SLIDESHOW: Weber State vs. Montana football

MISSOULA. Mont. — So what now?

That’s what the Weber State Wildcats were asking themselves following Saturday’s humbling loss to No. 2-ranked Montana. The Wildcats, who came into the game ranked No. 14, prepared all week as if their postseason lives depended on the result, which was a fair assessment. But the Wildcats didn’t play like it, and lost their chance at repeating as Big Sky Conference champions.

However WSU (5-4, 5-2 Big Sky) still has two games left, and could possibly finish second in the Big Sky which might also include a spot in the Division I FCS playoffs.

“We came up here expecting to win and now we have to win out and hope that we can get into the playoffs to keep the season going,” said WSU wide receiver Tim Toone. “I don’t think it’s the end for this team. I think we have a lot of talent that we didn’t show here, and it’s going to sit deep in us and we’re going to play hard and hopefully make the playoffs.”

WSU is off next week, and then will finish the regular season with home games against Northern Arizona and Cal Poly. If the Wildcats beat the Lumberjacks, WSU would finish with a 6-2 league mark. The best NAU could finish would be 5-3. Eastern Washington is 5-2 following Saturday’s win over Portland State, however the Eagles also lost to WSU earlier in October and even if they finish 6-2, would lose the tiebreaker to Weber State

WSU would also need Montana State to lose one of its final three league games, which would give the Bobcats three conference losses. MSU beat the Wildcats earlier in the year and owns the head-to-head tiebreaker should both teams finish 6-2.

Since 1981, there have only been two seasons when the Big Sky did not have two teams in the playoffs.

Of course, a lot of the decision by the playoff committee as to who gets the eight at-large berths will be determined by what happens throughout the country within other power conferences. So all the Wildcats can do is worry about themselves.

“We’ve got two games left and obviously as a coach I’m not going to give them any excuses,” said WSU coach Ron McBride. “They’re going to have to step up to the plate and be men. This is not a game for kids. This is a man’s game so these guys are going to have to respond like men. Not like little kids.”

Another thing to consider is WSU’s regular season-ending game against Cal Poly. Even if the No.18-ranked Mustangs, who lost on Saturday to North Dakota, are in position to finish first in their league, the Great West Conference is not one of the leagues that is not granted an automatic playoff spot for its champion. If the Wildcats are ranked above the Mustangs and have a win, WSU would likely get a spot over Cal Poly.

But of course, it all depends on WSU beating the Lumberjacks and Mustangs and Montana State losing one more league contest.

“You’ve got to rise from the deficit,” McBride said.