Thursday’s hot links

• We call this entry the hot links, but cold links might be more appropriate. In Frisco, the temperatures are downright chilly. It certainly won’t be T-shirt weather for most of the fans on Saturday.

  Ice clings to a sign outside Toyota Stadium with the temperature in the teens Thursday in Frisco, Texas, prior to Saturday’s FCS Football Championship game. Michael Vosburg / Forum Photo Editor

• The FCS championship game is big here but in Texas, the Cowboys playoff victory and the FBS championship game Monday night at AT&T Stadium has the Dallas-Frisco area buzzing with football madness, too. Kevin Schnepf writes.
• Luke Bacon has had a challenging year. The true freshman lost his sister in a motorcyle accident and the Bison have been there to support him.

  Stomping last January

• The injured Travis Beck, the standout linebacker, will dress but not play Saturday. A rock of the Bison defense the past three years, he’s using the trip to Frisco as a way to soak in the experience once again. See WDAY’s report here.
• The turf, which fell apart last year at Toyota Stadium, is in much better shape this year. This means no more mass stompings during commercial breaks.
• The Bison are no stranger to Frisco, but for some coaches, this is their first rodeo.
• Bison athletic director Matt Larsen talks about the Frisco experience.
• Looking forward to Saturday, we’ll have the pregame and postgame Bison Media Blog shows as well as the live blog during the game. Join us.
• More on Illinois State from Pentagraph.com

And lastly today, here’s an image from the Bison Tracker app this morning.