Schedule strength, not power rank, tilts Curry over SUNY-Maritime

The strength of schedule numbers tell more of this story than the power ranks do. Curry sits 125th in D3 for schedule strength, while SUNY-Maritime sits back at 171st, and that gap is a big reason Versus leans toward the Colonels by more than their raw power rank would suggest on its own.

Both teams arrive at 1-1, but Curry's 98th place in D3 sits 36 spots ahead of SUNY-Maritime's 134th, per Versus. Curry also carries the better letter grades across the board, a B- overall next to a C+ offense and C- defense, while SUNY-Maritime grades out C+ overall with a D+ defense that ranks 184th in the division.

Context from each team's last outing adds to the picture. SUNY-Maritime took its first loss to an unranked opponent this season, a step back after opening 1-0. Curry, meanwhile, is the CNE's No. 2-ranked team and just picked up a milestone win over Coast Guard.

This is a non-conference game for both sides, since SUNY-Maritime plays in a different league than Curry's Conference of New England, so nothing in the standings is on the line. Versus projects a 36-28 final in Curry's favor, giving the Colonels a 68 percent chance to win at home.