its first seven installments, with SVSU holding a 4-3 advantage, including a 24-14 win last season.

With no reason to believe Ferris State won’t cruise past Northern Michigan this week, that leaves the potential for the Nov. 8 showdown between FSU and SVSU to serve as this season’s unofficial GLIAC championship game. 

At the same time, the Panthers still have an outside chance to at least co-rule the GLIAC kingdom when the regular season concludes, but that will require handling SVSU, NMU and Ferris State, in that order, while also needing Ferris State to lose somewhere else along the way.

That’s a lot of ifs, all of which put an immeasurable amount of pressure on the Cardinals and Panthers. But, to be the best, you must beat the best – and Ferris State is the reigning GLIAC and NCAA Division II national champion, as well as the No. 1-ranked team this year.

PREDICTION: SVSU and Davenport both have stood in their own way when it has come to Ferris State and Grand Valley State in recent seasons. The Cardinals (5-3 overall) got past one obstacle already, but will they clip their own wings again against 4-3 Davenport? Davenport wins 28-24.

* Roosevelt At Michigan Tech Football, Noon

Two weeks ago, Michigan Tech became the first team in more than a month to score against Ferris State, but that’s little consolation for the Huskies, who lost the contest 38-10 and immediately fell behind in the GLIAC title race.

Though MTU rebounded with a 56-17 win against Northern Michigan last week, the true test and pressure are ahead. 

Now 6-2 overall and 3-1 in conference play, MTU certainly isn’t out of contention for the GLIAC championship and the automatic bid to the Division II Playoffs, and the Huskies also find themselves in, or around the top 25, depending which poll they look at, and that’s important.

At the conclusion of the regular season, 16 teams will have punched their tickets to the postseason bracket automatically as conference champions, while the other 16 will be by at-large selection. 

It’s important to note that GVSU has plummeted in the rankings and is clinging to the No. 24 spot in the FloCollege D2 Football Rankings and No. 25 in the AFCA Division II Coaches Poll. Michigan Tech is No. 22 in the first and receiving votes in the second.

The Huskies have Grand Valley State on the docket for next week, but like SVSU, they need to win this week first.

Their opponent? One-win Roosevelt. 

The Lakers were 1-9 last year in their GLIAC and Division II debut and haven’t seen any improvement this year. They’re 1-6 overall, 0-4 in GLIAC games and coming off a 75-23 beating on the road at Davenport for their sixth consecutive loss. 

PREDICTION: If Michigan Tech wants to be taken seriously, even for the at-large conversation, beating Roosevelt this week is non-negotiable. Things will only get tougher for the Huskies, who will finish the regular season against GVSU and SVSU, respectively. Michigan Tech defeats Roosevelt 35-13.

* Grand Valley State Football At Wayne State, 1 p.m.

Simply put, Grand Valley State is in trouble. 

At 4-3 overall and 2-2 in GLIAC games, the Lakers are in the middle of their worst season since missing the playoffs in 2019, and they’re dangerously close falling right out of the top 25, after spending much of last season anchored to the top of the rankings.

GVSU’s recent skid started in September with a loss to Pittsburg State, the last team to beat Ferris State, and continued over the last two weeks with a 20-19 upset by SVSU and a near-miss 38-31 loss to Ferris State.

Yes, losing the FSU-Grand Valley State Anchor-Bone Classic for the second consecutive season had to sting for the Lakers, but being only the second team this year to score more than 20 points against the Bulldogs probably is what kept the Lakers from plummeting right out of the polls.

Wayne State again is in a three-team battle for the bottom spot in the conference standings, a fate the Warriors avoided last year by ending the season with wins over Roosevelt and Northern Michigan. 

Entering this week against GVSU, Wayne State is in the same position. The Warriors are 0-8 overall and 0-4 in conference play. Their 2025 campaign will end against Roosevelt and NMU, though there’s one difference – Northern Michigan found the win column this year. 

The Wildcats ended their 28-game losing streak with a 42-21 win over Roosevelt on Oct. 18.

History is not on Wayne State’s side this week, unfortunately, as the Warriors are 1-20 against the Lakers since GVSU’s dynasty began taking shape in 2002. That one win came in the Lakers’ down season in 2019. In their five meetings since, GVSU has scored between 42 and 66 points each time.

PREDICTION: This should not be a tough game for GVSU, though Wayne State has shown flashes of potential at times. It’s a must-win for the Lakers, but even if the Warriors fall short, there couldn’t be a better way to prepare for the two winnable games at the end of the campaign. GVSU wins 45-13.

* Northern Michigan At Ferris State Football, 1 p.m.

The last time Northern Michigan defeated Ferris State was 2010. In their 13 games since, the Bulldogs have scored 32 or more points every time, including 56, 78 and 55 over the last three years.

