North Dakota State Football: Bison ready to roll through FCS again
By Zach Bigalke
2018 North Dakota State Schedule and Predictions
| WEEK | DATE | SCHOOL | OPPONENT |
| 1 | Sep. 1, 2018 | North Dakota State | vs. Cal Poly |
| 2 | Sep. 8, 2018 | BYE | WEEK |
| 3 | Sep. 15, 2018 | North Dakota State | vs. North Alabama |
| 4 | Sep. 22, 2018 | North Dakota State | vs. Delaware |
| 5 | Sep. 29, 2018 | North Dakota State | vs. South Dakota State |
| 6 | Oct. 6, 2018 | North Dakota State | @ Northern Iowa |
| 7 | Oct. 13, 2018 | North Dakota State | @ Western Illinois |
| 8 | Oct. 20, 2018 | North Dakota State | vs. Illinois State |
| 9 | Oct. 27, 2018 | North Dakota State | @ South Dakota |
| 10 | Nov. 3, 2018 | North Dakota State | vs. Youngstown State |
| 11 | Nov. 10, 2018 | North Dakota State | @ Missouri State |
| 12 | Nov. 17, 2018 | North Dakota State | vs. Southern Illinois |
Fans hoping to see North Dakota State extend their winning streak against FBS teams will need to wait another season. For the second straight year, the Bison have no FBS opponents on their schedule. Instead, they will enjoy a trio of home games against Cal Poly, North Alabama, and Delaware (combined 13-19 in 2017) to ease into 2018.
In Missouri Valley play, the Bison have three road games against opponents that were ranked last season. Northern Iowa, Western Illinois, and South Dakota will all fancy their chances at an upset. But if they were to win, even at home, it would undoubtedly be an upset against this North Dakota State team.
The question this year is not whether the Bison will win the Missouri Valley title and get to the FCS playoffs, but whether they will get to the playoffs with a perfect record. The schedule lines up for a fairy-tale run even by North Dakota State standards.
What’s next for North Dakota State?
Over the summer, the Bison prepare for a run at perfection. The presence of so much veteran talent throughout the roster makes this a prime opportunity to match the undefeated record of the 2013 squad. It all begins with the home opener against Cal Poly, who suffered a slew of injuries last year after reaching the 2016 FCS playoffs out of the Big Sky.
Prediction: 11-0 (8-0 MVC)
North Dakota State has nothing to worry about from its three non-conference games. Similarly, the four home showdowns in Missouri Valley play present little threat. As long as they get past South Dakota State in the MVC opener, the Bison will be in great shape to run the table in conference play.
Next: Post-spring Top 25 projections
Anything less than a trip to the FCS championship game would be a surprise. Expect to see North Dakota State in Frisco, Texas once again come January 2019.