North Dakota State claimed its first FCS national championship in 2011 with Brock Jensen at quarterback and Craig Bohl calling the shots as head coach.
Since then, the Bison have won six more national titles. Chris Klieman was head coach for four of those titles after Bohl won three. Carson Wentz and then Easton Stick followed Jensen as championship-winning quarterbacks.
Wentz and NDSU defeated Illinois State, 29-27, in the 2014 national championship game.
With Matt Entz taking over as head coach and a redshirt freshman in Trey Lance at quarterback, the rest of FCS harbored hopes the Bison might be a bit vulnerable this season.