Montana State VS Illinois State: Here’s What You Need To Know

The countdown is on,

Monday Night, the Montana State Bobcats will play Illinois State in Nashville to determine who will win the National Championship. Bobcat fans are hoping, wishing, and praying that the Cats bring home their first National Championship since 1984.

For the Cats, it's been one heck of a season. They started 0-2 and then went undefeated for the rest of the regular season, winning the Big Sky Conference Championship. Then there was the Brawl of the Wild. The Cats went into Missoula and defeated the Griz on their own turf.

Then there was the rematch.

The Cats took on the Griz for the second time in the Semi-Final game and defeated them once again. Yes, for the first time in a rivalry that has spanned over 100 years, the Cats achieved a double victory in one season.

So, we know how the Cats got there, but what about Illinois State?

I mean, other than the fact that the Redbirds took out #1 North Dakota State University in the Second Round, what do we know about the team from Normal, Illinois? They're a member of the Missouri Valley and last played in the Championship Game back in 2014.

They are unranked in the playoffs and beat Southeastern Louisiana, NDSU, UC Davis, and Villanova to earn the right to face Montana State for the National Championship in Nashville on January 5th.

Obviously, I'm a Bobcat fan, but if I weren't, I would be cheering for Illinois State. I mean, what a run, and talk about your Cinderella Team. What they've done to get to this game is rather remarkable, but what the Cats have done to get this game is remarkable as well.

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Whoever you're cheering for, it's got the chance to be one for the ages. The Cats are winning their first National Championship since 1984, or the Redbirds are winning their first ever.

Don't forget, you can catch all the action on 100.7 XL Country, the Official Station of Bobcat Football. You can also listen on the XL Country App.