Week 3 Mountain West Football Power Rankings

Week 3 Mountain West Football Power Rankings These rankings are really tough! Contact/Follow @MWCwire We do have to name a No. 1 The Mountain West had a wild week and it all started when Wyoming hosted Air Force and got the upset win on Friday …

Week 3 Mountain West Football Power Rankings


These rankings are really tough!


Contact/Follow @MWCwire

We do have to name a No. 1

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The Mountain West had a wild week and it all started when Wyoming hosted Air Force and got the upset win on Friday night. The Falcons were our number one team last week and looked to be the best in the conference, but the Cowboys seemingly have turned the corner after the Illinois loss and the passing game has improved.

Fresno State got destroyed against USC, UNLV put up another 50-plus points, San Diego State’s offense stalled vs. Utah, and Boise State won but looked mortal against UT-Martin.

The league is going to be interesting, frustrating, and close for the entire year. There will be a lot of movement and some may not really occur until conference play when we get head-to-head matchups.

Also, who would have thought that New Mexico and UNLV would each be 2-1 in non-conference play so far?

Preseason | Week 0 | Week 1 | Week 2

Week 3 College Football Rankings: Why Isn’t Air Force Ranked?

Week 3 College Football Rankings: Why Isn’t Air Force Ranked? Again, no teams are ranked Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire Tough week for the Mountain West The second week of Mountain West football was not great and it showed in the polls with …

Week 3 College Football Rankings: Why Isn’t Air Force Ranked?


Again, no teams are ranked


Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire

Tough week for the Mountain West

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The second week of Mountain West football was not great and it showed in the polls with no team being ranked. The closest team coming into this week was Fresno State.

They were hosting an Oregon State team that we warned people about being sneaky good, yet they are still not ranked after topping Fresno State on the road with a gutsy going for the win on the road and not going for overtime.

Air Force is the other Mountain West team that should be ranked but they are still not yet there, for some reason. Two games in they have outscored their opponents 89-27. Yes, one was Northern Iowa but they smoked Colorado 41-10.

That beat down over a Pac-12 team allowed the Falcons to just be a team receiving votes in both the AP and coaches poll. Putting them just on the outside looking in.

COACHES POLL

Coaches Poll Also Receiving Votes: Florida State 85; Cincinnati 80; Appalachian State 50; Air Force 48; Kansas State 46; Wisconsin 43; Marshall 40; Notre Dame 35; Mississippi State 31; Washington State 29; Houston 25; Texas Tech 24; Oregon State 24; Minnesota 23; TCU 18; Auburn 16; North Carolina 10; Syracuse 7; Washington 6; UCLA 4; Iowa State 4.

25 Pitt Panthers 1-1 157 (14)

24 Oregon Ducks 1-1 197 (24)

23 Penn State Nittany Lions 2-0 279 (NR)

22 Texas A&M Aggies 1-1 285 (6)

21 Florida Gators 1-1 297 (19)

20 Texas Longhorns 1-1 306 (22)

19 Baylor Bears 1-1 531 (8)

18 Wake Forest Demon Deacons 2-0 540 (21)

17 Ole Miss Rebels 2-0 552 (23)

16 Tennessee Volunteers 2-0 556 (NR)

15 Utah Utes 1-1 673 (15)

14 BYU Cougars 2-0 739 (25)

13 Miami Hurricanes 2-0 805 (16)

12 NC State Wolfpack 2-0 816 (13)

11 Arkansas Razorbacks 2-0 857 (17)

10 Kentucky Wildcats 2-0 901 (20)

9 Michigan State Spartans 2-0 1026 (11)

8 USC Trojans 2-0 1133 (12)

7 Oklahoma State Cowboys 2-0 1137 (10)

6 Oklahoma Sooners 2-0 1253 (7)

5 Michigan Wolverines 2-0 1370 (5)

4 Clemson Tigers 2-0 1387 (4)

3 Ohio State Buckeyes 2-0 1514 1 1st place vote (3)

2 Georgia Bulldogs 2-0 1574 25 1st place votes (2)

1 Alabama Crimson Tide 2-0 1592 39 1st place votes (1)

Mountain West Football: Week 2 Winners And Losers

AP POLL

Others Receiving Votes Marshall 85, Cincinnati 80, Appalachian State 80, Kansas State 77, North Carolina 71, Mississippi State 43, Florida State 42, Oregon State 42, Minnesota 37, Washington State 30, Notre Dame 23, Air Force 19, Texas Tech 17, Wisconsin 7, Auburn 4, Iowa State 4, Purdue 1

