On one side: An upstart program with just 13 bowl appearances and a single 10-win season in its 95-year history, now vying for the College Football Playoff (as its coach is set to be one of the most coveted names in this year’s coaching carousel). On the other: An FCS superpower, playing at college football’s top level for the first time, with its sights on the CFP in Year 1.
Saturday’s night slate is relatively light, and as Mississippi at Texas winds down and you prepare for a major Big 12 matchup between Utah and Houston, you’ll need to find a screen for North Dakota State at New Mexico. The Bison and Lobos have just one loss a piece, with NDSU taking its first L as an FBS program at UNLV a few weeks ago, while New Mexico fell by just a touchdown at Oklahoma.
