2023 Division 2 Playoff Preview

It's time for the Division 2 Playoff Preview! This article will rank all 32 Division 2 teams, discuss all 16 Pre-divisional matchups, and I'll make my bracket prediction.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Division 2 Power Rankings</h2>   Based off record, strength of schedule, personal knowledge, etc, here are my division 1 Power Rankings!   These rankings proved to be significantly harder to create than the D1 rankings   <a href="https://my.mhsaa.com/Sports/Football/Playoff-Point-Summary">Click to view final Playoff Point Totals</a>   <a href="https://www.mhsaa.com/sites/default/files/PDF%20Brackets/2023-FB-M-2.pdf">Click to view the Division 2 Bracket</a>   <ol> <li>De La Salle</li>   <li>Caledonia</li>   <li>Muskegon</li>   <li>Groves</li>   <li>Grosse Pointe South</li>   <li>Portage Central</li>   <li>Mona Shores</li>   <li>Byron Center</li>   <li>Portage Northern</li>   <li>Seaholm</li>   <li>Reeths-Puffer</li>   <li>Milford</li>   <li>UofD Jesuit</li>   <li>Carlson</li>   <li>Allen Park</li>   <li>Heritage</li>   <li>East Lansing</li>   <li>Waterford Mott</li>   <li>Roseville</li>   <li>Lakeland</li>   <li>Forest Hills Northern</li>   <li>Livonia Franklin</li>   <li>Dexter</li>   <li>Traverse City Central</li>   <li>Midland Dow</li>   <li>Midland</li>   <li>Livonia Churchill</li>   <li>Port Huron Northern</li>   <li>Warren Mott</li>   <li>Lansing Everett</li>   <li>L'Anse Creuse</li>   <li>Warren Cousino</li> </ol>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Region 1 Preview</h2>   #16 Heritage vs. #24 Traverse City Central   Although these two teams have not met yet this season, they do have common opponents. Earlier this season, Heritage defeated #25 Midland Dow 42-0, while TC Central lost to them 35-13.   Heritage was one of the most difficult rankings. They sit at 6-3, with a losses against Davison (#4 in D1), Grand Blanc (#18 in D1), and an extremely head-scratching loss to Powers Catholic. If this is anything like the Heritage teams in recent past, then you can expect an offense that can put up 30+ on any team, and a defense that can be exposed against any average offense. Considering how the bracket is laid out, I expect Heritage to defeat TC Central, defeat either Midland or Dow in the district finals, then they'll run into a buzzsaw as they'll likely face Muskegon in the Regional final.   TC Central is long past the 2021 State Championship run. Those players have graduated, and a new group of athletes have taken their place. This is still a solid program with a lot of young talent on the up and up. Though, Central has not performed well against good teams this season. I still wouldn't count the Trojans completely out; if they win this one, they have a great shot to make the regional finals.   #25 Midland Dow vs. #26 Midland   Last Week, Dow defeated Midland 29-9. Both teams sit at 5-4, and both played a very similar schedule.   Even though Dow beat Midland by 3 scores last week, this game is still a relative toss-up. Anything can happen in a rivalry game!   #3 Muskegon vs. #21 Forest Hills Northern   Muskegon comes into these playoffs as one of the frontrunners to win the whole thing. Last year's runner-up in Division 3, The Big Reds return the bulk of their core to this year's playoffs and are the team to beat in Region 1. This is an experienced team that just faced a pretty tough schedule. Notably, they've beaten #7 Mona Shores, #11 Reeths-Puffer, Zeeland West (Strong D3 Contender) and lost to #1 De La Salle, Lost to Rockford (#2 in D1). I'd bet anything that Muskegon takes care of business against an inexperienced FHN team.   Forest Hills Northern has played some good football in an OK-White league that proved to be more exciting than expected. Their win against Lowell was an exciting high point, but they haven't been competitive against the best of the best. Even against lesser teams, FHN can be inconsistent. At their best, this is a team that can compete with some good teams. Unfortunately, they draw Muskegon in Round 1.   #7 Mona Shores vs. #11 Reeths-Puffer   Earlier this season, Mona Shores defeated Reeths-Puffer 28-10.   Having watched the Mona Shores vs. RP game, it was obvious who the better team was at the time. Mona Shores won at the line of scrimmage, made some great chunk plays on offense, and didn't allow RP to do near anything on offense. Mona Shores has consistently been a top-10 team in whatever division they've been in over the past several years. This year, they look to have a pretty difficult schedule if they want to make it to Ford Field. RP cannot be underestimated, then the the most likely route would be #3 Muskegon, #16 Heritage, then #2 Caledonia. It's possible, but Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='602245' first='Jonathan' last='Pittman'] will have to play with consistency.   