Any time you get two of the best teams in the sport playing against each other, it's a big deal. It just so happens that arguably two of the best teams in the FCS, South Dakota State and North Dakota State, are in the same conference, so we get this game each year.
Between these two programs, you're looking at 11 of the last 13 Division I national champions, with the Jackrabbits being winners of the last two. The stakes are always high when these two teams meet, and this year's Dakota Marker game between top-three teams is no different, so be sure to check Fanatics for all the latest odds on the upcoming clash.
Meanwhile, coach Eddie George is making waves in Nashville. Hired as the coach back in 2021, George has done a good job helping stabilize the Tennessee State program over the last four seasons. After going 5-6 and 4-7 in his first two years, the Tigers finished 6-5 last year and are off to an impressive 4-2 start to this season. The difference has been their ability to overcome early mistakes and be better at closing out games.
This is a team that has proven it can win in a variety of ways, both home and on the road. They are on a three-game winning streak and in second place in the Big South-OVC Association. With the balance they've shown offensively and a defense that can get pressure on the QB, the Tigers have a chance to garner an at-large bid to the FCS playoffs with a strong finish.
While that is a long way away -- they have five games left in the regular season -- what they've done so far leading up to this week has earned them a spot in our Week 8 FCS ]Power Rankings.
| Team | Rank | Record | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Montana State | 7-0 | The Bobcats hit the road for the next two weeks against Portland State and Eastern Washington. It's the last three games on the schedule that'll test them more (vs. Sacramento State, UC Davis and Montana). | |
| 2. South Dakota State | 5-1 | The Jackrabbits have only given up 16 points in their two conference games, an unbelievable display of defensive dominance. | |
| 3. North Dakota State | 6-1 | As is the case each season, the Dakota Marker game vs. South Dakota State has a lot at stake. It's always one of the best games of the year. | |
| 4. South Dakota | 5-1 | Junior QB Aidan Bouman has been excellent over the last three games with five touchdowns to only one interception. He's averaging more than 12 yards per pass attempt. | |
| 5. Villanova | 5-1 | The Wildcats hit the road off a bye to take on a pesky Maine squad. Nova can't afford to sleepwalk against the Black Bears. See Fanatics sportsbook for more. | |
| 6. Mercer | 6-0 | The Bears dominated Princeton last weekend and are ready to face conference foe Samford in what has always been a high-scoring game. We'll see if the Bears defense can remain as dominant as it has been all season long. | |
| 7. UC DAvis | 6-1 | RB Lan Larison, an NFL prospect, leads the team in both rushing and receiving. He's the straw that stirs the Aggies' drink offensively. | |
| 8. Tarleton State | 6-1 | Kayvon Britten had eight carries for 135 yards and three touchdowns in the Texans' 42-0 spanking of Utah Tech. Oh, by the way, Britten did all of that damage in the first half. | |
| 9. Southeast Missouri State | 6-1 | SEMO QB Paxton DeLaurent became the program's all-time leader in touchdown passes (46) thanks to his four scores in their 34-3 victory over Tennessee Tech. | |
| 10. Central Arkansas | 5-2 | Although it wasn't the cleanest of games, the Bears held on nonetheless against an upset-minded West Georgia squad 34-33, getting back on the winning track after their loss to Abilene Christian. | |
| 11. North Dakota | 4-2 | Looking to shake off that loss two weeks ago to North Dakota State, the Fighting Hawks anxiously await their matchup vs. Northern Iowa this weekend. | |
| 12. Incarnate Word | 4-2 | Impressive 55-10 win over Nicholls, thanks in part to a five-touchdown day from QB Zach Calzada. The Cardinals have turned it up a notch the last few weeks. | |
| 13. Idaho | 4-3 | Losing 38-7 to Montana State is bad enough, but the Vandals have lost two out of their last three, and I'm wondering if they may play themselves out of an at-large bid if they drop one more. | |
| 14. Rhode Island | 5-1 | QB Devin Farrell has been the hero over the last two week for the Rams. This week, New Hampshire provides a stiffer test than does Hampton and Brown. | |
| 15. William & Mary | 4-2 | Two weeks ago, they were upset by Towson. We'll learn a lot about the makeup of this team with how they respond vs. Campbell. | |
| 16. Florida A&M | 3-2 | The Rattler has their biggest game of the year against Jackson State. We could see a change in the top 25 between these two teams depending on the outcome. | |
| 17. Chattanooga | 3-3 | The Mocs have won three straight games and are looking to carry that momentum this week against Wofford. They're starting to get hot at the right time. | |
| 18. Montana | 5-2 | The defense looked significantly better last week vs. Northern Arizona. That's the type of Griz defense we're expecting to see the rest of the way. Good job righting the ship against the Lumberjacks. | |
| 19. Richmond | 4-2 | Richmond faces the undefeated, FBS-bound Delaware Blue Hens this weekend. Winners of four straight, the Spiders are looking to send the Blue Hens home with an L. | |
| 20. Abilene Christian | 4-3 | After getting upset two weeks ago vs. North Alabama, the Wildcats have a chance to regroup against a quality Eastern Kentucky team. | |
| 21.Dartmouth | 4-0 | Arguably the most complete team in the Ivy League are the Big Green. Love how they fought through adversity to come back and defeat Yale in overtime. | |
| 22. UT Martin | 4-3 | The Skyhawks are off this week and hope to not lose any momentum from their three-game winning streak while they wait to take on Eastern Illinois. | |
| 23. Illinois State | 4-3 | Despite the loss to FBS-transitioning Missouri State, there's still a lot out in front of this Redbirds squad. They have four winnable games on deck before an end-of-season clash against North Dakota. | |
| 24. North Carolina Central | 5-2 | They're going into their bye week at the right time. On the other side of it are three straight tough MEAC games vs. Morgan State, South Carolina State and Howard. | |
| 25. Tennessee State | 5-2 | Quietly, Eddie George has done a impressive job with this Tigers team and program. They've won three straight games and travel to Washington D.C. to try to make it four straight against Howard. |