25 Oregon Ducks 1-1 89 (NR)

24 Texas A&M Aggies 1-1 145 (6)

23 Pitt Panthers 1-1 160 (17)

22 Penn State Nittany Lions 2-0 271 (NR)

21 Texas Longhorns 1-1 276 (NR)

20 Ole Miss Rebels 2-0 411 (22)

19 Wake Forest Demon Deacons 2-0 449 (23)

18 Florida Gators 1-1 484 (12)

17 Baylor Bears 1-1 562 (9)

16 Tennessee Volunteers 2-0 658 (24)

15 NC State Wolfpack 2-0 673 (18)

14 Utah Utes 1-1 673 (13)

13 Miami Hurricanes 2-0 772 (15)

12 BYU Cougars 2-0 880 (21)

11 Michigan State Spartans 2-0 902 (14)

10 Arkansas Razorbacks 2-0 938 (16)

9 Kentucky Wildcats 2-0 992 (20)

8 Oklahoma State Cowboys 2-0 1004 (11)

7 USC Trojans 2-0 1139 (10)

6 Oklahoma Sooners 2-0 1209 (7)

5 Clemson Tigers 2-0 1285 (5)

4 Michigan Wolverines 2-0 1359 (4)

3 Ohio State Buckeyes 2-0 1475 1 1st place vote (3)

2 Alabama Crimson Tide 2-0 1496 9 1st place votes (1)

1 Georgia Bulldogs 2-0 1561 53 1st place votes (2)


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Week 1 College Football Rankings: Mountain West Shut Out Of Top 25, As Expected

Week 1 College Football Rankings: Mountain West Shut Out Of Top 25, As Expected Where are the Mountain West teams ranked? Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire A look around the rankings The latest polls are out after a long weekend and the …

Week 1 College Football Rankings: Mountain West Shut Out Of Top 25, As Expected


Where are the Mountain West teams ranked?


Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire

A look around the rankings

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The latest polls are out after a long weekend and the Mountain West not faring well against FBS competition. Boise State and San Diego State losing to their respective schools did not allow them to get any more votes in the AP or coaches poll.

Fresno State, Air Force and Utah State did all receive votes in both polls. The Bulldogs and Falcons easily took care of their FCS foes, but the Aggies blowout loss to No. 1 Alabama only gave Utah State a slight ding.

Fresno State and Air Force has an outside shot of being ranked after Week 2 as they both play Power 5 teams. The Bulldogs have the better odds as they take on Oregon State who received votes, while the Falcons take on the hapless Colorado Buffaloes.

Coaches Poll

Coaches Poll Also Receiving Votes: Tennessee 143; Penn State 138; Houston 137; Cincinnati 61; Iowa 44; Mississippi State 34; Florida State 33; Central Florida 23; Fresno State 21; Air Force 18; Auburn 15; Texas Christian 7; UCLA 6; South Carolina 6; Utah State 5; Minnesota 5; Syracuse 4; Oregon State 3; UL Lafayette 1; Texas Tech 1; Northwestern 1; North Carolina 1.

