There are just six games left until the 2022 FCS Championship Game in Frisco, Texas on Jan. 8. Before those games start, it’s time to consider the most intriguing possibilities for the national title matchup — and why.
6) No. 3 North Dakota vs. No. 5 William & Mary
If trenches are your thing, this is the Rivals of Champions for you. If North Dakota competes with William and Mary for the title, we’ll see one of the top offensive lines battling one of the best fringe tandems in the FCS. North Dakota has one of the NFL’s top draft prospects in offensive tackle Cody Mauch, while William & Mary have a solid pair of defensive end John Pius. Pius) and Nate Lynn.
Both teams like to build runs, so this game might not have the fireworks of the other teams on the roster, but the battle between the offensive and defensive lines will be one to watch.
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5) No. 7 UIW vs No. 8 Holy Cross
If UIW were to take on Holy Cross for the title, it would be the lowest seeded matchup in FCS Championship Game history since the playoffs expanded to eight seeds. The underdog storyline is sure to grab the headlines, but I think this game is interesting because of the potential for a shootout.
UIW’s Lindsey Scott Jr., a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, leads one of the nation’s top offenses. The last time the Holy Cross played a Walter Payton Award finalist (Fordham’s Tim Demolat), we saw the Crusaders win an extra-time thrill ride with touchdown after touchdown. We might see more of the same if UIW and Holy Cross play.
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4) No. 1 South Dakota State vs. No. 2 Sacramento State
The top two seeds vying for the title are just the fourth-best potential matchup. Why? The matchup between the two top teams will be interesting throughout the season, but there will be no storylines for other, higher-ranked matches. That said, the game still sits at No. 4, as it will be Sacramento State’s revenge game after last year’s Hornets loss to the Hare.
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3) No. 2 Sacramento State vs. No. 4 Montana State
Please the real Big Sky football champions step up? The winner of the Sacramento vs. Montana Championship Game will be on the podium. The head-to-head matchup between the Hornets and Bobcats will pit two undefeated Big Sky teams and the Conference Champions, who failed to meet during the regular season, against each other. One of the only things sweeter than a conference title is a national title, and the winner of this potential matchup would have both.
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2) No. 3 North Dakota vs. No. 4 Montana
A rematch of last year’s FCS Championship Game. Montana State looks better this year than it did last year, and it won’t have a first-year head coach or quarterback this year. Had it happened in a championship game, the game should have been more competitive.
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1) No. 1 South Dakota vs. No. 3 North Dakota
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Jackrabbits vs. Bison is the most promising matchup for the 2022 FCS championship game. South Dakota has already beaten North Dakota once this year, but the Hare have never beaten the Bison twice in a year. North Dakota State has lost three straight in the tournament and hasn’t lost four in a row since 1950.
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This isn’t the first time these two opponents have met in the playoffs, but it will be the first time they’ve met in the national title game. Considering that South Dakota has the potential to win its first-ever title against its primary rival, we could be witnessing one of the greatest FCS championship games of all time.
