North Dakota State Football

ESPN's College GameDay will spend Week 3 in Fargo, North Dakota, where it will witness a FCS game between three-time defending national champion North Dakota State and Incarnate Wood.

The show's official Twitter account reported the news:

BREAKING: GameDay is heading back to Fargo! #GetUp4GameDay pic.twitter.com/snJMnfgp0U

— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 7, 2014

Heading to Fargo for a game with no bearing on the College Football Playoff or any of the 11 FBS conferences is sure to be met with mixed reviews. For what it's worth, though, the GameDay crew did head to Fargo in September last season, when it saw the Bison beat Delaware State 51-0 to extend its winning streak to 12 games.

Since then, NDSU has extended that winning streak to 26 games, including a season-opening, 34-14 win at Iowa State two weekends ago. Last year, it started the season with a 24-21 win at Kansas State.

"To think (GameDay will come) two years in a row, I don’t know what to say," Bison defensive end Kyle Emanuel told Jeff Kolpack of The Jamestown Sun. "It’s unreal. It’s more than a dream come true."

Despite losing legendary head coach Craig Bohl—who has since moved on to Wyoming and is 2-0 to start his career in the FBS—the Bison remain the biggest draw in the FCS and a team deserving modest recognition. Especially after seeing Iowa State nearly knock off Kansas State in Ames on Saturday, their thorough beatdown of the Cyclones in Week 1 looks all the more impressive.

Besides, where else is GameDay supposed to go? Georgia at South Carolina stuck out as an obvious Week 3 destination during the preseason, but an ESPN-affiliated crew (the folks at the SEC Network) travelled to Williams-Brice Stadium just two weeks ago, and the game it saw between the Gamecocks and Texas A&M was effectively over with 20 minutes left to play.

One can understand why it wouldn't want to go back.

Other bigger games on the Week 3 slate include Tennessee at Oklahoma and...um...Louisville at Virginia? It's not like the GameDay crew had a banner weekend of games to choose from.

Why shouldn't it pack up and head to Fargo?

If the Big 12 is looking for expansion prospects, perhaps the league should look north. North of Kansas. North, toward Fargo, N.D., and North Dakota State.

Last month, Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby didn't completely close the door on Big 12 expansion. With the league sitting at 10 teams—and needing 12 to hold a lucrative league title game—the topic came up at Big 12 Media Days.

The Big 12 commissioner said, per freelancer Keith Whitmire for the Deseret News, that expansion was possible only if the school brings "more than pro-rata value."

Between last year and this year, our distribution per school goes up $3.2 million per school. If you do that 12 ways instead of 10 ways, it goes up $2.5 million per school. You've got to have somebody that brings at least pro rata value, and that's a real short list.

Year	Opponent	Score
2006	Ball State	29-24
2007	Central Michigan	44-14
2007	Minnesota	27-21
2010	Kansas	6-3
2011	Minnesota	37-24
2012	Colorado State	22-7
2013	Kansas State	24-21
2014	Iowa State	34-14

I’m not sure about pro-rata value, but North Dakota State has certainly proved its value as a potential Big 12 member on the gridiron.

Saturday’s 34-14 thumping of Iowa State marked the program’s second consecutive win over a Big 12 North foe, and third in the last five years. It was the Bison’s eighth win over an FBS foe in the last nine years, and NDSU extended its win streak to 25 games. Per USA Today's Paul Myerberg, the Bison have the nation's fourth-longest win streak against FBS competition. 

North Dakota State has built something truly special in Fargo, with three consecutive FCS national titles. As Bleacher Report's Ben Kercheval  noted, the Bison’s program DNA is hard-nosed defense and all-out effort. That hasn’t changed this season, although there was reason to believe NDSU might take a step back this fall.

Head coach Craig Bohl, the architect of the recent success, was hired away last December by Mountain West team Wyoming. And 24 seniors at the roster’s core graduated, finishing their eligibility following last season’s FCS national title win over Towson.

