BROOKINGS When the bracket for the Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs was released on Sunday morning there was plenty of suspense. Several teams were vying for a top-eight seed in the tournament while others were trying to find out if they got in.
Like previous years, South Dakota State gathered at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium to see where they would land but this year had a different feel.
Being the only team with an undefeated record in the FCS, the Jackrabbits knew they would be the top seed in the playoffs for the second consecutive year and there were no surprises on Sunday. But its their own goals and a wide-open landscape that makes their path to Frisco intriguing.
Were doing what we expected and set out to do and it feels good, SDSU head coach Jimmy Rogers said after the bracket was revealed. I feel good for these kids, but at the end of the day, we still have to get back to work here and accomplish a goal that we set out a long time ago and not get caught up in what weve done because I think thats where you slip.
The Jacks have been able to fend everyone off with the first undefeated regular season in school history at 11-0. The accomplishment is greater considering the Missouri Valley Football Conference had six teams in the 24-team field including South Dakota, who earned the No. 3 seed.
But the rest of the FCS has also emphasized Rogerss point. Just two weeks ago, it felt like Montana State was on its way to capturing the second seed in the playoffs until they lost 24-21 to Idaho on Oct. 28 and 37-7 to rival Montana in The Brawl of the Wild game on Saturday.
Another example came when Furman, who entered last week with a 9-1 record, lost 19-13 to Wofford, who entered Saturday with a 1-9 record.
I think its really competitive, Rogers said of the FCS. I honestly think in the Missouri Valley, you can see that anybody can beat anybody and there were a couple of losses on Saturday that you wouldnt expect. Thats what I take from all of this. A 9-1 team can lose to a 1-9 team if youre not ready and anybody can beat you.
SDSU offensive guard Mason McCormick also acknowledged some of the chaos that has unfolded in the FCS this season, saying it could lead to some big matchups in the coming weeks.
Its been crazy, McCormick said. Theres just a lot of good teams that are beating up on each other. Weve had some tough games this year as well and thats good for FCS. Its fun to see that there are big games every week.
The good news for the Jacks is that all of those big games will be played in Brookings until the FCS Championship Game on Jan. 7 in Frisco, Texas. SDSU owns a 19-game winning streak at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium and havent lost at home since Northern Iowa defeated the Jacks 26-17 on Oct. 23, 2021.
Theres no better stadium in the country that Id rather be playing in, SDSU quarterback Mark Gronowski said of the Jacks home field. We just need a lot of support from our fans to really bring that juice for us and theyre a big help. They matter more than I think they know and even just the couple false start penalties [against Missouri State] last week, its a huge help for us.
The home-field advantage also pairs nicely with the potential path to the title game. SDSU will enjoy a bye over Thanksgiving weekend before preparing for its first playoff game at 1 p.m. on Dec. 2 against the winner of Saturdays matchup between Mercer and Gardner-Webb.
The rest of their side of the bracket includes No. 8 seed Villanova, who will play the winner of Duquesne and Youngstown State in the second round, No. 5 seed UAlbany, who will play either North Carolina Central or Richmond and No. 4 seed Idaho, who will play Nicholls or Southern Illinois.
Other top seeds with a bye include No. 2 seed Montana, No. 3 South Dakota, No. 6 Montana State and No. 7 Furman. There are other intriguing schools that are not seeded, such as North Dakota State, who will open the playoffs Saturday against Drake at the FARGODOME and North Dakota, who will host Sacramento State for the right to face the Coyotes at the DakotaDome.
With several matchups that could create chaos, the Jacks are grateful of the accomplishment of earning the top seed for the second straight season, but also focused on making sure they dont fall into the trap.
We need to stay on as to give it our best and not get caught up on what weve done, Rogers said. If we dont, nobody will care about our season if we lose again. Were expected to do what were expected to do and Ill take those expectations. But it takes everybody to believe in that and give it their best.
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