Spider Legs, I agree with your comments about the selection committee members watching the SDSU game. I also agree with you that the ONLY way to prove to the selection committee and rest of the country that YSU and other teams in the MFVC are as good/better as the top teams in the CAA, OVC and SoCon is to play these teams in the regular season. Same with the Big Sky, and to their credit, NDSU, SDSU, and ND typically play at least 1 team from the Big Sky. Unfortunately, as has been pointed out, the OOC schedule appears to be set up to appease the people who rent the loges. This is fine, but the scheduling strategy has not helped YSU come playoff time. I'm not even sure how well it helps YSU in preparing for the teams in the MVFC.
Consistently making the playoffs provides the potential for at least 1 more home game for those in the loges to watch. And, it is also the best way to get more people to attend the games. I know YSU does not get the profits from ticket sales for playoff games, but they still make money from parking, concessions, and souvenirs. These are also extra games for the people who rent/lease the loges, and another opportunity to get people onto the YSU campus, and generate some school and community excitement. If being a consistent playoff increases both tickets sold and actual attendance in the regular season, that leads to more revenue. Depending on the size of the increase, it may well make up all or most of the supposed $200,000 in revenue YSU makes per home game.
As for the person who asked why SDSU made the playoffs over YSU last season, the teams tied for 2nd place in the MFVC. They played head-to-head, and SDSU won. As for the "conspiracy" theory of YSU playing their final 3 games against UNI, NDSU and SDSU, give me a break. The final 2 games were at home. UNI was 4-5/0-5 and depleted by injuries when they played YSU. A team deserving of the playoffs surely could have gone 1-2 in these 3 games. Had YSU gone 1-2, they would have been in the playoffs.
In 2011, YSU played Missouri State in the final game, at home. Missouri State came into the game with 1-9/1-6. Win that game, and YSU was in the playoffs. They lost 38-34, after leading 27-10 at halftime.
Let me type that again. YSU was beating a team with a 1-9 record 27-10 at halftime, playing at home, and lost 38-34.
In 2012, YSU finished the season with South Dakota, at WIU and Indiana State, 3 bottom tier teams. Had YSU simply gone 1-3 in October, they likely would have made the playoffs at 8-4/5-3, especially with a season opening win at PITT.
The conspiracy theories get old. Under both Heacock and Wolford, YSU has gone back to finding ways to lose winnable games against quality teams, and even mediocre teams. The same kind of games needed to win if wanting to make the playoffs. The very games the Tressel coached teams in 87, and then 89-2000 more often than not found ways to win.
Under Heacock, it was a 24-14 home loss to WKU in 2001. YSU entered the game ranked in the Top 10 at 6-1/4-1. WKU was 5-2/2-1. YDU also lost that year at UNI.
In 2002, it was a 13-7 loss at WKU. A game in which YSU had 3 TO's, including 2 INT's in the 4th qtr, and a fumble inside the WKU 5 yard line at the end of the 1st half, with WKU leading 10-7. One of the 2 INT's was in the 4th qtr, with YSU inside the WKU 20. YSU finished 7-4/4-2. YSU also lost to UNI, this time at home. UNI finished 5-6/2-5, yet won 22-7 at YSU.
In 2005, it was back-to-back road losses at UNI and SIU, after YSU started the season 7-1/4-0. YSU was ranked 11th. UNI was 4-3/2-2, and essentially playing for their playoff lives. UNI won 21-7. The next week, YSU lost 31-17 at SIU, in a game YSU led 17-7 at halftime.
I agree with all the people saying that THIS YEAR, it will be a travesty if the MVFC only gets 2 teams into the playoffs. I believe the MFVC will get more than 2 teams into the playoffs, but not so sure YSU will be one of those teams. The reason is simple. Under Wolford, YSU has not shown an ability to win big games. The lone exceptions were in 2011 at NDSU, and 2012 at PITT. The win at NDSU in 2011 was followed up
with a 38-34 home loss to Missouri State to end the season. Remember, this was a home game against a team with a record of (1-9/1-6) and YSU led 27-10 at halftime. . The 2012 win at PITT was followed up with an 0-4 in October.
