The defending conference champion TCU Horned Frogs were picked by an overwhelming margin to repeat as conference champions, while the media pegged the Utes as second and BYU third.
Air Force, who has finished fourth the last two years, was once again picked at that spot. Wyoming, the Mountain West's other bowl team from a year ago, came in fifth, while upstart San Diego State is projected to finish sixth. Colorado State, UNLV and New Mexico round out the bottom.
While the Frogs are a no-brainer at the top, they will have to travel to Salt Lake City later in the season. That game could decide who wins the Mountain West championship and certainly one the Utes will have circled after last year's embarrassing debacle in Fort Worth.
Beyond just preseason conference poll, TCU swept the preseason Player of the Year awards - with Andy Dalton being named Offensive Player of the Year, Tank Carder Defensive Player of the Year and Jeremy Kerley Special Teams Player of the Year.
Surely the Frogs have the goods to establish the most dominant team in Mountain West history. After the jump you can see the entire 2010 Preseason All-Mountain West Football Team. Four Utes (three on offense, one on defense) make the list. Second most behind TCU's six.
2010 Preseason All-Mountain West Football Team
Offense
QB
Andy Dalton#*
Sr.
TCU
WR
Vincent Brown**
Sr.
San Diego State
WR
Phillip Payne
Jr.
UNLV
RB
Eddie Wide*
Sr.
Utah
RB
Jared Tew**
Sr.
Air Force
OL
Matt Reynolds#*
Jr.
BYU
OL
Jake Kirkpatrick**
Sr.
TCU
OL
Caleb Schlauderaff**
Sr.
Utah
OL
Marcus Cannon*
Sr.
TCU
OL
Zane Taylor**
Sr.
Utah
TE
Alston Umuolo
Sr.
San Diego State
Defense
DL
Johnathan Rainey**
Jr.
New Mexico
DL
Wayne Daniels**
Sr.
TCU
DL
Cory Grant**
Sr.
TCU
LB
Carmen Messina*
Jr.
New Mexico
LB
Tank Carder**
Jr.
TCU
LB
Brian Hendricks**
Jr.
Wyoming
LB
Mychal Sisson**
Jr.
Colorado State
DB
Brandon Burton
Jr.
Utah
DB
Reggie Rembert*
Sr.
Air Force
DB
Anthony Wright**
Jr.
Air Force
DB
Andrew Rich**
Sr.
BYU
DB
Chris Prosinski**
Sr.
Wyoming
Note: Five defensive backs were selected due to a tie in the voting.
Specialists
P
Brian Stahovich**
Jr.
San Diego State
PK
Ross Evans*
Jr.
TCU
Ret.
Jeremy Kerley#*
Sr.
TCU
Offensive Player of the Year:
Andy Dalton, Sr., QB, TCU
Defensive Player of the Year:
Tank Carder, Jr., LB, TCU
Special Teams Player of the Year:
Jeremy Kerley, Sr., KR/PR TCU
# - unanimous 2010 preseason selection.
* - member of the 2009 All-Mountain West Conference first-team.
** - member of the 2009 All-Mountain West Conference second-team.