The Anchor-Bone Trophy was on the desk, the wings were getting hot and the predictions were flying. Small School Saturday took over Grand Valley State on Oct. 17, bringing the D1 Rejects crew to Allendale, Michigan, ahead of one of Division II football's biggest rivalries.
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Kobe Manzo, Drew Carpenter, Seth Howard and Mike Shoultz welcomed Grand Valley State coach Scott Wooster, former Laker Ian Kennelly and a prerecorded appearance from Ferris State coach Tony Annese. Between interviews, the crew debated Harlon Hill Trophy candidates, sampled Buffalo Wild Wings, celebrated historic rivalries and made their picks for some of Saturday's biggest DII, DIII and NAIA games.
Here's what happened.
Small School Saturday Anchor-Bone Classic Picks: Ferris State vs. Grand Valley State
No. 1 Ferris State entered the Anchor-Bone Classic riding a 36-game winning streak, while No. 13 Grand Valley State was looking to rebound from an overtime loss to Michigan Tech.
The five-person panel favored the Bulldogs, but only narrowly.
Drew Carpenter: Ferris State. Drew put his faith in Bulldogs head coach Tony Annese.
Kobe Manzo: Ferris State. Kobe pointed to Ferris State's healthy roster and collection of explosive playmakers.
Ian Kennelly: Grand Valley State. The former Lakers defensive back backed his alma mater, emphasizing the need to establish the run and get wide receiver Kellen Reed involved.
Mike Shoultz: Grand Valley State. Mike predicted the Lakers would win by a single point.
Seth Howard: Ferris State. Seth sided with the Bulldogs.
Official panel result: Ferris State 3, Grand Valley State 2.
But there was one final twist.
Ally, a member of the camera crew, received a surprise opportunity to make a prediction and chose Grand Valley State.
That brought the overall count, including Ally's bonus selection, to a 3-3 tie.
Every Small School Saturday Game Pick
The Anchor-Bone Classic wasn't the only game receiving attention. The crew made selections across all three small-school divisions, with Kennelly joining the Division II and NAIA predictions but abstaining from DIII picks because of his coaching position at Trine University.
Division II Game Picks
Findlay vs. Hillsdale
Drew Carpenter: Hillsdale
Kobe Manzo: Findlay
Ian Kennelly: Hillsdale
Mike Shoultz: Hillsdale
Seth Howard: Findlay
Panel favorite: Hillsdale, 3-2.
Drew joked that he was choosing the Chargers because they're smart, while Kennelly liked Hillsdale's home-field advantage.
Carson-Newman vs. Emory & Henry
Drew Carpenter: Emory & Henry
Kobe Manzo: Carson-Newman
Ian Kennelly: Carson-Newman
Mike Shoultz: Carson-Newman
Seth Howard: Emory & Henry
Panel favorite: Carson-Newman, 3-2.
Kennelly again leaned toward the home team in what he expected to be a tight matchup.
Central Oklahoma vs. Emporia State
Drew Carpenter: Emporia State
Kobe Manzo: Emporia State
Ian Kennelly: Emporia State
Mike Shoultz: Central Oklahoma
Seth Howard: Emporia State
Panel favorite: Emporia State, 4-1.
Drew called Emporia State battle-tested, while Kobe doubled down on his support for defensive standout Landon Boss and predicted a two-score Hornets victory.
Mike was the lone dissenter, believing Central Oklahoma had extra motivation entering the matchup.
Division III Game Picks
UW-River Falls vs. UW-Platteville
Drew Carpenter: UW-Platteville
Kobe Manzo: UW-Platteville
Mike Shoultz: UW-Platteville
Seth Howard: UW-River Falls
Panel favorite: UW-Platteville, 3-1.
Seth was the lone supporter of the Falcons, although he expected a difficult battle.
Christopher Newport vs. Montclair State
Drew Carpenter: Christopher Newport
Kobe Manzo: Christopher Newport
Mike Shoultz: Christopher Newport
Seth Howard: Christopher Newport
Unanimous pick: Christopher Newport, 4-0.
Kobe acknowledged Montclair State's impressive season but backed the Captains.
Salve Regina vs. U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
Drew Carpenter: Merchant Marine
Kobe Manzo: Merchant Marine
Mike Shoultz: Merchant Marine
Seth Howard: Merchant Marine
Unanimous pick: Merchant Marine, 4-0.
Mike and Seth also gave a shoutout to Mariners quarterback Bubba Mustain.
NAIA Game Picks
Keiser vs. St. Thomas
Drew Carpenter: St. Thomas
Kobe Manzo: Keiser
Ian Kennelly: Keiser
Mike Shoultz: Keiser
Seth Howard: Keiser
Panel favorite: Keiser, 4-1.
Mike praised Keiser's ball security, pointing to the Seahawks' reported zero fumbles entering Saturday.
Friends vs. McPherson
Drew Carpenter: Friends
Kobe Manzo: Friends
Ian Kennelly: Friends
Mike Shoultz: Friends
Seth Howard: Friends
Unanimous pick: Friends, 5-0.
Mike cited Friends' remarkable 66 points per game, backing the Falcons' offense despite McPherson's outstanding defensive numbers.
Olivet Nazarene vs. Marian
Drew Carpenter: Marian
Kobe Manzo: Marian
Ian Kennelly: Marian
Mike Shoultz: Marian
Seth Howard: Marian
Unanimous pick: Marian, 5-0.
Kennelly liked the home team, while Shoultz admitted he wasn't completely comfortable with his selection.
