Are there any FCS teams out there to give the Bison a real challenge?

[THEsocalledfan]

No. Not even JMU is in NDSU's league this year. JMU is the only team that could win if the Bison beat themselves.

[X-Factor]

You forgot your purple

Yeah but southern speed!

[23Bison]

No. Not even JMU is in NDSU's league this year. JMU is the only team that could win if the Bison beat themselves.

Also, without looking first, I don’t think JMU has any wins over teams in the top 25. They play Stony Brook this weekend and Towson in another week or two. There is also RI coming for them as well but need their starting QB back from injury. We’ll see who JMU really is in the next couple of weeks.

[THEsocalledfan]

Also, without looking first, I don’t think JMU has any wins over teams in the top 25. They play Stony Brook this weekend and Towson in another week or two. There is also RI coming for them as well but need their starting QB back from injury. We’ll see who JMU really is in the next couple of weeks.

I admit I'm largely following Sagarin, but I never cease to be amazed how accurate they seem every year for gauging team abilities.

[TransAmBison]

No. Not even JMU is in NDSU's league this year. JMU is the only team that could win if the Bison beat themselves.

I disagree. That loss made them dangerous. JMU has excellent coaching and they are good on both sides of the ball unlike most teams. Most rely on a good offense and are poor on defense, or are a good defense with little offense. All it would take is one or two mistakes/big plays and they could beat us.

[HandoEX]

Possible? Yes. Likely? I’d be shocked if this team lost a game all season. Absolutely shocked.

[THEsocalledfan]

I disagree. That loss made them dangerous. JMU has excellent coaching and they are good on both sides of the ball unlike most teams. Most rely on a good offense and are poor on defense, or are a good defense with little offense. All it would take is one or two mistakes/big plays and they could beat us.

They are much, much lower in Sagarin than usual. That says a lot. However, you could be right and if so they will have a chance to raise their level if they pound the good teams coming up. As it stands, NDSU is -7 on a neutral field with them thus my comments.

[LITTLEGUYSINGREEN]

I think JMU is legit as good as us. Other than that, we could lose to anyone if we beat ourselves.

[MankatoBison]

I think the answer is a definitive YES.

there are enough chinks in the armor with this year’s team (OL pass protection, WR threat not named Shep, LB run/pass coverage outside of Cox) for other really good teams to keep things interesting.

JMU had a letdown vs Elon, but so have the Bison almost every year since 2012. Those guys have been blowing out teams left and right otherwise and gave NC State all they could handle. Their defensive secondary is once again impressive

Is there anyone outside of JMU might be the better question, and I think that might be a good debate that leans toward ‘NO’

The challenge has to come from a team that plays legit defense. So that excludes UC Davis, EWU, KSU, Towson.

SDSU would get boat raced if they came back to the dome right now, and UNI in a rematch would do equally as poor.

Maybe SHSU or Jax St could give us a game

umm......... wut?

[NDSUstudent]

Right now I have no idea where JMU is at, they played well at NCSU like Tony said but their game against Elon wasn't so good.

If they go out and spank Stony Brook and Towson it would make them look a lot more threatening.