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Some thought that this might be the year that the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference would crown a new champion.

After all, the current kingpins – the Franklin Grizzlies – had to share its HCAC title last year with Rose-Hulman a year ago and lost nearly its entire defensive unit to graduation. While Franklin lost only two players on offense, those losses were huge in record-holders Jonny West at quarterback and Kyle Linville and receiver.

When Franklin needed a late touchdown, two-point conversion, a bit of good luck with a missed 45-yard field goal on the last play of the game to survive a 29-28 win over HCAC middle-of-the-pack squad Manchester earlier this month, well, many knew it was just a matter of time with Mount St. Joseph and Rose-Hulman coming up on the schedule.

How things change in a matter of a few weeks.

There was no luck need the past two weeks as the Grizzlies went on the road to beat Mount St. Joseph (6-2, 5-1) 38-28 and then returned home to score three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to defeat Rose-Hulman (5-2, 3-2) 41-21 to take firm control of the HCAC.

How firm? Well, Franklin (6-2, 6-0) has two games left against Defiance (2-5, 2-3) and its Victory Bell game against Hanover (0-7, 0-5). Franklin already has wins against the teams that has one loss in the conference, Mount St. Joseph and Bluffton (4-3, 4-1), which means the Grizzlies would have to lose the last two games be denied another shot at representing the HCAC in the playoffs. While strange things can still happen, well, you get the picture.

Franklin coach Mike Leonard could care less about such talk, bringing up the acronym ODAAT when subject of conference title and playoff was injected into the interview. 

"I'm big into acronyms these days," Leonard said. "It just means one day at a time. Actually, we talk about even one practice at a time a time. We really haven't talked about championships and playoffs this season. We've put that talk on the backburner. We've talked about running the table like in pool but there's always that one bad ball, the eight ball, and you knock that one bad ball it how it can ruin everything else."

Leonard said while he did not want to call the Manchester game a wake-up call for his squad, he said he felt that his team seemed to realize that they had something to play for after that victory. He pointed back to his squad's game with No. 1-ranked UW-Whitewater back on Sept. 13, where the Grizzlies briefly led in the first half and only trailed 14-13 at halftime.

While Franklin did go on to lose 42-13, he said the lesson of top teams constantly facing squads that will play their best to knock them off was a lesson learned moment after final gun in the Manchester contest.

"Give credit to Manchester; they played a great game," Leonard said. "I give credit to all these teams that are trying to knock us off, giving us their best shot, just like we gave Wisconsin-Whitewater our best shot. I think with Mount St. Joe and Rose-Hulman, it was the right timing for us. We haven't had too many close games and to win that game against Manchester was a real thrill of victory for us. Now we've had our driver's seat games where we control our own destiny."

Leonard said there are few people who have grown up more over that period of time over the course of the season than his senior quarterback Grant Welp. Welp was West's understudy for three years. While West won accolades and awards for his play, Welp patiently waited his turn and took over the signal-calling duties this year with little starting experience, but plenty of pressure to continue Franklin's success.

"Our goal was to get him as confident as possible coming out of training camp," Leonard said, acknowledging opening the season with losses to Illinois Wesleyan and Wisconsin-Whitewater were difficult. "But I think he has proven that over the past six games. Now, I think he's one of the best quarterbacks in the conference and Midwest and possibly the nation."

The numbers for Welp are impressive enough, completing 67.5 percent of his passes (187-277) for 2,398 yards for 24 touchdowns against six interceptions. Leonard said Welp's mobility gives the Grizzlies an extra option to extend plays and even run with the football if needed, something they never had with West.

"Jonny couldn't run a lick," Leonard said with a laugh. "He would even tell you that."

Leonard said, though, he believes the Grizzlies, which started the season ranked No. 25 in the country but dropped out after the loss to Illinois Wesleyan, are much better because of its defense. He said the squad under new defensive coordinator Brian Harbin now has a firm grip of its scheme and expectations. He feels that will make the Grizzlies a much stronger team overall.

Honoring Nick Schultz

Franklin's football team continues to honor its former captain and All-American Nick Schultz with a decal each player wears on the left side of their helmet. Schultz, a captain on the 2012 football team was a member of the Merrillville, Ind., police department when he was killed in the line of duty in early September.

"He was a left guard, so that's why we wear it on the left side of our helmets," Leonard said. "It has his number and his officer badge number, which ironically was 365. We've taken that to mean to make the most of each and every day."

Game of the Week

Carroll (7-0, 3-0 in Midwest Conference North) at Macalester (6-1, 3-0), 2 p.m.: While acknowledging crazy things have happened in this conference before, this should just about decide who will represent the North Division in the Midwest Conference's title game. It's been score-settling season for Carroll, knocking off the likes of Monmouth and St. Norbert. Macalester has been impressive as the new kids on the block in their first run through the Midwest Conference.