Idaho's No. 1 schedule contrasts Montana's easier Big Sky slate

Strength of schedule is where these two Big Sky teams really separate. Idaho has played the toughest schedule in FCS, ranked No. 1, while Montana's slate checks in at just 43rd. That gap helps explain why a team with Idaho's offensive firepower still sits at 1-5 overall, well behind Montana's 5-2 mark.

Montana carries an A overall grade built on an A+ offense and an A defense, ranking 8th in power and 7th in offense within FCS. Idaho counters with an A- offense of its own, 26th in the division, but its defense grades out at B- and ranks 63rd, a split that has defined its season.

The Vandals have shown they can rise to the moment, having already upset Montana St, a team ranked 43 spots ahead of them at No. 8 in FCS. But Idaho is just 1-3 in one-score games, while Montana has won four of its seven games by 21 points or more and has posted a winning record in 14 straight seasons.

This one counts in the Big Sky Conference standings, and Versus projects Montana to win 39-25, giving the Grizzlies an 81 percent chance to cover a 14-point margin at home.