BYU and the Mountain West Conference Wouldn’t Benefit by Expanding to Include Boise State

With the BCS in Mind Boise State is not a good fit for the Mountain West Conference...

Is there anyone excited for BYU @ San Diego State? NOPE!

For many BYU fans the games against UNLV, New Mexico, and San Diego State are a little more exciting than a bye week. These teams are just plain bad. There is no joy in winning, and even a close victory over these lower level Mountain West Conference teams is considered an embarrassment in the eyes of the national pollsters.

This weekend there is every indication that BYU will have another boring blowout victory. So what is the solution to improve the conference schedule?

There has been an outcry from many people calling for the expansion of the Mountain West Conference. The real question is what would be the benefit of adding another good team to the Mountain West Conference?

The team everyone seems to mention in the same breath of Mountain West expansion is Boise State. Yet, realistically what is the benefit for either side to join forces?

The Mountain West Conference is coming off a very impressive year last year, and the conference is actually improved this season. Last season the conference only had five teams .500 or better, this year it looks like there will be six with a chance for a seventh.

Last year the MWC had three teams ranked in the top 25 at the end of the season, and it looks as if that could easily happen again this season.

Critics of the conference will say the MWC has a worse record versus the automatic qualifying conferences; however, that is more fault of scheduling than lack of talent. The MWC just has to become craftier with who they play, like the Big East.

While the Big East does have a winning record against automatic qualifying conferences, a closer look will show that the conference doesn’t have a win over a top 25 school. The Big East beats up on automatic qualifying power houses like Northwestern, Indiana State, and Colorado. The Big East doesn’t have a victory over a ranked non-conference opponent.

As currently situated the Mountain West Conference is not only fighting to put a team in the BCS every year, but they are fighting to be an automatic qualifying conference. Would Boise State help that cause? No.

The way that the current BCS formula is structured it doesn’t pay to increase the difficulty of your schedule. It is better to just win out. Last season BYU, TCU, and Utah’s schedules were all playing schedules which were much easier than this season. Yet, it wasn’t counted against the big three MWC schools in the rankings.

This season all three schools played more difficult schedules, but they aren’t being rewarded in the polls. So why would it benefit the conference to add another good team and have more parody? Boise State would only make it more difficult for a team to go undefeated on the season.

Boise State has played one decent team this season, Oregon. Their other big win was over Tulsa, a team who was pounded 45-0 by a Sam Bradford-less Oklahoma team. The Broncos are being rewarded in the polls because they are undefeated, and because they are beating up on lesser teams.

There are other problems with adding Boise State to the Mountain West Conference. It would hurt the conference in basketball. There is no recruiting benefit of playing in Idaho. It wouldn’t increase the Mountain West Conference’s exposure in a major television market. Plus, the conference would have to divide what little money it has with another team.

Even if the Mountain West Conference wanted Boise State, why would Boise State want to join?

What would be Boise State’s reason for joining the Mountain West Conference? The WAC is awful! The conference only has three teams .500 or better, and they are lucky to have that. The Broncos are a big fish in a small pond.

The way Boise State schedules is very smart. They will play one big opponent and if they win that game they are almost guaranteed to go undefeated in the WAC. This formula will get Boise State into a lot of BCS bowl games under the current system. Why would they want to make it more difficult by playing a challenging conference schedule?

The bowl ties which the WAC has give comparable payouts to the bowls which the MWC currently has. Boise State would actually get less exposure in the Mountain West Conference, as they would have to leave their contract with ESPN.

The argument Boise State fans would make for getting into the Mountain West Conference is Boise State’s inability to get into the BCS if there has been an undefeated MWC team the same year. This happened to Boise State in 2004 and 2008.

Yet, the chances for Boise State to get into the BCS is better by playing in the WAC an hoping they are the only undefeated non-automatic qualifying conference; instead of playing a tougher schedule in the Mountain West Conference and ending the season with one or two losses a year.

The only way which it would make sense for both the Mountain West Conference and Boise State is if by adding the Bronco it would guarantee the MWC an automatic BCS bid.

With the current BCS system Boise State would not help the MWC get a bid. The formula is based on the final BCS rankings of teams, and a conferences non-conference record against BCS conferences.

Boise State would add a single win this year, over Oregon, to the non-conference record. Yet, the parody inside the conference would actually lower the final BCS poll ranking of MWC teams.

The BCS is keeping Boise State and the Mountain West Conference apart. With the BCS in mind it would make more sense for the Mountain West Conference to add a team like Utah State; a historically poor football school but a great basketball school.

So thanks to the current BCS system college football fans are stuck with games like BYU @ San Diego State and Utah @ UNLV. The conference schedule will continue to be boring for the sake of trying to earn a spot in the BCS.

There is no solution to improving the conference schedule, because the bad teams are incredibly important to upper level non-automatic qualifying schools. The upper level schools need wins to pad their records, and increase their rankings.

So now not only is the BCS system destroying the college football postseason, but the BCS has found a way to make for some very boring weeks in the regular season as well.

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The Wife's Outburst: Best and Worst Mountain West Conference Football Helmets

Examining the best and worst football helmets in the history of each Mountain West Conference member...

As I was browsing Facebook, I found a link to a website (http://www.nationalchamps.net/Helmet_Project/) which has all the current helmets of all college football teams along with what the helmets looked like dating back to pre-1960. Here is a look at the best and worst helmet for each team in the Mountain West.

UTAH


The worst helmet for Utah was in 1974. It was just a plain red helmet with a sliver/gray face mask. Ugly! There is not any identification on it. No wonder it only lasted one year.  Did they not have enough money to put a logo on it?




The best helmet for Utah was from 1986-1987.  it has a white stripe down the middle and the current Utah logo.  The font is a little different.  The "U" is skinnier and has a Western type font.  It looks really good.  It is the bright red with a white face mask.

TCU

The worst helmet for TCU was worn (according to the site) during the first eight games of the 1980 season(on the left) and then the other two(on the right) were only worn for a game against Texas Tech and Texas.  I don't see what was so special about them.  Why did they have to make three different helmets?  They all look the same to me, except one is silver/gray and the other two are purple with a white or silver/gray face mask.  The colors are just reversed.  It is the same design.

