November 12th, 2026 5:00pm
By Chuck Bitner, D2Football.com
The 99th edition of the Battle of the Ravine does not need hype. It doesn't need anything at stake to make this one of the most anticipated games of the regular season. The annual meeting between Ouachita Baptist and Henderson State is one of the most special rivalries in all of college sports.
That said, there is a lot on the line. Both teams enter the season finale at 8-2. The Great American Conference title is out of reach - that has already been claimed by Harding with a perfect 10-0 record. But second place in the standings (or at least a share of it) is up for grabs and it remains possible for the winner of this game to receive an invitation to the Division II playoffs.
In the Division II super region structure, The Great American Conference is part of Super Region Four. Harding has already claimed the league’s automatic bid to the playoffs. The other automatic qualifying bids in SR4 will go to the champions of the RMAC, MIAA and LSC. That will leave four spots remaining in the eight team Super Region Four bracket for at-large qualifiers. Ouachita Baptist and Henderson State are competing for those spots.
Those four spots will go to the four highest ranked teams that did not receive automatic qualifying bids. The rankings are determined by the NCAA’s Power Index (NPI). Entering week 11, Ouachita Baptist is 10th in the SR4 NPI standings. Henderson State is 11th. Based on those current positions and what is ahead of them, winning this game will not be enough to make the field. The loser is undoubtedly out of the running but the winner will be in contention with teams such as Emporia State (MIAA), Washburn (MIAA), Midwestern State (LSC), Northeastern State (Ind) and conference rival Southeastern Oklahoma State. If you're a fan of either team in the Battle of the Ravine, you’re hoping for a lot of losses this week among that group of teams.
In terms of the matchup, The Reddies and Tigers are about as even as they could be. They rank second and third in the GAC in scoring offense. Ouachita has a negligible advantage, averaging 36.1 points per game. Henderson State is right behind at 35.5. The Reddies have an edge in offensive production, putting up 467 yards per game (second in the GAC). The Tigers are right behind with a third place ranking, but there is a gap to their 410 yards per game. Ouachita is the stronger rushing offense, averaging 231 yards per game on the ground but Henderson State boasts the GAC’s top passing offense at 283 yards per game.
When Ouachita has possession, attention will be squarely on quarterback Tre Nichols. He leads the team in rushing with 66.9 yards per game. He’s also scored 11 rushing touchdowns, just one behind team leader Chris Henley, Jr. Jaylen Boardley and Rico Ward should also see carries. The Tigers are a run-based unit but don’t discount their ability to move the ball through the air. Nichols is a 65% passer with 13 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions. Carter McElhany is his top target with 33 grabs for the season, but Eli Holmes-Holt is the leader in receiving touchdowns with six.
Henderson State’s offense will attack very differently. The Reddies have a rushing threat with Chris Gannaway, Myron Thrash and Jordan Walker all seeing nearly equal touches. As a unit they produce 183 yards per game, which is a perfect compliment to the passing of Austin Ledbetter. He’s been an efficient 70% passer this year, averaging 250 yards per game. He has missed two games this year, including the most recent outing at East Central. If he is unable to go, Jordan Walker will become the every-down signal caller. He was a tidy 17-24 with 172 yards and a touchdown in last week’s win. Whether Walker or Ledbetter is under center, expect Madox Davis to be a factor. He leads the team by a wide margin with 61 receptions and 6 touchdowns.
Defensively, Ouachita Baptist will be tested by Henderson State’s passing threat. The Tigers rank 11th in the GAC in pass defense (218 yards per game), though they do rank significantly higher in pass defense efficiency (fourth). That stat is aided by the fact that they have as many interceptions as touchdowns allowed (10). Henderson State’s defense will also face challenges. They rank near the middle of the league at slowing down the run though they did hold up well against the rushing of East Central and Arkansas Tech, who are among the stronger non-option based rushing teams in the conference.
The 99th Battle of the Ravine will kick off at 1:00pm, Central from Carpenter-Haygood Stadium. Coverage will be available via Henderson State’s YouTube Channel.
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