Ithaca's soft schedule aside, grades favor Bombers over Union NY

A 5-1 record against a 3-3 mark looks like a mismatch on paper, but the schedules behind those numbers tell a different story. Ithaca's strength of schedule rank sits at 148 in D3, while Union NY has played a tougher slate at 78th. Even so, the ratings still side heavily with the Bombers, who carry an A- overall grade and an A offense built around a defense also graded A-, compared to Union NY's B- overall mark.

Ithaca has been especially dominant of late, winning its last five games and outscoring opponents by a wide margin in that stretch, with four of its six victories this season coming by 21 points or more. Union NY has shown similar flashes, winning three of its own games by that same margin and outscoring its last five opponents by an average of 16 points, though its 3-2 record in that span shows more inconsistency.

This is a Liberty League game that counts in the conference standings, and Versus projects Ithaca to win 28-24, a four point margin that reflects a true gap in grades even if the gap in schedules complicates the comparison. Union NY's defense, graded A-, gives it a path to keep this closer than Ithaca's recent scoring form would suggest.