The best helmet for TCU comes between 1995 and 1997.  It is a silver/gray helmet with purple block "TCU" on the side.  You may ask what makes that different from the ugly one.  It is the font.  On the ugly one the font is weird and unappealing.  This one is simple.  It has a black outline for the letters.  I also like the black face mask.


BYU

The worst helmet for BYU would have to be during the 1999-2004 seasons.  It went with the ugly uniforms.  I never liked them.  It seemed like BYU was trying to give itself a new image when the simple white helmet with a blue "Y" on the side was the BYU image for almost 30 years.



The best BYU helmet was about 1962.  This was used before BYU had the blue "Y" helmets.  Its really cool.  The upper half is blue and the lower half is white.  I haven't seen a helmet like this before.  Unfortunately, it didn't last very long.

AIR FORCE

This one is a bit different.  Air Force has been using the same helmet design since right around 1960s.  It is white with a blue lightning bolt.  Now that is what I call picking an identity and sticking with it.  Way to go Air Force!  For the past 48 years, they have only changed minor things like adding or taking away a stripe and changing the color of the face mask.


COLORADO STATE

Colorado State definitely had some bad helmets.  The worst one was worn from 1973-1981.  It is bright yellow with green ram's horns.  Yikes!  It's just....I don't know.  I can't find the words to describe its ugliness. I will just have to show you.



The best Colorado State helmet was during the 1993 and 1994 season.  It is a slight variation of the one they have been using since 1995.  The only difference is this one has a white face mask.  It looks a lot better and the players don't look like they are eating grass.  I guess that isn't necessarily a bad thing since they are the Rams.

UNLV

UNLV by far has had the most helmets for a team in the last 40 years (they beat New Mexico by 3).  The worst one was worn in 1981.  It was the last red helmet worn by the school.  There are letters written in a cursive type writing saying "UNLV" on the side of the helmet.  What football player would want to wear something with girly cursive writing on his helmet? But I guess it didn't affect them that bad because they won half their games.

The best helmet was from 1987 to about 1989.  It is silver with a big red "N" and in small white letters "Las Vegas" over the "N."  I really like it.  It has a red face mask and a red and white stripe down the middle of the helmet.  Out of all the helmets, red and silver, from the past 40 years, this one appealed to me the most.  It is unique.

NEW MEXICO

The worst helmet is the current one that has been used since 2004. I can't see the mascot.  It is too detailed.  The red outline does nothing for it.  Helmets need to be simple.  Why try to do too much with it.  It needs to be seen clearly from the stands.  The picture of a lobo cannot be seen clearly from the stands.



The best helmet is from 1972-1973.  It is red with a white circle and red "NM" in the white circle.  Now this was a simple helmet.  You can easily see the "NM" on the side.  This one is not very detailed at all.  The font of the "NM" is an easy to read font.  Overall, its just a cool helmet.

WYOMING

The worst helmet is from 1965-present.  How could a school have an ugly helmet for so long?  Why doesn't someone tell them?  I think it is because people don't want to stay around long enough.  The helmets pretty much are the same, only with a few color changes.  You do have to give them credit for sticking with the Cowboy image on their helmet.  I guess they want people to know they are the Cowboys.  The color combinations of yellow and brown are not very appealing (sorry Davis High people...); however for Wyoming it perfectly describes Wyoming.

The best helmet is the 1962-1964 plain white with a brown "W" on the side.  Why did they go away from this one?  It looks really nice and classic.  You really can't get anymore simpler than this.  They are trying to do too much with the current helmet.  Maybe if they go back to a simpler time and a simpler helmet they might play better?

SAN DIEGO STATE

The worst helmet is from 1974-1977.  It is just a plain red helmet with a black face mask.  How boring is that?  What if you were playing another team with your same color and their helmets were the same?  You wouldn't be able to tell the players apart except for the jersey.  And watching it on TV would look like a bunch of red blurs running up and down a green rectangle thing with white lines on it.  Oh, wait...that is how it used to look on the mtn. up until Saturday.

The best helmet is from 2002-2003.  The Aztec logo is really cool.  Much better than writing Aztecs on the side of the helmet.  Around the edge there is (according to the site) black airbrushing.  It looks fierce and warrior like.  I would be intimidated if I was on a team which was facing San Diego State.  The helmet for 2004-2005 looked just like this one, except the logo was outlined in white.

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Final Regular Season Mountain West Conference Power Rankings

Utah wins the Holy War, breaks into the BCS again, and claims the top spot in the regular season power rankings...

Utah is the outright conference champions after taking care of business against BYU in the Holy War. Utah now is just watching score, and waiting to see if they will play in the Sugar, Orange or Fiesta Bowl. There is also an odd waiting game that will take place between BYU and TCU if Boise State doesn't get a BCS bowl, and they play in the Poinsettia Bowl. If that were to occur then BYU and TCU would both want to avoid being selected by the Las Vegas Bowl(The Vegas Bowl gets the first selection of either TCU or BYU). Here are the final regular season Mountain West Power Rankings:

1)Utah - The Utes are perfect, and did what they needed to do to beat every team in the conference.

2)TCU - For all but one quarter the Horned Frogs were the best team in the Mountain West Conference. The problem for TCU is that the one quarter they chocked they were playing Utah. TCU is now in the running, with BYU, to be the team that doens't get selected by the Las Vegas Bowl. Poinsettia Bowl is the real non-BCS prize seeing it will pit either TCU/BYU against Boise State.

3)BYU - Max Hall's performance cost the Cougars a shot at beating the Utes and slipping into the BCS. The Cougars only had two mis-steps the entire season, but both were disasters. The Cougars have the majority of their team coming back for Hall's Senior season, and it is important for them to play well in whatever bowl game they play in.

4)Colorado State - The Rams made a quick turn around this year, and are back on track to getting back to being a power player in the conference.

5)Air Force - The Falcons had two tough games to end the season facing BYU and TCU. They competed in both games, but weren't able to do enough to win. The good news for the Falcons is a chance to play in a bowl game. Air Force is young and will get better over the next few years.

6)San Diego State - The Aztecs came up with a big win to end the season, and the athletic director gave a vote of confidence to Chuck Long that he would survive the sub-par season. After the vote of confidence the Aztecs fired Chuck Long and are in a market for a new coach.

