North Dakota State: 2026 Week 7 recap

North Dakota State remains unbeaten at 5-0, holding steady at a GIE rating of 7.8 and ranked 45th nationally. The Bison throttled Wyoming 28-0 in Week 5, a dominant defensive performance that kept them on track. Their red-zone efficiency tells a different story, though—just a 18% touchdown rate suggests they're leaving points on the field in high-leverage situations. The model projects them to win the Mountain West at 80%, though their path to the playoff remains uncertain at 33%. Next up: a road trip to UNLV in Week 6 offers a chance to prove consistency against conference competition and tighten their margin for error.