Howard Payne's power rank dwarfs its 2-0 record against Simpson IA

A 2-0 mark for Howard Payne and a 1-1 mark for Simpson IA read like two teams separated by one game, but Versus sees a far wider gap. The Yellow Jackets sit 56th in Division III power rank, graded A- on both power and offense, while the Storm check in at 98th with grades of B- across the board. That 15-spot difference in the divisional rankings, with Howard Payne 86th to Simpson IA's 101st among 234 D3 teams, undersells just how much separation Versus has found between the two offenses and defenses.

This is a non-conference matchup, with Howard Payne representing the American Southwest Conference and Simpson IA the American Rivers Conference, so nothing in either league's standings is on the line. Simpson IA arrives having not finished a season below .500 since 2023, and its most recent outing was a 52-0 win over Crown, its most lopsided margin since September 2024. Howard Payne, for its part, snapped a long losing skid against Wayland Baptist to open its season 2-0.

Versus projects Howard Payne to win at home 33-21, giving the Yellow Jackets a 75 percent chance to cover that margin. Both teams carry weak strength of schedule marks, Simpson IA at 141st and Howard Payne at 209th, but the gap in overall grade, B to B-, and the wider gap in power rank still point toward a comfortable night for the home team.