NLA, Pt. 1: Zim on Jacks & Yotes FB brands, Epic FCS title game (ISU blew it!), state of FCS

How strong are the brands of both Jackrabbits and Coyotes football heading into the 2026 season?   It was not a topic on the docket of hosts John Gaskins and Matt Zimmer for the first "Nobody's Listening Anyway" podcast of the new year, but that is the beauty of the show — a natural barstool conversation, "Happy Hour with John Gaskins" style, that leads down unplanned roads.    The "brands" of South Dakota's two Div. I football programs were dissected after John and Matt discussed the early transfer portal headlines for SDSU and USD. Nothing much new has popped since the December news that two Jackrabbits who would potentially be big money Power Four transfers (Chase Mason and Quentin Christensen) announced they were staying in Brookings, while two Coyotes decided to leave Vermillion to seek greener pastures (L.J. Phillips and Larenzo Fenner).   The bigger picture is what second year head coaches Dan Jackson and Travis Johansen — who both tackled massive portal losses before their first seasons started — are doing to establish and maintain strong brands that will allow stability and success no matter how brutal portal combat gets year after year.   And what about the rest of the FCS? Did Montana State and Illinois State breaking the nine-season streak of either North Dakota State or SDSU playing for (and winning) the national title mean there is more parity, or should we expect the usual suspects back in 2026?   And how about Monday night's game? It felt like Redbirds lost it more than the Bobcats won, and John and Matt don't hold back on ISU's collapse.