If Missouri State football is going to improve in 2019, it is going to have to do so against one of the toughest schedules in the country.
Entering the program's fifth year under head coach Dave Steckel, the Bears will play games against multiple playoff programs, and the team might not be seen as a favorite in any game it plays this season.
Life in the Missouri Valley Football Conference has proven to be tough as the conference continues to be regarded as one of the toughest — if not the toughest — in the FCS.