The college football season is up and running. Games are entertaining and are producing results that are both fun and heartbreaking. Take a look at this week’s MWCConnection Football Rankings, and let
us know what you like and what you don’t. Feel free to drop your own rankings in the comments section.
1) UNLV (0)
The Rebels won yet again, and yet again it was in an unconvincing fashion. They continue to play with fire, initially trailing 21-10 and alternating the lead with the Falcons all second half. Credit should be given for battling back and continuing to find ways to win, as not just anyone can be 6-0. However, UNLV needs to clean things up if they want to keep winning.
2) San Diego State (+3)
The Aztecs dominated the Wolf Pack, moving to 5-1 on the season. They did what good teams should do against bad teams: turn the contest into a laugher early. The offense finally looks to be clicking, and the defense is arguably the best in the Mountain West. Sean Lewis seems to have things where he wants them for San Diego State, and they ride a four-game win streak into next week.
3) Boise State (+1)
The Broncos won by a wide margin, but the score didn’t indicate how close the game was. They struggled at times on offense, and their special teams are still impacting games for the wrong reasons. But when the talent all comes together, like the balanced offense and menacing pass-rush they featured in the fourth quarter, Boise State looks like a different team in the best way possible. If they can put it all together, watch out.
4) Fresno State (-2)
The Bulldogs were not sharp on Friday, losing to lowly Colorado State. Their offense has hit a ceiling the past few weeks, scoring 23, 20, and 21 points even though they went 2-1 in those games. But their lack of a consistent passing attack is catching up with them, and the running back room needs someone to take charge. That’s not even considering Fresno State’s defense, which was lost and confused for much of the game. Time will tell if it’s an anomaly or the start of a trend.
5) Hawaii (+2)
Hawaii moves to 5-2 on the season and is one win away from going back to a bowl game. Their offense is healthy and finding its stride, and the defense is holding up as well. The Rainbow Warriors earned their best win of the year so far. The team looks like they are not an easy game for anyone and should create some havoc in the conference, thanks to a good team that still has two byes coming up.
6) Utah State (-3)
The Aggies had a lot going against them in the last game, and it proved to be too much. Traveling a long distance, arriving a delay later than intended, and the overall health of Bryson Barnes all played a factor, but no matter what was going on, Utah State came out flat. They had their second-lowest scoring output of the year, and lowest in non-Texas A&M games. The Aggie defense continues to be in need of a tune-up and hopefully can get one soon, for their bowl aspirations.
7) New Mexico (-1)
The Lobos have expereinced a bit of regression back to the mean with two straight conference losses. They are still a good team and in the hunt for a bowl berth this season. However, perhaps their early season success inflated their prestige a bit. New Mexico will certianly have to figure things out on both sides of the ball in order to get some Mountain West wins.
8) Wyoming (+2)
The Cowboys were struggling entering the weekend, but found a way to come from behind and pull out an unlikely victory. Their defense and special teams led the way and bought time for their offense to manage just enough scoring to seal the victory. Wyoming still has a long way to go, and still have a number of injuries to critical players, but for this week, there is a reason to be hopeful.
9) San Jose State (-1)
The Spartans had been showing signs of life, but they hit a snag in the second half of their game against Wyoming. The offense seems to have found their rhythm after a slow start to the season, and once again they have a wide receiving at the top of the national receiving yard rankings. But the San Jose State defense isn’t quite as good as it should be, and will need to find ways to take steps forward if they want to salvage this season.
10) Air Force (-1)
The Falcons fell just short yet again, so alot of what has been said can be said again. Their offense is great and can compete with anyone, as evidencd by the last month or so of games. However, the Air Force defense is uncharacteristically bad, and no signs of improvement have been made in the seconday. The hope is that they can come out on the winning side of one of these high-scoring games, but until it happens, they drop yet again.
11) Colorado State (+1)
The Rams said enough is enough and had the type of performance they expected to have coming into the season. It’s clear the offense is at its best when they are balanced, able to score and make plays both through the air and on the ground. Hopefully, this is the start of something for Colorado State, who climb out of the bottom spot in the rankings this week.
12) Nevada (-1)
The Wolf Pack seem to have no answers right now. The move to Carter Jones wasn’t expected to solve all the problems, and it didn’t this past weekend. Growing pains happened and will continue to happen, but it’s difficult to find a bright spot for Nevada halfway through the season.