Shoultz vs. The Spread: The Crew Makes Its Picks
Before the final game predictions, Mike Shoultz led the crew through three matchups against the spread.
West Alabama vs. West Florida: West Florida -21.5
All four regular hosts backed West Florida to cover. Shoultz admitted he didn't love laying that many points, but Drew believed the Argonauts had the more developed roster.
Wabash at John Carroll: John Carroll -23
Shoultz, Manzo and Howard backed Wabash to cover the 23-point spread. Mike believed John Carroll would win outright but considered the spread too large.
Carpenter went a different direction, choosing over 46.5 total points.
Mary Hardin-Baylor at Texas Wesleyan: Mary Hardin-Baylor -22.5
All four hosts picked Mary Hardin-Baylor to cover.
Kobe also highlighted Texas Wesleyan's potential move from the NAIA to NCAA Division II. The university submitted an application to join Division II in October, with a possible transition beginning in the 2028-29 academic year.
Scott Wooster Calls The Anchor-Bone Classic "Combustible"
Grand Valley State head coach Scott Wooster joined the desk with plenty of enthusiasm for the rivalry.
Wooster said the stadium had sold out earlier in the week and pointed to the programs' proximity, longstanding coaching relationships and traditions as reasons the matchup carries so much intensity.
He described the atmosphere as "combustible" and said the rivalry gets his blood going.
Wooster also revealed that he once tried to recruit Kobe Manzo, giving the crew an unexpected personal connection to the Lakers coach.
But when the conversation turned to football, Wooster emphasized discipline.
Asked by Seth Howard about containing Ferris State quarterback Wyatt Bower, Wooster explained that his defense needed to remain simple enough for players to react quickly without hesitation, while still providing enough variety to challenge the Bulldogs.
Defensive backs filling gaps and tackling in space would be particularly important.
Wooster also praised offensive coordinator Eli Reinhart's creativity and quarterback Andrew Schuster's ability to process defenses before the snap.
Ian Kennelly Returns With Memories Of GVSU And The NFL
Former Grand Valley State defensive back Ian Kennelly joined the crew at the desk, bringing firsthand experience from the Anchor-Bone rivalry.
Kennelly said there was no better atmosphere in Division II football than Anchor-Bone Saturday.
He pointed to the tailgating area behind the broadcast, recalling how his own parents participated in the game-day tradition when he played for the Lakers.
Kobe also brought up a story about Kennelly dealing with a shoulder injury during a game, reportedly putting his shoulder back into place twice.
The conversation then shifted to Kennelly's pursuit of professional football.
Kennelly, who spent time with the Detroit Lions during the 2025 preseason, explained that seeing former GVSU players who became NFL All-Pros helped him believe he could reach that level.
He praised the university's facilities and resources, saying the program provides its players with opportunities to succeed.
Kennelly also discussed the current Lakers, emphasizing the importance of getting Kellen Reed involved against Ferris State.
The crew highlighted a matchup between Reed and Ferris State defensive back Trace Corlew, with Drew suggesting Reed's experience in the rivalry could give him an advantage.
Mike also praised GVSU linebacker Jimmy Downs, while Kobe highlighted Ferris State offensive lineman Andrew DeVries.
Hot Takes & Hot Wings Gets Heated
Buffalo Wild Wings supplied the food for one of the show's most entertaining segments, Hot Takes & Hot Wings.
The premise was simple: eat some wings and deliver a bold football opinion.
Mike Shoultz chose Honey BBQ and predicted that Trinity College would win the NESCAC before advancing to the third round of the NCAA Division III playoffs.
Drew Carpenter predicted that Northwood and Michigan Tech, the two programs he previously played for, would meet in an NCAA Division II playoff game hosted by Northwood in Midland, Michigan.
Seth Howard went with Asian Zing wings and presented two provocative claims: Minnesota State reaching the Division II national championship game and Ferris State being capable of winning an FCS national championship.
Then Kobe turned up the heat.
He asked: "Should Every Conference Champion Make The Playoffs?"
Kobe argued that winning a conference championship shouldn't automatically guarantee a place in the NCAA Division III playoffs.
He gave the first round of the postseason two thumbs down, questioning whether automatic qualification always produces the strongest playoff field.
Mike immediately pushed back, calling it a "blazing hot take" and saying he completely disagreed.
Seth questioned what teams would be playing for if a conference championship didn't provide a route to the postseason.
The discussion also touched on potential College Football Playoff expansion at the FBS level, showing how debates about postseason access extend well beyond Division III.
It was easily one of the liveliest disagreements of the morning.
Who Did Small School Saturday Pick As Harlon Hill Trophy Frontrunners?
The crew also turned its attention to the Harlon Hill Trophy, awarded annually to the top player in NCAA Division II football.
Four candidates received particular attention:
Landon Boss, LB Emporia State: Kobe's pick, with Manzo emphasizing Boss's defensive production and repeated MIAA weekly honors.
Gunnar Hensley, QB Augustana University (SD): Seth's pick, and he praised the quarterback's performance across statistical categories.
Andrew Miller, RB Harding: Mike picked and expressed strong support for the standout in Harding's rushing attack.
Cephus Harris, RB Davenport: Drew picked Cephus, and discussed Harris's production, while Kobe highlighted his pursuit of records previously held by his older brother.
Judd Novak and Slippery Rock running back JayJay Jordan also received honorable mentions.
Kobe was especially enthusiastic about Boss, saying the Emporia State defender's coach believes he deserves virtually every award available in Division II football.
Seth also pointed out an interesting detail: Hensley was the only quarterback among the four featured frontrunners.
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