The Missouri State (Hibernating) Bears

[pafan]

As of the December 17 update, RealTimeRPI projects MSU will finish the season 2-28, winning no more games currently on the schedule, with only a handful of truly close games, including home vs. Drake and home vs. UNI.

Also as of today's update, Jeff Sagarin's ratings project essentially the same thing, and that MSU is the underdog by 8 or more in all but one of their remaining games.
@ Alabama A&M: +2
@ New Mexico State: +20
Drake @ MSU: +8
(all of the other MVC games show MSU underdog by 10 or more)
MSU @ CU: +31.5

WarrenNolan.com projects MSU will win one MVC game, although they provide only a projected season record.

I don't normally put a lot of stock in these computer projections because they don't take matchups into account. It will be interesting to see how MSU plays out - a similar fate was predicted for SIU last year, but they won their fair share of Valley games.

[iowactor]

I think MO State feels a lot better about its future if they get those wins against South Carolina and SMU. I, too, don't take projections as being determinative, but at some point in a season you are what your record says you are. The conference season is an opportunity for the Bears to reset, but it looks like they will struggle.