I don't get why it matters where teams were picked... pre-season polls have been proven to be pointless over the last three years (Drake, UNI, and now, possibly, MSU)...
Should you feel better finishing 5th if you were picked 6th, as opposed to finishing 5th, if you were picked 4th???
My answer to that question would be NO... you finished 5th either way and I would imagine every coaches #1 goal is to win the MVC every year... while the season may not be deamed a complete failure either way, it also not a complete success... JMO though