Mountain West Conference 2009 Power Rankings Week 2

Here are the Mountain West power rankings for the second week of college football...

1)BYU - The Cougars did what they were suppose to do in their game against Tulane. BYU dominated Tulane from the opening kickoff to the final whistle. Tulane is not a good team, but BYU for the most part didn't play down to the level of Tulane. Florida State should be a marquee game for BYU, although it has lost a lot of its luster because of the Seminoles loss to Miami, and near loss to Jacksonville State.

Week 3 Schedule:Florida State at BYU

2)TCU - In their first game of their season TCU dominated Virginia. TCU only gave up seven first downs, with three of them coming in the fourth quarter when the game was basically over. TCU didn't get a real test of how good they will be this season against Virginia, and won't this week against Texas State.

Week 3 Schedule:Texas State at TCU

3)Utah - Turnovers really burned the Utes, and kept San Jose State in the game. This rash of turnovers by the Ute offense isn't a shock. The shocking thing about the Ute turnovers is the fact that new quarterback Terrance Cain isn't responsible for more. Cain played very well in the game, which is a great sign for the Utes. The first two games were suppose to solidify the offense and prepare the Utes for their games against Oregon and Louisville. Oregon will be looking at this game against Utah as a must win to salvage their non-conference portion of the season. This Saturday's game will be very revealing for Utah.

Week 3 Schedule:Utah at Oregon

4)Colorado State - Suddenly Colorado State's win over Colorado doesn't look as substantial after Toledo humiliated Colorado last weekend. Also shocking was the fact that Colorado State needed to come back from behind in the fourth quarter to beat Weber State. Colorado State has to hope that Weber State was just a let down game after beating Colorado, and that they will be ready to deal with a Nevada team coming off a bye week, looking for something to prove after getting humiliated by Notre Dame.

Week 3 Schedule:Nevada at Colorado State

5)UNLV - A pass interference call on Oregon State's final drive game the Beavers a new set of downs, and a chance to march down the field for the game winning field goal. UNLV had the game won and let it slip away. UNLV needs to learn how to play up to their potential. UNLV has the talent to compete in the Mountain West, but what they lack is consistency. Hawaii should be a win for the Rebels after dropping a close game against Oregon State.

Week 3 Schedule:Hawaii at UNLV

6)Air Force - For three quarters of the game Air Force was in control. Air Force was just not able to finish off Minnesota on the road. A Minnesota touchdown off a fumble recovery sealed the Falcon's defeat. A trip to New Mexico to take on a terrible New Mexico team to start conference play should help heal the Falcon's wounds.

Week 3 Schedule:Air Force at New Mexico

7)San Diego State - The Aztecs continue to look improved from previous seasons. Of course looking at the past few seasons for San Diego State that isn't saying very much. Aztecs should beat Idaho in a contest of two somewhat improved teams.

Week 3 Schedule:San Diego State at Idaho

8)Wyoming - The Cowboys nearly took a lead into halftime against Texas at home, but the Longhorns woke up and scored thirty-five unanswered points. Wyoming has another chance to take on a Big 12 school this week, and this time they might have a chance to win. Wyoming could really gauge where they are as a football program. They could also help to put a few final nails in Coach Hawkins coffin, if they go to Colorado and come home with a win.

Week 3 Schedule:Wyoming at Colorado

9)New Mexico - New Mexico is the only team in the conference without a win, and it might be a while before the Lobos get their first win. It is going to be a very long and dreadful season for the Lobos.

Week 3 Schedule:Air Force at New Mexico

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BYU #7 in AP and #9 in Coaches Poll; Utah Drops in AP

Latest College Football Rankings...

BYU is up two spots in the AP poll from #9 to #7. BYU went up in the rankings after Ohio State and Oklahoma State both lost over the weekend. They are also just 23 votes back of both Penn State and Mississippi who are tied for fifth place in the AP poll.

BYU also went up in the Coaches Poll from #12 last week to #9. In the Coaches Poll BYU not only passed Ohio State and Oklahoma State, but also leap-froged ahead of Boise State.

The University of Utah actually dropped one spot in the AP from #17 last week to #18 after struggling on the road against San Jose State. The Coaches Poll didn't penalize Utah for struggling raising them up a spot from #17 to #18.

