By - Joshua A. Swanson

While chestnuts are roasting by the open fire, it's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year for Bison fans as we enjoy the magical period between the semifinals and championship in Frisco. All year long, we've been telling you to  enjoy the ride because this North Dakota State team is historically good .  Just how good is this NDSU team? Well, the numbers say they're every bit as good --- if not better --- than the 2013 Bison team that is widely regarded as the best team in FCS history. Swany is joined by the FCS Face the Nation round table of Chase Miller and  Nolan P. Schmidt . The panel discusses how the 2018 team stacks up against their 2013 counterparts. 

Swany goes through the numbers, and, as they say, the numbers don't lie. These two all-time great teams turned in nearly identical performance in every statistical category. From points scored, points allowed, sacks, red zone offense, to third-down conversion, they're separated by the narrowest of margins. Both teams were filled with all-conference and All-American performers, had strong senior leadership, and were piloted by two of the best quarterbacks in FCS history in Brock Jensen and Easton Stick. If you like Bison history, you'll love this discussion.

Swany wraps the Christmas episode with a special message to Bison Nation that you won't want to miss. 

** For more great Bison content, be sure to check out the  Bison Illustrated Podcast ! This week, the guys share your favorite parts about Frisco, the hiring of Matt Entz as NDSU's next head football coach, and, of course, more on NDSU's 44-21 thumping of rival South Dakota State in the FCS semifinals. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By - Joshua A. Swanson

Once again, the Bison are headed back to Frisco, Texas for the FCS National Championship game. In one of the most anticipated games in North Dakota State history, the Herd dominated rival South Dakota State 44-21 to earn their seventh trip to the national title game in eight years, ending SDSU's season in the process. The Herd was led by senior quarterback Easton Stick, who turned in one of the best big-game performances ever by a Bison when it mattered most. Stick rushed for 147 yards and three TDs, and connected on 12-of-15 passes for another 169 yards and a TD. The Jacks had no answer for a dominating Bison offense and the Walter Payton finalist and 1st-team AP All-American. The Herd piled up 608 total yards and held a 35:00 to 25:00 minute time of possession advantage.  

Swany is joined by the FCS Face the Nation round table of Chase Miller and Nolan P. Schmidt from  Bison Illustrated to recap Chris Klieman's final game at the Dome as head coach, the transition to NDSU's next head coach, Matt Entz, and what it means to get back to Frisco. In an emotional week for the Bison, NDSU put to rest any talk of distractions caused by the coaching change. NDSU awaits the winner of Eastern Washington and Maine in their quest to finish an undefeated 15 - 0, and become one of the best teams in FCS history.  

The stars at night, are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas, this week, on Herd It Hear With Swany.

** For more great audio content with Swany, check out the  Bison Illustrated Podcast!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By - Joshua A. Swanson

It's the annual early morning quarterfinal kickoff as the Bison take on Toothpaste U from upstate New York. All kidding aside, Colgate brings the FCS's top-ranked defense to the Fargodome to face a North Dakota State team hitting on all cylinders. Fresh off a 52-10 thumping of Montana State, NDSU's focus remains singular -- Frisco, Texas. Can the Patriot League champs keep up with a physically dominant, hungry Bison team looking to continue their undefeated season and championship drive? 

Swany Says that NDSU has another big, big day, as the visiting Raiders will find themselves over-matched and out-gunned. 

On the FCS Face The Nation round table, Swany is joined by The Fan's Chase Miller, and Nolan P. Schmidt, editor of  Bison Illustrated , to discuss the rumors swirling around NDSU's coaching situation. It's the hottest topic in BisoNation this week. Will Chris Klieman be the next head coach for former Bison athletic director Gene Taylor at Kansas State. If Klieman takes the KSU job, who should NDSU tap as its next head coach? Swany goes through the names you've been talking about all week. The guys discuss the four quarterfinal contests this weekend, including Maine taking down No. 2 Weber State in Utah last night. Ring in some holiday football cheer with your pals on Herd It Hear With Swany. 

** Check out the Bison Illustrated Podcast for more high octane takes on Bison Football and the NDSU's coaching situation  here .

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By - Joshua A. Swanson

All year long, we've talked about the Road to Frisco and North Dakota State chasing perfection. This is a  special Bison football team . Make no mistake, the Herd is looking to dominate from the opening kickoff all the way to Toyota Stadium. It starts with a second-round contest against the Montana State Bobcats. 

