Mountain West Conference week one power rankings

by JazzyUte on Sep 8, 2010 3:23 PM MDT in Football

Week one was a pretty good week for the Mountain West Conference. Its three best teams earned victories over BCS opponents (two were ranked) and outside of New Mexico and Colorado State, no program suffered an embarrassing loss.

Four Mountain West teams open conference play this week, as Utah hosts UNLV and BYU travels to Air Force. That Falcons-Cougars game will probably be the game of the week, since most other contests are set up for lopsided outcomes.

Team of the Week: TCU, Utah and BYU. All three get the nod this week because they all opened up play against the BCS and won. The Utes and Frogs beat ranked teams, while the Cougars defeated a Washington program that received considerable hype heading into the season.

Team of the Weak: New Mexico. 72-0? Really? It could have been worse, as the Oregon Ducks subbed out their first and second string players during the second half and the Lobos still couldn't stop them. I'm actually surprised Oregon didn't drop a hundred on New Mexico. They could have easily.

The rankings after the jump...

Week One Rankings
Rank	Team	Comments
1		TCU proved it's still the team to beat with their big win over Oregon State in the opener. The Frogs weren't perfect and the game may have been closer than most of their contests last season - but it was a solid win over a solid Pac-10 team. This week will prove much easier, as they host Tennessee Tech.
2		Utah appears to be the only thing between TCU and a second outright Mountain West title. Their win over Pittsburgh was a step in the right direction, however, there are still questions about the consistency of the team. Luckily for the Utes, they have a stretch of nobodies to work out all their kinks before the meat of the schedule arrives later this fall.
3		BYU opened the season with a big win over the Washington Huskies and once again appear capable of contending for ten-wins and a top-three spot in conference play. They now have a big conference test Saturday against the Falcons. A loss there will certainly remove them from the Mountain West title picture. A win, however, keeps their hopes alive.
4		Air Force had no trouble with Northwestern State in week one, but now focus turns to the Cougars. This is a big game for the Falcons because, outside of 2007, they've yet to really establish themselves as one of the top-three. A win against BYU, though, could change that.
5		Hard to take a great deal away from San Diego State's win over Nicholls. But with how some programs (cough, Ole Miss, Kansas) lost to FCS teams last week and others struggled (Wyoming), a 47-0 win isn't such a bad thing. This week probably won't answer many questions, either, since they play cupcake New Mexico State.
6		Wyoming had to hold off a big rally from Southern Utah and barely escaped with a win at home. It was similar to their victory over Weber last year. Unfortunately, the schedule is much more difficult in 2010 and without Florida Atlantic for an easy win, they're certainly going to have to pick up their play big time if they have any chance of winning six games again. It has to start at Texas. Ouch.
7		Bobby Hauck's inaugural game at UNLV didn't go very well. The offense was virtually non-existent and after some big plays in the first half, the defense essentially was shredded by the Wisconsin Badgers' offense. Things don't appear to be much easier for the Rebels, as they now travel to Salt Lake City for a showdown with 20th ranked Utah.
8		If you're counting, CSU's loss to the Colorado Buffaloes was their tenth in a row. Ten consecutive losses. Even New Mexico owns less consecutive losses currently (but only because they beat the Rams last year for their lone win). Ouch. Steve Fairchild better get things turned around fast or he'll be run off the fort (get it? ha). This week's game against Nevada in Reno would be a big start.
9

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Comments

Ugh...

5-9 in this conference is so bad in football.

"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates

by slc ranger on Sep 8, 2010 4:12 PM MDT reply actions

One more season...

by JazzyUte on Sep 8, 2010 4:29 PM MDT up reply actions

Shoot, I’m half way out the door already. I can tell because I was rooting for Oregon over UNM…I wanted a hunner’d.

Pensburgh /// BlockU
I like it. Bill Guerin’s uppercut is so awesome it wins fights he’s not even in.
- OlenWhitaker

"...as a matter of law, the house is haunted."
- Judge Rubin, New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division
Stambovsky v. Ackley, 572 N.Y.S. 2d 672

by Hockey Beard in SLC on Sep 8, 2010 5:49 PM MDT up reply actions

Me too.

I was rooting for Washington, Oregon State and even UCLA, but not USC. I also wanted VT to kick BSU’s ass… but that had more to do with BSU’s annoying, ignorant, self-righteous fans than AQ vs. non-AQ. I still wanted Utah State over OK and I was definitely rooting for UNLV, Fresno and every other non-AQ who was playing a non-Pac BCS team.

by FeloniousMonk on Sep 9, 2010 10:45 AM MDT up reply actions

There are some MWC teams I can always root for, like AF (and even TCU to a degree). I was also hoping VT would roll over BSU, but that was more so that TCU and Utah could be the top two non-AQ teams ranked.

If USU could’ve pulled off that upset…boy oh boy.