I'm obviously higher on RP considering their ranking. This is a team that's coming off a monumental win against Zeeland West, and their only two losses this season are against #7 Mona Shores and #3 Muskegon. The rest of their schedule outside of those three games wasn't great, but their high points are enough to think RP could pull off an upset here. Head Coach Cody Kater seems to be doing a great job closing the gap on the Muskegon powerhouses, and they have several very experienced seniors. MLB [player_tooltip player_id='667091' first='Caiden' last='Bolduc'], Safety [player_tooltip player_id='253314' first='Bryce' last='Ross'], and RB [player_tooltip player_id='253315' first='Brody' last='Johnson'] are three leaders that will be doing everything they can to pull off this upset.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Region 2 Preview</h2>   #6 Portage Central vs. #8 Byron Center   This is one of the best 1st-round games!   Portage Central has looked stellar this season. They sport wins against #17 East Lansing and #9 Portage Northern. In addition, this is a deep team with several great players at key positions. My one knock on this team is that the Southwestern conference did not pan out to be a strong conference this season. Still, they're a 1-loss team with high expectations this postseason.   I could see Byron Center losing this 1st round matchup. I could also see them making a semifinal run. The fact of the matter is that this is the most difficult part of the bracket. Now, BC has to be feeling amazing heading into the postseason. They have some extremely great wins on their resume including W's against Forest Hills Central, East Grand Rapids, Northview, and East Kentwood. The FHC win in particular was shocking. This is a team that doesn't have the superstar D1 talent that a lot of the top D2 teams have, but this is a team playing complimentary team football. QB [player_tooltip player_id='899559' first='Landon' last='Tungate'] and WR/DB Isaac lee have had a phenomenal connection, and I'm looking forward to potentially seeing them shine in this game.   #2 Caledonia vs. #9 Portage Northern   Another one of the best 1st-round matchups!   Yes, I'm very high on Caledonia. Cal is coming off an improbable D1 Finals run, return several of their best players from last season, and their only two losses are against Rockford (#2 in D1) and Grandville (#11 in D1). Offensively, the line has held up while first-year Varsity QB [player_tooltip player_id='551056' first='Brody' last='Betser'] has been highly impressive. S/RB [player_tooltip player_id='667472' first='Brock' last='Townsend'] could play D1 ball at either position. LB/TE Derek Pennington is a force on this defense, and he's also doing D1. I could go on and on, but the point is that this is a great team. It's another weird situation, but their floor is a 1st-round exit while their ceiling is a State Championship win.   Portage Northern hasn't regressed nearly at all since last season. This is one of the most physical teams in the state with players like 6'5" Tackle [player_tooltip player_id='568194' first='Gregory' last='Patrick'], 6'4" T [player_tooltip player_id='1124952' first='Jackson' last='Altwies'], Defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='568195' first='Elijah' last='Gillam-Shaffer'], and others. They have several athletic playmakers, headlined by future D1 receiver [player_tooltip player_id='862129' first='Jadyn' last='Walker']. If they can win at the line of scrimmage and get some plays downfield, they have a great shot at taking down last year's D1 Runner-Up.   #17 East Lansing vs. #30 Lansing Everett   Earlier this season, East Lansing defeated Everett 45-14.   East Lansing has had a solid season, running the table in a weak Capital Area Blue League. Their week's one and two losses against Portage Central and Hudsonville are the two out-of-league measuring sticks that say a lot about this team. East Lansing should win this matchup, and they're guaranteed a tough matchup against either Milford or Lakeland.   Everett has some things to be proud of this season, but looking at their schedule, it's obvious that they won't be able to make a playoff run this season. Let's see if they can prove me wrong!   #20 Lakeland vs. #12 Milford   Last Week, Lakeland defeated Milford 14-7. Both teams have 6-3 records.   