The Bobcats are led by rushing QB, Troy Anderson. The Code Green Defense, featuring All-Americans Jabril Cox and Robbie Grimsley, will make yards tough to come by. Few know the Bison and Bobcats as well as Colton Pool, the MSU beat writer for the Bozeman Chronicle. Pool is an NDSU graduate who covered the Bison for The Spectrum and West Fargo Pioneer. He joins Swany to preview the game. Pool says while Anderson is a dynamic player, he doesn't see NDSU's defense giving up much. 

On the FCS Face the Nation roundtable, Chase Miller and Nolan P. Schmidt hypothesize that it's going to take lots of mistakes and self-inflicted wounds for the Bobcats to keep up with the Herd. Swany says the Bison will come out on fire and put the pedal to the proverbial metal. The guys go through the rest of the Sweet 16 and tell you how weather will have a big, big snowy wet impact in South Dakota State and James Madison's showdowns. 

Start your playoff run with your pals at Herd It Hear With Swany! 

To hear more great Bison content, and for a deeper dive into the FCS Playoffs, check out the  Bison Illustrated Podcast hosted by Swany! 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By - Joshua A. Swanson

The FCS Playoffs start today, featuring "The Bracket of Doom" with the four best teams in the country on the same side of the bracket. You want controversy? We've got it. The Committee's decision to put North Dakota State, South Dakota State, James Madison, and Kennesaw State on the same side of the bracket has folks from sea to shining sea -- outside of Eastern Washington and Weber State -- asking what was the NCAA thinking. 

Swany is joined by Nolan P. Schmidt of the  Bison Illustrated and Chase Miller to ask the hard questions and tell you who ends up in Frisco, Texas on January 5. The guys discuss the aftermath of Selection Sunday, the Top 8 seeds, what made sense, and what didn't. Miller says the Selection Committee more or less got it right, while Swany and Nolan say this bracket is a travesty of football justice. Zeroing in from a big picture perspective, the distinguished panel goes through each of the four 6-team pods and discuss who has a realistic shot to play for a national championship. Do the Bison win their seventh national championship in eight years? Find out, this week, on a special edition of Herd It Hear With Swany.

** For more reaction and analysis of the FCS Playoff Field, check out the Bison Illustrated Podcast's FCS Playoff Special hosted by Swany  here . 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By - Joshua A. Swanson

It's a Thanksgiving cornucopia of goodness as North Dakota State looks to clinch an undefeated regular season and the top overall seed in the FCS playoffs. But not so fast,  controversy and debate lurk in the shadows! On the eve of the FCS Playoff Selection show, fans from Fargo to Brookings, and from Harrisonburg to Kennesaw, debate where the committee will place their teams on the Road to Frisco. 

Does the committee pair the top two Missouri Valley Football Conference teams, NDSU and South Dakota State, on the same side of the bracket? Do they do the same thing to Eastern Washington and Weber State? Is Kennesaw State deserving of a Top 4 seed? Questions, questions, and questions! Could James Madison be coming to Fargo for a heavyweight quarterfinal matchup with the Bison, and will the Bison see the University of North Dakota in a second round contest? Swany is joined by Nolan P. Schmidt and Chase Miller for the FCS Face the Nation roundtable to provide you with answers! Swany and Nolan say the committee splits up NDSU and SDSU. Chase says nope, SDSU gets the No. 4 seed and a potential semifinal with the Bison. 

Swany addresses speculation about Kansas State being in the market for a new football coach, and why Bison head coach Chris Klieman makes sense for that job.  Gene Taylor, the former legendary and iconic NDSU athletic director, is now the AD at Kansas State. Swany Says if the Kansas State job comes open, the Bison will be in the market for a new head coach. 

Put a few logs on the fire, pour a warm beverage, and kickback with your old pals, this week, on Herd It Hear With Swany.  

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By -  Joshua A. Swanson

North Dakota State (9-0, 6-0) travels to the Show Me State looking to secure an outright Missouri Valley Football Conference championship against the reeling Missouri State Bears (4-5, 2-4). With a win, the Bison likely lockup the top overall seed in the FCS playoffs, which guarantees that the Road to Frisco yet again goes through Fargo. 

Swany is joined by  Sam Herder , from  Hero Sports , to discuss the emerging  FCS playoff picture . The playoff bracket will be announced next Sunday morning, November 18, at 11:30 on ESPNU. We've got the key questions covered: who could be on NDSU's side of the bracket, where will those dastardly SDSU Jackrabbits be placed, will James Madison really be playing in the first round, and what teams have a shot at Frisco?  

