Lindy's Preseason Rankings Have Bison No. 2 in the Country

by KVRR Sports
July 15, 2012


North Dakota State was listed No. 2 in Lindy’s College Football Preview magazine NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Preseason Top 25 and were the top choice to win the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

The Bison were one of four Missouri Valley Football Conference teams listed in the top 25 including No. 11 Northern Iowa, No. 15 Illinois State, and No. 20 Youngstown State. 

Story author Tony Moss wrote for Lindy’s, “With the subclassification reeling from its endless churn of quality programs to the seemingly greener pastures of FBS, the Bison went to Frisco, Texas, representing the fresh, new blood of the sometimes forgotten side of Division I."

Moss continued, "The win over previously unbeaten SHSU capped a 14-1 season for Craig Bohl’s crew, a year that included eye-opening win over Minnesota of the Big Ten, and completed the transition of a former Division II power to FCS heavyweight.”

“Our first year in the Missouri Valley was a reality check for our players and coaches. It toughened us up. That probably accelerated our readiness to play at the national level,” said NDSU head coach Craig Bohl.
"But make no mistake, when North Dakota State made this move to reclassify to FCS, we had our eyes on winning a national championship."

The Bison return Lindy’s 2012 Preseason All-FCS first team defensive back selection Marcus Williams at cornerback. Williams was also tabbed as the MVFC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

North Dakota State won the program’s first NCAA Division I Football Championship with a 17-6 win over Sam Houston State on Jan. 7 and also claimed the program's first Missouri Valley Football Conference title. The Bison were 14-1 overall and 7-1 in MVFC.

The Bison open the 2012 season against Robert Morris at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 1, at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome.

Lindy’s FCS Preseason Top 25
1. Sam Houston State
2. North Dakota State
3. Montana State
4. Towson
5. Montana
6. Appalachian State
7. Georgia Southern
8. Old Dominion
9. Eastern Kentucky
10. Wofford
11. Northern Iowa
12. Lehigh
13. James Madison
14. Bethune-Cookman
15. Illinois State
16. Stephen F. Austin
17. New Hampshire
18. Murray State
19. Harvard
20. Youngstown State
21. Delaware
22. Eastern Washington
23. Grambling State
24. Stony Brook
25. Jacksonville State

Missouri Valley Football Conference
Offensive Player of the Year: RB Shakir Bell, Indiana State
Defensive Player of the Year: CB Marcus Williams, North Dakota State

Preseason Picks:
1. North Dakota State
2. Northern Iowa
3. Illinois State
4. Youngstown State
5. Indiana State
6. South Dakota State
7. Southern Illinois
8. South Dakota
9. Western Illinois
10. Missouri State

Courtesy: NDSU Athletics