Heartland Bluffton

Record2-6through 8 games
Nextvs Ohio NorthernSat Nov 7 · 12 pm ET
The model#225 among Division III teams

Updated Wed Nov 4 · through week 9

Schedule and results

Bluffton · 2026 schedule and results2-6Balanced slateAverage opponent win rate 59%.
WkDateOpponentResultRecordConfTop performers
1Sep 3@Ohio WesleyanL 9-680-10-0
2Sep 12Madonna University (Mich.)L 18-270-20-0
3Sep 19TrineL 7-590-30-0
4Bye week
5Oct 3Anderson (IN)W 36-121-31-0
6Oct 10@ManchesterW 37-132-32-0
7Oct 17@Mount St JosephL 23-542-42-1
8Oct 24FranklinL 14-412-52-2
9Oct 31@HanoverL 14-552-62-3
10Nov 7Ohio Northern12 pm ET21% to win
11Nov 14Rose Hulman1:30 pm ET12% to win
How to read this table

Win chances are our model for Bluffton, through 8 games. This week's game comes from the playoff simulation, later games from the rating model. They are estimates and move every week.

Ahead

The forecast

The games that decide the season

The games that decide the season

Sat Nov 7Next: Ohio Northernvs Ohio Northern · at home

Recent form · last 10 games

Bluffton has won two of its last five.

2-8 over the last 10, and lost the last three.

Streak L3Last 5 · 2-3Last 10 · 2-8

More in this tab

Worth watchingGames average 61 combined points, even games

What it is like to watch them2026 · 2-6

Game feel61even gamescombined pts / game3rd highest-scoring of 7 in the Heartland
Heart rate0-0rarely closein one-score games (0 of 8)7th most one-score games of 7 in the Heartland
Margin−21.4outgunnedavg scoring margin6th best margin of 7 in the Heartland

Measured from 8 games · ranks are among Heartland teams the same season

Team storyThe story of this team right now, in one line.
The weekly grind

Bluffton is the HCAC program in full rebuild mode — 5-5 in 2025 with a new coaching staff under Chris Hedden, betting on fresh leadership to break through.

Standard GapA program that fell to 5-5 in 2025 vs the belief that new coaches with…
Read the full program story ↓
Game dayWhat a Saturday in this stadium actually feels like.
The experience

Bluffton is the HCAC program in full rebuild mode — 5-5 in 2025 with a new coaching staff under Chris Hedden, betting on fresh leadership to break through.

Playoff pathWhere this team sits in the D3 bracket race.

Bluffton sits 5th in the Heartland Conference and 181st of 245 in the CFB Zeitgeist — outside the at-large picture — the path runs through the conference title.

Heartland · 2026
TeamConfOverallIndex
1Rose Hulman4-06-259.7
2Mount St Joseph4-17-164.0
3Hanover3-16-261.4
4Franklin2-24-453.0
5Bluffton2-32-642.7
6Anderson (IN)0-41-736.1
7Manchester0-41-734.7
42.7 CFB Zeitgeist#181 of 245 D352.0 strength of schedule

Win the Heartland Conference for the automatic berth into the 40-team NCAA Division III bracket. Miss it and the path is an at-large bid, selected by NPI — the metric the CFB Index mirrors. Six wins survive the bracket to the Stagg Bowl.

Source: CFB Zeitgeist — conference records + NPI-style rating from 2026 games · the field is 40 teams, NPI-selected
The 2026 season · 2-6
L 9-68 at Ohio Wesleyan · Wk 1−59Ohio WesL 18-27 vs Madonna University (Mich.) · Wk 2−9Madonna L 7-59 vs Trine · Wk 3−52TrineW 36-12 vs Anderson (IN) · Wk 5+24AndersonW 37-13 at Manchester · Wk 6+24ManchestL 23-54 at Mount St Joseph · Wk 7−31Mount StL 14-41 vs Franklin · Wk 8−27FranklinL 14-55 at Hanover · Wk 9−41Hanover

Signature win 36-12 over Anderson (IN); toughest day 9-68 against Ohio Wesleyan.

CFB Zeitgeist “Go Beavers.”
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