Maryville TN's tougher schedule widens the gap with Rhodes

Strength of schedule tells more of the story here than the divisional ranks alone. Maryville TN sits at 16th in Division III strength of schedule, while Rhodes checks in at 77th, a gap that helps explain why Versus's model favors the Saints so heavily despite Maryville's own No. 117 overall standing. Rhodes, at No. 202, has faced a lighter slate and it shows in the ratings: a D across the board in power, offense and defense, compared to Maryville's B- grades on both sides of the ball.

Maryville's offense, ranked 104th nationally in D3, lines up against a Rhodes defense ranked 211th, a matchup Versus projects to produce a wide margin, with the Saints favored 41-15 and given a 93 percent chance to win. That comes even though Maryville's power rating has slipped in each of the last four weeks, a sign the No. 3 team in the Southern Athletic Association hasn't been trending upward lately.

Rhodes enters off back-to-back losses for the first time since November 2025, and its schedule strength does little to offset a defense ranked 211th and an offense ranked 209th nationally in D3. This is a conference matchup in the Southern Athletic Association, but the modeled gap in preparation, not standings implications, is what drives the projection toward a 26-point Maryville TN margin.