Butler's No. 21 ranking dwarfs Marist's at No. 106

The headline number here is the 85-spot gap between the two FCS rankings, with Butler sitting at No. 21 and Marist all the way down at No. 106. That gap matches almost everything else in the profiles: Butler carries an A- overall grade and a C+ in both power and defense, while Marist grades out at D+ overall with a D- offense that ranks 121st in the division.

Butler has been one of the fastest movers in Versus's FCS board this season, climbing 36 spots to reach No. 21, and the Bulldogs have made a habit of blowouts, winning four of their ten games by 21 points or more. Their one soft spot is strength of schedule, ranked 94th, but even accounting for that, Versus still rates Butler the top team in the Pioneer.

Marist is not without a signature result, having upset a Presbyterian team that sits 11 spots ahead of the Red Foxes in the FCS rankings, but a defensive rank of 107th and an offensive rank of 121st make it hard to see that kind of outcome repeating here. Butler has won three straight meetings in the series, which is otherwise even at 4-4 across eight games since 2011, and Marist has not beaten them since November 2019.

This game counts in the Pioneer standings, and Versus projects Butler to win 30-17, giving the Bulldogs a 78 percent chance to cover the final margin of 13 points.