Defensive coordinator Chris Klieman was promoted to replace Bohl. And while Iowa State (3-9 in 2013) is nowhere near as impressive a conquest as beating defending Big 12 champion Kansas State with an 18-play, 80-yard, 8:30 touchdown drive, the Bison were solid Saturday regardless.

After spotting Iowa State a 14-0 lead, NDSU scored the game’s final 34 points, with first-time starting quarterback Carson Wentz completing 18 of 28 passes for 204 yards with no interceptions.

It’s unclear if North Dakota State could compete consistently with the likes of Oklahoma, Texas and Baylor, but at the very least, the Bison have proven worthy of inclusion in the Big 12’s middle class, finding success against FBS teams while competing with the FCS-mandated 63 scholarship limit.

BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall has campaigned for his team as a Big 12 expansion target. But if the Big 12 wants a passionate program that has proven it can hold its own with current league members, Bowlsby and Co. could certainly do a lot worse than North Dakota State.

Last year, North Dakota State head coach Craig Bohl did what Alabama's Nick Saban couldn't: He won his third straight national championship.  

The term "dynasty" gets thrown around at the slightest hint of a three-peat these days, and for good reason. Including Bohl, only a handful of coaches at any level of college football have accomplished that feat. Legendary Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne didn't get it done. Bear Bryant never did it, either, as a consensus champion. Saban came close, winning BCS titles with the Crimson Tide in 2010, 2012 and 2013, but the one in between eluded him.  

With his 2011-2013 FCS championship trifecta, Bohl, joined the ranks of Jerry Moore (Appalachian State), Bob Reade (Augustana), Lance Leipold (Wisconsin-Whitewater), Larry Kehres (Mount Union) and Mike Van Diest (Carroll), cementing himself among coaches in the modern era with at least three straight national titles. And Bohl went through the FCS playoffs to get it done. 

In 11 seasons as the Bison's head coach, Bohl won 104 games, highlighted by those three consecutive national titles.

Since the end of the 2013 regular season, two of the main architects of the Bison dynasty have departed. On Dec. 8, Wyoming named Bohl its new head coach. In June, former athletic director Gene Taylor announced he was taking a deputy AD job at Iowa.

It's been a time of transition for North Dakota State ever since, but that doesn't mean fans are giving up on the "four-peat" just yet. 

"The pressure is to go out and find the next Nick Saban," said Taylor.

Little about North Dakota State gives the impression of a stepping-stone job—other than it doesn't compete at the highest level of college football. The program enjoys a passionate fanbase that ranked among the best in Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) attendance in 2013.

It has a stable administration that constantly supports its athletics program through funding and facility improvement. Above all, the Bison have had steady success with 11 national championships. 

Under new head coach Chris Klieman, the Bison are looking to maintain their success. From a stunning upset over Kansas State in 2013 to an appearance on ESPN's College GameDay, few football programs at the FCS level have received the kind of exposure in recent years that North Dakota State has. 

"When we talk about someone leaving, whether it’s me or Craig, it’s not about the individual," Taylor said. "Do you have a culture for winning and success? Do you have a culture that people want to support?

"That was in place long before I was at North Dakota State."

A Turnaround from Humble Beginnings

North Dakota State wasn't always a powerhouse. It's easy to imagine a small program from Fargo, North Dakota, offering little to college football. 

Before the first wave of championships began at the Division II level in the 1960s (1965, '68 and '69), North Dakota State hadn't had a coach with a winning record since before World War II. 

But then came head coach Darrell Mudra (went on to coach at Arizona and Florida State) who guided the Bison to their first Division II title. Ron Erhardt, who would later coach the NFL's New England Patriots, succeeded Mudra and won another two. Then came another four in the 1980s (1983, '85, '86 and '88) with Don Morton, Earle Solomonson and Rocky Hager. 

The program established itself as one of the consistent powers in Division II. Its next challenge was to conquer Division I. 

