Still, Jacksonville State might be the most talented FCS team the Bison have played. The first big question is whether Carson Wentz will play. I think Eli Jenkins is better than either Easton Stick or a rusty Wentz, but JSU has no depth at that position. The second question is whether the Gamecocks can force NDSU into passing situations, which will be particularly important if Stick starts. JSU hasn't seen NDSU's level of power offense, but their defense is not undersized—it's a 3-4, but they have two DTs that weigh 320+, a starting DE that weighs 290, and a "Bandit" LB that weighs 260. The third question is whether the Bison can contain Jacksonville State's big plays. Troymaine Pope is averaging a crazy 8.4 ypc and was eviscerating teams in the first three rounds of the playoffs, so he should definitely be NoDak State's primary focus. The fourth and final big question is whether Bison K Cam Pedersen can pull his head out of his ass and actually make some field goals. NDSU is 1/7 in the playoffs after going 9/13 in the regular season, while the Gamecocks have made 5 in a row after going 12/22 prior to that. I see this as a high-volatility coin flip, but I just can't in good conscience pick a team above the DIII level to win their 5th. straight championship. My track record in FCS championship games isn't very good, though, so take this for what you will.Here's my assessment of the matchups & my pick for the game:
- Quarterbacks -- (push)
Running Backs - Jacksonville St.
Receivers/TEs - Jacksonville St.
Offensive Line - (push)
Defensive Line - North Dakota St.
Linebackers --- Jacksonville St.
Secondary ---- North Dakota St.
Kicking ------ Jacksonville St.
Punting ------ North Dakota St.
Return Teams - North Dakota St.
Kickoffs ------ North Dakota St.
- Jacksonville St. 24-21 North Dakota St.
- Quarterbacks -- (push)