I like it. Bill Guerin’s uppercut is so awesome it wins fights he’s not even in.
- OlenWhitaker on Pensburgh

Go Utes! BlockU

by Hockey Beard in SLC on Sep 9, 2010 11:59 AM MDT up reply actions

Ditto

Watching both the TCU/Oregon State and BYU/Washington games I was indifferent. I love our new conference, but I found I was unable to work up a vested interest in the Pac-10 beating the MWC in a year when our SOS still depends so much on the Mountain West.

Air Force and TCU are two teams I can respect, and in the future I see myself cheering for the Mountain West whenever they aren’t playing our conference.

As for the VT/BSU game, I think that’s a no-brainer. If Utah has a great season and beats TCU, the only team that can keep the Utes out of a BCS bowl would be BSU. Also, if both teams ran the table, I don’t think BSU would deserve a NC bid over Utah, but if a non-AQ team got it, it probably would be them due to all the hype.

I keep accidentally eating my pets. Maybe I should get something less appetizing, like a cat instead of a Twinkie.

Sort-of-daily sort-of-funny sort-of-thoughts at danoftheday.com

by CrimsonUte on Sep 9, 2010 1:47 PM MDT up reply actions

Ya, it would be really hard for Utah to leap-frog BSU simply because BSU started off the season ranked so high and the coaches and Harris Polls seem to be a bit ‘stickier’ when it comes to dropping teams for playing bad or for only beating poor teams (a la BSU’s other 10 games this year aside from VT and OSU).

I like it. Bill Guerin’s uppercut is so awesome it wins fights he’s not even in.
- OlenWhitaker on Pensburgh

Go Utes! BlockU

by Hockey Beard in SLC on Sep 9, 2010 2:42 PM MDT up reply actions

It's possible...

The human polls are essentially irrelevant at this point. It’s all about the BCS and their ratings will always matter more than the AP/Coaches (whose votes to not impact the BCS rankings).

The path to finishing ahead of the Broncos in the BCS is actually pretty realistic (assuming, of course, the Utes do the unthinkable and win out).

First, TCU can’t lose. That doesn’t seem likely anyway, so they’ll probably enter the Utah game ranked a spot or two behind the Broncos in the human polls. However, their stronger SOS will probably give them an advantage in the computer polls and I believe the close proximity of the teams in the human Harris Poll will ultimately negate BSU’s lead overall in the human polls. Come November, if both are undefeated, TCU will have a better BCS ranking than the Broncos.

Now if Utah opens up the season 8-0, they’ll surely be a top-ten team. I base this on history because the three other times the Utes have been 8-0 in the modern era (1994, 2004 and 2008), they’ve broken into the top-10.

Utah’s 20th ranking right now is only three spots worse than their week two ranking in 2004 (17th). By 8-0 that season, Utah was 7th nationally. They were 6th in the BCS.

So let’s assume Utah is 7th in the BCS by the time they play TCU. That’s after an 8-0 start and probably very reasonable (Utah was 8th around that point in 2008).

TCU would probably be 3rd or 4th. BSU maybe 5th.

If Utah wins that game, they’d automatically move up because their win would best that of the Broncos that week (they host Hawaii).

Couple that with a potential top-25 game a WEEK later against ND and then another potential top-25 opponent TWO weeks later in BYU, and you’ve got a really good chance to leapfrog BSU in the BCS rankings. Maybe not the two major polls, but the BCS is all that matters and there, Utah will benefit from a stronger SOS and bigger wins at the end of the year.

Of course, all this is unlikely because it’s still hard to see Utah going undefeated. But if they are 8-0, anything can happen.

by JazzyUte on Sep 9, 2010 3:34 PM MDT up reply actions

I thought the Coaches poll was 1/3rd of the BCS rank formulation?

I agree…it definitely is a tall order, and it seems that there is some negative sentiment existing against BSU simply because they play cupcakes for the rest of the year (outside of OSU). With that negative sentiment, it would seem that perhaps the human element won’t buoy them up when the meat of their schedule totally bombs their SOS in the Computer polls.

A side question: if the Coaches is 1/3, the 5 computer poll average is 1/3, what is the other 1/3 of the BCS rank? or do I have this wrong?

I like it. Bill Guerin’s uppercut is so awesome it wins fights he’s not even in.
- OlenWhitaker on Pensburgh

Go Utes! BlockU

by Hockey Beard in SLC on Sep 9, 2010 3:53 PM MDT up reply actions

1/3 – Computers
1/3 – Coaches Poll
1/3 – Harris Poll

I keep accidentally eating my pets. Maybe I should get something less appetizing, like a cat instead of a Twinkie.

Sort-of-daily sort-of-funny sort-of-thoughts at danoftheday.com

by CrimsonUte on Sep 9, 2010 3:55 PM MDT up reply actions

Thanks

I like it. Bill Guerin’s uppercut is so awesome it wins fights he’s not even in.
- OlenWhitaker on Pensburgh

Go Utes! BlockU

by Hockey Beard in SLC on Sep 9, 2010 4:21 PM MDT up reply actions

I agree it’s unlikely Utah will go undefeated, but a guy can dream, can’t he?

