CSN West: Football Fortunes Change in the Dakotas
By Kent Schmidt, CSN West Columnist

South Dakota State never has been part of the DII playoff party in my memory. And the Jackrabbits never will play in the DII playoffs. Just to clarify, they did participate once in the DII playoff prior to my memory in 1979 when the Jackrabbits lost in the first round to Youngstown State.

Boy, how things have changed - especially this year. South Dakota State ranks in the Top 10 in the GPI in a division higher now and sits with a 5-1 overall and 4-0 MVFC league mark. The other three Dakota schools can’t smell the Top 25 as all have records at or under the .500 mark.

South Dakota State appears to have a chance to do something it hasn’t done in 30 years — play in the postseason and possibly earn its second league championship in three years (something it hasn’t done since 1963 before winning the Great West in 2007).

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