For the first time in a long time, Missouri State enters a football season with expectations that it will be playing meaningful games late in the season.
Reaching the postseason has become what's expected out of the Bears after qualifying for the playoffs during the spring season for the first time since 1990.
But if you know one thing about playing in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, you know that it's not going to be easy.
Missouri State has one of the most difficult schedules in the FCS and they're going to have to come away with some big wins if it hopes to go further than it did a few months ago.