The Quarter Finals have one game this Friday (Maine at Weber St.) and the other three on Saturday.
COLGATE AT N. DAKOTA ST.
Last week my only side play was on Colgate +7 against James Madison and they won the game outright. First let me say JMU isn't the same team they have been the last couple of years. This is a HUGE step up in class for Colgate. They play in the Patriot League which according to si.com is ranked #8 out of 13 conferences in the FCS. I saw one other publication that had them ranked #11. While NDSU plays in the powerful MVC. The MVC and CAA are usually ranked #1 and #2 most years.
Colgate's claim to fame is having the top rated defense in the country in most defensive category's. But when we see who they have played it changes things some. Colgate was the only team in their conference with a winning record. The following are the national total offensive rankings of the other teams in their conference. #98, #106, #118, #119, #121, #124.
ANYBODY who follows the FCS knows who NDSU is. They have a better track record in the FCS than Alabama does in the FBS. They come in to this game off of a drubbing of Montana St. 52-10 with an overall record of 12-0.
North Dakota State tied the NCAA FCS record with its sixth national championship in 2017. NDSU was the first college football program to win five straight national championships. The Bison went 71-5 overall from 2011-15 including a 42-3 home record. The Bison won 22 consecutive FCS playoff games before a loss to James Madison in the 2016 semifinals.
The total on this game opened at 45 which is a very low total for a Bison game. It has dropped down to 41 1/2. I think the drop is do solely to the perceived strength of the Colgate defense. This will be the first trip (I believe) for the Colgate team to play in the Fargo Dome. That's just as bad as going into play at LSU at night. I think the Bison offense will wear out that defensive front of Colgate and have their way with them in the second half. Love the over.
5* #803 COLGATE/ #804 N. DAKOTA ST. O41 1/2 -110 LOSER