Millsaps' soft schedule doesn't erase its edge over Maryville TN

Millsaps arrives at 7-2 and Maryville TN at 4-5, but the records alone miss how differently those marks were earned. Millsaps carries a strength of schedule rank of 159 in Division III, while Maryville's slate ranks 54th, considerably tougher. Versus's grades still side with Millsaps once that gap is accounted for.

The Majors grade out A- on power and offense, with a B+ defense, good for a power rank of 53rd and an offensive rank of 38th in D3. Maryville, by contrast, sits 87th in power with a B overall across the board, and Versus has Millsaps 32 spots ahead at No. 68 to Maryville's No. 100 in the division.

Both teams faced Southwestern TX this season, and the split was stark: Millsaps won by 38 points while Maryville lost by 7. That mirrors a broader pattern for Millsaps, which has won four of its nine games by 21 points or more and is off to its best 7-2 start through nine games since 2013. Maryville has shown its own upside, having knocked off a Trinity TX team ranked 73 spots above its own position, but it has also been prone to letdowns, dropping its most recent game to an unranked Southwestern TX squad.

Versus projects Millsaps to win 32-23, giving the Majors a 72 percent chance in a game that counts in the SAA standings for both sides.