7)UNLV - The Rebels let too many games get away from them this season, and it cost them a chance to play in a bowl game.

8)New Mexico - Four straight losses to end the season, and Rocky Long stepping down was a terrible way for the Lobos to end their season.  It will be hard for New Mexico to replace Long and get the offense back on track next year.  

9)Wyoming - Joe Glenn fired, and thankfully the Cowboys' season is over.

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Week 13 Mountain West Football Predictions

"The Game" is finally here...

Last week was another rough week for Scott. Here are the results/standings:

Mark[Last Week 7-1(.875) 74-35(.678) Head-To-Head 5-4-2]
Scott[Last Week 3-5(.375) 69-40(.633) Head-To-Head 4-5-2]

The Holy War is here and it should be a classic. Here are the predictions:

The Big Podcast GAME OF THE WEEK
#14 BYU @ #7 Utah 4PM MT The Mtn

This game is coming down to two major factors. First, can the Utah defense slow down the Cougars' offense? When Utah faced two offenses that were similar to BYU they gave up huge yardage. 405 yards of total offense to Oregon State, and 416 yard to TCU. Utah was able to give up this amount of yardage because neither Oregon State or TCU was able to put the game away. BYU's offense has proven that they can move the ball and put the ball in the end zone. Second, can BYU's defense stop Utah's offense? BYU has really struggled to stop even an average passing attack. Brian Johnson is the key to beating BYU, if Brian Johnson is able to throw the ball Utah should win the game. The game should be another nail-biter, and I think it will be high scoring.

BYU 48 Utah 42 OT

BYU 33 Utah 31

Colorado State @ Wyoming 12PM MT The Mtn

According to "The Mtn" this is the other great rivalry in the Mountain West Conference. Yet, like many things that "The Mtn" reports it just isn't true. There are better games played in the conference every year. This year's edition shouldn't be a real contest.

Colorado State 35 Wyoming 17

Colorado State 31 Wyoming 20

Air Force @ #16 TCU 1:30PM MT

With all of the hype that the BYU vs Utah game is getting(and rightfully so), this game is failing through the cracks. This should be a very good game. Air Force could give TCU problems with their option attack. Yet, playing at home should give the Horned Frogs a big boost.

TCU 17 Air Force 10

TCU 24 Air Force 13

UNLV @ San Diego State 6PM MT

Is this game over yet? The Rebels become bowl eligible in a snooze-fest.

UNLV 56 San Diego State 14

UNLV 42 San Diego State 28

Michigan @ #10 Ohio State 10AM MT ABCHD

I smell an upset. Michigan has had a terrible season; however, Michigan has been in the majority of the games they played this year. The rivalry will make this game a winnable game for the Wolverines, and Ohio State is looking too far ahead to how the BCS is going to break down.

Michigan 24 Ohio State 21

Ohio State 38 Michigan 17

#15 Michigan State @ #8 Penn State 1:30PM MT ABCHD

This is the game that will decide the champion of the Big Ten, and it should be very good. The game will feature two talented running backs. Michigan State struggled to move the ball on the ground against a good Ohio State defense, and Penn State's defense is better. Penn State wins the conference at home.

Penn State 35 Michigan State 14

Penn State 27 Michigan State 21

#9 Boise State @ Nevada 2PM MT ESPN2HD

Boise State has not played anyone this entire season! The Broncos beat the Oregon Ducks largely because the Ducks were playing their third string quarterback due to injuries. Nevada has a very good offense, and two running backs that have over 1,000 yards. Boise State will run into trouble against the Wolf Pack.

Nevada 42 Boise State 31

Boise State 42 Nevada 31

#2 Texas Tech @ #5 Oklahoma 6PM MT ABCHD

This game will be awesome. The two offenses in this game should put up some serious numbers. Sam Bradford's numbers this year are amazing, 3,406 yards and 38 Touch downs; however, Bradford's numbers are nothing in comparison to Graham Harrell's 4,077 yards and 36 touchdowns. This game should come down to whichever offense has the ball last in the game. Oklahoma will have enough in its tank to defeat Texas Tech.

Oklahoma 56 Texas Tech 49

Oklahoma 38 Texas Tech 35

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Week 13 Mountain West Football Power Rankings

The "Holy War" Edition of the rankings...

This is the week of the greatest "Holy War" of all time. Two teams, one loss between them, and a chance at a BCS bowl on the line. If BYU wouldn't have got their butts kicked by TCU earlier in the season the game would be better, but this weekends game should still be really good. Here are the week 13 rankings:

1)Utah - Utah destroyed San Diego State, and has one game left. Utah controls their own destiny as far as getting into a BCS bowl game, and with some serious help Utah could make a case that they deserve a shot at the national title.

2)BYU - BYU woke from a "zombie like sleep" in the second half of the Air Force game. Whether it was Austin Collie calling the defense out at halftime or a change by the coaching staff something click. BYU took control of the game against a very good Air Force team, and wouldn't allow the Falcons to get any momentum built up to stage a comeback. If BYU can play like they did in the second half, then the Holy War is going to be excellent.

3)TCU - Horned Frogs get a great week for a bye, and have an additional week to prepare for Air Force. TCU will take care of business, and hope BYU will help them out by beating Utah giving the Horned Frogs a share of the Mountain West Title.

4)Air Force - The Falcons are a young team that played well against BYU, and Utah earlier in the season. The Cadets will represent the conference well in a bowl game.

5)UNLV - The Rebels keep their bowl hopes alive after knocking off Wyoming. One game remains between the Rebels and being bowl eligible.

6)Colorado State - The huge (ha ha I still don't buy that this is a big rivalry) Wyoming game is all that is keeping the Rams from becoming the sixth bowl eligible team from the Mountain West Conference. This would really help out the Colorado State program's rebuilding progress.

7)New Mexico - Disappointing year continues.

8)Wyoming - The Joe Glenn watch continues after the pokes can't hang on to beat UNLV.

9)San Diego State - AWFUL, BAD, PATHETIC! Is it basketball season yet?

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Week 12 Mountain West Football Predictions

This week will be big for the middle of the Mountain West Conference...