Also, the Coaches Poll is 1/3 of the BCS rankings, so it definitely matters. And while the computers can figure out that an undefeated Utah resume would be much more impressive than an undefeated BSU resume, I don’t trust the coaches or Harris jokers to have that much intelligence.

Also, I lived in Boise and those fans were extremely rude to me in 2008.

I keep accidentally eating my pets. Maybe I should get something less appetizing, like a cat instead of a Twinkie.

Sort-of-daily sort-of-funny sort-of-thoughts at danoftheday.com

by CrimsonUte on Sep 9, 2010 3:54 PM MDT up reply actions

Computers will still hurt Boise...

Especially toward the end of their schedule. When Utah is facing a string of good teams (AFA, TCU, ND and BYU), BSU is playing:

Louisiana Tech
Hawaii
@ Idaho
Fresno State
@ Nevada
USU

Doubtful there will be a ranked team in any of those contests.

Utah, tho, could face three top-25 teams and maybe one fringe top-25 team (Air Force).

If the Utes are within three spots of Boise State, which if they beat TCU will be likely, I think the computer rankings will put ’em over the Broncos.

But going undefeated is still a gigantic if.

by JazzyUte on Sep 9, 2010 4:30 PM MDT up reply actions

The best thing about being 1-0 is...

the opportunity to go 2-0!!

I like it. Bill Guerin’s uppercut is so awesome it wins fights he’s not even in.
- OlenWhitaker on Pensburgh

Go Utes! BlockU

by Hockey Beard in SLC on Sep 9, 2010 6:44 PM MDT up reply actions

Agreed

Utah would be killing it in the computers in that scenario.

I keep accidentally eating my pets. Maybe I should get something less appetizing, like a cat instead of a Twinkie.

Sort-of-daily sort-of-funny sort-of-thoughts at danoftheday.com

by CrimsonUte on Sep 9, 2010 8:43 PM MDT up reply actions

Boise State beating VT is good for Oregon State, when they beat BSU

And that is good for the PAC 10 :)

BCS Evolution -- Punctuating the Equilibrium - twitter

by utesfan100 on Sep 9, 2010 1:14 PM MDT up reply actions

I disagree with one thing

as you already know from my rankings.

Air Force had no trouble with Northwestern State in week one

This most definitely was not true in the first half of the game.

RIP Nick Adenhart. 4/9/09
SLC Dunk
I'm on Twitter

by UtesFan89 on Sep 8, 2010 7:31 PM MDT reply actions

see that guys TD from NW State?

that was a incredible run…but anyways we’ll see what air force can do against byu, they’ve kind of had the falcons number the past couple of years, lots of blowouts. i hope for a tight game for once. they sure give the utes enough tight games

by utahmanami on Sep 8, 2010 11:12 PM MDT up reply actions

Didn’t NW St go something like 0-11 last year? Ya, I would hope maybe it was just some opening week jitters, as I expect AFA to field a quality team this year.

Pensburgh /// BlockU
I like it. Bill Guerin’s uppercut is so awesome it wins fights he’s not even in.
- OlenWhitaker

"...as a matter of law, the house is haunted."
- Judge Rubin, New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division
Stambovsky v. Ackley, 572 N.Y.S. 2d 672

by Hockey Beard in SLC on Sep 9, 2010 12:37 AM MDT up reply actions

i don't like byu but dislike has nothing to do with wagering. i saw heaps play and he has a rocket of an arm

nelson can run the bowl so i actually think the 2 qb system can work for awhile. i expect byu to win vs af. its a pick em game too in las vegas.

I'm all about covering the spread and moneylines. Glory favors the bold. Chance favors the prepared mind. Luck, well i have that too. University of Utah goes to the Pac-12 conference in 2011. I expect them to compete immediately for the conference CG. Brock Lesnar will defeat Cain Velasquez. Womens MMA, the next big thing in sports. Utah and Boise take care of business in week one. Don't be surprised if they both go undefeated.

by wolfmanshowlforever on Sep 9, 2010 2:01 AM MDT up reply actions

BYU is getting 1.5 at the Hilton.

Everyone hates a pink-shirt-wearing communist.

by displacedute on Sep 9, 2010 10:00 AM MDT up reply actions

A lot of the online sports books are giving AFA 1, with an O/U of 50.

If it is a close game in the fourth, I expect AFA to pull it out. THEN we will see how well that 2 QB system works when some of the players get upset over playing time, or thinking they should have been in for the last drive.

I like it. Bill Guerin’s uppercut is so awesome it wins fights he’s not even in.
- OlenWhitaker on Pensburgh

Go Utes! BlockU

by Hockey Beard in SLC on Sep 9, 2010 12:03 PM MDT up reply actions