FAVORITE TEAMS

Does Fresno State have what it takes to win the Mountain West?

Kalen Deboer left for Washington, but Fresno State should still be fine since Jeff Tedford returns to the sidelines and maintain quarterback Jake Haener after exploring the transfer portal. They have enough returns to become legit contenders for the West division and Mountain West title.

Does San Diego State and Boise State have a shot at the Mountain West crown?

San Diego State is separated by a meter from winning the West division. Their defense is still rock solid but hopes fall on Virginia Tech transfer Braxton Burmeister to be the quarterback that takes the Aztecs to a division title game.

Boise State could challenge Fresno State, but quarterback Hank Bachmeier must stay healthy and bring it all together while the offensive line tries to protect him.

How about Utah State, Colorado State, Air Force, and San Jose State?

Utah State could be favored if Boise State falls off again. There’s enough experience to go around but defeating Boise for another division title is high priority.

Colorado State has former Nevada coach Jay Norvell and 11 transfers behind him. If some of those transfers, including key returns, come together at the right time, they could be spoilers of the Mountain West in his first season.

An experienced Air Force team is likely to win the Mountain division with a lethal triple option attack and a hard-nosed defense. Defeating Boise State again and avoiding another second half fallout against Utah State will ensure their place in the conference title game.

San Jose State fell off the wagon after their spectacular 2020 season. However, Hawai’i transfer Chevan Cordeiro and Nevada transfers Elijah Cooks and Justin Lockhart arrive to hopefully spark the offense and take pressure off their defense. Their only concern is an averagely undersized offensive line. They average 281 pounds for the projected starting lineup.

What about the rest of the Mountain West?

Nevada lost 11 players to transfer, more to the NFL, and Jay Norvell and coaching staff to Colorado State. Coach Kevin Wilson has plenty of work cut out for him. Also, Shane Illingworth and Nate Cox are currently battling for the starting job.

UNLV has experienced skill players, but everywhere else is worrisome.

Hawai’i transitions with new coach Timmy Chang and roster and it’ll take time before they can compete again.

Wyoming dealt with departures to the transfer portal and needs help from players coming in to transition. Defense may still be the strength though.

New Mexico’s defense is the strength once again, but the offense needs answers after a very poor 2021 performance.

Can a Mountain West team find their way to a New Year’s Six Bowl?

Four teams could make the case: Fresno State, San Diego State, Boise State, and Air Force, but they must outperform the Sun Belt, AAC, and Independent teams like BYU and Notre Dame (unless they make the playoffs). The only Mountain West team to make it was Boise State in the very first New Year’s Six Bowl/College Football Playoff era. Believe it or not, this is the only conference that’s undefeated in a NY6 era.

Fresno State and San Diego State have the best chance with ranked Pac-12 opponents on their schedule. Fresno State faces F-USC (go to the FBS Independent post for that explanation) while San Diego State faces Utah. Whoever wins between SDSU and Fresno will be in the MWC championship and potentially more. Defeating those two high-ranked teams on September 17th is very important.

Air Force’s schedule sets them up properly with Colorado, Army, and Navy as their only non-conference games. If Boise and Utah State fail, the Falcons could play for the title. Boise State will always be favored, but the only problem is injuries, especially for quarterback Hank Bachmeier. Avoiding the constant plague with all that experience and a tad lighter 2022 schedule could put Boise back on top. They play San Diego State, Fresno State, and Air Force in 3 straight weeks of October. If those teams win their battles right up to their matchup with Boise, the Broncos have the best opportunity of any college football team to jump up the rankings, win their conference, and even have a case for their second New Year’s Six Bowl appearance.