The Texas State Bobcats took a first-round elimination from the NCAA football playoffs with a 31-13 loss at Montana Saturday as the Grizzlies held Texas State to nearly 100 yards below its average offensive yardage.

Texas State put four players on the All-Southland Conference football first team and five more on the second team.

The Texas State Bobcats and their closest followers learned Sunday night in the San and Pac Room that they’ll begin the NCAA football playoffs at fourth-seeded Montana. The game is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m.

Coming from 21 points behind, then prevailing in overtime, the Texas State Bobcats won their second Southland Conference football title in four years Saturday with a 48-45 win at Sam Houston State. The Bobcats will learn their first-round playoff opponent Sunday.

The Texas State Bobcats played 30 minutes about as well as they could play football Saturday, marking up a 38-24 road win against Southeastern Louisiana and moving back into a tie for playoff position in the Southland Conference.

After the Texas State Bobcats play football today at Southeastern Louisiana, they can either be right back in a tie for the playoff lead, or they can fall two games off that pace with two games left.

The Texas State Bobcats lost at home Saturday, 34-31 in overtime to Northwestern State. But the Southland Conference football race is so tight right now that it’s hard to figure out what that means.

The Texas State Bobcats can go along way towards erasing that “maybe” following them around, to say nothing of strengthening their chances for the NCAA football playoffs, with a win Saturday against Northwestern State at Bobcat Stadium.

The Texas State Bobcats set three school offensive records and argued ever more persuasively for their seriousness as an NCAA football playoff contender with a 62-21 win Saturday at Stephen F. Austin.

Even with their 31-24 loss to Central Arkansas Saturday, the Texas State Bobcats now have proven they are competitive with the top football teams in the Southland Conference. Now, the league’s playoff berth is within view.