By Greg Rachac. Billings Gazette, Wednesday, November 9, 2011.

Montana State quarterback DeNarius McGhee slips a tackle by Northern Colorado middle linebacker Clarence Bumpas in the third quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011, in Greeley, Colo. Montana State won 31-21.

Ten weeks have flown by, and the stage is finally set for the 111th football meeting between Montana and Montana State. The Bobcats, by virtue of a 44-24 victory at Weber State on Saturday, are in the driver’s seat to earn all the Big Sky Conference’s spoils when they host the Grizzlies on Nov. 19.

The win already guaranteed MSU at least a share of the league title. But Montana, which broke from its conference schedule to defeat Division II Western Oregon 32-7 at Washington-Grizzly Stadium last week, aims to throw a wrinkle in MSU’s celebration plans.

Either way, this year’s Cat-Griz game is one of the most important in quite some time, with conference bragging rights and playoff positions on the line. And both teams will come in hot: MSU has won nine straight games while UM’s winning streak stands at seven.

The Cats have now won nine games in back-to-back seasons for the first time ever. Offensively, MSU has put up at least 30 points in nine straight games, the longest stretch in school history. Beyond that, Montana State looks to beat Montana for the second consecutive year, while the Grizzlies are out to reverse last year’s outcome.

Who has the edge? Recent history doesn’t really say. After beating MSU 16 straight times between 1986 and 2001, the Griz have captured six of the last 10 meetings.

Here’s what’s at stake this time around: With a victory, Montana State will win its first outright league championship since its national title season of 1984. MSU (9-1, 7-0 Big Sky) has now claimed at least a share of back-to-back titles for the third time in school history.

The Bobcats also accomplished that feat from 1966-68 and 2002-03. The Grizzlies (8-2, 6-1) will forge a split league title with a win, and return to the top of the conference after a one-year hiatus.

Montana won or shared 12 straight conference championships from 1998-2009 before the streak was snapped last season in a 21-16 loss to MSU. Though both teams are virtual locks to make the FCS playoffs, the winner will earn the Big Sky’s automatic bid to the 20-team tournament.

For MSU, it would likely mean a top-three seed and home-field advantage for much of the playoffs. A victory might earn the Griz a top-five seed and the potential for home games, as well.

The Sports Network’s latest bracket projection — based on the non-scientific assumption that Montana State will beat Montana — gives the Bobcats the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye before hosting either Illinois State or Eastern Kentucky the following week. The projection also gives Montana a first-round bye, but has the unseeded Grizzlies playing on the road at fifth-seeded Northern Iowa in the second round.

A victory by Montana over Montana State, of course, would throw that scenario out the window. And it should be noted that TSN does not decide the tournament bracket, the Division I Football Championship postseason selection committee — which for the second straight year will be chaired by UM athletic director Jim O’Day — does. The playoff selection show will air the day after the Cat-Griz game (Nov. 20) at 8 a.m. on ESPN.

So much is up for grabs, but the teams must wait 12 days to settle it on the field. That’s because, for the first time in a long time, both Montana and Montana State are idle the week before their annual showdown. Most important, the break gives each team a chance to heal up.

The most significant injuries for either squad appear to be the ones to Bobcats offensive tackle Leo Davis and Grizzlies running back Jordan Canada. Davis, a senior from Billings Skyview, has missed most of the last five games games with a knee injury. Canada, a freshman out of Duarte, Calif., is battling a sprained ankle did not play against Western Oregon.

Both Davis and Canada have been integral to each team’s running game, both of which average better than 200 yards per game. Davis has helped pave the way for running backs Cody Kirk and Tray Robinson, who have combined for 1,759 yards and 19 touchdowns.  Canada, meanwhile, is the Grizzlies’ leading rusher with 474 yards, including 257 yards and three TDs in his previous three games.