2026 MATRIXWEEK 9138 FBS TEAMS56 GAMESCOLLEGE FOOTBALL DECODEDMODEL + MARKET + CONTEXT
GameDay Matrix
BS
MAC · Cardinals · 3-5

Ball State

Ratings fitted through Week 8. Results through October 25.

Preseason roster reference: Five offensive starters and a rebuilt quarterback room can improve the scoring floor, but low snapback and only two defensive starters keep the range wide.

MPR #133Projected Wins #115MAC MPR #11Ratings through Week 8 · Outlook October 25
Matrix Power Rating-23.9National #133
Projected Wins4.23National #115
Schedule Strength#108National SOS rank
Projected Offense19.2Remaining-schedule average
Projected Defense27.2Remaining-schedule average
Point Differential-8.1Projected per game
Week 8 Model Update

Model Response

Moved Up

The Week 8 review is complete. This panel shows the rating change and its football context.

Week-over-Week MPR-25.08 → -23.95+1.13 MPR
Rank#134 → #133+1 spots
Projected Wins3.76 → 4.23Week 9 refresh
SEASON STRENGTH UPDATE

Beat Sacramento State 34–17. The opponent-adjusted season fit moves power +1.1 points; unit inputs are retained.

External Headlines

Latest Ball State news.

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Outcome Range

Season Distribution

Completed results through October 25 are fixed. Remaining-game probabilities use the ratings fitted through Week 8.

Current Season OutlookResults through October 25
3
4
5
6
7
The gold bar is the current mode (4 wins). Each remaining game is treated independently; shared rating uncertainty is not included. Bars below 0.05% are omitted.
Season Market Reference · 2026-08-08
Current Forecast / Preseason Quote

The August 8 quote is retained for comparison. This gap is not a current betting recommendation and does not define team strength.

Preseason Posted Total3.5
Preseason Effective Market3.57
Current Win-Total Gap+0.65
Quote StatusReference only
Game by Game

2026 Schedule Matrix

Upcoming games use season-strength ratings after Week 8. Completed results retain their original pregame Matrix forecast.

DateOpponentWin %Score / ResultMarginTotalConfidenceType
SEP 5Ohio StateAway · NonconferenceFINALGame Status3–56Final · Pregame Matrix 4–46-42.0Margin49.1TotalFINALFBSOpponent
SEP 12Stony BrookHome · Nonconference — FCSFINALGame Status41–17Final · Pregame Matrix 22–28+24.0Final Margin50.3TotalFINALFCS/Other ProxyOpponent
SEP 19LibertyAway · NonconferenceFINALGame Status15–51Final · Pregame Matrix 16–37-21.0Margin53.2TotalFINALFBSOpponent
SEP 26Kent StateAway · MACFINALGame Status13–26Final · Pregame Matrix 21–29-8.0Margin50.0TotalFINALFBSOpponent
OCT 3ToledoHome · MACFINALGame Status24–39Final · Pregame Matrix 17–29-12.5Margin46.5TotalFINALFBSOpponent
OCT 10NorthwesternAway · NonconferenceFINALGame Status14–45Final · Pregame Matrix 4–43-38.8Margin46.2TotalFINALFBSOpponent
OCT 17Bowling GreenAway · MACFINALGame Status32–31Final · Pregame Matrix 14–31-16.3Margin45.2TotalFINALFBSOpponent
OCT 24Sacramento StateHome · MACFINALGame Status34–17Final · Pregame Matrix 28–23+4.8Margin50.6TotalFINALFBSOpponent
NOV 4MassachusettsAway · MAC52%Win %25–24Current projection+0.7Margin49.2TotalLowFBSOpponent
NOV 11BuffaloHome · MAC27%Win %18–27Current projection-9.0Margin45.8TotalMediumFBSOpponent
NOV 17OhioAway · MAC16%Win %14–29Current projection-14.7Margin43.3TotalLowFBSOpponent
NOV 28Central MichiganHome · MAC27%Win %19–28Current projection-9.2Margin47.6TotalMediumFBSOpponent
Upcoming games use current ratings. Completed games preserve their original forecast and final result.
← All Teams

Week 8 closeout is complete. Season-win market comparisons retain the August 8 quote vintage; they are reference comparisons. Season-win distributions condition on played results and use independent remaining-game probabilities.

Active net power -23.95 = OFF 12.35 − DEF 36.65 + ST -0.70 + legacy residual 0.10 + season adjustment 0.95. Sigma 3.07.