Ferris State knows how to win football games.

The Bulldogs have won their last 10 contests, and the dominant run earned them the 2024 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football title, along with a first-round bye for the 2024 NCAA Division II Football Championship.

But Ferris State’s success spans more than just the last few months. The Bulldogs are looking to win their third national title in four seasons.

The question is, does the No. 2 team in the latest American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches Poll have the firepower to survive the stacked single-elimination portion of the 2024 season?

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The 2024 playoff teams were announced Sunday, and the first round of postseason play is less than a week away.

As the No. 1 team in Super Region Three, Ferris State will sit out the opening round and look on as 24 other teams across the country fight for their lives. 

The Bulldogs, who will appear in the playoffs for the 10th consecutive year, will suit up Nov. 30 against the winner of the opening-round game between Central Oklahoma and Ouachita Baptist. 

Can Ferris State continue the offensive onslaught that helped lift it to a 10-1 regular-season record this year? Can the Bulldogs use the bye to their advantage, knowing they’ve already made it farther than they did in their bid for a three-peat last season?

We tackle these questions and talk more about Ferris State’s chances heading into the 2024 Division II Playoffs:

Ferris State Has The Firepower To Keep Up In The Playoffs

Since a shocking 19-3 loss to Pittsburg State to open the 2024 college football season, Ferris State has rattled off 10 consecutive wins and enters the playoffs at 10-1, including a 7-0 mark in GLIAC contests.

The loss wasn’t shocking because the Gorillas aren’t good, however, as Pittsburg State is ranked 13th in the latest AFCA poll and has been a regular in the Division II Playoffs, it was more because the Bulldogs only scored three points. 

The performance was uncharacteristic of Ferris State, especially after looking at how the team performed the rest of the year.

Over their last 10 games, the Bulldogs have outscored their opponents 456-102, while climbing to No. 2 in the AFCA poll and No. 1 in the latest D2Football.com Top 25 Poll. 

Even though they’ve slowed down over the past two weeks, scoring 27 and 24 points against Saginaw Valley State and Davenport, respectively, the Bulldogs still are tied for eighth place in the country in scoring offense (41.7 points per game). They outscored the next-best team in the GLIAC (Grand Valley State) by 11.3 points per game.

SVSU and Davenport were two of the better teams in the GLIAC this year, so holding Ferris State to less than 30 points wasn’t a crazy surprise, but you can’t help but ask – did Ferris State peak too soon? Should the Bulldogs actually have won those games by more? Are they tired? Did they use the last few weeks to look ahead to the playoffs a little bit and maybe give some more players game reps?

From here on out, Ferris State will be facing the best teams in the nation, so opportunities to put up 50 or more points may be few. Maybe.

However, it’s time to mentally channel the team that put up a program-record 84 points against American International, rather than the team that grinded to a win over SVSU.

Central Oklahoma is one of the seven teams in the country that scored more points per game than the Bulldogs this year. The Bronchos ranked second with 47.5 points, while defending national champion Harding topped the list with 52.3. 

FSU’s other potential opponent for next week’s second round, Ouachita Baptist, scored 35.5 points per game, ranking 15th among Division II teams.

The Ferris State Redemption Tour Continues

After winning three consecutive GLIAC titles from 2018-2021, Ferris State was stiff-armed by Grand Valley State, which claimed the crown in 2022 and 2023, beating the Bulldogs in the regular season in 2022 and twice in 2023 (regular season and playoffs).

In 2022, Ferris State was able to get redemption in the national quarterfinals and go on to win a second straight national championship, but the Bulldogs’ bid for a three-peat was short-lived. GVSU bounced the them from the opening round of the 2023 playoffs, 21-14.

The 2024 Ferris State redemption tour is off to a great start. 

The Bulldogs crushed GVSU in the Anchor-Bone Classic this year (34-7), jumped the Lakers in the polls, cruised to the conference title and scooped up the playoff bye.

If Grand Valley State can get past UIndy on Saturday and then Pittsburg State or Harding in Round 2, there would be another Ferris State-GVSU showdown in the quarterfinal round. 

Both of Ferris State’s recent national titles had to go through GVSU.

In the second round in 2021, Ferris State defeated the Lakers 54-20. In 2022, their battle came in the quarterfinals, with the Bulldogs winning 24-21.

Another matchup that would make for a fun redemption game would be Ferris State against Valdosta State. The Blazers are the No. 1 team in the latest AFCA poll, and they beat the Bulldogs for the national championship in 2018 (49-47).

