Scalzo: MVFC making a case for itself

Ten months after getting just two teams into the playoffs, the Missouri Valley Football Conference is taking out its frustration on the rest of the FCS.

The MVFC is 20-1 against FCS schools after four weeks, besting the league-record mark of 18-4 in 1999 with three games remaining.

“A shot across the bow?” South Dakota coach Joe Glenn said. “Absolutely.”

Glenn’s Coyotes had the lone loss, a 28-20 defeat at then-No. 4-ranked Montana on Sept. 13.

“And we didn’t play all that good,” he said. “What I’m saying is, we’ve got a really good conference.”

The MVFC kicks off its 30th season on Saturday when Southern Illinois hosts Western Illinois and some already feel this could be the deepest and most-talented group in conference history.

In USA Today’s Sagarin Ratings, the MVFC is ranked as the 15th best conference in the country, ahead of three FBS conferences: the Mid-American Conference (16th for the West, 19th for the East), Conference USA (17th) and the Sun Belt (18th).

A league-record seven teams are ranked in the FCS coaches poll, including three-time defending national champion North Dakota State at No. 1 and Youngstown State at 12th.

Heck, unranked Indiana State, which was picked to finish last in the 10-team league, has a win over Mid-American Conference-member Ball State.

“More than ever, I don’t think you can look at our league and say there’s a lot of separation between teams,” YSU coach Eric Wolford said. “Who are the bottom three or four teams? I don’t think anybody can pick those.”

“I really believe all 10 teams are worthy of top-25 consideration, if not deserving,” added Southern Illinois coach Dale Lennon. “It has to be sending a strong message right now [to the playoff selection committee].”

The MVFC has had at least two playoff teams for the last 19 seasons and has been the top-ranked FCS conference in the Gridiron Power Index in each of the last three years.

But the conference had just two playoff teams last season, the first year for the expanded 24-team tournament. The Big Sky had four teams and the Colonial Athletic Association, Southland Conference and Ohio Valley Conference each had three teams.

“You just look across the landscape, we’re beating a lot of teams that come from conferences that have had more playoff participants than us, whether it’s the Southland or the Big Sky,” said North Dakota State coach Chris Klieman, whose team has won an FCS-record 28 straight games. “It’s something we hope builds our resume in late November.”

YSU finished in a four-team tie for second place last season with South Dakota State, Southern Illinois and Missouri State. Only SDSU advanced, falling in the second round of the playoffs.

While the Penguins were doomed by their three-game losing streak to end the season, it would be a shock if a 5-3 league mark (and an 8-4 overall record) wasn’t good enough to make it this season.

Problem is, winning five more games is no easy task.

“The next eight games, you’re gonna touch gloves and have a fistfight with every team in the league,” said Glenn, who won a I-AA national title with Montana in 2001. “They’re all tough teams, they all have good players, they’re all well-coached. I’m really impressed with our conference.

“It’ll be a fistfight, no doubt.”

Joe Scalzo covers YSU athletics for The Vindicator. Email him at scalzo@vindy.com and follow him on Twitter, @JoeScalzo1.