25 BYU Cougars 1-0 (NR)

24 Oregon Ducks 0-1 206 (12)

23 Ole Miss Rebels 1-0 292 (24)

22 Texas Longhorns 1-0 351 (18)

21 Wake Forest Demon Deacons 1-0 421 (19)

20 Kentucky Wildcats 1-0 421 (21)

19 Florida Gators 1-0 469 (NR)

18 Wisconsin Badgers 1-0 495 (20)

17 Arkansas Razorbacks 1-0 554 (23)

16 Miami Hurricanes 1-0 591 (17)

15 Utah Utes 0-1 605 (8)

14 Pitt Panthers 1-0 624 (16)

13 NC State Wolfpack 1-0 642 (13)

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12 USC Trojans 1-0 849 (15)

11 Michigan State Spartans 1-0 860 (14)

10 Oklahoma State Cowboys 1-0 938 (11)

Notre Dame Fighting Irish 0-1 1077 (5)

Baylor Bears 1-0 1103 (10)

Oklahoma Sooners 1-0 1160(9)

Texas A&M Aggies 1-0 1268 (7)

Michigan Wolverines 1-0 1333 (6)

4 Clemson Tigers 1-0 1380 (4)

3 Ohio State Buckeyes 1-0, 1520, 2 1st place (2)

2 Georgia Bulldogs 1-0 1542, 6 1st place (3)

1 Alabama Crimson Tide 1-0 1615, 57 1st place (1)

CFB/r does a great job putting this squint-and-you-can-see-it graphic of who voted for who in the AP poll. Both Fresno State and Air Force received a high ranking of No. 21.

AP Poll

Others Receiving Votes Oregon 131, Penn State 122, Texas 118, Cincinnati 63, Florida State 42, Fresno State 22, UCF 22, Minnesota 22, Kansas State 18, Auburn 15, Mississippi State 10, Air Force 8, Oregon State 5, North Carolina 3, South Carolina 2, Purdue 1, UCLA 1, Arizona 1

25 Houston Cougars 1-0 143 (NR)

24 Tennessee Volunteers 1-0 194 (NR)

23 Wake Forest Demon Deacons 1-0 246 (22)

22 Ole Miss Rebels 1-0 254 (21)

21 BYU Cougars 1-0 266 (25)

20 Kentucky Wildcats 1-0 373 266 (20)

19 Wisconsin Badgers 1-0 476 (18)

18 NC State Wolfpack 1-0 513 (13)

17 Pitt Panthers 1-0 535 (17)

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16 Arkansas Razorbacks 1-0 678 (19)

15 Miami Hurricanes 1-0 679 (16)

14 Michigan State Spartans 1-0 690 (15)

13 Utah Utes 0-1 717 (7)

12 Florida Gators 1-0 763 (NR)

11 Oklahoma State Cowboys 1-0 818 (12)

10 USC Trojans 1-0 898 (14)

9 Baylor Bears 1-0 1057 (10)

8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 0-1 1085 (5)

7 Oklahoma Sooners 1-0 1130 (9)

6 Texas A&M Aggies 1-0 1241 (6)

5 Clemson Tigers 1-0 1280 (4)

4 Michigan Wolverines 1-0 1299 (8)

3 Ohio State Buckeyes 1-0 1471, 2 1st place (2)

2 Georgia Bulldogs 1-0 1511, 17 1st place (3)

1 Alabama Crimson Tide 1-0 1552, 44 1st place (1)

MORE RANKINGS NEXT

2022 Preseason AP Top 25 Poll Is Out; Zero Mountain West Teams

2022 Preseason AP Top 25 Poll Is Out; Zero Mountain West Teams Where are the Mountain West teams Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire Of course, the G5 is undervalued College football is extremely close to happening as we are just over two weeks …

2022 Preseason AP Top 25 Poll Is Out; Zero Mountain West Teams


Where are the Mountain West teams


Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire

Of course, the G5 is undervalued

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College football is extremely close to happening as we are just over two weeks away from Week 0. The USA TODAY coaches poll was released last week with zero Mountain West teams cracking the top 25, but five teams received votes, so that is at least something.

The AP poll is seemed as more valued since the coaches poll had someone give Texas a first-place vote and also it is also usually not the coach who casts a ballot.

Going through some of the voters who put theirs out there publicly, odds seem slightly better that the Mountain West will get represented.

John Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News put Fresno State at No. 21. Brett McMurphy of The Action Network placed Air Force at No. 24. Those are just a few of the believers in the Mountain West.

So much for wishcasting, the Mountain West had zero teams ranked in the AP poll.

There are five Mountain West teams earning a vote (in order) with Fresno State, Boise State, Air Force, and San Diego State.

Per usual, the Group of Five is undervalued with three teams outside the Power 5 are ranked with BYU, Houston, and Cincinnati. All three are off to the Big 12 next year.

AP top 25

Others Receiving Votes Tennessee 180, Texas 164, Iowa 163, Penn State 160, LSU 55, Fresno State 32, Minnesota 31, UCF 27, Purdue 17, Mississippi State 15, Auburn 15, Florida 14, Kansas State 14, North Carolina 9, Boise State 5, Air Force 4, Appalachian State 4, South Carolina 2, UCLA 2, San Diego State 2, Utah State 2, Nebraska 1

25 BYU Cougars 234 (19)

24 Houston Cougars 263 (17)

23 Cincinnati Bearcats 265 (4)

22 Wake Forest Demon Deacons 303 (15)

21 Ole Miss Rebels 324 (11)

20 Kentucky Wildcats 332 (19)

19 Arkansas Razorbacks 348 (21)

18 Wisconsin Badgers 365 (NR)

17 Pitt Panthers 383 (13)

16 Miami Hurricanes 476 (NR)

15 Michigan State Spartans 631 (9)

14 USC Trojans 711 (NR)

13 NC State Wolfpack 752 (20)

12 Oklahoma State Cowboys 814 (7)

11 Oregon Ducks 831 (22)

10 Baylor Bears 884 (5)

9 Oklahoma Sooners 956 (10)

8 Michigan Wolverines 1203 (3)

7 Utah Utes 1209 (12)

6 Texas A&M Aggies 1212 (25)

5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 1242 (8)

4 Clemson Tigers 1292 (14)

3 Georgia Bulldogs 1455, 3 1st place (1)

2 Ohio State Buckeyes 1507, 6 1st place (6)

1 Alabama Crimson Tide 1566, 54 1st place (2)


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USA TODAY Coaches Poll: How Many Ranked Teams Are On The Schedule?

USA TODAY Coaches Poll: How Many Ranked Teams Are On The Schedule? Who plays a ranked team in the coaches poll? Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire How tough are these schedules? The 2022 USA TODAY Coaches Poll is out and while no Mountain West …

USA TODAY Coaches Poll: How Many Ranked Teams Are On The Schedule?


Who plays a ranked team in the coaches poll?


Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire

How tough are these schedules?

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The 2022 USA TODAY Coaches Poll is out and while no Mountain West teams earned a spot in the top 25 but there are five teams that are earning votes which is a great start.

Strength of schedule is a tricky metric to use but with official-ish ranking out we can get a better idea of what teams have a tougher road than others. Below we will note what teams are ranked or earning votes in the coaches poll as one piece of the puzzle for the strength of schedule.

Air Force – Utah State (RV), Boise State (RV), San Diego State (RV)

Boise State – Utah State (RV), Oregon State (RV), San Diego State (RV), Fresno State (RV), BYU (RV), Air Force (RV)

Colorado State – Utah State (RV), No. 5 Michigan, Boise State (RV), Air Force (RV)

Fresno State – Oregon State (RV), No. 15 USC, San Diego State (RV), Boise State (RV)

2022 Preseason USA TODAY Coaches Poll Shuns Mountain West

Hawaii – No. 5 Michigan, Fresno State (RV), San Diego State (RV), Utah State (RV)

Nevada – Fresno State (RV), San Diego State (RV), Iowa (RV), Air Force (RV)

New Mexico – Utah State (RV), Air Force (RV), Boise State (RV), LSU (RV)

San Diego State – No. 8 Utah, Fresno State (RV), Air Force (RV), Boise State (RV)