Yes, I ranked Lakeland lower than Milford even though they just beat them last week. Main reason- losses against common opponents. Still, I'd say that anyone can beat anyone in the #10 - #20 range. The middle of these rankings are extremely tight. Anyways, when I think of Lakeland, I think of an athlete-centered offense that puts the ball in space. They have a creative rushing offense and players like SB [player_tooltip player_id='602019' first='Trevor' last='Tschudin'] to make things happen in the open field. Last week, their O-Line and defense came through in redzone situations. I still think Milford is the better team, though Lakeland proved they could beat them, so let's see if it can happen again!   You have to be hungry if you're Milford. Last week's loss stripped them of hosting this 1st-round matchup, and it was a game that they should have won on paper. They looked to be playing excellent football up until last week, with a recent win against #18 Waterford Mott and a close 1-possession loss to Walled Lake Western. I know that Milford is an extremely hard-nosed and physical football team, and they'll have to bring it to Lakeland in order to win.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Region 3 Preview </h2>   #10 Seaholm vs. #4 Groves   Last week, Seaholm defeated Groves 21-14.   The Maples are peaking at the right time. Earlier this season, I thought they had regressed a bit following their big loss to #13 UofD Jesuit. Though, they've easily run the table in a weak OAA Blue and they just made a statement as they manhandled Groves at the line of scrimmage. The only reason they aren't ranked higher than #10 is because of how weak the OAA Blue was this season. In reality, I give them a great chance to win against any team not in the top 3. A huge reason behind this confidence is their senior class. QB [player_tooltip player_id='252599' first='Colton' last='Kinnie'] is an elite Veer quarterback with a body made for fighting for extra yards. LB/RB [player_tooltip player_id='253292' first='Granden' last='Kinnie'] is likewise extremely physical and has a motor that simply doesn't stop. DB/SB [player_tooltip player_id='253296' first='Kyle' last='Robbins'] is a certified playmaker on both sides of the ball. RB [player_tooltip player_id='253291' first='Sean' last='Emerson'] is a high-ceiling back with a ton of quickness in the open field. Outside of their seniors, it seems their offensive and defensive line have stepped up quite a bit- which was my biggest concern heading into this season. Groves is 100% a better team on paper, but this is a bitter, historic rivalry. None of that matters. Let's see if the Maples can win this game and make a run!   Groves is ranked #4 because of their talent, great strength of schedule, and of course their performances. Although they sit at 6-3, their three losses have come against West Bloomfield (#8 in D1), Southfield A&T (#5 in D1), and #10 Seaholm. The West Bloomfield game was a tad lopsided admittedly, as they lost 41-19. Though, they nearly pulled off the upset against A&T, losing 42-35. If Groves is able to win at Seaholm this weekend, I give them an excellent chance to make a run all the way to the semifinals.   #18 Waterford Mott vs. #22 Livonia Franklin   This could be a great matchup, but I expect Mott to win this one.   Mott is a team with several stars that will go on to play High D2 or D1 college football. Though, they also have some players that aren't that talented. Because of this, the team, especially the offense, can be one-dimensional. Kaleib Osborne is a generational talent for Mott, and he can make a big play on any down. Yet, this team loves running QB power or throwing to WR Donovan Isaac, without much else they're super good at. Likewise, the defense has some great players headlined by linebackers [player_tooltip player_id='814546' first='Isaiah' last='Veatch'] and Michael Bolan, though they've been exposed at the boundaries and the run game at times. I give them a great chance to beat a Franklin team that has regressed quite a bit, but I don't like their chances against a hard-nosed Veer offense in Seaholm and even less so an experienced, explosive Groves team.   Franklin has regressed since losing a ton of talent in the 2023 class. Worse yet, they didn't have a great strength of schedule as the KLAA proved to be quite weak. The week 1 win against #23 Dexter looked amazing at the time, but as the season progressed, it's apparent that Franklin is more middle of the road.   #14 Carlson vs. #27 Livonia Churchill   Both of these teams come from leagues that usually underperform in the postseason.   