Scott turns in the first sub-.500 week of predictions. This allowed me to pull even in the Head-to-Head standings, and pull ahead in the overall standings. Here are the results/standings:

Mark[Last Week 6-3(.667) 67-34(.663) Head-To-Head 4-4-2]
Scott[Last Week 4-5(.444) 66-35(.653) Head-To-Head 4-4-2]

Not many good match-ups this week. BYU and Utah try not to look ahead to the Holy War next week. Here are the prediction:

Wyoming @ UNLV 7PM MT CBSC

Wyoming beat Tennessee, but they weren't dominate. UNLV is better than their record. The Rebels will take care of the Cowboys this week.

UNLV 24 Wyoming 13

Wyoming shocked the world last week going into Knoxville and pulling the upset against Tennessee. Unfortunately they are going to get lost in the lights in Las Vegas and lose this game. It hard to believe that Wyoming still has a chance to become bowl eligible…AMAZING! The same goes for UNLV…

UNLV 28 Wyoming 13

New Mexico @ Colorado State 12PM MT The Mtn

Colorado State has far more to play for in this game. New Mexico is the last real challenge that the Rams have between them and becoming bowl eligible. New Mexico continues to dominate the games on the ground, and use the defense to control the game clock. Teams that try to use the clock to win games have trouble on the road.

Colorado State 31 New Mexico 17

CSU got handled last week by Air Force and it will be interesting to see what the Rams’ offense can do against New Mexico. One thing going for Colorado State is that New Mexico struggles putting up points. Rodney Ferguson does just enough to get the Lobos the W.

New Mexico 17 Colorado State 14

The Big Podcast GAME OF THE WEEK
#17 BYU @ AFA 1:30PM MT CBSC

This game is going to surprise a lot of people, because BYU is going to win and win big. Why? Air Force doesn't have the time to game plan to exploit holes in their opponents defense. The Cadets have too much training at this time of year, and they will just stick with the triple option. The triple option plays into the strength of the BYU defense, and Air Force's defense will have a hard time stopping the BYU offensive attack.

BYU 42 Air Force 13

If there is one team that BYU always seems to handle it is Air Force. For whatever reason, BYU knows how to stop the Falcons’ option attack. BYU still have something to play for and something to prove. While AFA doesn’t though much, expect them to take multiple shots deep against a pretty bad secondary.

BYU 31 Air Force 21

#7 Utah @ San Diego State 6PM MT The Mtn

Get ready for the Holy War, because this should just be a scrimmage for the Utes.

Utah 49 San Diego State 10

Utah has the luxury of a cupcake game before their showdown with the BYU on Nov. 22. The only problem Utah will face is what this game will do to their BCS standing.

Utah 35 San Diego State 10

Utah State @ Louisiana Tech 12:30PM MT

Louisiana Tech isn't the push over that they have been over the past few years. They are 5-4 and third in the WAC. The Bulldogs went to San Jose State and shut them out, a very impressive accomplishment! The Aggies got beat up at Boise State, and have to travel again to Louisiana. This would be a big win for the Aggies; however, it is just too much travel and competition for Utah State to handle. Bulldogs win Cajun style!

Louisiana Tech 24 Utah State 16

This is a very winnable game for the Aggies, unfortunately this is a game they have lost in the past. Despite their record, USU appears to have improved as the season has progressed. Believe it or not, but USU could finish the season right in the middle of the WAC standings.

Utah State 27 Louisiana Tech 24

#16 North Carolina @ Maryland 1:30PM MT ABC

OVERRATED!!! Both teams are overrated in this game. The ACC is just bad, and the national media continues to try and sell the tough games the North Carolina has played. If BYU, Utah, or TCU were in the ACC all of them would be undefeated this year. Maryland will beat the Tar Heels and show the mediocrity of the conference.

Maryland 28 North Carolina 17

Butch Davis has got the Tar Heels believing that they can win the ACC. Six points is the difference between 7-2 and 9-0. Of Maryland’s three losses, one was against Middle Tennessee State (!!!!) and the other came against Virginia. What Maryland team is going to show up? The one that lost by 10 to Middle Tenn. State, or the one that shutout Wake Forest? Either way, UNC wins this game.

North Carolina 21 Maryland 7

California @ Oregon State 1:30PM MT ABC

California has struggled all season to score points. Oregon State has looked good at home, and will win the game.

Oregon State 28 Cal 14

Who would have ever thought that Oregon State would control their own destiny in the Pac 10? As much talk as there is about USC playing for the national championship, there is no way the BCS would let them into that game if Oregon State wins the Pac 10. That is still a ways away for OSU. Cal is a tough football team and could potentially give OSU a lot of problems. I wouldn’t be surprised if Utah fans are more interested in this game instead of the SDSU game this weekend.

Cal 24 Oregon State 17

Boston College @ #19 Florida State 6PM MT ABCHD

Terrible conference, and terrible game. Not only is the ACC bad, but their games are BORING to watch! Florida State wins a snore fest! (Although, a brawl cause Bobby B to suspend his receiving core! Off the field issue at Florida State...yet another shocker!)

Florida State 24 Boston College 10

Florida State is a long way from becoming the Florida State team that dominated the 1990s, but they are getting back on track. They have a very competitive team, and as mediocre the ACC has been this year, it is enough to play for the conference championship. A total of 8 teams are still in contention to win the ACC. Florida State’s offense will be going up against a very good Boston College defense. BC’s offense didn’t look all that impressive against Notre Dame, which could be disastrous against a fast, hard nosed defense like the Seminoles.

Florida State 21 Boston College 14

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The Big Podcast Episode 10 - The Papa Bear Edition

The calm before the "Holy War" storm edition...

Mark's father Steve Welling joins the podcast this week.

In Episode 10 we discuss:

• The Utah Jazz's first loss
• When do Jazz fans want to have Deron Williams back from his injury
• The Future of Carlos Boozer with the Jazz
• BYU's win over San Diego State
• BYU's troubles on defense
• Utah's big win over TCU
• Papa Bear Welling(Steve) calls his shot in the rivalry game
• Scott Springer gets off the black list to watch the rivalry game (after years of campaigning)

Download here (Right click and save as...) or listen with the player below...