In 2004, early on in Taylor's tenure as AD, the university moved up to what was then known as Division I-AA. It was a risky move that not every program made successfully. There are more strenuous financial obligations, including more scholarships (36 to 63) to support.

Furthermore, NDSU wasn't sure what conference it would be joining. Keeping boosters, coaches and recruits confident in the future was difficult. 

"The NCAA had come up with a new set of rules because a lot of schools were moving up [to Division I], and they weren’t ready. Financially, they were struggling," Taylor said. "So the NCAA said you get a five-year probationary period. You don’t get to compete for championships, share in NCAA money, can’t win a conference championship. 

"There was a lot of anxiety during that time."

Not to mention a coaching change. The program was trending down under Bob Babich, so Taylor hired Bohl. Because of the NCAA restrictions, the Bison weren't able to compete in the Division I playoff despite winning 10 games in 2006 and 2007.

Year	Coach
1965	Darrell Mudra
1968	Ron Erhardt
1969	Ron Erhardt
1983	Don Morton
1985	Earle Solomonson
1986	Earle Solomonson
1988	Rocky Hager
1990	Rocky Hager
2011	Craig Bohl
2012	Craig Bohl
2013	Craig Bohl

Every program boasts about the team-oriented players it recruits. However, with no opportunity for a championship, the players who transitioned the Bison to Division I did so knowing they were only there to lay the groundwork.

They would not be able to hang championship banners next to the ones from the '60s and '80s.

"They didn’t get a chance to do that," Taylor lamented, "but they helped build us to where we are today."

That would soon change, however. By 2010, the Bison were competing in the Division I playoffs. The three-peat title run began the following year. 

Establishing the Attitude

Defense is a source of pride for North Dakota State, which, dating back to the Hager era, has exclusively hired defensive-minded head coaches. 

In 2011, Klieman joined Bohl's coaching staff as a defensive backs coach following a successful stint at another FCS power, Northern Iowa, where he was the defensive coordinator. In 2012, he took over the same responsibilities with the Bison. 

"You have to take chances. You have to continue to network. You have to continue to better yourself and challenge yourself as a coach," Klieman said. "It was time for a new challenge."

Klieman is an Iowa native and a Midwestern guy familiar with the Missouri Valley Football Conference, formerly the Gateway Conference. There's an attitude in the region, he says, that favors sound defense and good field position. 

Klieman, like so many coaches at North Dakota State before him, is rooted in that mantra. North Dakota State had a stout defense in 2013, allowing just 11.3 points per game.

In each of Klieman's three years in Fargo, the Bison have led the nation in scoring defense. 

Minor things change from coach to coach, like blitz or personnel packages. The overall model, however, remains the same. The Bison practice hard and play hard with the goal of wearing down their opponents. 

That starts with workouts. Of all the hires Klieman made, none were more important than keeping strength and conditioning coach Jim Kramer. 

"He was the No. 1 focal point," Klieman said. "I know Craig was trying to get him at Wyoming, and we were trying to keep him.

"Jim loves it here. He has a great bond with our players. They’re with the strength coach 12 months out of the year." 

It was Klieman's biggest recruiting victory. New Washington coach Chris Petersen echoed that sentiment, telling Greg Bishop of Sports Illustrated about the importance of hiring good strength coaches: 

They're everything. Finally people are starting to figure out how valuable [strength and conditioning coaches] are. They're starting to get paid better. I mean, they probably spend, and I don't even think it's a probably, they do spend more time than myself or the assistants with these kids. That was my first hire, and probably my most important.

Kramer is one of the many people who have molded the program that has defeated a Football Bowl Subdivision team each of the last four years, including last year's stunning upset of Kansas State. 

24-21

At 74 years old, Kansas State coach Bill Snyder is still a living box score. 

"We had a good offensive line last year," he said at Big 12 media days. "We averaged about four or five yards per rush."

"Against North Dakota State," he continued, "we averaged about 1.8 yards per rush."