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Mountain West Conference 2009 Power Rankings Week 1

Here are the Power Rankings after the first week of college football...

1)BYU - BYU is coming off a monster victory, which is not only big for BYU, but also the Mountain West Conference. With the victory over Oklahoma BYU is now the team to beat in the conference. Cougars are on the road again this week, playing in another massive stadium, the Superdome, but this time playing a weaker Tulane team. The only way that BYU runs into problems this week is if they are looking ahead to the home opener against Florida State.

2)Utah - Utah did what they needed to do in their opener. Cain played like a first time starter, and the defense did just enough to beat Utah State. Utah get another tune up game before the playing their bigger non-conference games with this weeks contest against San Jose State.

3)Colorado State - Nobody was expecting much out of Colorado State this season. Most people thought that maybe Colorado State could be a mid level team in the Mountain West Conference at best. Colorado State handled Colorado in their season opener. Colorado was lucky to get the final score within six points. Colorado State is continuing their resurgence, and climb back to being an elite team in the Mountain West Conference. Colorado State faces Ron McBride and Weber State this week, and should be able to cruise to a win at home.

4)TCU - I almost kept TCU out of the rankings this week, simply because they have not played this season. TCU should be one of the top teams in the conference, and the nation this season. For that reason TCU is fourth in the week 1 power rankings. TCU starts their season this week against Virginia, a team which is coming off a loss to Williams & Mary. Frogs should get the season going big this weekend.

5)Air Force - Wow! 72-0! Even for playing a Division II team 72-0 is a big win. Minnesota is going to be a much bigger challenge for Air Force this weekend.

6)UNLV - The Rebels cruised to an easy win over a lowly opponent. UNLV should show more this week as they face Oregon State at home.

7)Wyoming - Wyoming avoided embarrassment by holding on at home against Weber State. This week the Cowboys try to avoid embarrassment against Texas in Laramie. You want to talk about the Mountain West Conference shaking up the college football landscape, just imagine what would happen "if" Wyoming beat Texas. That is a seemingly unimaginable "if," but just imagine if you will.

8)San Diego State - The Aztecs actually jumped out to a big lead, but after a controversial non-fumble call San Diego State really faltered. San Diego State looks to be much better this year. The Aztecs get Southern Utah at home, and should get their first win of the year.

9)New Mexico - 606 yards of total offense. That is the amount of yardage that New Mexico gave up to Texas A&M in their opener. Things could get worse for the Lobos this week as Tulsa's high powered offense comes into University Stadium, and will likely leave New Mexico's defense in shambles. It could be a long season for the Lobos.

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Quick Observations From the Utah vs Utah State Game

Observations about the Utah vs Utah State game...

The Utah vs Utah State game was very interesting last night. While the game was in hand for most of the fourth quarter, and it was very clear that there was a difference between where the Aggies are in respect to the Utes, the game was closer than people thought.

Utah defense did just enough to win. The Utah defense that has been touted to be the driving force this season for the Utes, did not perform to the level of expectations. Utah defenders will bring up the point that the Aggies didn't convert a third down the entire game. Yet, the Aggies were still able to move the ball against the Utes. It was poor play calling that cost the Aggies on third and fourth down, which was one of the many signs during the game that Utah State had a rookie head coach. If Utah wants to maintain their spot at the top of the conference this season, then their defense will need to improve.

Utah's offense didn't manage the game. The thought before the season was that Utah's offense would manage the game, limiting their turnovers, and then allow their defense to control the field position. In the second half the Utes figured out that they could pound the ball on the ground through the weak Utah State defensive line. While the statistics look good on paper, the execution on the field was generally poor. The Utes have one more game to get their offense in order before they start face better defensive units.

Utah State blew opportunities. The Aggies marched down the field on the first drive of the game. Just that single drive proved that Utah State will be able to move the ball this season. Turbin also proved that he will be an elite running back in the Western Athletic Conference. The hit of the night occurred when Turbin knocked a Ute defender on his back and then sprinted for another five yards. Turbin is a physical runner that also has explosive speed. The real problem with the Utah State offense was the play calling. Too often they would go away from the spread offense that was successful for most of the game, especially on key third and fourth down plays. The Aggies never took advantage of any of the turnovers in the game, and also failed to give Borel time in the pocket. The good news is the adjustments that Utah State needs to make are tweaks and not major overhauls.