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Week 12 Mountain West Football Power Rankings

The Mountain West Conference has the chance for six bowl eligible teams...

The top of the conference standings are taking form with Utah beating TCU last week; however the middle of the conference standings had a real shake-up this week with some surprise wins. Here are the week 12 standings:

1)Utah - A win over TCU allows the Utes to control their own destiny. Boise State has no chance of leap-frogging the Utes. If the Utes win out they get the conference championship, a BCS bowl game, and an outside shot of getting into the national title picture(a very outside shot).

2)TCU - The Horned Frogs didn't take advantage of the opportunities that they had to close out the Utes on the road. They let the Utes hang around and paid the price. Still TCU is in a good position to wait for a Utah loss and gain a share of the conference title.

3)BYU - BYU did what they were suppose to do, they beat a really bad Aztec team at home. BYU's secondary still looks bad, and the team continues to struggle early in games. BYU needs a win this weekend to play the spoiler to Utah's perfect season November 22.

4)Air Force - The Falcons beat a good Colorado State team, and now have a chance to make some noise in the conference. Air Force's only loss in conference was a nail-biter against the Utes. The Falcons end the season playing BYU and TCU, and if the Falcons win either of those games it will really shake up the conference standings.

5)UNLV - The Rebels came back late to beat the Lobos, and preserve their chances to go to a bowl game. UNLV has underachieved this entire season, and a bowl would really help to give confidence to a talented young football team next season.

6)Wyoming - Wyoming crawls out of the power ranking basement after shocking Tennessee on the road. Nobody saw Wyoming's 13-7 win coming, and more amazing is the fact that Wyoming still has a chance to become bowl eligible. Don't count on it. Yet, Wyoming should enjoy their week out of the basement of the conference.

7)Colorado State - The Rams just didn't have enough in the tank to handle Air Force. Colorado State can climb back up the conference standings if they win out and become bowl eligible.

8)New Mexico - Disappointing season continues for the Lobos. After this weekend's loss the Lobos are eliminated from bowl contention. The offense never materialized to take advantage of a good defense. New Mexico could still trip up Colorado State to end the season.

9)San Diego State - The Aztecs are just plain bad!

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Week 11 Mountain West Conference Football Predictions

Another week of selecting every Mountain West Conference Football game...

Week 10 brought many exciting football games, but it also brought a tie-breaking win for Scott in the Head-To-Head predictions. Here are the results/overall standings:

Mark[Last Week 5-4(.555) 61-31(.663) Head-To-Head 3-4-2]
Scott[Last Week 5-4(.555) 62-30(.673) Head-To-Head 4-3-2]

This week brings the biggest game in Mountain West Conference history. It is also another quality week of football in the Big 12. Here are the predictions for week 11:

#12 TCU @ #8 Utah 6PM MT CBSC

This will be the biggest game in conference history and on paper it looks to be very good. TCU has been on a tear since embarrassing BYU at home. The Horned Frogs aren't going to be at home this Thursday and that is going to make a huge difference in the game. Utah has played lights out at home this season, and that will really help Brian Johnson to have a good game which is essential to Utah winning the game. The game will be close, but Utah will beat TCU using a late field goal.

Utah 24 TCU 21

Utah has a very good defense, while their offense is still looking for consistency. If they play like they did last week against New Mexico this could get out of hand. But Utah seems to play their best in the big games and I imagine that this one will go down to the wire. Everyone knows about TCU’s top ranked defense, but everyone seems to forget about their offense. TCU is second in the conference in total offense and first in points scored. This should live up to all the hype.

TCU 24 Utah 21

Wyoming @ Tennessee 11AM MT ESPN360

Poor Joe Glenn. A week after getting a much needed conference win the Cowboys have to fly to Tennessee to get their butts kicked.

Tennessee 49 Wyoming 7

It may be unfortunate that this game wasn’t played earlier in the year for Tennessee. The Vols are not the power they once were and head coach Fulmer is headed out the door. I expect Tennessee to play hard and dominate this game. Wyoming is looking to build on their domination of SDSU, but lets be honest…this isn’t going to be pretty.

Tennessee 35 Wyoming 10

San Diego State @ #15 BYU 12PM MT The Mtn

New Mexico put 70 points up on the Aztec defense. BYU very well could put up 100 points. BYU's defense has not looked good since the TCU game, but the defense should be able to shut down a poor Aztec offense. If BYU doesn't win and win big it is time to hit the panic button if you are a BYU fan; however, I don't see BYU having any trouble this weekend.

BYU 63 San Diego State 10

This game couldn’t come at a better time for BYU. They need to get healthy on the defensive side of the ball before they end the season on the road against Air Force and Utah. SDSU is not good at all. The only bright spot for the Aztecs is that BYU’s 4th string cornerback (Steven Thomas) is getting quite a bit of playing time. BYU’s pass defense is just plain awful. The difference between BYU’s defense at the beginning of the year and now is turnovers. If SDSU can hold on to the ball they should be able to score a few points. The problem for SDSU is that BYU’s offense will be able to score at will against them.

BYU 49 San Diego State 28

Colorado State @ Air Force 4PM MT The Mtn

This is a big game for both schools in Colorado. The Falcons have only the single hard fought conference loss to Utah, and they have held off the fatigue that Air Force teams of the past have suffered as the college football team progresses. This should be a very close game, but Colorado State match-up well with Air Force.

Colorado State 31 Air Force 21

This game will determine how far CSU has come this year. CSU still has a lot to play for this year. They need 2 more wins to become bowl eligible. If Air Force looks past the Rams at their last two games against BYU and TCU then CSU could steal on against the Falcons. CSU has had trouble stopping the run and everyone knows that Air Force is going to run over 80% of the time on offense.

Air Force 27 Colorado State 17

New Mexico @ UNLV 8PM MT The Mtn

UNLV's loss to TCU was the first game that the Rebels just didn't compete in all season. The Rebels have played well all season, but haven't found a way to win games. New Mexico has a tough defense that controlled Utah at home, but New Mexico won't have the offensive weapons to take advantages of the holes in the UNLV defense.