Look it up and he's dead on. The Wildcats averaged 4.5 yards per carry in 2013, according to cfbstats.com. In a 24-21 loss to the Bison in the '13 season opener? Sure enough, it was 1.8. 

North Dakota State's offense was just as impressive. The Bison had just one drive in the fourth quarter, but they made it count. An 18-play, 80-yard grinder that lasted 8:30 resulted in the go-ahead touchdown with 28 seconds left. 

On the very next play, linebacker Grant Olson intercepted Kansas State quarterback Jake Waters, sealing the upset. The Bison had toppled the reigning Big 12 champs. 

The Manhattan crowd, which just hours before watched an unveiling of Snyder's statue outside of the stadium named for the legendary coach, was blindsided.

How was it possible?

The Bison's fourth-quarter dominance revealed a universal truth about football, no matter the level: Good teams are excellent in the trenches since everything that happens on both sides of the ball before, during and after the snap begins right there. 

"Everyone would say we’re a running team. I would say we’re 50-50 balanced team when games are not in doubt," Klieman said. "Once the game is in hand, then we’re probably 80 percent run/quick passes to try and wear someone down." 

Recruiting has to match that philosophy. The Bison coaching staffs have historically tried to recruit the big Midwestern prospects you'd expect to find in places like Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. Even in-state recruiting is a priority.

"We have to win in the State of North Dakota," Klieman said. 

There are other places that Klieman calls auxiliary recruiting grounds: Kansas City, St. Louis, Florida and Arizona. The roster is sprinkled with players from those areas.

Almost all of the players were overlooked elsewhere, usually by Big Ten schools. They're an inch or two short, a hair slow in their 40 time, but they can play. And the coaching staff knows how and where to find them. 

"If you have a guy who comes in and says he wants to build his program with a bunch of D-I and JUCO transfers, that changes your culture," Taylor said. "If you quit recruiting your base, that changes your culture."

The Bison have no intention of changing that.  

Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss

Even through coaching and administrative changes, North Dakota has been able to remain largely the same. That's easier said than done.

Consider that Pitt once had three different head coaches in the span of a year: Dave Wannstedt, Mike Haywood and Todd Graham in 2010-11. 

Bohl declined to be interviewed, but Wyoming released a statement to Bleacher Report. "Craig had a great time while he was the head coach of the Bison and has so many great friends still there," it read. "But he feels it is best for NDSU that he let them move forward and build their program without him commenting on the program now that he has left."

Sure, playbooks will be modified, as they are every year. But, most importantly, the players who were a part of three national championships remained the same. 

"I told our guys, 'We’ve changed a lot of coaches, but we haven’t changed you players,'" Klieman said. "It's still your football team."

Retention rate is of the utmost importance. No matter how good North Dakota State has been, scholarship limitations mean less depth. Some players never receive full scholarships like they would in the Football Bowl Subdivision. 

There simply isn't as large a margin for error when it comes to attrition as there is at the highest division of college football. 

It takes leadership to keep the retention rate high. "We have great seniors. There just aren't as many," Klieman said. "But they were freshmen when we won our first national championship. They weren't the stars, but they've seen how a successful season goes."

Taylor and Klieman preached, almost verbatim, that buying into a culture is what breeds success. North Dakota State's culture has been about finding regional high school players who have a chip on their shoulder. "You have to understand who you are," Taylor said. 

It's paid dividends. The Bison have been picked to win the Missouri Valley Football Conference this season despite the coaching change. A season opener against Iowa State is another winnable game against an FBS opponent. A victory against the Cyclones would only boost recruiting for Klieman and his staff. 

As if North Dakota State needed more help. Summer camps are nearing 1,000 prospects per session. The brand of Bison football is as good as its ever been. The future is undeniably bright. 

Still, it's hard not to look back at what has been an unthinkable journey. Klieman let out a chuckle as though he was still in a state of disbelief.

"Last year was a special year." 

Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football at Bleacher Report. All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. 

The North Dakota State Bison came into this year's FCS college football season as two-time defending national champions. They now finish the season as three-time defending national champions, thanks to a 35-7 blowout of Towson in the FCS National Championship Game in Frisco, Texas.

The Bison kicked off the scoring with a five-play, 54-yard drive on their second possession of the game, which culminated in a two-yard touchdown run by John Crockett with a little more than five minutes remaining in the first quarter.

The Tigers responded with a 12-play, 77-yard drive that took up the remainder of the first quarter and was punctuated by a three-yard Terrance West touchdown run as the quarter ended.

For most of the second quarter, the game stayed deadlocked at 7-7, and it appeared that Towson may be able to hang with the powerhouse Bison.

That all changed with about five minutes remaining in the half, when Bison safety Colten Heagle blocked a 41-yard field-goal attempt and teammate Kyle Emanuel picked up the block and ran it back to the Towson 5-yard line.

On the very next play, a sweep handoff to wide receiver Ryan Smith resulted in a five-yard touchdown run to put the Bison on top once again.

NDSU wouldn't relinquish that lead, as Towson's next possession ended when quarterback Peter Athens got picked off by cornerback CJ Smith, who had an impressive winding return that netted NDSU 32 yards and gave them the ball in Towson territory.

The Bison needed only five plays to find the end zone, with QB Brock Jensen hitting star WR Zach Vraa for a 12-yard touchdown pass to send NDSU into halftime up 21-7.

The third quarter was all Bison, as Towson gained only 33 yards total, while NDSU racked up 161 and got on the scoreboard again, courtesy of a nine-yard touchdown run by Jensen.

The fourth quarter opened on another positive note for NDSU, as Sam Ojuri broke into the end zone on a one-yard run to give the Bison a 35-7 lead.

Towson's players had two long drives left in them but couldn't find the end zone, giving the Bison the 35-7 win and their third consecutive national championship.

The Tigers actually outgained the Bison, 373 yards to 345, but most of that came on the two meaningless drives near the end of the game. On the ground, NDSU outrushed the Tigers, 210 yards to 106. The Bison defense kept vaunted Towson running back Terrance West mostly in check, as he failed to eclipse 100 yards on the ground and was held to only an average of 4.5 yards per carry, which is well below his season average of 6.3.

One factor that affected both teams was the terrible field condition, as the grassy turf was left in chunks all over the field, and footing was an obvious issue for both the Bison and the Tigers. Large groups of workers and volunteers came on during each stop in play to try to patch the field back together.

The dominating win put NDSU in elite company, making them only the second team to ever win three straight FCS titles in football. NDSU joins Appalachian State, which did it from 2005 to 2007.

There is no doubt that this NDSU squad is to be considered a dynasty.  During their three-year run, the Bison have gone 43-2, which included a perfect 15-0 record this season.  That makes them the first FCS team to go undefeated since Harvard in 2004, which didn't participate in the playoffs.

Bison QB Brock Jensen finishes his career as the winningest quarterback in FCS history, going out with a final record of 48-5 as a starter.

The Bison will lose most of their starters and coaching staff after this season, so it remains to be seen whether they will be able to extend their dynasty next season. 

For the time being though, the North Dakota State Bison are the most dominant football program in the country.

Before Auburn and Florida State face off in Pasadena on January 6 to determine the BCS national champion, the FCS level of college football will crown its champion.

On the Saturday before the BCS National Championship Game, North Dakota State and Towson will battle it out to determine the national champion at the second-highest level of college football.

Unlike their FBS counterparts, these two title hopefuls have earned their way into the championship game by making it through a 24-team playoff.

Let's take a look at the biggest game of the year in FCS football.

When: Saturday, January 4, 2 p.m. ET

Where: Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas

Who: North Dakota State University Bison, Towson University Tigers

How Towson Got Here

The Tigers are 13-2 so far this season, with both losses coming in conference play. That led them to a second-place finish in the CAA, behind only Maine. Towson's first game of the season hinted at the greatness to come, as the Tigers took down FBS team UConn 33-18. 

