North Dakota State is set for bowl eligibility, and speculation on bowl game matchups are in full swing.
ESPN has two interesting projected bowl matchups for the Bison after Week 7 of the college football season. Analyst Mark Schlabach picked the Bison to face Fresno State in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, and fellow analyst Kyle Bonagura has the Bison facing San Diego State in the same bowl.
Both analysts have Boise State nabbing the Group of Six spot in the College Football Playoff as the No. 12 seed. The Broncos have moved into the top 25, which will make it harder for any other G6 squad to grab that last playoff spot, unless the Broncos lose again.
If NDSU draws Fresno State for the Hawaii Bowl, the Bison would face former head coach Matt Entz, who coached the Herd to national championships in 2019 and 2021. The Bison have never faced a former head coach during the Division I era, though NDSU has been through a carousel of coaches .
That includes Craig Bohl, who left the Bison for Wyoming in 2013 and retired after the 2023 season, well before NDSU’s move to the Mountain West Conference. Former Bison head coach Chris Klieman left for Kansas State in 2019, and NDSU last played K-State in 2013.
NDSU, Fresno State Has a Common Opponent
Entz’s crew has a 4-3 record this season with wins over Rice, Washington State, San Jose State and Sacramento State. The Bison also played Sac State and had a somewhat closer game with the Hornets than the Bulldogs did. Fresno State blew out Sac State 49-3 on Sept. 12, and NDSU beat the Hornets 31-10 on Sept. 19.
Entz coached the Bison from 2019 to 2023 before he left for a linebackers coaching job with USC, and he then took the Fresno State job in 2025. He has a 73-17 coaching record between NDSU and Fresno State and two Missouri Valley Football Conference titles.
Bison, Aztecs Have a History
If NDSU draws SDSU, it would be a familiar opposing school for Bison fans since the two schools met in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in 2014. The Aztecs reached the Sweet 16 after beating the Bison 63-44 in the round of 32.
On the football field, SDSU has a 3-4 record but is in the thick of the Pac-12 race in third place at 2-1 behind Boise State and Oregon State. The Aztecs have wins over Portland State, Texas State and Fresno State.
SDSU had a few notable losses that would make that matchup a potential measuring stick for the Bison. The Aztecs fell to unbeaten UCLA, James Madison, Toledo and Oregon State.
NDSU Aiming For CFP Amid Slim Chances
For now, NDSU will seek pushing for the Mountain West regular season title and a slim shot at the CFP. The Bison visit New Mexico on Saturday, and the Lobos, similar to SDSU, played one notable Power Four team in Oklahoma earlier this season.
Since Oklahoma upset then-No. 1 Texas in the Red River Rivalry matchup, the Bison could impress the pollsters and CFP committee with a strong showing against New Mexico on Saturday. Considering how five top-seven teams fell last weekend, the Bison aren’t out of the CFP race entirely, but win against the Lobos is the only path forward toward that goal.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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