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) San Diego State (0)
The Aztecs rebounded, or at least their defense did. The offense is still a work in progress and will need to find a way to consistently move the ball through the air and score points if they want to win the Mountain West championship. That being said, their defense continues to rise to the occasion most of the time and shut teams down in multiple ways, as they did this past weekend.
2) Hawaii (0)
BYE WEEK
3) UNLV (+1)
The Rebels keep finding ways to bring games, despite being a flawed team with a not-so-great defense. But their offense keeps them in every game, and more often than not, they score enough to pull through. UNLV is still in the hunt for a spot in the title game, and it would help to find ways to keep their opponents off the scoreboard a bit in the next few weeks.
4) New Mexico (+1)
The Lobos have found a second win after a few losses mid-season. Currently, they are tied for second place in the Mountain West, fighting to reach the Mountain West championship. In some ways, New Mexico has been fun to watch because they have won in a variety of different ways. While that can be tough to have an identity in some ways, it also makes them tough play against. As long as they continue to be well-coached, they have a chance to keep winning.
5) Fresno State (0)
Speaking of continuing to win, the Bulldogs have one two in a row and are contending for a spot in the title game. They are not the strongest team in the race, but they’ve found a way to be consistent and lean into their run game to score points. It’s been nothing short of a success in the first year of the Matt Entz era, and Fresno State isn’t done yet, as they have their sights set on more this year.
6) Boise State (-3)
Things have turned south quickly for the Broncos, who have now lost back-to-back conference games, a rarity in their history. Their offense is pretty much non-existent as far as the scoreboard, and while their defense is good, it’s not good enough to overcome the lack of points. Boise State has to find a lot of answers if it wants to win another game this season, which doesn’t look promising based on the last two games.
7) Utah State (0)
The Aggies gave a win away this past weekend, one that would have put them into bowl eligibility. Kicking cost them this game, despite an amazing offensive performance from Bryson Barnes. Utah State is still in pretty good shape to make a bowl game, but they are going to have to step it up on defense and make sure their kicking issues don’t happen again. It’s been a pretty good year for the team this season, but one more win will make it a success.
8) Air Force (0)
The Falcons lost another close game and lost their quarterback in the process. Most weeks, that would be enough to drop them in the rankings. However, this wasn’t most weeks, as the team below them played even worse. Air Force is probably the best of the bad MW teams, but that hasn’t been enough to lead to many wins this season. Hopefully, the experience will help the program in the future, but for this season, this is likely the best it can get for the academy.
9) Wyoming (0)
The Cowboys have one of the worst offenses in the country when it comes to scoring points. They have talent on that side of the ball, but whether it’s personnel, scheme, or a combination of both, it hasn’t worked too many times this season. Although they got a head start on reaching a bowl game, it’s become a pipe dream for Wyoming for this year, keeping them towards the bottom of the conference.
10) Nevada (+1)
The Wolf Pack apparently saved all their points for this game, with an offensive explosion no one saw coming. Hopefully, they can continue to enjoy those good times for the rest of the season. It’s nice to see that they haven’t fully given up and have found a way to improve this week. Hopefully, Nevada can keep building towards the future.
11) San Jose State (-1)
The Spartans have been the most disappointing team of the Mountain West, which is saying something in a season full of disappointing teams. They were shut out in the first half and scored one lone touchdown to go with a field goal. San Jose State isn’t much without their offense, and even when they are on point, they have still been struggling to win.
12) Colorado State (0)
There isn’t much to say about the Rams that hasn’t already been said. They are showing some spurts of life in games, but the personnel isn’t working for one reason or another and some players are already focused on the offseason. Colorado State is simply out of energy, but there are still two weeks left in the season.