Rest Will Help Ferris State

Two national titles in the last three seasons. A record active streak of Division II playoff appearances (10). Four conference championships since 2018.

Across their 15 playoff appearances overall, the Bulldogs are 26-12 and have reached at least the national quarterfinals in six of the last seven seasons. 

There’s no question Ferris State still is one of the best teams in the nation, and a week of rest probably is just what the Bulldogs need. 

Scoring 50 or more points five times this year had to be exhausting. Who doesn’t like some time to take a deep breath or heal from a nagging injury?

The collegiate football season is long. Let the other teams tire themselves out in the first round of the playoffs.

Having a first-round bye worked out for Ferris State in 2021. In their four-game road to the national title, the Bulldogs scored 54, 41, 55 and 58 points. 

While playing five playoff games in 2022, the Bulldogs only were able to muster 32.2 points per game. Obviously, this part is tongue-in-cheek, as they still won it all. It doesn’t matter how many points you score, as long as the other team scores one less.

How Did The GLIAC Football Teams Perform In Week 12?

All eight GLIAC teams saw conference action on Nov. 16.

• Michigan Tech def. Saginaw Valley State, 32-28
• Ferris State def. Davenport, 24-9
• Wayne State def. Northern Michigan, 30-14
• Grand Valley State def. Roosevelt, 34-21

GLIAC Football Schedule 

Saturday, Nov. 23

All Times Eastern

• UIndy at Grand Valley State, 1 p.m.
• Ferris State gets first-round bye as the No. 1 team in Super Region Three.

When Are The NCAA Division II Football Playoffs?

• First round: Saturday, Nov. 23
• Second round: Saturday, Nov. 30 
• Quarterfinals: Saturday, Dec. 7 
• Semifinals: Saturday, Dec. 14
• National championship: Saturday, Dec. 21

When Is The NCAA Division II Championship Game?

The NCAA Division II championship game is set for Saturday, Dec. 21 in McKinney, Texas.

NCAA Division II Football Playoff Schedule

First Round: Saturday, Nov. 23

• Slippery Rock vs. New Haven
• Charleston (W.Va.) vs. Ashland
• California (Pa.) vs. East Stroudsburg
• Miles vs. Carson-Newman
• Wingate vs. Virginia Union
• West Alabama vs. Lenoir-Rhyne
• Central Oklahoma vs. Ouachita Baptist
• Grand Valley State vs. UIndy
• Pittsburg State vs. Harding
• Augustana (S.D.) vs. Minnesota State
• Western Colorado vs. Central Washington
• Angelo State vs. Bemidji State

Second Round: Saturday, Nov. 30

• Kutztown vs. Slippery Rock/New Haven
• Valdosta State vs. Miles/Carson-Newman
• Ferris State vs. Central Oklahoma/Ouachita Baptist
• CSU Pueblo vs. Augustana (S.D.)/Minnesota State

AFCA Division II Football Rankings

As of Nov. 18, 2024

1. Valdosta St. (Ga.) (27) 10-0
2. Ferris St. (Mich.) (3) 10-1
3. Kutztown (Pa.) 11-0
4. Harding (Ark.) 10-1
5. Grand Valley St. (Mich.) 10-1
6. Charleston (W.Va.) 11-0
7. Colorado St.-Pueblo 10-1
8. Central Oklahoma 10-1
9. Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 10-1
10. Western Colorado 10-1
11. Slippery Rock (Pa.) 9-1
12. West Alabama 9-1
13. Pittsburg St. (Kan.) 8-2
14. Indianapolis (Ind.) 10-1
15. Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) 9-2
16. Angelo St. (Tex.) 9-2
17. Wingate (N.C.) 9-1
18. Colorado School of Mines 8-3
19. Central Washington 8-3
20. California (Pa.) 8-2
21. West Florida 7-3
22. Augustana (S.D.) 8-3
23. Southern Arkansas 9-2
24. Carson-Newman (Tenn.) 9-2
25. Central Missouri 8-3

Dropped Out: Minnesota St. (18), Findlay (Ohio) (22).

Others Receiving Votes: Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 65; East Stroudsburg (Pa.), 45; Virginia Union, 38; Miles (Ala.), 36; Minnesota St., 34; New Haven (Conn.), 21; Findlay (Ohio), 18; Bemidji St. (Minn.), 9; Sioux Falls (S.D.), 4; Davenport (Mich.), 3; Ashland (Ohio), 2; Glenville St. (W.Va.), 1.

To see the D2Football.com Top 25 Poll, click here.

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