San Jose State – Fresno State (RV), San Diego State (RV), Auburn (RV), Utah State (RV)

UNLV – Utah State (RV), Air Force (RV), San Diego State (RV), No. 6 Notre Dame

Utah State – Air Force (RV), Boise State (RV), No. 1 Alabama, BYU (RV)

Wyoming – Utah State (RV), Air Force (RV), BYU (RV), Fresno State (RV),


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2022 Preseason USA TODAY Coaches Poll Shuns Mountain West

2022 Preseason USA TODAY Coaches Poll Shuns Mountain West Five Mountain West teams do earn votes Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire Same old story for coaches poll The first official-ish college football poll is out this year with the USA TODAY …

2022 Preseason USA TODAY Coaches Poll Shuns Mountain West


Five Mountain West teams do earn votes


Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire

Same old story for coaches poll

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The first official-ish college football poll is out this year with the USA TODAY coaches poll and it is full of the usual suspects.

The top has Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Clemson, and sprinkled through the top 25 are 23 of 25 teams from a power conference. The two outside the current Power Five include Houston and Cincinnati and those two are in the Big 12 next year.

This clearly means that there are no Mountain West teams in the top 25, which is a shame. San Diego State went 12-2 last year is getting the most votes, defending champion Utah State won 11 games and is returning its starting quarterback earned 12 points, as did Air Force.

Fresno State which arguably has the best quarterback and offense is second in line within the Mountain West with 21 points, and Boise State is getting 10 points.

The good news is that these five teams getting votes is the most ever within the conference, but a case could have been made for two to be ranked. My vote would have gone for San Diego State and Fresno State to be ranked, and the other three getting votes but just not there yet.

That is a big whiff because every single year there are about two teams ranked outside of the power leagues, but when the season ends there are around five that get ranked when it is all said and done.

There are a few teams that have no business being ranked. Texas is the main culprit coming in at No. 18 is the University of Texas who somehow earned a first-place vote. The Horns have talent but wins are lacking under that group. It just shows what a joke these polls are.

Pitt is also an odd choice to be ranked as they lost Kenny Pickett who arguably was their best quarterback since Dan Marino which is 40 years ago. Plus, they lost Jordan Addison who was the best wide receiver in college football last year.

USC at 15 is high with a new coach and a ton of portal talent that looks good on paper but we will see. Plus, their offensive and defensive lines need work and very little was added in that area.

Expect this to be sorted out, to a degree once games start playing.

The Associated Press top 25 comes out next week and we will see how the writers who cover the sport fare over coaches — or someone on their staff — who don’t really care vote.

Coaches Poll Top 25 (last year’s final ranking)

Also receiving votes: Iowa 248; Penn State 246; Tennessee 163; BYU 152; LSU 143; Auburn 98; UCF 55; North Carolina 34; San Diego State 25; Fresno State 21; Mississippi State 19; Florida 17; Utah State 12; Air Force 12; UCLA 10; Boise State 10; Appalachian State 10; Minnesota 6; South Carolina 5; Kansas State 4; Iowa State 3; Army 3; Louisiana 2; SMU 2; Purdue 2; Oregon State 2; Coastal Carolina 2; UTSA 1; Louisville 1; Florida State 1.

25 Houston Cougars (17)

24 Ole Miss Rebels (11)

23 Arkansas Razorbacks (20)

22 Cincinnati Bearcats (4)

21 Kentucky Wildcats (18)

20 Wisconsin Badgers (NR)

19 Wake Forest Demon Deacons (14)

18 Texas Longhorns (NR)

17 Miami Hurricanes (NR)

16 Pitt Panthers (13)

15 USC Trojans (NR)

14 Ole Miss Rebels (11)

14 Michigan State Spartans (8)

13 NC State Wolfpack (19)

12 Oregon Ducks (21)

11 Oklahoma State Cowboys (7)

Mountain West bowl projections

10 Baylor Bears (5)

Oklahoma Sooners (10)

Utah Utes (12)

Texas A&M Aggies (25)

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9)

Michigan Wolverines (3)

Clemson Tigers (16)

Georgia Bulldogs (1)

Ohio State Buckeyes (5)

Alabama Crimson Tide (2)


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Mountain West Football: Early 2022 SP+ Rankings Revealed

ESPN’s Bill Connelly released his early preseason projection of who could be among Mountain West football’s most efficient teams next fall.

