Kolpack: CBS columnist still has Bison in his top 25 poll

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The hip media thing to do around the country in the week following North Dakota State's defeat of Kansas State was to give the Bison the obligatory underdog pat on the back. Congrats, nice work - now go back to your division.

Go back to the FCS, your own level, and maybe you'll surface on some ESPN network later in the year if things work out. In the meantime, we'll give you a mention of some sort, as if to say we like the little guy, too.

For instance, CBS senior college football columnist Dennis Dodd including the Bison in his weekly power poll putting NDSU at No. 15 after the 24-21 win in Manhattan, Kan. That meant of the 240-plus teams in Division I FBS and FCS, Dodd had NDSU rather high on his list.

But here's the interesting tidbit: he's kept them in his top 25.

"I keep thinking people have underplayed North Dakota State and what they have done," Dodd said earlier this week. "To walk into a defending Big 12 champion's stadium on opening night and win, there are a lot of teams in the top 25 who don't have a win that good this season."

Besides, Dodd said, there is precedent to his reasoning. He put Appalachian State in his top 25 in 2007 when the Mountaineers shocked Michigan.

"I can't remember how long I kept them there but they were a I-AA power," he said.

For the record, Dodd said he takes a "light hearted" approach to his poll. For instance, he gave Texas head coach Mack Brown votes in the "also receiving love" category after the Longhorns beat K-State. Brown was said to be on the firing line.

"He had a tough week and won," Dodd said.

NDSU fell from 18th to No. 20 with Dodd writing the 51-0 rout of Delaware State the "FCS version of Ohio State-FAMU."

The Buckeyes edged Florida A&M 76-0.

Still, No. 20 is ahead of Florida, Ole Miss, Fresno State, Wisconsin and Texas Tech. Is it reality over the long haul of a season if the Bison played a major FBS schedule? Probably not. Readers have let Dodd know it, too, asking him why NDSU is still ranked.

"I can make an outstanding case for them," he said. "Now, I have no idea who they play the rest of the year."

He then went into the job speculation of head coach Craig Bohl saying he has an FBS job somewhere if he wants one.

"I love Craig Bohl, I hated what happened to him at Nebraska," Dodd said. "It would depend on the quality of the job, but clearly he's turned the perception of himself across the country. He certainly deserves it."

Just like in Dodd's mind that NDSU deserves a top 25 power poll ranking. The poll, by the way, is one of the most-read items on the cbssports.com website.

"They definitely want it as soon as possible on Sunday," he said.

Dodd's power poll

Forum reporter Jeff Kolpack can be reached at (701) 241-5546.

Kolpack's NDSU media blog can be found

at www.areavoices.com/bisonmedia