FCS Playoffs 2015: Date, Schedule for North Dakota St. vs Jacksonville St. Final

After a pair of lopsided semifinal games, the FCS playoffs will dish out a tasty treat in the national championship game.

The North Dakota State Bison are gunning to extend their record with a fifth straight title. Because of their unprecedented run, some have suggested they should consider leaping to the FBS.

The Bison will face the No. 1 Jacksonville State Gamecocks, whose lone defeat came when they nearly upset the Auburn Tigers on the road, which marked the beginning of the Tigers’ slow and painful downfall.

This will mark the Gamecocks’ first FCS championship game appearance.

Each team now faces the challenge of maintaining and building upon their playoff runs with a three-week hiatus before the championship game.

Date	Matchup	Venue	Location	Time (ET)	TV
Saturday, Jan. 9	No. 1 Jacksonville State vs. No. 3 North Dakota State	Toyota Stadium	Frisco, Texas	Noon	ESPN2

The Bison can become the first team in NCAA history to win five straight football championships and surpass Division III Augustana College, which won four from 1983 to 1986, per Ron Clements of Sporting News.

North Dakota State won its 19th straight playoff game, 33-7, over a Richmond team with a respectable offense. The Bison limited Richmond quarterback Kyle Lauletta, one of the best in the FCS, to 46 percent passing with just 171 yards and an interception.

Defense has been NDSU's catalyst, but its unsung hero has been backup freshman quarterback Easton Stick, who took over for star Carson Wentz when the touted NFL prospect suffered a broken wrist in October.

Stick’s numbers don’t jump out—143 yards per game, 13 touchdowns, three interceptions and a 62.1 completion percentage—but he’s done everything to keep the Bison winning. They’re 8-0 since he took over after starting the year 4-2.

The Bison will likely need Stick and the offense to pile up points against a Gamecocks team that has scored 40-plus points in nine games and is coming off a season-high 62 points in its semifinal win over Sam Houston State.

The Bison will also need to contain dual-threat quarterback Eli Jenkins, who has racked up more than 2,500 passing and 1,000 rushing yards with 35 total touchdowns.

Jenkins' remarkable redshirt junior season has been just one chapter in a storied career that ranks among the best in school history, per Chris Allen Brown of the Anniston Star:

He’s aided on the ground by running back Troymaine Pope, who ran for 181 yards and two touchdowns in the semifinals to bring his season total to 1,757 yards and 19 scores.

So, in what appears to be an even matchup at first glance, which way do the odds lean?

Even before the semifinals, NDSU was considered the favorite to win the title by a considerable margin, per Sharon Katz of ESPN:

However, with both teams playing excellent football, this matchup should rightfully draw great attention to the culminating game for a division that has long rewarded its fans with a playoff format.