UNLV 28 New Mexico 13

UNLV continues to confuse most football fans. At times they look like they have finally put things together, and then at times they look like the UNLV of the past. Both UNLV and New Mexico need to win out in order to become bowl eligible, so they definitely have a lot to play for. If New Mexico’s defense plays like they did last week against Utah then they have a very good chance at winning this game. Both teams love their big running backs and the power running game. How healthy is Omar Clayton? Is this the game that UNLV finally pulls out in the 4th quarter? The winner keeps those bowl hopes alive…it should come down to the wire.

New Mexico 21 UNLV 17

Utah State @ #10 Boise State 12 PM MT ESPN360

This is the best time for the Aggies to go to Boise and hope to compete against the Broncos. Utah State had a great home stand facing Fresno State and Hawaii at home. A 58 yard field goal kept Utah State from going 2-0. Boise State hasn't lost a conference game at home since joining the conference. The Broncos will win this game, but Utah State will keep it close.

Boise State 24 Utah State 16

USU has not been able to get any momentum going through out the season. Coming off their first win of the year the Aggies went up against #8 (at the time) BYU. What is USU’s reward for beating Hawaii last week…only the #10 Boise State Broncos. I’m not sure how good this Boise State team is…and I’m not convinced that they are BCS worthy (not sure if any of the non BCS teams are). Utah State could solve this problem if they somehow beat BSU. They need to force some turnovers and have a huge day from Borel. The Aggies are playing their best football of the season and should be playing with some confidence. I just don’t think that USU has enough fire power to beat BSU.

Boise State 34 Utah State 17

#1 Alabama @ #16 LSU 1:30PM MT CBS

Nick Saban returns to LSU to take on his old team. Alabama has looked dominate this season, and Alabama is the last remaining unbeaten team in the conference. This game against LSU appears to be the last hurdle for them to cleat to get to the national championship game before the SEC title game(I say "appears" but really every game in the SEC is a tough game). Alabama has proven that they can win on the road, and LSU has looked far from dominating at home. Alabama will take care of business again this weekend.

Alabama 35 LSU 17

Which LSU team is going to show up this week? LSU is supposed to be anchored by their defense, but the last two games they played against ranked opponents they are allowing 51 points/game. They have to find a way to contain Alabama’s rushing attack on defense and somehow find a way to score on offense. Alabama’s defense is not going to give up a lot of yards. LSU needs to create turnovers and create favorable field position with their special teams. Alabama is more opportunistic than “high powered”. They force you to make mistakes and then convert those mistakes into points. I’m not sold on Bama as the #1 team in the country. The SEC is not as good as everyone thinks it is. If LSU were to lose this game, it is possible that only 3 SEC teams would be ranked.

LSU 24 Alabama 21

#9 Oklahoma State @ #2 Texas Tech 6PM MT ABCHD

Texas Tech gets a break by having this game at home. It will be hard for the Red Raiders to get up for two big games in a row, and Oklahoma State has just the singular loss to Texas. This game is going to be a shootout and it will come down to who has the football last at the end of the game.

Oklahoma State 49 Texas Tech 42

If anyone missed last week’s classic between Texas and Texas Tech, this week’s match up between Oklahoma State and Texas Tech should offer similar results. Right now, the difference between these two teams is that Tech completed their last second pass to score a touchdown to beat Texas, and OSU did not. Both teams have game breaking WRs and exceptional QBs. This should be very exciting…I expect that whoever has the ball last is going to win.

Oklahoma State 31 Texas Tech 28

#11 Ohio State @ #24 Northwestern 10AM MT ESPN2HD

How do Big Ten teams continue to crack into the top 25? Northwestern isn't going to hang around very long in this football game.

Ohio State 31 Northwestern 10

Last week Northwestern beat Minnesota without their starting QB and RB. Both are going to need to play if they want to have a shot against the Buckeyes. Despite their two losses, OSU remains the most talented team in the Big 10 and they out man Northwestern at every position. Playing on the road in Evanston shouldn’t be a problem for OSU because Northwestern only manages to get ~30k fans for each home game (half of which are the other team’s fans). NW may put up a fight early, but it won’t take long for OSU to take control of this game.

Ohio State 31 Northwestern 17

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TCU @ Utah Game Biggest in Mountain West History

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Thursday's game will feature the highest ranked match-up ever in the Mountain West Conference...

To call the game this Thursday between TCU and Utah big would be an understatement, this game is the biggest game in Mountain West Conference history. The game will match #8(BCS ranking) Utah and #12 TCU. Everything that both teams have been working towards is on the line in this game. TCU has made a remarkable turn around after being embarrassed by Oklahoma on the road. The Horned Frog defense has returned to dominating games giving up a combined 21 points to BYU/UNLV combined. Since the return of starting quarterback Andy Dalton TCU's offense has been unstoppable, accruing over 400 yards of offense a game and averaging 43 points a game. Utah is in the midst of a perfect season. The Utes might not have been winning their games in a convincing fashion, but they are winning nonetheless. Utah has enough talent on their roster to not give a 100% effort and still win the games.

The winner of Thursday's game will determine who will control their own destiny to win the conference championship. A win by TCU will all but guarantee them another conference championship. Even if the Horned Frogs dropped one of their remaining two games they would have the tie-breaker over either BYU or Utah. A win by the Utes would make the Holy War determine the outcome of the conference championship. A win over BYU in the final week of the season would give the Utes their second outright championship, but even a loss to BYU would still give Utah a share of the conference title.

More important than the conference championship, the winner of the game will be in the driver seat of non-BCS teams to break into the BCS. The winner would not only get a size able bounce in the human polling, but the computer polling would improve for the winner due to the improvement in the strength of schedule numbers. A size able win by Utah would even enter them into the talk of breaking into the national championship game. Right now Utah is sitting at #8 in the BCS game, and have many one loss teams sitting in front of them in the human polling. A win by the Utes would propel the Utes into the category of elite undefeated programs that are waiting for their shot at footballs top prize. Plus, Utah would also have another chance at beating a top ranked team, if BYU can continue to win until the Holy War, and that would give the Utes another bounce. If TCU beats Utah, they have the resume to justify a leap frogging of Boise State in the human polling. Plus the computers ding the Broncos due to their weak WAC schedule, and the computers should keep the Horned Frogs the top ranked non-BCS team if they continue to win.

