Nearly everyone has critiqued the Colorado Buffaloes for scheduling Football Championship Subdivision powerhouse North Dakota State in their season opener, including CU head coach Deion Sanders.

But, why should the Buffs be wary of the Bison?

Of course, NDSU's lengthy FCS resume speaks for itself. The general college football population understands that the niche program's success comes from its hard-nosed, fundamental style enriched with tradition. Toss in the Buffs' 4-8 record from 2023 and some expect discipline to outweigh talent, even with Colorado working on its "do your job" mentality this offseason.

Still, who are North Dakota State's playmakers? Who is leading the ship? What makes this dynasty so scary?

Here are five things to know about NDSU Bison:

Running the darn football

Of all the things people resonate with regarding NDSU, running the darn football is one of them. Still, the Bison's average of 7.0 yards per play outweighs its 5.8 yards per rush average from last season. This is because the rushing game warrants lots of attention and the green and yellow's offense likes to be creative. With unique pre-play shifts, more quarterbacks and fullbacks than usual and an excessive yet calculated usage of play-action, The Bison are a surprise on every play.

NDSU will be different than any other team Colorado sees this year. The attention to detail needed to stop the Bison's offense, specifically the run, will indicate more about a team in its season-opener than most.

Familiar face at the helm

Former North Dakota State head coach Matt Entz only spent five seasons in Fargo before moving on, allowing former Wyoming offensive coordinator Tim Polasek to take over. However, Polasek was part of the NDSU coaching staff from 2006-12 and 2014-16. As someone with extensive experience in the program's culture, Polasek is positioned to pick up where Entz left off.

Miller's legs and Payton's threat

If there's one Bison everyone knows, it's Cam Miller. The senior QB stepped up last season, using his legs to become a rushing threat within NDSU's offense to keep it unpredictable. While Miller has held onto the starting job, junior QB Cole Payton followed Miller in rushing yards last season, making the team's second and third-leading rushers both QBs. With heavy usage of fullbacks, the Bison offense can become quite unorthodox.

Key players returning on both sides

The offensive line that's so crucial to the Bison run game is returning multiple starters to protect their QBs. Defensively, two of their top tacklers and turnover-creators, safety Sam Jung and linebacker Logan Kopp, return as well. However, the Bison will be without key safety Cole Wisniewski, who's expected to miss significant time with an injury.

Youth will be served

North Dakota State's starting running back, top two receivers and most of its secondary from 2023 moved on. For the most part, the Bison kept the ideal positions needed to maintain their creative offense but it's worth keeping an eye on the players taking on new roles.

The Bison have a winning record against FBS teams since 2011, going 9-4. Their most recent FBS game came in 2022 when North Dakota State lost by three points to the Arizona Wildcats. NDSU is an FCS powerhouse that can cause quite a ruckus against FBS opponents, warranting some worry for CU.