Maybe the ending to the 2021-22 FCS football season was a bit anticlimactic with North Dakota State steamrolling Montana State 38-10, but don’t let that one game cloud what has been a fantastic year in the subdivision.
First, congrats to the Bison for capturing their ninth national championship in eleven years. Their level of consistency and dominance is without rival, regardless of subdivision. Coach Matt Entz won his second championship since taking over in 2019, and he was able to get the job done with multiple QBs this year. With the growth we saw from one of them, Cam Miller, the future continues to be bright in Fargo, North Dakota.
We also saw outstanding play from a bevy of teams, including two from the SWAC in Jackson State and Florida A&M. The Rattlers became the first SWAC team to make the FCS playoffs since 1997.
When you combine those stories with ridiculous seasons from quarterbacks like Cole Kelley, Cameron Ward and the eventual Walter Payton Award winner Eric Barriere, 2021 will go down as one of the best seasons in FCS history.
Here’s a look at my final FCS Power Poll to put a bow on the season.
1. North Dakota State (14-1): The Bison used the 2021 FCS Spring season as motivation for the fall campaign, taking their frustration out on the Bobcats and winning the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball for 60 minutes.
2. Montana State (9-3): Losing QB “Touchdown” Tommy Mellott on the first series in the national title game was a tough break for the Bobcats. “What could’ve been” is going to be the theme of the offseason, but that still shouldn’t put a damper on a fantastic year, which ended with the program’s first national title game appearance since 1984.
3. South Dakota State (11-4): The Jackrabbits will lose…
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