(STATS) - X-factors in football so often are special teams, veteran leadership, the status of an injured player and so on.

Heading into the biggest game of the FCS regular season on Saturday, third-ranked South Dakota State has to avoid an X-factor before it even plays top-ranked North Dakota State, its rival and the two-time defending FCS national champion.

The Jackrabbits can't get distracted by the hoopla surrounding "College GameDay," ESPN's iconic pregame show that is visiting the Brookings campus for the first time. The three hours of Saturday morning's show can't wind up being bigger to coach John Stiegelmeier's team than the three-plus hours of game time later in the day.

So much is at stake with this Missouri Valley Football Conference matchup, including North Dakota State's 28-game winning streak that began after the Bison fell 33-21 in their last trip to Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium. The Jackrabbits have a 15-game home winning streak and an upset win could spring them to the FCS No. 1 ranking for the first time.

Knowing this may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the university, Stiegelmeier is embracing the phenomena that is GameDay. He just wants his players to be in business-mode, like during other game weeks.

"I'm proud of our football program," Stiegelmeier said. "They (College GameDay) don't go to a program and a game day that they don't expect a lot of energy and great competition.

"We're prime time and they're there. They don't come to an FCS program very often, so I'm really proud of our program, our university, our athletic department."

The GameDay set has been constructed on SDSU's College Green on the southwest quadrant of campus. The show will draw many people beyond the game's sell-out crowd of 19,340.

Stiegelmeier plans to take his team to the set before Friday's practice and adds they will watch some of the show during their morning meal on Saturday. Other than that, the Jackrabbits should be thinking Trey Lance, Jabril Cox and the Bison.

This is GameDay's ninth visit to an FCS game and the first in over two years. North Dakota State hosted visits in 2013 and '14, although the show was held off campus in downtown Fargo and the Bison faced overmatched opponents that they blew out.

South Dakota State has a much tougher assignment in facing the FCS dynasty, so Stiegelmeier and his staff are making sure the X-factor doesn't actually factor into the game.

"Win the day, win the play, stay focused," Stiegelmeier said. "Understand they'll be adversity, understand you'll fall short, be able to play in the present. All of the things we've talked about for 23 years here will continue to be talked about."