The playoff committee narrative for the SoCon is so predictable it is almost boring and it is making me sick. Every year the same script plays out where the FCS selection committee operates like they have a pre-approved list of maybe six programs and nobody else is allowed to break in. Mercer Bears finished last season ranked 4th in the SoCon in yards per play allowed at 4.9 and still got zero at-large consideration because the national media decided Mercer Bears were a "nice story" not a real contender. That is garbage analysis and it ignores the actual data.
The Bears are sitting on a 73.2 percent red zone touchdown conversion rate from last season which is top three in the conference and the committee still treats us like Mercer Bears are a decade away from relevance. Meanwhile programs like Furman and Samford get the benefit of every doubt because of brand recognition and nothing else. Mercer has been building methodically with a defensive front that ranked 2nd in the SoCon in havoc rate last fall and the committee still refuses to give us a seat at the table. The playoff projection conversation always starts with the same four or five names and it is lazy.
Spring practice is showing a QB competition that is deeper than anything Mercer Bears have had in years and the coaching staff is installing a tempo package that should push our offensive EPA per play well above last season's mark. If the committee actually watched the film instead of reading preseason magazines they would see a program that is ready to win a playoff game. The disrespect is baked into the system and it is time for Mercer to rip the door off the hinges and force them to pay attention.