UW-Stout's ratings outpace its record against streaking UW-La Crosse

Both sit at 3-3, but the identical records hide very different stories. UW-La Crosse has actually tumbled from No. 6 to No. 39 in the Versus Division III rankings this season, a 33-spot slide, even though the Eagles still carry an A- overall grade and rank 18th in power. Part of that gap traces to a 1-3 mark in one-score games, though no opponent has beaten them by more than 8 points all year.

UW-Stout, by contrast, is trending the other direction. The Devils climbed 14 spots in a single week back in Week 7 and now sit among just 21 Division III teams graded in the top 25 in both offense and defense. Their strength of schedule rank of 3 is sharper than UW-La Crosse's rank of 9, and an A overall grade edges the Eagles' A- in the same divisional pool.

Versus projects UW-Stout to win at home 28-25, giving the Devils a 55 percent chance in a game that counts in the WIAC standings. UW-La Crosse has won 13 straight meetings in this series, but the current ratings gap suggests that streak means less here than the form both teams are carrying into Week 8.