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Mountain West Football: Early 2022 SP+ Rankings Revealed


ESPN’s Bill Connelly released his early preseason projection of who could be among Mountain West football’s most efficient teams next fall.


Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

How does the conference measure up?

After unveiling how FBS teams stand in terms of returning production for the 2022 college football season, ESPN’s Bill Connelly dropped his early SP+ projections this morning.

SP+, which measures efficiency on both sides of the ball (success rate, explosiveness, and more) and is adjusted for tempo and quality of opponents, reflects returning production, overall recruiting and recent history into its ratings. So how the Mountain West look in this early part of the off-season?

  • 39. Fresno State — #28 offense, #56 defense
  • 43. Boise State — #72 offense, #16 defense
  • 65. Air Force — #65 offense, #62 defense
  • 67. San Diego State — #118 offense, #12 defense
  • 85. Wyoming — #102 offense, #65 defense
  • 86. Colorado State — #108 offense, #57 defense
  • 91. Utah State — #73 offense, #102 defense
  • 96. San Jose State — #110 offense, #74 defense
  • 109. UNLV — #114 offense, #92 defense
  • 120. Nevada — #128 offense, #109 defense
  • 122. Hawaii — #117 offense, #119 defense
  • 126. New Mexico — #131 offense, #78 defense

After four Mountain West teams reached the top 60 by the end of 2021, many in the conference are projected for something of a soft reset, though that isn’t unusual. Connelly notes that, on average, no conference lost more 2021 production across the board, enough to account for a -4.5 adjusted points drop that is more than double of any other.

Fresno State and Boise State lead the way, though the splits on offense and defense reveal where there’s work to be done for the Bulldogs and Broncos. In particular, Boise State’s offensive SP+ projection is, for now, the team’s worst outlook on that side of the ball ever.

As for defending champion Utah State, the Aggies’ prognostication is much improved from this time a year ago but personnel losses on defense will provide the biggest challenge in this year’s climb. Interestingly, their unit splits are almost a mirror image of the conference champions who preceded them, San Jose State, though both have taken to the transfer portal to reinforce where SP+ has taken its most conservative views.

The bottom of the rankings should come as no surprise, though, since both Nevada and Hawaii suffered heavy production losses through the portal and New Mexico is saddled with what projects at present as the nation’s worst offense. If Lobos fans are looking for upside, however, Rocky Long’s defense carries a better 2022 projection than some of last year’s most successful teams, like UTSA, UCLA and Wake Forest.

The only teams starting ahead of where they finished last season are Colorado State (up one spot) and UNLV (up six spots).

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Wyoming Football: Six Breakout Players for 2020

These are the top players to breakout this year for Wyoming.

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Six Names all Cowboys fans need to know


Which Cowboys will break out in the 2020 season and make their mark on the Mountain West?


Contact/Follow: @MWCwire

Secret to Success

An underrated aspect to a team’s possible success is breakout stars. They make for the best stories, the ones we either did not see coming or that we were able to brag about knowing beforehand. Around the Mountain West, everyone knows the names Chambers, Valladay, and Byrd, but are there some names you should learn? I will be predicting six possible breakout players for the Wyoming Cowboys in 2020, three on offense and three on defense.

The Cowboys’ defense is their focal point and may feel the holes left by some considerable losses. The question is, how will they fill them?

On the other hand, Wyoming’s offense has one glaring issue, one which the staff has taken a strong initiative to fix. They are going in a clear direction, opting for huge targets that can complement all facets of the offense.

Here are the six players I could see breaking out for the Cowboys in 2020.

Defense

1. Chad Muma (Linebacker)

This pick may seem like a no brainer to die-hard Cowboys fans. Many of you may think he is already a household name.

