1. I know Youngstown State missed the playoffs last season with an 8-4 record (5-3 in the Missouri Valley), but I'd be stunned if the Penguins don't make it this year with the same record.

To do so, two things have to happen:

A. YSU must, must, must beat Indiana State at home on Saturday. (Or, failing that, upset North Dakota State on the road in two weeks.)

B. The FCS playoff committee must take four MVFC teams.

(There's always option C, which would be to win both games, but that seems unrealistic.)

2. If YSU beats Indiana State, it will finish no worse than fourth in the standings since the Penguins would have head-to-head wins over South Dakota State, Indiana State and Southern Illinois. All those teams have three league losses right now.

Considering the MVFC's dominance this season, it would be very, very hard for the FCS playoff committee to take fewer than four teams.

3. If the Penguins lose their last two games? Well, they're out of the playoffs and probably looking for a new coaching staff.

4. I'm guessing North Dakota State and Illinois State are both locks for the postseason right now and Northern Iowa (which upset the Bison on Saturday, 23-3) is headed that way.

5. Youngstown State could use a big, rowdy home crowd for Saturday's 2 p.m. game.

Good luck with that. Considering the Penguins only had about 1,000 people for the second half of last week's win over

South Dakota, they might want to break out the ol' buy-one-get-five-free ticket plan.

6. Youngstown State played pretty poorly in Saturday's loss to Illinois State but the Redbirds are also really good, especially offensively.

ISU outscored YSU 21-0 in the second half in each of the last two games at Hancock Stadium, but this year's Redbirds are much better than the 2012 version. Quarterback Tre Robinson is the best run/pass threat in this conference since

Tirrell Rennie was at UNI in 2010-11.
Bottom line: They've had worse losses under Wolford.

7. As we were boarding the plane after Saturday's game, one of the Delta employees spotted linebacker Travis Williams and said, "Are you the running back?"

"No," he said. "Linebacker."

"What's that?" she said.

"It's on defense," Williams said.

As he walked down the ramp, he said, "I should have told her I was the running back. 'Yeah, Adrian Peterson.'"

Why do I mention this? Because sometimes it's good to remind yourself that there's a billion people in China who don't care if YSU wins or loses. Also, at least one Delta employee.

8. Illinois State blocked two Joey Cejudo field goal attempts, one from 50 yards and one from 45. It's hard to say the Penguins would have won if he makes both of those, but YSU would have been up 27-21 late in the third quarter.

It definitely would have been a different game.
Cejudo also had a 7-yard punt that set up ISU's first touchdown.

YSU has lost a few games this year because of poor special teams. Maybe in the last two games, the Penguins will win one because of them?