Carlson (and Allen Park) were difficult teams to evaluate. Carlson always seems to come into the postseason with a great record and high expectations before losing early on. Now, they're playing great football having won 8-straight games including two weeks ago a win over then-undefeated Allen Park. I honestly don't know too much about this Carlson team, but I do know that RB [player_tooltip player_id='563425' first='Izaiah' last='Wright'] is a beast and that they should win this game.   Churchill had an alright year, and they competed against some of the better teams in the KLAA. Still, the KLAA proved to be even weaker than usual and Carlson should be their 2nd-hardest test yet.   #15 Allen Park vs. #23 Dexter   These teams have not yet met this season.   Allen Park has been playing incredible ball this season, with their only loss coming from rival Carlson. This team could make a run, as I saw what they can do against a bad team as they pounced on Taylor during week 1. Still, their strength of schedule is not the best, and Dexter was a state champ favorite last season. I take Allen Park in this one, but Dexter may be a tough out.   Dexter has fallen off quite a bit since their amazing squad last season. Though, they have some promising performances that make me wonder if they can make another deep playoff run. They were competitive against Saline, and fell to Franklin by a single score. Other than that, they destroyed a few D1 playoffs teams in Pioneer and Huron. Let's see how good this game can be!   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Region 4 Preview</h2>   #1 De La Salle vs. #32 Warren Cousino   It's obvious that this De La Salle team is not as good as last year's team or the year before for that matter. Still, DLS may have faced the toughest schedule in Michigan and their only two losses have been against Davison (#4 in D1) and Toledo Central Catholic (10-0 OH Powerhouse). De La Salle is still the team to beat in Division 2, and I frankly see them going all the way again.   Warren Cousino- GOOD LUCK! Seriously though, it was another decent season for this program. Though their poor strength of schedule along with this first-round draw leaves a win near-impossible.   #29 Warren Mott vs. #13 UofD Jesuit   Even though Warren Mott is the home team, I'd be shocked if they beat UofD.   Warren Mott just had a great 6-3 season in the MAC Blue, yet the MAC Blue was not very strong this season. I don't know too much about Mott, but looking at their schedule, they'll need some luck to beat UofD.   UofD has had a good 5-2 season with a marquee dominant win against #10 Seaholm. The rest of their schedule does leave a tad to be desired, but I'm confident that the talent and coaching of this team should take care of business in round 1. Unfortunately, they'll be running into a buzzsaw in round 2.   #5 Grosse Pointe South vs. #31 L'Anse Creuse   Earleir this season, GPS defeated L'Anse Creuse 41-7.   Grosse Pointe South has had a phenomenal season, with their only blunder being agaisnt a scrappy Anchor Bay team. Big Wins include #19 Roseville, Romeo, and Lakeview. This is just a solid team that has been playing complimentary football. The receiving core, O-Line, and Linebacker core are all great, and that's what's been making all the difference.   L'Anse Creuse has had an ok season, though they likely won't get very far in these playoffs.   #28 Port Huron Northern vs. #19 Roseville   Both teams sport some great talent, yet both teams have been inconsistent.   PHN had a ton of hype heading into this season, though they've fallen way short of that hype during the regular season. The best talent on this team includes some players that ANY team would love to have, but for whatever reason, the team as a whole has not gotten it done against the best teams. Sure, they're 7-2, yet losing to GPS and Port Huron by a combined score of 72-3 is not a great sign.   Roseville has a few excellent wins this season. Right off the bat, beating Brother Rice 40-0 was a shocking outcome, then defeating Romeo 33-30 was another great performance. Even against Grosse Pointe South, they only lost by one score. Roseville could very well make it to the Regional Finals!   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Bracket Prediction</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/D2Predict.jpg?w=743" alt="" class="wp-image-1062703" /></figure>

It's time for the Division 2 Playoff Preview! This article will rank all 32 Division 2 teams, discuss all 16 Pre-divisional matchups, and I'll make my bracket prediction.