Week 7 OAA/MAC Games of the Week

It's a big week for Football! We're at the point with only three more weeks in the regular season where every game has major playoff implications. This week there are five great games throughout the OAA and MAC that I'd like to bring to your attention. All of these games have playoff implications in one way or the other, and I'm super excited to share my quick analysis with you all!   Bloomfield Hills (1-5) @ Harper Woods (2-4)   Both of these teams absolutely need this win to still have a chance a the postseason.   Bloomfield Hills is struggling in the OAA White, and they only have one 1-score loss- with the rest being by 11 points or more. This is a team that's usually branded by its high-powered offense. This team is averaging 18PPG and 37PAPG. Still, Harper Woods is 2-4. The Blackhawks have a chance, but they'll have to play extremely well.   Harper Woods was a very hyped-up team heading into this season. Like Bloomfield hills, their only win has been against Oak Park, and they both have a 1-possession loss against Groves. This team simply needs to be more balanced. They home some high-end talent, but the rest of the team needs to play together. Granted, Harper Woods has played an extremely difficult schedule, and if they can get just two more wins this season, they should make the postseason.   North Farmington (2-4) @ Avondale (3-3)   Another game that is absolutely vital to both teams' playoff odds.   NF has played a tough schedule so far, and they have two very close losses against Seaholm and Farmington. Right now, surprisingly, NF is currently in the playoffs as a 2-4 team. The thing is, they'll have to win more games this season if they want to stay in.   I was extremely surprised to see Avondale lose against Ferndale last week, but as of right now, they're still hanging in there, being the #26 ranked team in D3 according to Playoff Points (which is not a good indication of actual ranking). Nevertheless, in a world where 32 teams make the postseason, Avondale is currently in, but not by much. Overall defensive cohesion will be huge here, alongside [player_tooltip player_id='216986' first='Tyler' last='Herzog']'s performance.   Groves (4-2) @ Rochester (3-3)   Currently, Groves is in the playoffs, and Rochester is out.   Groves is a great team in D2, which is chock-full of great teams. [player_tooltip player_id='190101' first='Zachary' last='Rogers'] is a rising star in the secondary, which should suit well against a good Rochester offense.   Rochester, as mentioned, has a good offense, and they've played a very tough schedule. Though they need to win this game in order to make the postseason in tough Division 1. On paper, this game will be close, while Stoney Creek will be extremely tough to beat, and Renaissance is a winnable game. I hope to see this team in the postseason when it's all said and done.   Utica Eisenhower (5-1) @ Dakota (6-0)   This is an extremely exciting game featuring two playoff teams.   It's been surprising looking at Eisenhower throughout the season. Coming off a 1-8 2021 season, Eisenhower has great wins against Romeo, Stevenson, and Anchor Bay and faces their biggest test yet with Dakota. Overall, this is a very balanced team with a great QB, [player_tooltip player_id='206516' first='Preston' last='Crum'], with a talented defense that includes [player_tooltip player_id='243401' first='Luke' last='Aniel'], [player_tooltip player_id='248826' first='Sammy' last='Agnello'], [player_tooltip player_id='248832' first='David' last='Scheel'], and [player_tooltip player_id='248833' first='Cody' last='Raymond'].   Dakota has been one of the most impressive teams all season. They're 6-0, with most of their wins being blowouts, in addition to having a very difficult schedule. [player_tooltip player_id='409670' first='Ethan' last='Hamby'] is one of the best QBs in the state, while this is another extremely balanced team with talent up and down the board. This should be a great game, but I expect Dakota to win.   Chippewa Valley (5-1) @ Romeo (4-2)   I had planned on attending this game up until yesterday, and I'm very disappointed I won't be able to attend! Nevertheless, this is going to be a great game that I am very excited to follow.   Chippewa Valley will either win 2/3 of their final three games or all three. In other words, this is their final test of the season before the playoffs. Now, when I think of Chippewa Valley, I think of athleticism. [player_tooltip player_id='188009' first='Shamar' last='Heard'], [player_tooltip player_id='247647' first='Deshaun' last='Lanier'], Tyler Buchholtz, Kaelin Shaw, and [player_tooltip player_id='248811' first='Andrew' last='Schuster'] are all straight-up athletes who are extremely fast. They will be tested against a usually elite Romeo defense led by an insanely good LB core. Chippewa Valley won this matchup 37-34 last season, and I expect this one to be just as high scoring.   I don't think Romeo is as good as they were last season, but they're still a D1 team that has the potential for a deep playoff run. While CV has athleticism, when I think of Romeo, I think of physicality and strong defenses. They'll need to have an extremely strong defense tomorrow if they hope to win against a very talented CV team. I think this will be an extremely close game, and Romeo will head into these playoffs battle-tested.

It's a big week for Football! We're at the point with only three more weeks in the regular season where every game has major playoff implications. This week there are five great games throughout the OAA and MAC that I'd like to bring to your attention. All of these games have playoff implications in one way or the other, and I'm super excited to share my quick analysis with you all!