We are back for another week discussing bowl teams. Our team at Mountain West Connection will be releasing our bowl projections each week. This week’s round of projections can be seen below and will likely
change as the season progresses. Read our projections below and leave your own in the comments.
Mike
Los Angeles Bowl: San Diego State
Hawaii Bowl: Hawaii
Potato Bowl: UNLV
New Mexico Bowl: Boise State
Arizona Bowl: Fresno State
Guaranteed Rate Bowl: New Mexico
College Football Playoff: N/A
Other Bowl (TBD): Utah State
I’m not making any changes this week, which is rare. The Broncos, Bulldogs, and Lobos were on byes this week, so not a lot of teams made movement. Hawaii, UNLV, and Utah State all won and while San Diego State lost, it’s hard to see anyone else in the top spot right now. Hawaii has pretty much locked up the Hawaii Bowl, unless they happen to reach and win the MW championship. With their fifth win, I am optimistic that Utah State makes a bowl game.
Zach
Los Angeles Bowl: San Diego State
Hawaii Bowl: Hawaii
Potato Bowl: Utah State
New Mexico Bowl: New Mexico
Arizona Bowl: Fresno State
Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Boise State
College Football Playoff: N/A
Other Bowl (TBD): UNLV
The only safe bets are New Mexico and Hawaii playing in their home bowls. We will have more clarity after this weekend’s games.
Jeff
Los Angeles Bowl: San Diego State
Hawaii Bowl: Hawaii
Potato Bowl: Fresno State
New Mexico Bowl: New Mexico
Arizona Bowl: UNLV
Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Boise State
College Football Playoff: N/A
Other Bowl (TBD): N/A
These are the six best teams. Any others who become bowl-eligible will probably be on the outside looking in. Next week’s Boise/San Diego State game will go a long way to determining the conference champion.
Graham
Los Angeles Bowl: San Diego State
Hawaii Bowl: Hawaii
Potato Bowl: UNLV
New Mexico Bowl: New Mexico
Arizona Bowl: Fresno State
Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Boise State
College Football Playoff: N/A
Other Bowl (TBD): Utah State
Chase
Los Angeles Bowl: San Diego State
Hawaii Bowl: Hawaii
Potato Bowl: UNLV
New Mexico Bowl: New Mexico
Arizona Bowl: Fresno State
Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Boise State
College Football Playoff: N/A
Other Bowl (TBD): N/A
Six teams have clinched bowls, two have been officially eliminated in Nevada and Colorado State. Air Force’s defense is simply too atrocious to win out from here, and San Jose State’s loss to Air Force all but eliminates them from bowl contention in my mind, leaving just two teams that I can see making bowls. Utah State, despite their obliteration of Nevada last week, has to beat one of three conference contenders in UNLV, Fresno State, and Boise State, the former two of whom are at home. As for Wyoming, they must win two of their next three to reach a bowl, and they benefit from having the hapless, awful, absolutely pathetic Nevada Wolf Pack close out their home season. The problem is the fact that their other two games are road tilts against Fresno State and Hawaii, the latter of whom has been unstoppable at home. I’m going to stick with my guns and say that neither of these teams reach 6 wins.
Aaron
Los Angeles Bowl: San Diego State
Hawaii Bowl: Hawaii
Potato Bowl: Utah State
New Mexico Bowl: New Mexico
Arizona Bowl: UNLV
Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Boise State
College Football Playoff: N/A
Other Bowl (TBD): Fresno State
I also didn’t make any changes, but I’m less confident than them now. I still think that, at this point, San Diego and Hawaii are most likely to play in the conference championship. If that happens, I’m betting San Diego wins the rematch. Beating a team twice in on year is hard (let alone one month), and the game might not be in Hawaii.