The junior linebacker really had a productive year in 2019 finishing sixth on the team with 51 tackles. Trust me, I know. The reason Muma is on this list is that I could see him taking the leap from productive defender to NFL prospect. His shoes will be a size larger than most, as he will be filling the massive loss of 3rd round draft pick Logan Wilson, who finished his tenure at Wyoming as the program’s 4th all-time leading tackler.

Thing is, I could see the Lone Tree Colorado native stepping up and bandaging the loss. Muma will be added to an already extremely impressive front seven, making Wyoming one of the dangers in the Mountain West. His progression has already proven to be incredible, and he oozes star potential. Muma could go from a productive player to a future NFL prospect.

2. Oluwaseyi Omotosho (Defensive End)

Wyoming got a special one here. You may not be able to pronounce the three-star recruit’s name, but trust me, you should practice it. Cowboys fans will be saying a lot over the next four years.

Omotosho played at George Bush high school in Houston, Texas. At 6’2 and 210 pounds, he possesses the impressive size and shows flashes of explosive speed off the edge. He finished his senior year with 65 tackles and 6 sacks earning his three-star rating. According to ESPN recruiting, Omotosho is the Cowboys top recruit of 2020 with a grade of 75.

Though he may have to battle for some time next year given the depth of position, he is still someone to keep your eye on; If not redshirted I am sure he will find his way on the field sometime next year and start making waves.

3. Rome Weber (Safety)

Another poke who had a solid freshman season in 2019, Weber appeared in every game of 2019, finishing with 38 tackles and an interception.

Wyoming has a strong history of having elite safeties and recently has put a significant amount of talent in the pros. I see sophomore Rome Weber taking a big jump this season and becoming the focal point of their secondary.

Rome has the potential to help protect and grow the culture of star safeties produced by the pokes.

Schedule Breakdown: Utah State Football

USU’s 2020 football schedule is out. Aggies have a tough road ahead of them.

Contact/Follow @SamMcConkie & @MWCwire

The Schedule is out for USU football: Let’s break it down.

The Mountain West recently put out its full football schedule for the 2020 season. Outside of the non-conference games, USU finally knows which order it’s going to play its opponents in.

Here’s a quick look at strength of schedule using ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI):

#54 Washington State

FCS Southern Utah

#29 at Washington

#62 at BYU

#88 San Diego State

#51 at Boise State

#124 New Mexico

#98 at Nevada

#77 at Wyoming

#93 Fresno State

#96 at Colorado State

#76 Air Force

Tough road to start

Aggies are going to start out the season with a solid non-conference slate. Newly staffed Washington State will roll into town with head coach Nick Rolovich leading the charge. Though Wazzou is likely to take a step back with the loss of their star passer Anthony Gordon, Rolovich has a strong reputation for pass heavy offenses. He’ll throw everything including the kitchen sink at a youthful Aggie defense.

After playing the Southern Utah Thunderbirds in the teams’ first meeting since 2015, Aggies will take on the Washington Huskies in Seattle. Even with Chris Petersen stepping down, the Huskies are in great hands with defensive guru Jimmy Lake. Aggies haven’t won a road game against a P5 opponent since the Nixon administration, so it will no doubt be tough sledding against an elite Husky defense.

Aggies will get a bye week before facing the BYU down in Provo. Though I generally am not a fan of early-season bye weeks, this one comes at a great time. Sandwiching strong Pac-12 teams around SUU should set the Aggies up to be both battle-tested and rested before they look for revenge against the Cougars in October.

Bonus fact: Aggies are 2-0 against BYU when coming off a bye.

Lighter load down the stretch against new coaches

With the exception of the defending Mountain West champs Boise State, the rest of the opponents are quite manageable for the Aggies. San Diego State and Fresno State both come to Logan, and both teams have new head coaches in charge. The Aggies will close out the regular season at home with a likely rebuilding Falcon squad as well.