How about the new uniforms for the Aggies. The Mtn. was broadcasting the previous two Utah vs. Utah State games leading up to the game last night. One thing that was obvious is that Utah State now has a little more money in the football program. The uniforms the previous two seasons looked as if they were something a JV junior high team would wear. The color was bad, their was a lack of names on the back of the jersey, and everything about them scream second rate. A coach I had growing up taught me an important lesson, "Teams will play like they look." It might be subconscious, but teams will play better if they have nicer equipment. The Aggies looked like an actual college football team last night, and they played like an actual team too. Expect success from the new look Aggies.

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Quick Hits: Utah Jazz, Utah Football, and BYU Football

School is over and it is time to return to the blog...

No Jazz Fans Are Talking About This Season - This is a very odd season for the Jazz. Normally Jazz fans are looking forward to see what the team is able to accomplish this season with an eye for a NBA championship. Yet, ever since the Jazz were eliminated by the Lakers in last years playoffs it seems as if the organization, fans, players, and media are only talking about on thing, this coming off season. This off season is so critical to the future of the Jazz it is hard to look at anything else. The problem is nobody is focusing on this season, and the chances that the Jazz have to go deep into the playoffs. People are more concerned over who will opt out at the end of the season, and who has trade value over the long term. Boozer trade scenarios have been the most interesting. Media personal have been proposing trades that seem plain dumb if you want to compete for a championship this season. Trading Boozer for a bad expiring contract makes little sense. It won't give the Jazz more money this off season to spend on other players, and it won't give a player to the Jazz this season that will help them win. With the talent of players on this year team (When healthy, and that is a bigger question mark) it seems people should be focusing on this year, and not so much the next.

AP Got the Final College Football Poll Dead Wrong! - Utah was the national champions this year. It is hard for me, a lifetime BYU fan to admit this, but the Utes did more than any of the other teams to get a piece of the championship. They were undefeated. The Utes didn't have to explain away any losses. USC lost to Oregon State, sorry your out! Texas dropped a game to a Texas Tech team that turned out to be not that good, and their big win is over Oklahoma who lost to Florida, sorry Texas is out! Florida is the only team that could make a case of being national champions. The problem is they lost a game to Mississippi. Florida also won a bowl game that was poorly played. Oklahoma had multiple opportunities to put points on the board against Florida and they beat themselves more than Florida beating them. The Sugar Bowl was never in doubt from beginning to end, Utah was in control and the better team. Utah didn't create the system or even like the system; however, the Utes played within the system and were the only team to be undefeated. The AP had a chance to use logic and vote the Utes to the top spot, but they even missed out on the chance. Many of the voters admitted they never watched the Utes during the season, and didn't even watch the Sugar Bowl. Yep, those are the people deciding the national championship.

Collie Goes Pro - Austin Collie is going to enter the NFL draft, and this is one of the few times I agree with a player leaving school early to enter the draft. This is the high point of Collie's stock. What would Collie get by playing another year at BYU. It would have been awesome to see Jacobson, Chambers and Collie together. It would have improved the Cougars chances to win big games against Oklahoma and Florida State next season also. The problem is team will focus more on Collie next season if he stayed at BYU. He also runs the risk of injury, and even if he has another great year it would be hard for him to repeat as the top yardage receiver. Collie knows that best case scenario for him is to get selected in the 3rd round. He also knows that there is a chance that he could fall considerably to later rounds or even undrafted. Yet, having the stats he put up last season will make the difference in him making an NFL roster.

BYU Outlook for Next Season - With Collie gone what happens to BYU? Collie leaving might be a great thing for BYU. The problem that BYU had on offense last season was Max Hall keying in on Collie. He would force balls to Collie when other options were open. The BYU offense is at its best when the quarterback uses multiple options. If Tonga becomes eligible next season that gives BYU two threats of catching the ball out of the back field with Unga and Tonga. Jacobson returns from his mission, and Chambers should have sufficient time to become at least the number two option in the offense. Pitta should return, and George is a great option on the field when he gets the ball. IF Hall learns that he has a huge number of offensive weapons on the field, and SPREADS the ball he should be just fine. More importantly for BYU is the defense. Manti T'eo might be the biggest recruit ever brought into BYU, if the Cougars could land him. T' eo is ready to make a difference on whatever team he plays for next season as a freshman, and if Bronco is relying on LDS athletes to lead BYU then getting T'eo to play for BYU is an absolute must. T'eo could possibly be the best linebacker to ever play for BYU. If BYU wants to be a nationally competitive program they need the top tier recruits.