As exciting as it was to see the Wildcats end their 28-game losing streak earlier this month against Roosevelt, there probably aren’t many people outside of Marquette, Michigan, who think they’re going to be the ones who end Ferris State’s run of 22 straight victories that began in Week 2 of the 2024 season.

On the way to their 8-0 mark this year, the Bulldogs are outscoring their opponents 415-98. Northern Michigan has 169 points in its eight contests, a number Ferris State almost matched in just two games.

There’s really not much more to say. 

Ferris State tops every major Division II poll, and has all season. The Bulldogs are looking for their second straight GLIAC title and fourth national championship in five seasons. 

FSU isn’t invincible, however. 

While five of the team’s games this year have been blowouts, the other three were too close for comfort – a 34-17 win over Pittsburg State to start the season, a 41-34 win against Tiffin in September and last week’s 38-31 nailbiter against GVSU.

PREDICTION: Has Ferris State been amazing? Yes. Are the Bulldogs the best team in the country? Yes. Do they have weaknesses that can be seen on recent game tapes? Yes. Will Northern Michigan be the team to exploit that? No. Ferris State wins 63-6.

How Did The GLIAC Football Teams Perform In Week 8?

• Michigan Tech def. Northern Michigan, 56-17
• Davenport def. Roosevelt, 75-23
• Ferris State def. Grand Valley State, 38-31
• Saginaw Valley State def. Wayne State, 28-7

Watch More GLIAC Football On FloCollege

Here’s a look at the Division II rankings, the schedule for Week 9 of the 2025 college football season and more.

Latest Division II Rankings 

FloCollege D2 Football Rankings: Week 9

1. Ferris State (Prev. 1)
2. Harding (Prev. 2)
3. Kutztown (Prev. 3)
4. West Florida (Prev. 4)
5. Western Colorado (Prev. 5)
6. CSU Pueblo (Prev. 6)
7. Central Washington (Prev. 7)
8. Indianapolis (Prev. 9)
9. Virginia Union (Prev. 10)
10. Augustana (SD) (Prev. 12)
11. Delta State (Prev. 13)
12. Pittsburg State (Prev. 11)
13. Minnesota Duluth (Prev. 15)
14. Northwest Missouri State (Prev. 14)
15. Findlay (Prev. 18)
16. Minnesota State (Prev. 8)
17. Slippery Rock (Prev. 17)
18. Angelo State (Prev. 19)
19. Ashland (Prev. 23)
20. Frostburg State (Prev. 22)
21. West Alabama (Prev. 16)
22. Michigan Tech (Prev. 25)
23. UT Permian Basin (Prev. 21)
24. Grand Valley State (Prev. 20)
25. Northwood (Prev. RV)

Also Received Votes: Albany State, Johnson C. Smith, Assumption, Newberry, Western Oregon, Wingate, Benedict, UNC Pembroke, Carson-Newman

AFCA Division II Coaches Poll For Week 9 Of 2025 Season

1. Ferris St. (31) (Prev. 1)
2. Harding (Prev. 2)
3. West Florida (Prev. 3)
4. Kutztown (Prev. 4)
5. Augustana (S.D.) (Prev. 5)
6. Western Colorado (Prev. 6)
7. Colorado St.-Pueblo (Prev. 7)
8. Central Washington (Prev. 8)
9. Pittsburg St. (Prev. 10)
10. Virginia Union (Prev. 12)
11. Findlay (Prev. 14)
12. UIndy (Prev. 13)
13. Minnesota-Duluth (Prev. 15)
14. Northwest Missouri St. (Prev. 16)
15. Delta St. (Prev. 17)
16. Angelo St. (Prev. 19)
17. Ashland (Prev. 20)
18. Minnesota St. (Prev. 9)
19. Johnson C. Smith (Prev. 22)
20. UT Permian Basin (Prev. 23)
21. West Alabama (Prev. 11)
22. Slippery Rock (Prev. 24)
23. Albany St. (Prev. NR)
24. Frostburg St. (Prev. NR)
25. Grand Valley St. (Prev. 18)

Dropped Out: Benedict (21), Southern Arkansas (25)

Others Receiving Votes: Assumption, 28; Newberry, 20; Benedict, 19; UNC Pembroke, 16; Chadron St., 14; Northern St., 10; Indiana (Pa.), 9; Northwood, 7; Saginaw Valley St., 3; Southern Arkansas, 3; Western Oregon, 3; Carson-Newman, 2; Michigan Tech, 2; Upper Iowa, 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 vs. Ferris State Football Highlights | 2025 Anchor-Bone Classic

Ferris State Football escapes a scrappy Grand Valley State team to secure its 22nd consecutive win overall, second straight victory at the storied Anchor-Bone Classic and the coveted Anchor Bone Trophy. 

Watch the highlights now!

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