Theory: someone other than North Dakota State will win the FCS title

North Dakota State is the #1 seed in the playoffs. Their path to another title feels as inevitable as ever. We’ll check back in here around the semifinals, when I assume they’ll still yet to be bothered.

NDSU destroyed Western Illinois, 57-21. Next up is South Dakota, which is far less scary than South Dakota State, whose hearts the Bison broke again a few weeks ago. Everyone should be terrified.

NDSU destroyed Western Illinois, 57-21. Next up is South Dakota, which is far less scary than South Dakota State, whose hearts the Bison broke again a few weeks ago. Everyone should be terrified.

NDSU absolutely obliterated the Youngstown State Fightin’ Pelinis, 56-17. The Bison have pretty much come through the most difficult portion of their schedule looking even better than they did when they entered.

The Bison, ranked #1, played their biggest rival, #3 South Dakota State, in a College GameDay game. It was tied at 16 late in the fourth quarter, when NDSU decided to — on fourth-and-one at its own 29 — rip off a 71-yard TD run. The ruthlessness at hand here is simply shocking.

NDSU played a bad team and treated it like a bad team. Missouri State went to Fargo and left with zero points. The Bison held them to 2.3 sack-adjusted yards per carry and 3.2 yards per play. NDSU’s offense was kind of sluggish and only scored 22 (despite six yards per play), but the Bison continue to look unstoppable.

NDSU hammered UNI 46-14 and looked as dominant as in any game this season, this time against a good team. Trey Lance again didn’t have to do anything much but was great when asked to throw. It’s dark out there right now for any team that isn’t from Fargo.

NDSU played Illinois State, which entered ranked #6 and undefeated against FCS teams. The Bison clocked the Redbirds 37-3, beating them 7-4 in yards per play and getting another basically perfect performance from Trey Lance (12-of-15 for 189 yards, three TDs, and no picks). This team is a juggernaut. Any optimism that it might be someone else’s time has been (for now) pushed to the back burner.

NDSU was on a bye week.

North Dakota State was actually losing to #4 UC Davis 10-7 at one point, before winning 27-16. The Aggies had it within four points late in the fourth quarter, too, and got the ball with a chance to win it. Naturally, NDSU got a pick on the first play of the drive and iced it with a TD almost immediately after. Getting a little test is fine, but kings stay kings.

NDSU played #18 Delaware, in Delaware, and chucked the Blue Hens into the Delaware River, 47-22. This was the Bison’s first test against a good team, and it turned out to not even be a test. Trey Lance continued his inexorable march toward being the first FCS Heisman finalist since Steve McNair, going 18-of-23 for 195 yards and three scores.

North Dakota State walloped rival North Dakota, which was nice but not all that significant to us figuring out whether NDSU still reigns. A good rule of thumb is to worry about Dakota States more than Dakotas.

The Bison put a hearty whooping on Butler in Week 1. This was to be expected. NDSU is NDSU, and Butler plays in the non-scholarship Pioneer League. There's little to learn from it. But it's *more encouraging than not* that Trey Lance, NDSU's Easton Stick replacement at QB, was 10-of-11 for 185 yards and four TDs.