Aurora favored at Concordia WI despite trailing in the D3 pecking order

Versus makes Aurora the favorite here, 57 percent to 43, even though the Spartans sit at No. 87 in Division III, nine spots behind Concordia WI's No. 78. The gap comes down to schedule. Aurora carries a sosRank of 11 in D3, while Concordia WI ranks 215th out of 234 teams in that category, and Versus reads Aurora's tougher path as more meaningful than the head-to-head win it currently trails in this NACC series.

Aurora is 0-2 to open the year, having dropped a game to an unranked opponent, but the Spartans are still ranked No. 3 in the NACC and carry a B+ offensive grade, tied to a 71st-ranked offense. Concordia WI is 2-0 and graded B- on offense with the 110th-ranked unit, a modest profile built against lighter competition. Both teams grade out at B overall, and their defensive grades sit close together, B- for Aurora and B- for Concordia WI, with defensive ranks of 106th and 112th respectively.

This is a conference matchup inside the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference, and Aurora's power rank of 88 edges Concordia WI's 111, another mark in the visitor's favor. Concordia WI has posted a winning record in seven straight seasons, a streak the Falcons will look to lean on as they try to protect their unbeaten start against the schedule-tested Spartans.