North Texas will be paradise this weekend for college football fans. With anticipation building to Ohio State-Oregon in Arlington on Monday night, those interested in college football on Saturday will be intrigued by the FCS National Championship in Frisco. That’s where North Dakota State will play Illinois State, with the Bison going for a fourth straight title.

Since NCAA Division I football was split into two tiers in 1978, other teams have enjoyed success in consecutive seasons at the FCS/I-AA level. Georgia Southern won back-to-back championships three different times; Youngstown State, led by Jim Tressel, won in 1993 & 1994 – part of the four titles claimed by the Penguins that decade. Appalachian State took three straight from 2005-2007, the crown jewels of Jerry Moore’s legacy with the Mountaineers.

For the Bison, the 2014 season has been about rebuilding and maintaining success at the same time. NDSU had to cope with the offseason losses of star quarterback Brock Jensen (graduation) and head coach Craig Bohl (hired by Wyoming), but began the fall with a 34-14 win over Iowa State. Their 34-game win streak came to an end in November at Northern Iowa, but have scored at least 27 points in each of their contests since. Carson Wentz has accounted for 29 total touchdowns, while John Crockett is likely to reach 2,000 rushing yards on Saturday. Their recent record has prompted College GameDay to visit Fargo, North Dakota, each of the last two seasons. The Bison began the FCS playoffs as the #2 seed, earning a first-round bye, and have defeated South Dakota State, Coastal Carolina, and Sam Houston State on the road to Frisco.

Illinois State’s journey this fall has been about winning regardless of the location, as illustrated by their quarterfinal and semifinal games. After an offensive shootout at Eastern Washington, the Redbirds traveled east to top seed New Hampshire, where 15 unanswered fourth-quarter carried them past the Wildcats. Now comes a trip to the South for an inaugural championship game appearance. Indiana transfer Tre Roberson has excelled during his first year in Normal, Illinois, throwing for over 3,000 yards while contributing 10 rushing touchdowns. The Redbirds’ running game on Saturday will rely on Marshaun Coprich, who has over 2,000 yards and 27 touchdowns on the ground. Illinois State has also overcome a road loss at Northern Iowa (the Panthers beat ISU and NDSU in consecutive weeks); they were given the #5 seed in the playoffs before beating UNI in a second-round contest in Normal, followed by their road wins at Eastern Washington and New Hampshire.

Although both the Bison and Redbirds play in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, the two schools didn’t face each other in the regular season; they were co-champions with 7-1 records. It’s only fitting that these teams would meet each other at this stage, where the winner takes all the spoils as the FCS national champion. Will the Bison make it four straight titles, or will the Redbirds be one of the two teams celebrating in Texas? College football fans are eager to find out.