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Finally we come to the end of a stacked list of weekend previews. Whether intentionally or because of crappy tv deals, 8 of the 9 MWC teams play on Saturday (Utah was last night, obviously). We have a mix of games where MWC teams should dominate, competitive games, and at least one that probably will not [...] The 2008 Season was a difficult one to top for the Mountain West, but they are poised to do so as the bowl season arrives. TCU has climbed to never-before-seen heights for a non-BCS school in the modern era, while Utah and BYU have once again put together very good seasons. Wyoming and UNLV made modest turnarounds, and even teams that struggled can find a highlight or two from the season to try and build on. So here, in reverse order of my final regular season power ranking, is a look at the 2009 Mountain West season. We conclude our look at the college football’s penultimate weekend with the MWC (it only took me 12 weeks to figure out that putting up WAC/MWC posts while they were still sleeping was a dumb idea). TCU has completed its march to the BCS, with enough ground over Boise State to know they have the automatic bid for well placed non-BCS teams sealed. The Holy War went to overtime, and the Border War ended with a bowl bid for the winner. The MWC is the only non-BCS league that is actually finished for the regular season. They’re also the only league in America to have their league table sort out perfectly- every team beat each team below them on the standings (except CSU, who beat nobody), and every team lost to each team above them (except unbeaten TCU, obviously). Read Post The Mid-Season Report Cards are a subjective look using objective numbers with a look toward the remainder of the season as well. Teams are being reviewed in random order once they reach 6 games. Our Mountain West Marathon concludes, at least for this week, with Air Force (ed note- well, it would have, if I had pushed the publish button on the Wyoming entry). Thanks to a bye week, Air Force and UNLV both have Wyoming as their next game, so this is like two game previews done right here. Air Force has played extremely well this year, and with a little more luck, could honestly have been 6-0. They lost to Minnesota while the Gophers were opening a brand new stadium by 7, lost on the road at Navy in overtime, and went toe-to-toe with TCU last weekend, falling by 3 when they couldn’t recover an onside kick that could have led to a chance to win. But despite the losses, Air Force has plenty of reason to be optimistic going forward.
The Mid-Season Report Cards are a subjective look using objective numbers with a look toward the remainder of the season as well. Teams are being reviewed in random order once they reach 6 games. UNLV came into the season with high expectations, with a lot of people picking them 4th or 5th in the MWC and bowl bound. Unfortunately, those expectations haven’t turned into wins, although the Rebels’ schedule has been pretty front-loaded so far. Things started well, sitting at 2-1 after beating Hawaii, but since then they’ve dropped 3 in a row, including games at Wyoming and to in-state rival Nevada.
The Mid-Season Report Cards are a subjective look using objective numbers with a look toward the remainder of the season as well. Teams are being reviewed in random order once they reach 6 games. Our mid-season tour of America now brings us to the bottom: quite possibly the team having the overall worst season in America. They’re [...] The Mid-Season Report Cards are a subjective look using objective numbers with a look toward the remainder of the season as well. Teams are being reviewed in random order once they reach 6 games. BYU has faced Oklahoma, Florida State, and four non-BCS teams…and none of it matters. Well, it does, but the second half of the season is going to be crucial for the Cougars. If they go 6-0, they may still have a shot at making a BCS game. The league title is still up for grabs as well. But this is about the first six games, not the last six.
The Mid-Season Report Cards are a subjective look using objective numbers with a look toward the remainder of the season as well. Teams are being reviewed in random order once they reach 6 games. Colorado State stormed to a 3-0 start, dispatching Colorado and Nevada along the way. They looked like one of the best non-BCS teams in the country, and might have even challenged for a top 3 slot in the Mountain West. Since then, they’ve fallen away badly, dropping 3 in a row against BYU, Idaho, and Utah. These losses are understandable, as all 3 are excellent teams. Together, they have a combined record of 14-3. Nonetheless, the Rams had hoped to be among those schools at the top, but it appears they are still about one level below.
With fairly light schedules consisting of mostly conference games, I’m going to consolidate the wrapups for a couple weeks at least. The main reason is that starting tomorrow, I’m launching Mid-Season Report Cards for every single non-BCS conference teams, which should be fun. We also have a very busy week of night games, so there’s a lot to look forward to all week long. It’s all conference, all the time for the MWC from here on in. Air Force has a game with Army later on, but otherwise, a quick glance shows not a single out of conference game from here on in. Which is cool, because it means we get games that count more, and I only have to deal with 4 games a week. Awesome. Read Post |
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