Wow, that's a real surprise. WMU was in position to make a run for the championship, what with 7 returning starters on offense and 8 on defense. Using Bill Connelly's numbers, they returned 84% of productivity on offense, and 85% on defense, which was tops in the MAC. By contrast, Ohio returns 41% of productivity on offense, and 63% on defense, while Toledo returns 50% on offense and 57% on defense. Usually morale is high on a team poised for a championship run, whereas when the prospects are bleak is when you see more departures.

When the graduate transfers got started, it seemed like a nice boost for the G5, what with talented players transferring in for a year, but this year it has been made clear that it'ss a two way street, and that it probably hurts the MAC more than it helps. The MAC gains some players that didn't quite make it at the G5 level, but in return it ends up losing some of it's most talented players.

Note that even with the three transfers, WMU still placed 12 players on the Athlon Pre-Season all-conference team, so they still have some players:
https://www.mlive.com/broncos/2019/05/wmu-football-tied-f...

Yes. That was exactly my point. Prior to the losses, WMU would probably have been the favorite to win the MACC, but even after the losses, they will have a very competitive team, and will be right in the thick of things.