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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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The Big Podcast 11 - The Rivalry Edition

Getting people ready for the Holy War...

Cousin Larry, Brother Aaron, Matt Stowell, and Uncle Robert all join the podcast this week to talk about the BYU vs. Utah game.

In Episode 11 we discuss:

• The Holy War
• BYU and Utah smack talk
• If this is the best BYU vs Utah game ever

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

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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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Quick Hits: Utah Football, BYU Football, Utah Jazz, and more...

I want to write more about these subjects, but school is killing me and I just don't have the time...

Deron Williams Returns

Before the season if you were to ask a Jazz fan what player the Jazz couldn't afford to lose, Deron Williams would be the first name mentioned. That makes the Jazz's 5-1 record in his absence even more amazing. Knight and Price filled in and gave the Jazz a great start to the season. Now with Williams returning it will be interesting to see how the Jazz transition. Last night both Knight and Price played the back-up role for Deron; however, it is becoming more clear that Knight is a better fit in the back-up position. Not to say that Price hasn't performed well, but Knight brings more to the Jazz attack. Williams had a quite night in his return. Deron had 7 points 9 assists and shot just 1-8 from the field. Although there wasn't any noticeable signs of limping, Deron appeared slower and less confident in his game. This should be little to worry about as Williams will play his way into a groove. The more interesting question will be how his ankle will hold up during the rest of the five game road trip. Williams played 31 minutes last night, and had to travel before their game tonight. How many minutes that Williams plays tonight will show the true health of his ankle.

Utah Football Under Attack From the National Media

The ACC, Big East, and PAC-10 are all really bad this year! Yet, the national media continues to try and force feed college football fans the company line that there is a significant difference between the BCS conferences and the non-BCS conferences. Why are they doing this? Unless something drastic happens both the WAC, MAC, and Mountain West Conference will have their champions ranked higher than the ACC, and Big East Champ. The major conferences don't want people thinking, how is it far that a North Carolina or Wake Forest is getting into a BCS bowl and an undefeated Utah/Boise State isn't getting in? If people were thinking about this then it would go further to expose the BCS as a joke.

The strategy that the national media is taking is to attack the University of Utah. This due to the fact that they are the strongest of the non-BCS schools. Claiming that they played in a weaker conference, and a weaker non-conference schedule compared to the champions of BCS conferences. Such a claim is unfounded and wrong. Just compare Utah's schedule to USC. USC might not even win their own conference, thanks to a loss to Oregon State. The same Oregon State team that the Utes beat at home the week following the Beavers beating the Trojans. So if the media is going to tell us how great the Trojans are this year, then the Utes need to be ranked above them and get more attention. Yet, doesn't USC play a tougher conference schedule compared to the Utes? NO, the Mountain West Conference is 6-1 against the PAC-10 with many of these wins coming from the lower level teams in the conference. Also the PAC-10 has just ONE, yes ONE team currently in the top 25 of the BCS rankings. That is compared to the three teams that the Mountain West Conference currently has ranked. On paper, and since there is no playoff that is all you can go on, Utah should be ranked above USC. If that is the case then any national media member would also rank North Carolina, or South Florida well below USC.

Not having the Utes ranked higher, and getting more respect insults the intellect of college football fans.

BYU Still Has a Shot at the BCS

With the Utes beating TCU the table is set for BYU to play themselves into the BCS picture. No one is talking about this possibility, because people assume it is far fetched; however, it is more probable than people realize. Here is what has to happen:

1 - BYU wins out. This would include beating Utah which would be a top ten team, and that would propel them up in the polls/help their BCS computer ranking. Also this will keep a one lose BYU team ahead of a undefeated Ball State.

2- Boise State loses a game. Boise State hasn't looked dominate all season and end the season against Nevada on the road and Fresno State.

