South Dakota State lost to an FCS opponent for the first time since Dec. 18, 2021, on Saturday, but there isnt time for the Jackrabbits to sulk over it.
SDSU dropped from No. 1 to No. 3 in the STATS FCS Perform Poll on Monday after losing to North Dakota State 13-9 on Saturday night. Its the first time since Oct. 17, 2022, that the Jacks have not held the top spot in the polls.
Fortunately for the Jacks, their season isnt over just because they lost one game. Im not saying that Saturdays loss wasnt important, but theres still five games left on the schedule for SDSU and theres still plenty of time for things to change around them.
One of the main goals for SDSU every season is to get a top-eight seed in the FCS Playoffs because then you get a first round bye. Recently that goal has shifted to getting the top seed in the playoffs and Saturdays loss now puts the Jacks behind NDSU and Montana State for the inside track to getting that top seed.
The No. 2 seed has just as much value in the playoffs because then you also get home field advantage. SDSU has had home field advantage throughout the playoffs three times in program history and each time it made it to the National Championship.
The path for the Jacks to get a top-two seed is still there. The first step for that to happen is winning out. When looking at the Jacks remaining schedule, there are three games that could be tough and then two lay ups. The first tough game comes on Saturday when the Jacks welcome No. 4 South Dakota to Brookings.
The Coyotes have won five-straight games and their only loss on the season came against Wisconsin. USD is talented, no doubt, but the Yotes will be going up against a gang of Jackrabbits that are angry and a crowd that has all day to get ready for a rivalry game. SDSU has beaten the Coyotes by a combined score of 65-6 in the past two meetings and I would be shocked if USD pulled off the upset on Saturday night.
On Nov. 2 the Jacks will host Murray State, who sits in last place in the Missouri Valley. The Racers are 0-4 in conference play and in those four games theyve lost by a combined 108 points. The Jacks shouldnt have any trouble in that game.
SDSU will then hit the road again as the Jacks will travel to North Dakota. UND, who is ranked seventh, is 2-1 in conference play but the Fighting Hawks lost to NDSU 41-17 in Fargo on Oct. 5. If you look at the two performances by the two teams in Fargo theres no reason to believe that the Jacks couldnt also take it to the Fighting Hawks. Its always different playing on the road, but SDSU knows whats at stake the rest of the season.
The Jacks close out the home slate with Southern Illinois on Nov. 16. The Salukis started the season 2-1 but have lost four in a row and the last three losses have been by 20 points or more. Should be another easy one for SDSU.
The final game of the regular season will be at Missouri State on Nov. 23. The Bears started the season 0-2 but have won their last five games. However, theyre not ranked in the media poll due to the fact that the five teams theyve beaten have a combined record of 16-22. Could be a tough game with it being on the road, but Missouri State has not beaten SDSU since 2013.
All five of those games are very winnable. Now, if the Jacks win out, they would also need either Montana State or NDSU to lose.
Montana State has two remaining games against ranked teams as the Bobcats play at No. 5 UC Davis and host No. 9 Montana in the final two weeks of the season. NDSUs only tough remaining game is in Vermillion on Nov. 23, but the Jacks would have to have the Bison lose two games to jump over them.
If the Bobcats lose a game, I believe the Jacks would get the No. 2 seed over them. SDSUs only two losses would be to a close one on the road to the No. 1 team in the country and an FBS team in Oklahoma State. I think being the two-time defending champions would also help the Jacks.
Theres a lot of football left to be played and SDSUs team motto of going 1-0 each week will reign true throughout the rest of the season. The path to getting to where they want to be at the end of the regular season begins on Saturday night.
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