Southern Miss vs. Old Dominion Prediction, Odds & Pick
Prediction, odds and the model's read
Our model's read
Scouting report
2026 projection · last season, roster and staff
Where Old Dominion gets at Southern Miss: 28th in the push up front, against a unit 88th at holding the line of scrimmage. Southern Miss projects no clear way in against Old Dominion. Old Dominion is also 50th at running it, against a unit 89th.
How
ODUattacks
USM
- 1
Establish the push up front
the push the line gets · projected
ODU#28 of 138USM#88 of 138 - 2
Run it
running it · projected
ODU#50 of 138USM#89 of 138
The two teams
Southern Miss
Southern Miss is in year 1 under Blake Anderson, whose offenses have been balanced. The strengths are offensive, led by 9th at hitting chunk plays.
On fourth down he goes for it about as often as his peers do from the same spots (+0.9%). Against what the expected-points model recommends he is −25.0% — the profession as a whole is negative on this.
Southern Miss has played 1 game against an average slate, adjusted for here. That football carries about 0% of what is below; the rest is still the preseason projection.
Projected strengths
- Offensehitting chunk plays#9projected
Old Dominion
Old Dominion is in year 7 under Ricky Rahne, whose offenses have been balanced. The strengths are on both sides of the ball, led by 2nd at keeping everything in front of them. The way in is 106th at hitting chunk plays.
On fourth down he goes for it about as often as his peers do from the same spots (−2.2%). Against what the expected-points model recommends he is −32.0% — the profession as a whole is negative on this.
Old Dominion has played 1 game against a genuinely tough slate, adjusted for here. That football carries about 0% of what is below; the rest is still the preseason projection.
Projected strengths
- Defensehitting chunk plays#2projected
- Defensesurviving second and twelve#16projected
- Offensegetting stopped at the line#19projected
Projected soft spots
- Offensehitting chunk plays#106projected
Ranks are national. Nothing here is last season's number — carrying one forward is measurably worse than saying nothing — and in-season figures are adjusted for who was actually played. This describes the matchup; it is not a prediction and not a pick.
Head coaches only — there is no free feed for coordinators, so on a program where the head coach does not call the offense this describes the staff he hired. Play-calling identity is a style, not a grade: throwing more than the situations warrant is not better than throwing less than they warrant.
Model prediction
how the number is builtOur model simulates the game drive by drive from each side's opponent-adjusted efficiency (ODU Elo 1289, USM Elo 1285 for reference), with home-field advantage. That projects ODU -0.7 (51% to win), essentially in line with the market.
Why that percentage is worth reading: across 604 graded in-season games, the calls this model put near 58% came in at 58.2%. The full calibration table is published, bin by bin. Early in the season the cold-start path runs instead and calibrates less well (Brier 0.2028 against 0.1889).
Model as of Sep 1 · through week 1 · drive simulation
Where the game is won
2026 national rank · right is better
offensethe defense it faces
Moving the ball
USM106th40thODUODU76th109thUSMThrough the air
USM96th74thODUODU120th62ndUSMOn the ground
USM55th62ndODUODU78th133rdUSMStaying on the field
USM73rd83rdODUODU70th100thUSMTaking care of it
USM75th9thODUODU124th5thUSM
Each bar runs from last in the country on the left to 1st on the right. The filled span is the gap between the offense and the defense it faces.
Season form — 2026
nationally rankedThe matchup, in context
series history + adjusted profiles| USM | ODU | |
|---|---|---|
| -0.18 | points / drive | 2.00 |
| 3.44 | allowed / drive | 3.70 |
| 36% | three-and-outs | 42% |
Bold is the side ahead. CORE strips the situation from every play and solves the schedule out across the league, so these compare two teams that never met.
Key matchups
The analyst read: each team's offense splits crossed against the opponent's defense, with the edges called out.
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FAQ
Who will win Southern Miss vs. Old Dominion?
Gridpex's model favors Old Dominion with a 51% win probability.
What's the predicted spread for Southern Miss vs. Old Dominion?
The model projects Old Dominion by 0.7.
What time is Southern Miss vs. Old Dominion and what channel is it on?
Time TBD, at S.B. Ballard Stadium.
Where this number comes from. Every projection on this page is produced by the same model, run before kickoff on opponent-adjusted efficiency, power ratings and situational data — walk-forward validated on eleven seasons and never adjusted after the fact. How the model works →