Road tilts at Wyoming and Nevada are difficult, but winnable. The Wolf Pack’s QB situation is completely up in the air, and Wyoming appears to be toying with the idea of a two-QB system. As strong as the defensive culture has become in Laramie, their offensive prowess still leaves much to be desired.

On the very light end of the schedule, Aggies will face New Mexico in Logan and Colorado State in Fort Collins. The Lobos were an absolute disaster last season and the storyline will only improve as much as Rocky Long is able to coach up their defense. Last season, the Lobos ranked dead last in the FBS in pass yards allowed. They can only improve, but there will be plenty of growing pains along the way.

And let’s be real: nobody knows why Steve Addazio ended up with the Rams. He has virtually no ties to the west and he had plenty of baggage at Boston College. Time will tell if he’s a good fit for the pass-heavy Rams.

Final Thoughts

There are only a handful of what could be considered “easy games” on this schedule. It starts out as genuinely challenging but lightens considerably after the mid-October date with the Broncos.

One nice variable the Aggies have going in their favor is they’ll be facing six teams who all have new head coaches. Whether at home or on the road, taking advantage of another team’s growing pains and variable chemistry can open some prime opportunities for wins.

The Aggies themselves are transitioning back to a 3-4 “attacking” defense they had in 2018. With Stacy Collins and Frank Maile taking command of the defense, the transition will likely have fewer issues than it would have otherwise. If the unit can get near where it was in 2018, USU will have a puncher’s chance in most of their games.

Projected record: 7-5

“Body bag” games (Sure loss): at Washington, at Boise State

Difficult games (can win, but likely loss): Wazzou, at Wyoming

Toss-up games: at BYU, San Diego State, Air Force

Should win: New Mexico, at Nevada, at Colorado State, Fresno State

Raja’s Tomato-can variety: Southern Utah

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2020 College Football Top 25 Rankings: Where Are Mountain West Teams?

Where do the Mountain West schools rank in the early 2020 college football rankings?

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2020 College Football Top 25 Rankings: Where Are Mountain West Teams?


Boise State is the only Mountain West team ranked ahead of 2020.


Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire

A look at the way too early rankings.

The 2019 college football season is just barely in the review mirror and that means there are going to be a lot of super early preseason rankings that are likely to be very wrong.

However, taking an early look is really fun and we did the same in our first 2020 Mountain West football power rankings. We will go through the lists that have and do not have Mountain West teams ranked, and to the shock of very, very few people it is a whole lot of Boise State getting consideration. Based on history the Broncos will not be the only team ranked throughout the year.

Below are what teams are ranked, or not ranked, and some blurbs.

The Athletic: A team to be considered

USA TODAY: No. 20 Boise State

Getting back there is possible given the youth of this year’s offense, including freshman quarterback Hank Bachmeier, though the Broncos do need to develop a new top target at receiver. The defense will be heavy on seniors but will miss the production of star pass rusher Curtis Weaver.

College Football News: None

ESPN: No. 18 Boise State

The Broncos will have to rebuild both lines of scrimmage heading into 2020, with four starting offensive linemen and four defensive linemen departing. Hatada, Lui, Moa and Weaver combined for 180 tackles and 25 sacks this past season. The Broncos return a strong group of linebackers and defensive backs, but they’ll have to find replacements up front. Quarterback Hank Bachmeier won seven of his eight starts as a freshman but was plagued by injuries.

CBS Sports: No. 20 Boise State

You know how I know the Broncos will be good? Twenty-one straight senior classes have left with at least one conference title. Little known fact: At the end of the season, Boise very quietly became the current active winningest program (.7305).

Athlon SportsNo. 18 Boise State

The Broncos have a few major question marks to address this offseason, but this team will once again push to be the top Group of 5 squad in 2020. The quarterback position is in good hands with Hank Bachmeier back after a promising freshman season, and there’s a strong collection of skill players in place with George Holani and Robert Mahone heading up the ground game, and Khalil Shakir, CT Thomas, and Octavius Evans back at receiver.