3 - BYU doesn't get leap-frogged by the Big East/ACC/PAC-10 Champion(right now Oregon State is leading). If BYU finishes ranked ahead of any of these teams they earn the automatic birth.

It isn't an easy path, and BYU doesn't control their own destiny; however, the scenario is more likely than people want to admit. (Although the scenario of going to the Poinsettia Bowl is more likely)

Andrei Kirilenko Making the Jazz Go

Kirilenko has been creating an instant spark off the bench for the Utah Jazz, and it appears that Sloan's "Bring AK off the bench experiment" is succeeding. Kirilenko has the highest over/under rating in the NBA, and AK and Millsap are the over/under combo as well in the NBA. (http://www.nba.com/statistics/plusminus/plusminus.jsp) Besides AK providing a statistical advantage for Utah, he is also providing leadership and defensive toughness. The Jazz will now need consistency from Kirilenko as the season goes on if they hope to make a charge for the title.

What Happens to Boozer At the End of Games?

Since last year's playoffs Boozer has turned into a terrible clutch player. Boozer ranks 17th in turnovers per game among forwards. Yet, I can't prove this but he seems to lead the league in turnovers in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter. Boozer has seemed to press, and force passes at the end of games trying to make something happen. Instead of using the offensive set to create a scoring opportunity. Boozer has been a workhorse for the Jazz in the early part of the season, but if Boozer wants to be the closer for the Jazz he needs to be smarter with the basketball.

A Cool Site For Jazz Stats

http://www.atsdatabase.com/Stats/NBA/Utah-Jazz-Basketball-Past-Results.html

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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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TCU @ Utah Game Biggest in Mountain West History

 vs  
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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Week 10 Mountain West Conference Power Rankings

Utah remains on top of the Power Rankings during their bye...

This week might be the calm before the storm. Utah and TCU both have games that might trip them up, but they should be able to take care of business with both teams. Next week they face off in the game that will decide how the conference title will shape up. Here are the rankings for week 10:

1)Utah - It seems that the best thing the Utes could do last week was to have a bye. Utah should be refocused and ready for the stretch run. Utah needs no to look to far ahead to the TCU game next week, because the Lobos could give the Utes some problems.

2)TCU - Horned Frogs keep on winning. UNLV might be a trap game for TCU this week if they are looking ahead to the conference show down with Utah.

3)BYU - A close win at home might be what the Cougars needed. To prove to themselves that they can win games when their backs are up against the wall. BYU still has a lot of holes in the secondary that need to improve to have a chance to get back a share of the conference title.

4)Air Force - The Falcons are the biggest surprise this season in the Mountain West. The Falcons have found ways to win close games. Falcons still have a tough schedule to finish the season.

5)Colorado State - The Rams continue to be another surprise team in the conference this season. The Rams will have two chances to make some noise in the conference facing BYU this week and Air Force the following week.

6)New Mexico - An up and down year for the Lobos continues. The Lobos will need some luck to become bowl eligible, but they have the talent to get the wins.

7)UNLV - The Rebels are MUCH better than their record indicates. UNLV needs to find a way to win close conference games, and to get a stop on defense.

8)San Diego State - Showed some signs of life in loss to Colorado State earns the Aztecs the second to last spot in the polls.

9)Wyoming - Like everything else in Wyoming, just not that good.

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The Big Podcast Episode 7 - The Guestless Edition

We call it episode 8, but that is because we just can't count...

In Episode 7 we discuss...

• What happened to BYU at TCU
• The outlook of the Mountain West Conference 
• The national polls
• Utah's impressive win over Colorado State
• The worst losses BYU football has ever suffered
• An improbable story of one armed love

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

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Week 8 Mountain West Conference Predictions

After a bye week Scott and I take over the predictions from Ashley...

