The Jackrabbits were good last year and the year before, and the FCS coaches think they’ll be good again in 2024.

South Dakota State, the back-to-back FCS national champion, was picked first in the FCS’s preseason coaches poll on Monday — receiving 25 of 26 first-place votes. Those Jackrabbits open their season in Stillwater at 1 p.m. Aug. 31.

FCS Top 10

Winners of 29 straight games, South Dakota State hasn’t lost since Sept. 3, 2022. That day saw the Jackrabbits fall to Iowa 7-3 in Iowa City. It was South Dakota State’s most recent game against an FBS opponent. Since, the Jackrabbits have averaged about 37 points a game during their winning streak that has seen them claim two national titles.

“I know that right now South Dakota State is an issue,” OSU coach Mike Gundy said Saturday. “I’ve said that all along. When you play a team that hasn’t lost a game in that many years, we definitely have our sites set on them and them only at this time.”

What makes South Dakota State all the more troubling to its foes is the fact that quarterback Mark Gronowski elected to return to Brookings instead of perhaps transferring up to the FBS level. Gronowski won the Walter Payton Award last season — given to the most outstanding offensive player in the FCS. He threw for 3,058 yards and 29 touchdowns to just five interceptions as he led the Jackrabbits to a 15-0 season. He also ran for another 402 yards and eight scores. In 2022, Gronowski was also the Jackrabbits’ starting quarterback, as he threw for 2,967 yards and 26 touchdowns and ran for another 12 scores as South Dakota State went 14-1 to a national title.

The Cowboys have played an FCS foe the past three seasons and won all of those games, but not all have been as seamless as they might’ve seemed going into the year. In the midst of a three-way quarterback dance last season, OSU beat Central Arkansas 27-13. In 2022, the Pokes slaughtered Arkansas-Pine Bluff 63-7. But in 2021 — a season in which the Cowboys were mere inches from a Big 12 title before winning the Fiesta Bowl — OSU beat Missouri State just 23-16. The Bears got into OSU territory twice in the final five minutes of that game but turned it over on downs on both occasions.

Needless to say, it doesn’t appear as if the start to the Cowboys’ 2024 season will be a traditional tune-up against an FCS foe.

If you’re looking to move to Wisconsin, the state’s most populous cities might come to mind as the best places to live. But don’t count out smaller gems scattered across the state: La Crosse was recently named as one of the 50 best places to live in the U.S., according to Money, a personal finance website.

The western Wisconsin city, which sits on the Mississippi River, offers a host of outdoor recreation activities and a bustling arts and culture scene. Both facets were key to landing the city a spot on the list.

The list, which Money had been compiling for more than 30 years, took a more holistic approach this year. Along with weighing numerical factors like affordability, school quality and job market health, the digital magazine researched cities across the country to find places “with a palpable spirit, nurtured and sustained by engaged citizens and receptive public officials,” according to its methodology.

La Crosse was the only Wisconsin city named among the top 50 this year, and Money did not select a city from every state.

Here’s more on why La Crosse is great place to live and which other cities made the list.

What makes La Crosse a great place to live?

La Crosse’s balance of outdoor offerings, nightlife and arts, and strong local economy all make it a great place to live, according to Money.

The city offers plenty of hiking and biking trails, along with boating and fishing excursions on nearby rivers and lakes. In the winter, residents can enjoy the steepest vertical slope in Wisconsin at destination ski resort Mt. La Crosse.

La Crosse is also home to several museums and a particularly bustling art gallery scene. Arts and culture take center stage in its year-round festivals, with the city’s IrishFest and Oktoberfest both coming up in the next few months.

For younger residents, La Crosse, which houses three universities, has consistently been named among the most economical college towns in the U.S. The number of college students also makes for robust nightlife, and more than a dozen breweries and wineries are based in or near La Crosse.

Finally, La Crosse is notably more affordable than larger Wisconsin cities. The city enjoys a median home price of about $265,000, while median home prices in the Milwaukee area are north of $400,000. And with Kwik Trip and Old Style beer headquartered in the city, La Crosse boasts a stable local job market with a 2.2% unemployment rate.

Which other cities made the list?

Several other Midwestern cities made the list alongside La Crosse. Here are some of the best places to live in Wisconsin’s neighboring states:

• Detroit
• Ferndale, Michigan
• Kalamazoo, Michigan
• Prairie Crossing, Illinois
• Northfield, Minnesota

A man in Michigan is facing months of jail time after repeatedly shouting expletives at the judge overseeing his trial. 

Darrell Jarrell appeared in a Washtenaw County court on Wednesday in the case of a simple misdemeanor trespassing charge.

However, just before Judge Cedric Simpson adjourned the court, Jarrell spoke up: “I’m tired of this state, I’m ready to leave this state as soon as possible.” 

MICHIGAN JUDGE ASTONISHED AT HOW MAN SHOWS UP TO VIRTUAL HEARING FOR DRIVING WITH SUSPENDED LICENSE CHARGE

Jarrell added, “You guys can kiss my a–.”

Simpson attempted to restore order despite the disgruntled defendant’s outburst, warning him against further comments.

“F— you!” Jarrell shot back.

Simpson told Jarrell that he was in contempt of court and immediately issued a misdemeanor charge for 93 days.

Jarrell repeated the profanity, to which Simpson repeated the misdemeanor charge. This happened multiple times until the bailiff physically removed Jarrell from the courtroom.

JUDGE REVEALS ANOTHER TWIST IN THE CASE OF MICHIGAN VIRAL ZOOM VIDEO DRIVER WHO PLEADED CLERICAL ERROR

The two exchanged retorts a total of six times, which would add up to 558 days in prison.

Simpson then proceeded to the next case without concern, telling the waiting defendant that he shouldn’t be concerned about the other man’s outburst.

Simpson dealt with a similarly bizarre defendant earlier this year when Corey Harris, 44, who was charged with driving with a suspended driver’s license, dialed into a virtual court hearing while behind the wheel of a car.

Judge Cedric Simpson dismissed concerns of a defendant in a separate trial who watched the debacle unfold over a virtual connection. (YouTube/Hon J Cedric Simpson)

“Mr. Harris, are you driving?” Simpson asked the defendant.

“Actually, I’m pulling into my doctor’s office actually,” Harris said. “Just give me one second. I’m parking right now.”

“OK, so maybe I don’t understand something. This is a driving while license suspended [case],” Simpson told the public defender. “And he was just driving, and he doesn’t have a license.”

“I don’t even know why he would do that,” the judge said. “So, the defendant’s bond is revoked in this matter.”

Simpson ordered Harris to turn himself in to the Washtenaw County Jail by 6 p.m. that day. 

Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.