Shenandoah's tougher schedule gives it the edge over Roanoke

The widest gap between these two Old Dominion Athletic Conference teams is not on the scoreboard but on the schedule: Roanoke carries a strength of schedule rank of 216 in Division III while Shenandoah sits at 121, a 95-spot difference that colors everything else in Roanoke's 4-1 record. The Maroons have built that mark by routinely blowing out their opponents, winning three of five games by 21 points or more, but that run came against lighter competition and ended Saturday with a 33-39 loss to Hampden-Sydney.

Shenandoah, at 3-2, carries a lighter record but a heavier resume, ranked 91st in Division III against Roanoke's 128th, with a B grade on offense and a B- on defense that both sit ahead of Roanoke's C+ marks. The Hornets have not needed blowouts to keep winning, and they picked up a notable road win at Averett last time out, the program's first there since November 2024.

Versus projects Shenandoah to win at home 33-23, giving the Hornets a 73 percent chance in a game that counts in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference standings. The teams met in October 2025 with Shenandoah winning 33-20, and the model sees a similar outcome with Roanoke's gaudy scoring margins facing a real test against a team that has actually beaten quality opponents.