Adding to the drama of the game Thursday, is the two opponents that Utah and TCU just beat. Both teams New Mexico and UNLV are poor man versions of TCU and Utah.

New Mexico runs a very similar defensive scheme to TCU. They like to take away the running game, put pressure on the quarterback, and rely that the quarterback will be disrupted by the pressure and throw bad throws that their secondary can intercept. Utah struggled against this defensive scheme. The Utes were slow adjusting to the looks that TCU presented to them. The Utes couldn't establish a run game that had been the backbone of their offensive scheme. Brian Johnson again appeared to be frustrated with the constant pressure, and had trouble hitting open receivers down field. The problem for Utah is that TCU has far superior athletes than New Mexico, and they will be able to apply more pressure on Brian Johnson due to their 4-2-5 scheme. Also Utah's offensive line has struggled to protect Johnson all season, and should have their hands full trying to slow down the Horned Frog Thursday.

UNLV runs basically the same scheme as Utah, with head coach Mike Sanford bringing the spread scheme with him after learning it at Utah under Urban Meyer. The Rebels struggled to move the ball at all against TCU being out gained 410-176 yards of offense. The Horned Frog defense forced 3 turnovers, and also controlled the possession of the football winning time of possession by 9:20. Yet, these numbers are deceiving. UNLV had the opportunities to make plays against the TCU defense, they just didn't have the composure to take advantages of the holes in the Horned Frogs attack. Also, Las Vegas isn't an intense venue to play a football game. Rice-Eccles this Thurday is going to be rocking with a black out, and the Utes have much better athletes on the offensive side of the ball. If the Horned Frogs give the same look to the Utes, Utah will really exploit the Horned Frogs on the road.

TCU and Utah aren't the only people that will have a large vested interest in Thursday's nights game. BYU will be watching this score very closely. The only real chance that BYU has to get a piece of the conference title included Utah beating TCU this Thursday. Also the Cougars still do have BCS hopes. They are currently ranked #15 in the BCS ahead of both the top ranked ACC and Big East team, and in position to compete for a BCS spot with a win over a perfect Utah team and a loss from Boise State. If TCU beats Utah there is no way that the Cougars can get another conference championship. Cougar fans will be cheering Utah on this Thursday to help them out down the road.

There are three people that will make a big difference in the outcome of the game Thursday night:

1)Brian Johnson - So far this season Johnson hasn't put up the amazing numbers that he put up his freshman year. The difference though is that the Utes have been winning this season, and Johnson has done enough each game to ensure that Utah wins. TCU is going to take away the running game of the Utes, and they will force Brian Johnson to make the correct reads under pressure and beat them through the air. If Brian Johnson is on the money the Utes will win.

2)Andy Ludwig - For Brian Johnson to be able to be successful Ludwig needs to prepare a game plan that allows him to succeed. Ludwig has struggled to game plan for the big games, and has a tendency to not make needed adjustments quick enough to take advantage of defensive mistakes. Ludwig needs to have a great game plan to allow the Utes to get by a stout TCU defense.

3)Andy Dalton - Since returning from injury Dalton has lead the Horned Frogs offense to a statistical explosion. Yet, he has done so against lack-luster defenses. BYU, Wyoming, and UNLV all have poor defenses; however, Utah's defense has been very impressive this season. Dalton also hasn't played in a hostile road environment since returning from the injury. If Dalton makes mistakes the Ute defense will make the Horned Frogs pay. Dalton will need to be near perfect to ensure a win for TCU.

On paper it looks to be a close game, but whatever the outcome of the game it will be the biggest game ever played by two Mountain West Conference teams.

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Week 11 Mountain West Football Power Rankings

A new team moves into the top spot for the conference...

This Thursday game between TCU and Utah is the biggest game in conference history. The winner will be in control of the conference, and will be the leading canadatee from the conference to break into the BCS. Here are the rankings for week 11:

1a)TCU - TCU moves into the top spot for the first time this season. Since the return of Dalton, the Horned Frogs have been unstoppable. With a win over Utah TCU can cement their second conference title since joining the conference.

1b)Utah - Utah might have been looking ahead to TCU game this Thursday, but the offense struggled against New Mexico. That isn't a good sign heading into the game this Thursday.

3)BYU - Another close call for BYU. They did climb to #15 in the BCS standings, but the defense has proven to be sub-standard to the ranking that BYU currently holds.

4)Air Force - Air Force has quietly remained near the top of the conference standings. They have two more chances to make a move to the top of the conference with games against BYU and TCU to end the season.

5a)Colorado State - Colorado State looks to provide the conference with a fifth bowl team.

5b)New Mexico - The Lobos have an above average defense and a sub-par offense. The Lobos could still make a bowl game, but they will need more from their offense to make that happen.

7)UNLV - The Rebels might be the best team in the country that hasn't won a conference game. The Rebels weren't able to contain TCU's offense or get by their defense. The Rebels look now for their first conference vitory with Wyoming and san Diego State still remaining on the schedule.

8)Wyoming - It may not be enough to save the job of Joe Glenn, but at least they aren't the worst team in the conference after beating San Diego State at home.

9)San Diego State - The Aztec cemented their spot at the bottom of the power rankings by losing big to Wyoming.

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Week 10 Mountain West Conference Football Predictions

A sleep deprived edition of picks of every Mountain West Football game...

Scott was perfect last week with his picks. Yet, just like Penn State, and Texas(the two games that put him over the top last week) it literally came down to two Hail-Marys at the end of the game. This week should be interesting as the top three teams in the conference will have tough opponents that traditionally play them well. Utah and TCU are trying to avoid any slip ups before their showdown next Thursday. Here are the results from last week:

Mark[Last Week 7-2(.778) Overall 56-27(.674) Head-To-Head 3-3-2]
Scott[Last Week 9-0(1.000) Overall 57-26(.686) Head-To-Head 3-3-2]

This week should be interesting I am making my picks on about two hours of sleep, thanks to trying to help Madsen win a trip to the Dominican Republic(more detail will come on the podcast). No excuses as I look to rebound like BYU this week and take back the lead from Scott. Here are the week 10 picks:

Air Force @ Army 10AM MT ESPNU

Army won't give Air Force problems.

