Grand Valley State's gaudy record meets its biggest soft spot vs Michigan Tech

The widest gap between these two Division II teams has nothing to do with the scoreboard. Grand Valley State carries a strength of schedule rank of 148, while Michigan Tech sits at 24, and that difference looms over a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game that counts fully in the standings.

Grand Valley State is 5-0 and Versus credits the Lakers with the best record in college football, part of an eight-game winning streak and a run of 19 straight seasons with a winning record. The grades back it up, with A+ marks in power, offense and defense and a divisional rank of 18. Michigan Tech has been climbing fast of its own, up 22 spots in the Division II rankings this season to No. 14, and its own A grades in power, offense and defense reflect a team that beat Roosevelt 57-28 in its most lopsided win in nearly a year.

History leans heavily toward the visitors, who lead the series 16-2 and have won the last 10 meetings outright. Versus projects another Grand Valley State win, 36-26, giving the Lakers a 73 percent chance, but Michigan Tech's tougher schedule and A- defense suggest this one could be closer than the series history implies.