No. 1 South Dakota State will look to defend its title Sunday when it faces No. 2 Montana in the Division I FCS national championship. For those seeking any last little bit of college football before Monday's College Football Playoff National Championship, Sunday's action is the perfect appetizer.
The Jackrabbits knocked off rival North Dakota State last season to capture their first national championship in program history and can take the next step towards creating the next FCS dynasty with a win this weekend. The road back to the title game has been smooth sailing: The Jackrabbits outscored their previous three opponents in the FCS playoffs 123-12 and are riding a 28-game winning streak that dates back to last fall. South Dakota State's last loss came in the 2022 season-opener to Iowa.
As for Montana, its path back to the title game has been drastically different. The Grizzlies knocked off Furman in overtime in the quarterfinals and used a 31-29 double-overtime win over North Dakota State in the following round to advance to their eighth national championship appearance in program history. Montana is seeking its third FCS title overall and first since 2001 this weekend.
Follow along with LIVE UPDATES as South Dakota State and Montana clash for the FCS championship.
How to watch South Dakota State vs. Montana live
Date: Sunday, Jan. 7 | Time: 2 p.m. ET
Location: Toyota Stadium -- Frisco, Texas
TV: ESPN | Live stream: fubo (Try for free)
South Dakota State vs. Montana: Need to know
Jackrabbits eye potential dynasty: South Dakota State has been in the shadows of rival North Dakota State for the past decade. The Bison have won nine FCS titles since 2011, but with coach Matt Entz departing for a job at USC the door could be open for the Jackrabbits to build a dynasty of their own. South Dakota State hasn't lost to an FCS opponent since falling to Montana State in the FCS semifinals in 2021 nor shown signs of slowing down since. A win over Montana would make it back-to-back championships and shift all the momentum going forward in favor of SDSU.
Montana's long journey back to title contender: One of the more successful programs in the FCS is back in the title game after a 14-year absence. After the Grizzlies lost consecutive FCS championships in 2008 and 2009, coach Bobby Hauck departed to take the UNLV job and spent some time away from his alma mater before returning to coach in 2018. Montana had failed to make it past the FCS quarterfinals since losing the title game in 2009, but now it finds itself one upset win away from claiming its first national championship since 2001.
Isaiah Davis is a name to watch: The key to this game is South Dakota State star running back Isaiah Davis. SDSU returned all five starting offensive linemen from its championship team last season. That's certainly benefited Davis, who recorded career highs in yards rushing (1,491) and touchdowns (17) in 2023. SDSU has the top scoring defense in the country (9.7 points per game), so controlling the clock on the ground and getting stops on defense will be the perfect recipe to capture the title.
South Dakota State vs. Montana prediction, picks
Odds via SportsLine consensus
At first glance, you may think this line is absurdly high and you would not be wrong. This is projected to be the third-largest spread in the history of the FCS title game since 2010. South Dakota State has allowed 20-plus points only twice this season and already has a pair of shutouts recorded in these FCS playoffs. Montana has been a great story this season, but it's hard not to envision this game going south quickly if it can't get stops on defense. Pick: South Dakota State -12.5