Air Force 31 Army 17

Air Force is rolling right now. Army has put together a decent 4 game stretch against the likes of Tulane, Easter Michigan, Buffalo, and La Tech. Air Force just might be the toughest team on Army’s schedule. There have only been 85 pass attempts between the two starting QBs. Houston’s Case Keenum has attempted 374 passes alone. Run, run, run, run, and run. Air Force’s defense is much better than Army’s.

Air Force 27 Army 14

San Diego State @ Wyoming 12PM MT The Mtn.

WOW! Set your TIVO for this barn burner. This might be the worst match-up in all of college football this season. San Diego State seems to have shown more in the past weeks than the Wyoming. The better question than who is going to win this game, is when will the Pokes fire Joe Glenn?

San Diego State 28 Wyoming 14 (Glenn fired Nov 23rd)

Poor SDSU, poor Wyoming. Does anyone else get sick to their stomachs thinking about this game? Actually I think that SDSU is going to have a breakout game. Their offense seems to be playing at their highest level this season. Wyoming moved the ball pretty effectively in the first half against TCU last week. When looking at each team, SDSU seems to be improving, while Wyoming is…well…terrible is putting it lightly.

San Diego State 24 Wyoming 10

#20 BYU @ Colorado State 4PM MT The Mtn.

This looks to be a tough game for BYU on the road. BYU stepped up at home with their backs against the wall and got a big win. BYU is ready to explode on offense if Anae will call the right plays, and he should do it this week against Colorado State.

BYU 42 Colorado State 13

Everyone is expecting this game to be close. CSU always plays BYU tough in Fort Collins. We know BYU’s offense can score points, we also know that BYU’s defense can stop the local high school powder puff team. At the end of the day, I think BYU can outscore CSU. I am really impressed at how CSU is playing right now. They have a very good chance at becoming bowl eligible, which would be huge. It is tough winning games against better teams when your defense gives up 31 points a game. When it comes down to it, Colorado State’s defense won’t be able to stop BYU when they need to.

BYU 24 Colorado State 21

#10 Utah @ New Mexico 7:30PM MT The Mtn.

New Mexico could be trouble for Utah, if they had a passing game, but they don't. Utah will struggle to move the ball against the Lobos defense, but will have great field position and will wear down the Lobos as the game progresses.

Utah 38 New Mexico 7

If there is one team on Utah’s schedule that consistently gives Utah problems, it is New Mexico. Utah is 2-4 against the Lobos over the past 6 years. Rocky Long will have his team ready for the Utes and I am sure the Whittingham will have his team ready to play too. Utah has a knack of winning very close games. This game should go down to the wire.

Utah 31 New Mexico 27

#13 TCU @ UNLV 6PM MT Versus

UNLV has been in every conference game they played this season. This should be a good shot for the Rebels to pull of an upset as TCU will be looking ahead to Utah. The problem for UNLV is they are a poor man's Utah. They run basically the same scheme on offense, and TCU will be ready to defend it.

TCU 21 UNLV 13

I expect UNLV to have a huge letdown this week. It is no secret that teams get up to play against BYU. UNLV definitely has talent, but their defense has some major holes. And to say the TCU’s defense is better than BYU’s is a huge understatement. UNLV is going to struggle with the speed and athleticism of TCU. If this game is close, I would suspect that TCU is looking forward to their game against Utah next Thursday.

TCU 35 UNLV 13

Hawaii @ Utah State 1PM MT ESPN360

Aggies don't play well after close losses. Utah State has the talent to compete, but won't have the leadership to recover from a heart-breaking loss.

Hawaii 31 Utah State 16

How is Utah State going to respond to last week’s heart wrenching loss to Fresno State? After a loss like that, Brent Guy has to get his team to believe that they can win, which is going to be pretty tough. Everything seems to going against the Aggies. Unfortunately I think they lose another close game this weekend.

Hawaii 24 Utah State 21

#8 Florida @ #6 Georgia 1:30 PM MT CBS

Those Dawgs will run! Georgia has quietly played themselves back into the top team in the country, and will be ready for Florida. Don't expect Florida to surprise Georgia at home.

Georgia 31 Florida 24

Last year’s Florida vs. Georgia game was one of my favorites all year. Nothing like two teams that hate each other doing battle. This is one game that I don’t think Tim Tebow can carry the Gators. Although it is tough picking against a team that is scoring 50+ points/game and only allowing 11/game since losing to Mississippi. Both teams are solid, but I think Georgia will be able to establish a ground attack and control the clock, keeping Florida’s offense off the field.

Georgia 27 Florida 24

The Big Podcast: GAME OF THE WEEK
#1 Texas @ #7 Texas Tech 6PM MT ABCHD

Texas is ready for this game, and Texas Tech has holes in their team. Texas will win this game big.

Texas 42 Texas Tech 21

Will it ever stop for Texas? Four straight weeks playing a top ten team! Up until now the Longhorns have proven that they deserve the top spot in the polls. I think this is the week it catches up to them. As usual Texas Tech played a cupcake schedule (two teams from D-II) and they put up a ton of points against everyone they play. The Red Raiders always seem to be overrated and untested but you can throw all that out in a game like this (I don’t want to call it a rivalry game because Texas’ rivals are Oklahoma and A&M). I like this upset because it is very hard to beat very good teams week after week, and Texas is going to come up just a little short in this one.

Texas Tech 49 Texas 44

#18 Tulsa @ Arkansas 12PM MT ESPN360

Who has Tulsa played this season? NOBODY! This Tulsa team hasn't faced a top defense the entire season. Arkansas isn't very good, but they are good enough to expose Tulsa at home.

Arkansas 28 Tulsa 17

There are two teams that no one is talking about…Ball State and Tulsa, two teams that could potentially play in a BCS game (not going to happen). Tulsa boasts the top offense in the country. They score 55 and gain over 600 yards of offense each week (important to note that the best team they have faced so far has been New Mexico). Arkansas is rebuilding and is not a very good football team right now. The BCS is praying that Arkansas somehow pulls off the upset, but Tulsa’s offensive scheme will be too much for the Razorbacks. Arkansas won’t be able to score enough points to make this game interesting.

Tulsa 35 Arkansas 17

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