Most Pivotal Match-ups of 2011: Great Lakes/Indiana

Editor's Note: Our next installment of the "Most Pivotal Match-ups of 2011" focuses on the teams in the Great Lakes Region, which includes the whole states of Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and West Virginia, as well as western Pennsylvania and northern Kentucky.

Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC)--(NCAA Division II): Wayne State (Mich.) at Hillsdale (October 22): Warriors must make trip west to face the Chargers in key GLIAC game with possible playoff implications.

Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC)--(NCAA Division III):  Hanover at Defiance (September 17): Winner of this early-season contest could possibly challenge defending champion Franklin for HCAC title later in 2011.  The Yellow Jackets travel to Franklin the following week, September 24, while the Panthers will play host to the Grizzlies on the final day of the regular season: November 12.


Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA)--(NCAA Division III):  Albion at Adrian (October 29): By the time the Britons and Bulldogs meet, Adrian will have already paid a visit to preseason favorite Trine (October 1): The Britons, however, will play host to the Thunder on November 12, which is the last week of the regular season. As for last year's meeting, the Britons beat the Bulldogs, 38-21, to break a second place tie in the MIAA at 4-2.  Both teams finished the 2010 campaign with identical 5-5 overall records.

Mid-States Football Association (Mideast Division)--(NAIA):  With three teams (St. Francis [Ind.], St. Xavier, and Marian) highly ranked to start the 2011 season, expect any games between these teams to be competitive. SXU comes to SFU on October 1, SFU plays host to Marian on October 15, and Marian welcomes SXU to its campus on November 5.


North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC)--(NCAA Division III):  Wittenberg at Wabash (November 12): The Tigers outlasted the Little Giants, 34-17, en route to winning the NCAC title in 2010.  Expect the 2011 contest to have just as much impact.

Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC)--(NCAA Division III):   Mount Union at Ohio Northern (October 1): If any team is going to end the Purple Raiders lengthy reign in the OAC, the Polar Bears just might be that team.  By the way, the last time a Mount Union team didn't win the OAC was in 1991, when the Purple Raiders finished 8-1-1 overall, and 7-1-1 in conference play.

Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (Western Division)--(NCAA Division II):  Mercyhurst at California (Pa.)--(October 22): PSAC West crown could be decided in this battle between the Lakers and the Vulcans.

President's Athletic Conference (PAC)--(NCAA Division III):  Thomas More at Washington & Jefferson (September 24): Road game against the Presidents could be the one contest that stands between the Saints and a fourth straight conference championship.

West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC)--(NCAA Division II):  West Liberty at Shepherd (October 15): The winner of this game could not only have the inside track on a WVIAC title, but also a potential playoff berth.