Well, now what?

It was clear as the crisp autumn air in Brookings on Saturday night who has the best FCS team in the nation as No. 1 North Dakota State delivered a cold-blooded wallop on No. 2 South Dakota State, 38-7.

We'll never know what kind of difference SDSU starting quarterback Chase Mason — who had a boot on his left leg and foot and was unavailable — would have made, but it is clear there is a gap between the Bison and the Jackrabbits all over the field in 2025. Or, at least there was on Saturday night.

So how big of a gap is it? What can Dan Jackson and his staff do to narrow the gap? While a national championship was the stated standard by Jackson on the day he was introduced as head coach, does this squad have what it takes to win it this year?

Those are some long term questions after such a sobering result.

Short term:

• What is the status of Mason and what are the chances he'll play on Saturday?
• What about the health of top wideout Lofton O'Groske and defensive spark plug Chase Van Tol?
• What is Jackson's evaluation of backup QB Luke Marble now that he has seen the film, and what can be added to Marble's plate on Saturday vs. Indiana State?
• Why did the Jacks not run an up-tempo offense in the second half after trailing 31-7 at halftime?
• How did the players respond after the game and in the SDSU facilities on Sunday and Monday morning?
• How do Cole Payton and Bryce Lance compare to other wildly talented NDSU players at their positions that Jackson schemed against when he was on the SDSU defensive staff from 2012-19?
• Why does Jackson prefer to keep a positive spin and attitude on things versus lighting into his squad publicly and behind closed doors, as some coaches are known to do?

These are some of the questions Happy Hour host John Gaskins asked Jackson in their weekly 1-on-1 chat.

Before that, Gaskins gives his own views on Saturday's Dakota Marker mauling — including the difference Mason would have made — and what it means going forward for the Jackrabbits.

After the conversation with Jackson, Kurtiss Riggs stops by the Gibs Sports Bar for an hour of banter about a lively weekend of college, pro, and high school football:

• Dakota Marker — NDSU and SDSU breakdown, including SDSU's offensive approach withoutMason (both for NDSU and going forward, should Mason miss more games)
• USD's offensive struggles and three "must-win" games to reach the playoffs
• Kurtiss's trip to South Carolina to watch Alabama's fourth quarter comeback win over the Gamecocks — the controversial punt fumble, SC's conservative offense, how Ryan Grubb called the Tide to victory down the stretch, and the atmosphere
• Other CFB — Iowa-Minnesota, Nebraska-Northwestern, LSU firing Brian Kelly and the coaching carosel (LSU, Penn State, and
• Kurtiss's trip Sunday to see Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills destroy the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte
• Tucker Kraft and Dallas Goedert dominate "National Tight Ends Day"
• HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL — Latest 11AAA developments and previews two should-be-wild quarterfinal games like Harrisburg-O'Gorman and Jefferson-Washington