After Wayne State’s 19-0 victory over Ferris State on Oct. 18, you would have thought the Warriors won the Super Bowl with how giddy they were. A win against a nationally ranked opponent on the road is certainly something to get excited about, but the team was ecstatic for another reason.
Paul Winters gave them the following day off and rightfully so.
WSU needs to cherish this victory a little longer than any of its predecessors. They need to know what it tastes like to win a big-time football game — because they’ll need to win three more.
It starts next week at home against Hillsdale, a team only one game behind Wayne State in the standings, and follows with the final road game of the regular season versus two-win Northwood.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot about Grand Valley State on Nov. 8.
Funny to mention the Lakers, considering an upset (and I use that term loosely, to the tune of 38 straight conference wins), but that isn’t an important game right now.
In case you are skimming, I just said that the GVSU game isn’t an important game right now.
Hillsdale is. Then Northwood. Both fit the definition of a trap-game. (Trap-game is a noun, and its definition is “a game that a team should win but doesn’t because it is looking ahead to a much ‘bigger’ game.”)
While the mighty (Grand Valley State and Ashland) may not be falling, the clump of teams on the playoff brink got a little smaller Oct. 18 as both Ferris State and Saginaw Valley State lost, dropping both of their records to 4-3 in the conference.
Wayne State and Michigan Tech kept pace by winning their contests. The two are knotted up in a third-place tie at 5-2.
Yes, it has been a successful season through eight games, but last I checked, it was an 11 game season. And yes, it’s neat to look ahead and see that the Warriors are only two victories away from tying a school record for wins in a season.
Unfortunately, that’s what costs teams more times than not. This team can solidify its place as one of the better Wayne State teams of all time — if it does not adapt to the prototypical mold.
Numerous players have said that their goal for the 2008 season is to make the playoffs.
Let me be frank and to the point: They can’t make the playoffs if they don’t beat the Chargers and Timberwolves.
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