Indianapolis has departed, as their primary conference (Great Lakes Valley) now sponsors football. However, three new teams enter the fray as Notre Dame (OH), Walsh, and Malone join the conference, ballooning the field to sixteen teams. The coaches seem unsure about the North Division, although Grand Valley State had a comfortable lead as their pick for #1; Hillsdale and 2011 D-II runner-up Wayne State also received significant support for the #1 spot in the North, which is going to be tougher with those two teams moving from the South Division. Ashland is a much clearer pick in the South now that their rivals have scooted north.
Team capsules follow:
NORTH DIVISION:
Grand Valley State Lakers: The Lakers had a horrible stretch in the middle of last season which cost them dearly, dumping them out of the top five and eventually scuttling their playoff chances altogether. They’re expected to rebound this year, with junior QB Heath Parling returning to defend his national passing efficiency title from last year. They also sport their seven top rushers from a year ago and a defense which returns almost all its starters.
Wayne State (MI) Warriors: They made it to the NCAA Division II Championship Game last year, losing to Pittsburg State. RB Josh Renel is gone, but QB Mickey Mohner and Renel’s running mate Toney Davis return; both are capable of electricity, and Davis rambled for over 1500 yards last year as WSU’s second option. The defense, which forced 36 takeaways last year, lost some talent, but the bulk of the secondary remains.
Hillsdale Chargers: Hillsdale suffered the indignity of technically winning the conference championship but missing the playoffs. Now they move to the North Division in order to accomodate the conference’s three new Ohio teams, and the question is whether they can survive in a more hostile environment. Joe Glendenning returns at RB after gaining 1600 yards and scoring 31 total touchdowns last year, and the offensive line in front of him returns intact. On defense, the linebacking corps is the squad’s incumbent strength.
Saginaw Valley State Cardinals: The entire backfield — QB Jonathon Jennings and RBs Tim Hogue and Ronnie Lark — return from last year’s playoff squad, as does WR Jeff Janis, who nearly reached the 1000 yard mark. Grant Caserta returns at LB as a preseason All-American. Saginaw is going to have to be firing on all cylinders out of the gate, as they open the season at home against Gulf South power Valdosta State.
Michigan Tech Huskies: The defense was decimated by graduation, but last year’s freshman player of the year, QB Tyler Scarlett, returns to guide the offense. Tech probably doesn’t have the horses to challenge, but should be a respectable squad.
Ferris State Bulldogs: New coach Tony Annese will hope to patch together a squad which was pretty average last year but lost a lot of talent to graduation. The defense is mostly intact, but the offense was ravaged. LB Tayo Moss is the team’s face coming into the year, being named to some preseason All-America squads.
Northern Michigan Wildcats: RB Prince Young, who ran for 960 yards last year, is the leading returner awaiting orders from new head coach Chris Ostrowsky. The team returns strength in the offensive line and linebacking corps, but other areas have questions.
Northwood (MI) Timberwolves: Cameron Jackson returns after running for over a thousand yards last year, but the cupboard is otherwise pretty bare.
SOUTH DIVISION:
Ashland Eagles: Other than the new members themselves, Ashland is probably the greatest beneficiary of the GLIAC’s most recent expansion. With Wayne State and Hillsdale moved to the north, Ashland’s path to a division title couldn’t possibly be any clearer. Last season saw a swoon late in the schedule which cost the Eagles dearly. The offense returns mostly undamaged, but the defense has some holes to fill.
Ohio Dominican Panthers: The Panthers were part of the scrum in the middle of the division last year; they may rise above it all in 2012 behind an experienced offensive line and defense. However, they’re going to have to replace virtually all their skill players on offense, and they could just as easily find themselves back in the pack.
Findlay Oilers: The dark horse in the south, Findlay improved from 1-10 to 6-5 last year, and return the bulk of their starters this year. RB Monterae Williams ran for over 1250 yards, and QB Clay Belton returns after a 2000 yard season last year. The defense has holes, though the top performers all return.
Lake Erie Storm: It was a bad campaign, but they did close out with two wins. Half the starters are gone, but the Storm welcome a transfer from Akron, Patrick Nicely, at QB. They’ll struggle, but should fare better than the newcomers.
Walsh Crusaders: The best of the newcomers, Walsh will try to win by controlling real estate behind a pair of 700-yard backs in Toba Olarewaju and Justin Keith. There’s little else of note, though, and the Crusaders will find their first real year of D-II football a challenge.
Tiffin Dragons: Nineteen starters, including all eleven on offense, return. Unfortunately, when you’ve got that many returning starters from a team that went winless, it doesn’t help all that much. They’ll pick up some wins thanks to the new teams in the league, but don’t expect much.
Notre Dame (OH) Falcons: A middling season last year should translate into a mediocre one this year, the team’s third of varsity existence, as the Falcons move into the league. Nobody among the returning starters truly stands out. Notre Dame won’t be around long; they’ve accepted an invitation to join the new Mountain East Conference in 2013.
Malone Pioneers: They had the worst record among the newcomers last year, so naturally the expectation will be for a last-place finish in their new league. The team managed less than 300 yards of offense per game last year, and no returning skill players have big numbers to boast of. It’ll be a long year.