National Champions!

I have to say this was the most exciting weekend of football I've ever experienced.

The North Dakota State Bison won the FCS National Championship in a terrific, hard fought game over Sam Houston State.  I sort of adopted the Bison when I married my wife more than 15 years ago - Bison blood runs very deep in her family - and it was a thrill to watch these kids (many of them from small high schools throughout Minnesota and North Dakota) take home that trophy.

They say great teams find a way to win.  Great teams are aggressive and take calculated risks and the Bison epitomized this notion on Saturday. 

At halftime the momentum was in Sam Houston State's favor.  The Bison trailed 6-3 and they played a very poor first half of football, losing a fumble, throwing an interception and having a punt partially blocked.

In their first possession in the third quarter, the Bison offense was stymied again, another three-and-out series.  It was 4th and 4 and the Bison lined up for yet another punt. 

But what we didn't know was this: punter Matt Voigtlander had been given the green light to audible into a fake if he saw something.  Voigtlander, a running back in high school (Lino Lakes, MN), indeed saw something.  Before Sam Houston State knew what was happening, Voigtlander took off 27 yards down field and just like that, you could feel the momentum shift.

The Bison smelled blood and took advantage of this sudden surge in momentum.  The next play was a screen pass to RB DJ McNorton who followed some tremendous downfield blocking and took the ball 39 yards for a touchdown.

I didn't know it at the time, but that's all the Bison would need. 

The Bison defense played incredibly well - in fact, it was a clinic in discipline - and shut down the most explosive offense in the FCS.  A huge interception by LB Travis Beck (from Munich, ND, population 210... as in 210 people) in the fourth quarter set up the Bison for another touchdown and that sealed the deal.

What an exciting game!!

~

In the meantime, my Wild Card prognostications weren't exactly "on."  I got just one game right, but I did so in superb fashion (if I don't say so myself).  Not only did I pick the Saints to win, I predicted the score almost exactly right.  

I also predicted the Broncos/Steelers match-up would go into overtime.  I just picked the wrong team to win...  and that's surprising?