In the playoffs, the Tigers got their first playoff win in 29 years by beating Fordham 48-28 in the second round after receiving a first-round bye. That was followed up with an impressive 49-39 quarterfinals victory on the road over Eastern Illinois and Walter Payton Award winner Jimmy Garoppolo.

That set up a semifinals matchup on the red turf of the Eastern Washington Eagles. Despite jumping out to a 21-0 lead in the first half, the Tigers found themselves trailing with less than a minute left in the game and their starting QB Peter Athens out with an injury sustained earlier in the game. WR/RB/QB Connor Frazier stepped in and led the Tigers on a 71-yard drive that culminated in his 1-yard touchdown run with 17 seconds to give Towson the 35-31 win and trip to the championship game.

How North Dakota State Got Here

By being the most dominant team in all of college football, quite frankly. The two-time defending champion Bison are riding a 23-game winning streak and are a perfect 14-0 on the season so far. NDSU has an otherworldly record of 42-2 over the last three seasons. 

Head coach Craig Bohl will be leaving to become the head coach at Wyoming, but not before leading the Bison in their quest for a third-straight national championship.

NDSU started off the season with a 24-21 victory over Big XII team Kansas State, which can't really be considered an upset due to NDSU's recent dominance as a football team. The only other team to stay within single digits of the Bison on the season was Northern Iowa, who took NDSU to the wire before the Bison pulled out a 24-23 win.

The Bison have practically cruised through the playoffs, winning all three games by at least 30 points each. Furman, Coastal Carolina and New Hampshire were all no match for NDSU, and it remains to be seen if any FCS team can compete with the Bison currently.

Players to Watch

Terrance West, Towson RB

As impressive as North Dakota State has been, the single most dominant player on the field in Frisco will be wearing a Towson jersey. Terrance West had the best season of any running back in all of Division I football, putting up video game numbers.

The workhorse back has carried an absurd 391 times for 2,410 yards and 40 touchdowns. West broke the FCS single-season record for both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, and has a chance to add to his record-setting season even more.

In the quarterfinals matchup against Eastern Illinois, West broke an FCS record with 356 yards rushing.

West is a strong, physical runner and could be a worthy adversary for even the vaunted NDSU defense. He finished third in the Walter Payton Award voting, although there is a strong case to be made that he deserved to win the award.

In addition to his running abilities, West is also a capable pass-catcher out of the backfield. He has hauled in 21 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown.

Marcus Williams, NDSU CB

The three-time first-team All-American is the top shutdown corner in the FCS and should force the Tigers to rely even more heavily on West than usual. Thanks to Williams' cover abilities, the Bison can afford to stack the box against the run. Williams could very well be the key to shutting down Towson's offense.

Brock Jensen, NDSU QB

Jensen is the FCS equivalent of Alabama's AJ McCarron. He is the longtime, always-reliable QB of a rushing-oriented team with multiple national championships. Jensen is now the FCS record holder for most career wins, with a 47-5 record during his time as a Bison.

The Missouri Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year also finished fourth in the Walter Payton Award voting, by displaying the same consistency he has throughout his career.

Jensen has thrown for 2,658 yards and 33 touchdowns so far this season, while tossing only seven picks. He also used his legs to help lead the offense, amassing 459 yards and nine touchdowns on 96 carries.

With Jensen under center, it will be very difficult for the Towson defense to force mistakes by NDSU's deceptively powerful offense.

Major Storylines for the Game

Will NDSU's Rushing Defense or Towson's Rushing Attack Win Out?

In the battle of the unstoppable force versus the immovable object, the nation's leading rusher takes on the top-ranked rushing defense in the country. Towson is averaging 177 yards per game on the ground, 160 of which belong to West. NDSU, meanwhile, is allowing only 68 yards rushing per game. Something has to give, which will it be?

