Congratulations NDSU Bison!

[SiteWolf]

http://espn.go.com/college-football/...ta-state-bison

even tho the media deems a IAA National Championship game to be of lesser interest than telling us that Barry Sanders' son is going to Stanford, it's still an impressive feat...

17-6 win over previously unbeaten Sam Houston....using a defense that would stymie a large percentage of FBS teams......after all, Sam Houston averaged 39 points/game coming in...and the game was in THEIR backyard, not NDSU's.

NDSU has always had a strong program, tho, winning 5 Division II titles before moving to Division IAA (with my local SDSU) in 2004 (SDSU should've been in a title game a few years back but had an epic collapse late in a game they led by 30....but look for SDSU in March Madness this year).

There's just not as much a difference between FCS and FBS as some people think....tho that's more true in basketball (SDSU beat Washington by 19 IN SEATTLE a couple weeks back..just a few days after Washington only lost to Duke by 6)

[SiteWolf]

so, does the lack of views and the absence of replies to this mean the rest of you are like the media? unless it's Division IAAA it ain't worth talkin' about?

[StockTrader]

I read it, and am happy for NDSU. Just didn't feel like replying yesterday

Nick

[SayOw]

We've been partying up here since Saturday...

It has been an unbelievable year and the win caps off an almost decade long journey...

When NDSU moved up from division II to I-AA football (D-I all other sports) there was a very heated debate in the region as to whether that would be a wise move. NDSU was a perennial powerhouse in the D-II, especially in football. NDSU asked the University of North Dakota (UND) to also make the transition at the same time but UND felt that it wasn't a good idea and was so adamant about it they ended the longest football rivalry in the U.S.A. at the time (NDSU vs UND). Many athletic decision makers at NDSU were openly criticized but today, they are all still there and enjoying the fruits of their labor.

I have seen every home NDSU game live for the past 10 years and watch all their games on TV when they are on the road... this year's team had such an incredible defense. They only allowed ONE touchdown the entire postseason and played the two most powerful offenses in the FCS to win it all... Georgia Southern averaged over 440 yards of offense per game and was held to under 200. Sam Houston state, in the championship game, was undefeated and had never trailed in a game by more than 4 points all year went into the half with a 6-3 lead but didn't score again.

The best part, hopefully, about this NDSU team is the fact that they only have (i think) 9 seniors graduating and many of the team's biggest players are underclassmen (QB - Brock Jensen is a sophomore) so many have the chance to come back and defend their title next year. Last season NDSU made the playoffs as an at large team and made an impressive run to the quarterfinals but lost (on a bad call) to eventual FCS champions Eastern Washington, they wanted to improve last year's playoff run and they certainly did in impressive fashion.

The team was welcomed back by thousands of fans on Saturday night. I am fairly certain there will be an "official" celebration event happening soon.

Go Bison!

[SayOw]

Make it 2 years in a row!

[SiteWolf]

[SayOw]

Must of forgot to mention it last year...



But NDSU won the FCS championship last year to make it 3 in a row and now they are back again to try to win their unprecedented FOURTH FCS Championship in a row.

The game is on ESPN2 on Saturday at 1:00 ET (Noon Central) for anyone that might be interested in watching it. They play a conference foe, Illinois State...but because of the number of teams in the conference, this was one of the years where these two teams did not play each other during the regular season. To further add to the plotline...NDSU's longtime head coach, Craig Bohl, who essentially built the NDSU football program to reach this level left to go to Wyoming last year. So not only is NDSU trying to win 4 in a row, they will be doing it with a different head coach.

Injuries have hurt the Bison...sounds like their best wide out isn't going to play and along with some other bad breaks, the receiving core for NDSU is thin. They also lost one of their best linebackers for the season a few games ago so NDSU will likely have their work cut out for them if they are going to win their fourth championship in a row...something no other FCS team has ever done.

[SiteWolf]

We couldn't have forgotten it entirely...could we? Maybe another thread...

but anyway, not many teams get the chance at a fourpeat...and this certainly hasn't been the easiest year for the Bison (and if I looked correctly, a bit odd that both teams playing tomorrow have 1 loss..and both lost to the same team, UNI...which I'm sure makes djrogers smile)

not only a fourpeat, but under a new head coach....impressive regardless of sport, level, circumstances.....

GO BISON!

[Runt]

It wasn't easy to find, but I see the Bison won it again. That is impressive. Congrats!

[SiteWolf]

yeah, the game was on ESPN2 yet it took them until like a half hour after the game ended to have ANY kind of a link to it

if you didn't see the game, it was a very entertaining one...NDSU up 20-7 only to fall behind and need a late TD to retake the lead and then a DB stealing the ball from a receiver to end it

For seniors on this team?
4 championships vs 3 total losses in their 4 years

...and a lot of their better players will return...they've built a nice program there.........only problem with today from an SDSU (arch rival) fan was....Illinois State gave them a slightly tougher game than SDSU did..the last couple years once NDSU got past SDSU, their next 2 or 3 playoff games were easier
(and yes, one lil twist in the FCS playoffs are matchups set more by geography than anything else, so virtually every year that means a 1st or 2nd round matchup between the 2)

[SayOw]

That game was as wild as it gets! NDSU needed a touchdown to win and had the ball with 1:35 to play...they end up and scoring the game winning touchdown...

The game was a back and forth slug fest...a nail biter to the end for us NDSU fans.

I do think it is a tribute to the Missouri Valley Conference on how the two final teams - in a true playoff setup - end up playing each other in such a fantastic game.

I know talk of a (what?) FIVE-PEAT will begin shortly...that would be super insane...and celebration of #4 is still underway!

And to elaborate on your stat their O... Seniors at NDSU career record: 58-3 with 4 conference and national championships.

[rich76]

[Runt]

SayOw.... I guess that would be a penta-peat. But whatever you call it, it is an amazing run of excellence.