LIU's tougher schedule looms largest in close Robert Morris test

The widest gap between these two Northeast Conference teams is not on the scoreboard, it is in the schedules that got them here. LIU carries a strength of schedule rank of 86 in FCS, while Robert Morris sits at 124, and the difference showed up directly this season: both teams played Central Conn St, with LIU winning by 6 and Robert Morris losing by 35 to the same opponent.

Versus projects a near coin flip, with LIU favored 20-19 and each team given a 50 percent chance to win. LIU brings the better defense of the two, graded B- and ranked 54th in FCS, and has not allowed more than 18 points in any of its last five games. Robert Morris counters with a defense of its own that just held Stonehill to a season-low 3 points, even as its offense has scored 9.0 fewer points per game since the season's midpoint.

Robert Morris leads the series 2-1 in three meetings since 2019, and Versus has the Colonials 5 spots ahead of LIU in the FCS ranks at No. 91 to No. 96. The game counts in the Northeast Conference standings, with both teams looking to end the year on a high note against a rank-adjacent rival they know well.