Drake's rating gap with Tarleton State is bigger than the records show

Both teams arrive with winning records, but that similarity ends once the ratings are applied. Tarleton State is 3-1, Drake is 3-0, yet Versus places Drake 99 spots higher in Division I, 138th to Tarleton State's 237th, and projects a 79-68 result in a non-conference meeting.

Drake's rise has been steep. The Bulldogs sat 227th in the preseason ratings and have climbed 89 places since, carrying a B overall grade built on a B defense that ranks 133th nationally. Their offense is a more modest C+, but it was enough to beat South Dakota in their last outing, Drake's first win over that opponent since November 2021, extending the current streak to three.

Tarleton State has its own momentum after snapping a six-game losing streak with a 73-69 win over Alcorn State, part of a current two-game winning streak. Still, the Texans slipped two spots from their preseason ranking and carry a C overall grade, with a C- offense ranked 266th that will have to contend with Drake's defense. In the teams' most recent meeting, in November 2022, Drake won 71-64 at a neutral site.

With Tarleton State's offense ranked well behind Drake's defense, Versus sees the Bulldogs controlling the game from the start.