The high octane and wonky analysis continues as the FCS Face The Nation roundtable with Nolan P. Schmidt, of the  Bison Illustrated Podcast , and Chase Miller, preview NDSU's game against the Bears. The panel discuss, as only they can, the big headlines to know heading into this weekend -- like how will the Bison respond after last week's sluggish offensive performance against Youngstown State. And, just for fun, because it really is the most wonderful time of the year, Swany croons some Christmas tunes by doing his best Andy Williams impression. Be educated, be entertained, and get in the festive spirit to start your weekend with Herd it Hear with Swany! 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By - Joshua A. Swanson

Oh, brother! For the first time in radio history, the Swany brothers have a live debate about whether it's cool for North Dakota State fans to debate the question of: " what Bison team is the best one ever ." Two of the biggest Bison fans in all of the land deliver 30 minutes of insightful, yet highly entertaining, audio gold. After listening, you'll see why one of the major networks or Netflix should give them their own show. 

The Swany Bros, along with the FCS Face the Nation roundtable of  Nolan P. Schmidt  and Chase Miller, discuss the march to Frisco as NDSU faces a struggling Youngstown State team led by the fiery Bo Pelini. The Penguins waddle into Fargo with a 2-3 record in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, and with a 3-5 overall mark, with nothing to play for but pride. The Bison, on the other hand, are dominating the FCS this fall, beating opponents by an average of 27.5 points per game. 

Easton Stick leads an explosive Bison offense that's averaging over 40 points per game, while the steely Cold Green defense is keeping opponents to shy of 13 points each contest. The seeds for this great 2018 team were planted in Chris Klieman's first days as head coach in December 2013. After former coach Craig Bohl and the bulk of his staff left for the mountains of Wyoming, Klieman, along with Nick Goeser and Conor Riley, had to keep together a recruiting class looking at a coaching change. It's appropriate that it's the Harvest Bowl at NDSU as the Bison are reaping that harvest of what Klieman, Goeser, and Riley sewed five years ago. Those recruits are now seniors and have us asking the question, just how good is this Bison team. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By - Joshua A. Swanson

North Dakota State has dominated opponents this season. The Bison look to continue that dominance and their march towards Frisco against those Wile E Coyotes from South Dakota. The Bison are strong favorites, so expect USD's potent offense to throw all of its Acme rockets at the Herd. The NDSU rushing attack should have a big day, says your old pal Swany, with the Bison offensive front having a favorable matchup with the 'Yotes defense that is one of the worst rushing defenses in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. 

Swany is joined by the pride of McHenry County, North Dakota, Tanner Volson, the senior starting center for the rams. The Bison are all business as the laser-like focus of this year's squad reminds Swany of another really, really good NDSU team that, eh hem, finished undefeated. Is that talk premature? During the FCS Face the Nation round table, Swany and Chase Miller broach the subject and address the question head on. The guys also look at several pivotal games around the FCS with major playoff and seeding implications, including South Dakota State at Illinois State, Weber State at North Dakota, and Stony Brook at James Madison. 

It's a cornucopia of football goodness, and the perfect audio to get you amped up for another excellent weekend of Bison Football. So tune in, turn it up, and fly the skies of audio awesomeness with Herd It Hear with Swany!  

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By - Joshua A.Swanson

After a two-game hiatus, North Dakota State is back at the friendly confines of the Fargodome against Illinois State, one of the designated "it" teams by the FCS media. Is the hype overblown, or are the Redbirds poised for a breakthrough win against the Bison?  Swany Says with no victories against a team with a winning record, Illinois State has jumped out to its 5-1 record on the back of a schedule softer than jello (that includes a NAIA team). 

Jalen Allison, another in the long line of stalwarts and shutdown cornerbacks for NDSU, joins the program to talk about Code Green's strong performance this season. The Bison have turned 14 turnovers into 66 points, including another defensive touchdown last weekend at Western Illinois. The Bison see another stud offensive player in Redbirds running back James Robinson today. If the Herd can contain Robinson, it should be a big day for the good guys. 

The popular FCS Face The Nation round table talks about the state of the FCS and ever-emerging playoff picture. A win today goes a long ways in deciding the Missouri Valley Football Conference race. Nolan P. Schmidt, editor of  Bison Illustrated , and Chase Miller from 740AM The Fan, chime in with their unique FCS game-breaking analysis that you can only get here. Do they agree with the FCS talking heads that the Bison are ripe for an upset? Their answers may surprise you. Or they may not. Kickoff your Bison weekend with America's favorite lawyer turned weekly radio host, your old buddy Swany, on Herd It Hear With Swany!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.