The benefit of non-D1 games

Well . . . they ought to be wins - cheap wins. After that it depends upon the quality of the opponent. The better D2 teams should be able at least to keep the game interesting and not be a total pushover. After that, it allows your players to get into a game rhythm and work through kinks in the system without too much pressure. What you do not want to see is a  60-point blowout that turns completely sloppy, and nothing positive is gained. On the other hand, you may learn something you hoped not to learn - that your team is not (yet?) very good and there is a lot to work on. Most of the knowledge we as fans get from non-D1 games is negative knowledge.