Not sure why we're discussing a non-issue, but you're completely wrong with this statement. Here are the RPIs/SOSs of the qualifiers from other conferences (ignoring those who obviously would have better RPIs/SOSs than MSU:
Robert Morris: 109/256
Sienna: 20, 63
Chattanooga: 178, 180
Va Commonwealth: 52, 119
Morehead State: 140, 188
Radford: 131, 213
Cornell: 115, 281
East Tenn: 119, 257
Either American (76, 244) or Holy Cross (170, 247): Game tonight
Either Binghampton (89, 237) or UMBC (171, 153)
So it's obvious that not only would msu have been locked into the play-in game, but they almost certainly would have been decided underdogs by the odds-makers no matter whom they faced.