Can Towson Stop NDSU's Rushing Attack?

It's easy to get distracted by the dominant NDSU defense and lose sight of the fact that the Bison have a pretty potent rushing attack themselves. NDSU averages 180 yards rushing per game, even better than Towson. The backfield tandem of Sam Ojuri and John Crockett has combined for 2,563 yards and 19 touchdowns. Both Ojuri and Crockett have rushed for over 1,200 yards apiece.

Towson's rushing defense, meanwhile, hasn't exactly been dominant. The Tigers are allowing 120 yards per game and have faced few rushing attacks nearly as powerful as NDSU's. If the Tigers can't figure out a way to slow down the Bison backs, Ojuri and Crockett can quickly put a game out of reach while eating up the clock.

Is Bohls' Head in the Game, or Is He Looking Ahead?

NDSU head coach Craig Bohls has put together a Hall of Fame-worthy 12 years in Fargo. He took the Bison from a Division II powerhouse to an FCS juggernaut that regularly takes down FBS foes. There's no denying that his NDSU program is to be considered a dynasty. 

The downside to his dominance at the helm of the Bison is that there is nothing left for Bohls to prove.  The outcome of this game will have little bearing on his legacy.

That begs the question: Is Bohls looking ahead to his impending tenure at Wyoming? He is expected to take most of his coaching staff along with him to Laramie, and it would be easy for him and his staff to put forth less than a full effort in preparing for this game. If Bohls turns down the effort for this game, he could go out on a sour note.

Prediction: North Dakota State 42, Towson 21

While Terrance West is the best running back a coach could ask for, he simply isn't enough to counter how truly dominant NDSU is as a whole. The Tigers may be able to hang close for a quarter or two, but look for the Bison to eventually wear down their foe and pull away.

While Monday's BCS National Championship game may or may not provide an adequate candidate to be crowned national champion, the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly 1-AA) settled its argument on the field Saturday in Frisco, Texas.

The North Dakota State Bison and Sam Houston State Bearkats met in the championship game that was the culmination of over a month's worth of playoff matchups.

As the game clock hit zero, the North Dakota State Bison were the only team left standing at the end of the 2011 FCS playoffs.  The Bison defeated the Bearkats 17-6, earning them their first championship at the FCS level.

The beautiful thing about the game was that it provided a concrete answer to the question of who was the best team at the FCS level this season.  No amount of conjecture or speculation can change the fact that the Bison won the championship.

There had been much hype surrounding Sam Houston State's offense, a unique version of the option attack, invented by Bearkat coaches in order to take advantage of the team's exceptional speed.

Not even the rock-solid Montana Grizzlies defense had been able to stop the Bearkat offense.

The Bison defense showed exactly what they thought of all the hype surrounding the Bearkat offense.  The Bearkats never reached the end zone, managed only 95 rushing yards and totaled only 210 yards altogether.

The Sam Houston State defense was also aggressive and limited the Bison offense to only 235 total yards, but weren't quite as dominant as the North Dakota State defense was.

This wasn't a case of the Sam Houston State offense losing the game, but rather the North Dakota State defense winning it.  The Bearkats offense had no answer for the physicality and various looks the Bison defense threw at them.

The Bison also got a spectacular effort on special teams, which turned the dangerous Bearkat return game into a non-factor.  Perhaps the most impressive effort of any player on the field came from North Dakota State punter Matt Voigtlander. 

He changed the flow of the game by pinning the Bearkats inside their 20-yard line four different times, and averaged 44.2 yards per punt on a whopping 10 punts. 

Oh yeah, he also ran for a 27-yard gain on a fake punt, a play that set up the Bison's first touchdown and changed the complexion of the game.

Defense and special teams ruled the day for the Bison, and in the end it proved enough for them to get the win.

North Dakota State didn't do anything flashy, but they played fundamentally sound football and earned the championship.  No debate about it.