Maybe not a title contender but healthy and in this year’s bracket could have been a quarterfinal team (Wofdord, SDSU, Sam houston, Jacksonville all beatable by a healthy YSU). And I suppose that’s the frustration. Outside of the MVFC in a conference like the OVC, YSU would have been in the playoffs at least 7-8 times in the passed 15 years as opposed to just 2. And out of those 7-8 times would have probably gone quarters or even semis 2 or 3 times. Overall our reputation would be so much better in the later scenario. Our only losses every year are to a top conference FBS team, an fcs championship contender and typically 2 other 2-round playoff contenders... and several seasons those games have been close.
Trust me, no excuses and there have been 3-4 other years where we shot ourselves in the foot when we had a clear playoff berth even with being in the MVFC. I just can’t believe so many hold onto the MVFC helps us recruit and then say we should play a better OCC strength of schedule. Without even scheduling non conference games our scihedule is already stronger than 3 years worths of games for 65% of FCS. I would love to see the MVFC go to two sides of the conference and be treated as two conferences and lose the NEC, Patriot and Pioneer autobids (if one of the schools out of those 3 conferences passes the eye test, they can be an at large). It would probably help the FCS in general even more than YSU!
