FCS analyst & pod host Samuel Akem on Dakotas & Montana schools and more possible FCS dominance in 2026

The FCS season's opening game week for SDSU and USD is just two weeks away. The Jackrabbits are picked to win the Missouri Valley Football Conference and are rated No. 3 in the STATS Preseason Top 25 FCS poll.   USD is picked fifth in the MVFC and ranked No. 12 in the STATS poll.   The team that knocked both the Jacks and Yotes out of the playoffs is slotted at No. 2 in the nation. That'd be Montana, whose arch rival Montana State received all 57 first place votes as the Bobcats begin a run at back-to-back national championships.   How does former Griz wideout and current FCS podcast host Samuel Akem feel about these rankings, and why does he feel the Jacks should be rated ahead of his alma mater?   Almost more intriguingly, why does Akem not see SDSU quarterback Chase Mason as a Top Five FCS QB at the moment?   Why do the Montana schools and Dakotas schools seem to dominate the FCS year after year, and which teams outside those two states should be considered national title contenders?   Oh, and what is the outlook for the future of the Bobcats, Grizzlies, and a potential move to the FBS like North Dakota State just made?