GLIAC: Big 1, Little 11 huh?

I am getting pretty sick and tired of fans around the country taking pot shots at the GLIAC as a one-horse show. Grand Valley has looked mighty tough on Saturdays and just might cruise to an undefeated season. What is also apparent to people who really follow the GLIAC as opposed to making glancing at a poll once in a while is that the GLIAC has seriously stepped up its game on almost every campus.

If Grand Valley was so far above all of the rest of the league, then it would reason that they would dominate the league statistically as well. Not true at all. What is true is that the GLIAC as a conference has tons of teams and players ranking very highly in the nation. Here are major categories where GLIAC teams or players are in the top 25.

Total Offense:
6. Hillsdale
7. Ashland
15. GVSU
16. Northern Michigan (0-4), How many other leagues have 0-4 in the top 20?

Passing Offense:
2. Hillsdale
4. Saginaw Valley
6. Ashland
11. Mercyhurst
21. N. Michigan

Rushing Offense:
4. Northwood
19. GVSU
22. Indianapolis

Passing Efficiency:
4. Hillsdale
6. GVSU
9. Ashland
24. Mercyhurst
25. Saginaw Valley


Scoring Offense:
6. Hillsdale
9. Ashland
10. GVSU
22. Mercyhurst


Total Defense:
8. Indianapolis

Rushing Defense:
15. Indianapolis

Pass Efficiency Defense:
6. GVSU

Scoring Defense:
7. GVSU

Turnover Margin:
5. Hillsdale
10. Findlay


Rushing Yards per Game:
8. Bell, WSU
14. Childs, NU
15. Boussuah, NMU

Total Offense:
1. Nicolet, Hillsdale
9. Dougherty, SVSU
11. Cundiff, Ashland
15. Van Wieren, Ferris
20. Rivera, NMU
24. Iciek, GVSU

Catches per Game:
6. Waldie, Hillsdale
11. Gurica, Hillsdale

Receiving Yards per Game:
1. Waldie, Hillsdale
9. Gurica, Hillsdale
11. Gilmore, Ashland
23. Ziegelhofer, Ashland

Total Receiving Yards:
1. Waldie, Hillsdale
10. Gurica, Hillsdale
13. White, MTU
18. Hill, Mercyhurst

Scoring:
4. Schroeder, Ashland
5. Bell, WSU
14. Waldie, Hillsdale
23. Panizzi, Hillsdale

All Purpose Yards:
7. Bell, WSU
11. Waldie, Hillsdale
23. Wells, NMU
25. Harvey, Ashland

Passing Yards:
2. Nicolet, Hillsdale
4. Phillis, Mercyhurst
5. Dougherty, SVSU
13. Short, MTU

Passing Yards per Game:
2. Nicolet, Hillsdale
4. Dougherty, SVSU
15. Cundiff, Ashland
17. Phillis, Mercyhurst
20. Rivera, NMU

Rushing Yards:
9. Bell, WSU
13. Stokes, Mercyhurst
21. Wright, UIndy
24. Childs, Northwood
25. Boussuah, NMU

Total Tackles:
11. Wisniewski, WSU
14. Korte, Hillsdale
14. Volmering, SVSU

Solo Tackles:
3. Korte, Hillsdale
7. Volmering, SVSU
9. Meyer, Findlay

Sacks:
5. Miller, SVSU
12. Wild, Mercyhurst
19. Harvey, Findlay
19. Williams, UIndy

TFL:
4. Wild, Mercyhurst
21. Clement, Northwood
21. Jacobs, SVSU
21. Miller, SVSU

Save your "Your league is weak so everybody puts up big numbers." takes. If that were true than the national rankings would be ruled by leagues we can all agree are weaker than the GLIAC. Bottom line is that the GLIAC is seeing great performances every week in hard fought games. Teams have all ramped up their talent-levels and some of the best in the country.

Big 1, Little 11 huh?

Visit http://web1.ncaa.org/stats/StatsSrv/ranksummary and see how other leagues compare nationally. Make the same list. Let's see what they have.