Ashley took over the predictions from Scott and I last week and ended up with a 6-3(.667) record. Not a bad week of picks from Ashley. The overall standings still remain the same between Scott and I from last week:

Mark[Overall 44-22(.667) Head-to-Head 3-1-2]
Scott[Overall 42-24(.6360 Head-to-Head 1-3-2]

This weekend is filled with a lot of top games. Be sure to have the popcorn ready, because it looks to be good. Here are the week 8 predictions starting with the game of the week:

The Big Podcast GAME OF THE WEEK
#9 BYU @ #24 TCU (Thursday) 6PM MT Versus

This is a match up between BYU's offense against the Horned Frogs' defense. The Horned Frogs' defense has been strong the entire season, except when they faced Oklahoma's high powered offense. BYU's offense has struggled in the last seven quarters, and BYU will need a quick start if they hope to beat TCU in Fort Worth. What no one is talking about is the match up between the Offense of TCU and BYU's defense. TCU is not a passing team, and runs a similar option style offense to New Mexico. BYU's defense will be able to keep TCU's offense off the field, and that will be the key to BYU's victory.

BYU 35 TCU 17

TCU has a monster D and is going up against a very good BYU offense. BYU has struggled offensively the past two games, and is looking to rebound. They definitely have the potential to be very explosive. The key match up in this game is TCU’s defensive line against BYU’s offensive line…it could be an epic battle of the big uglies. TCU’s offense is very good at controlling the game on the ground. They hold on to the ball about 13 minutes more than their opponents. BYU’s bend but don’t break defense has been good enough to keep teams from scoring. TCU already has a hard time scoring.

BYU 24 TCU 13

Colorado State @ #14 Utah 12PM MT The Mtn

Utah continues to struggle to put together complete football games. On paper Utah should have no problems with Colorado State at home. Yet, historically Colorado State plays Utah tough every season. Colorado State is improved from last season, but won't have the fire power to hand with Utah. Even if Utah plays a C level game they win big.

Utah 38 Colorado State 13

What has happened to Brian Johnson? Utah’s offense has not looked very good for a while now and CSU has a very good defense. Utah has won on the strength of their defense and special teams. The most surprising team this year in the MWC has been Colorado State. They have competed very well. They shot themselves in the foot last week against TCU and had opportunities to win the game. This is going to be tougher game for Utah than most people think…but they pull it off in the end like they have all year.

Utah 21 Colorado State 17

San Diego State @ New Mexico 4PM MT The Mtn

New Mexico was able to control the ball on the ground, on the road, against a good BYU team. They weren't able to put the ball into the end zone against BYU. (Technically they did, but a poor call reversed the Lobo touchdown) The Lobos shouldn't have that problem against San Diego State at home.

New Mexico 24 San Diego State 7

Although New Mexico only scored 3 points against BYU, they showed some signs of life. Their defense looks capable of keeping them in the game. If they can get any big plays from the QBs through the air, they can compete in most games. SDSU has really struggled in most facets of the game.

New Mexico 28 San Diego State 20

Air Force @ UNLV 8PM MT The Mtn

UNLV has scored points early in their last two games against Colorado State and Nevada; however, they have played terrible second quarters and given the leads back. Air Force got off to a slow start against San Diego State last week before taking care of the Aztecs. The extra week that UNLV had to prepare for Air Force will make the difference in the game.

UNLV 28 Air Force 21

UNLV is in a brutal 5 game stretch right now with games against AFA, BYU and TCU after already losing to Nevada and CSU. The question is whether or not this team is going to give up and throw in the towel. They desperately need a win this week to avoid a potential 5 game losing streak. AFA is going to run the ball and control the clock like they do each week. Not sure if UNLV has any answers on defense.

Air Force 35 UNLV 21

Utah State @ Nevada 2PM MT ESPN360

San Jose State humiliated the Aggies last week, and any momentum the Aggies had from their performance against BYU is gone. Playing on the road again this week will be difficult for the Aggies.

Nevada 42 Utah State 13

You would hope that 6 games into the season that Utah State would have found some answers both offensively and defensively. They still don’t have a QB who is ready to lead this team. The USU defense has to hold team under 20 points if they want to give their offense a chance to win. Nevada has the ability to score a lot of points. They are averaging almost 50 points over their last 3 games. If USU can just somehow find that emotion that they played with against BYU, they have a chance to be a decent team.

Nevada 38 Utah State 14

#16 Kansas @ #4 Oklahoma 1:30PM MT ABC

Yes, Oklahoma lost to Texas, but they didn't look bad doing it. Oklahoma is a very good football team, and Kansas has been skating by so far this season. Oklahoma will win big at home.

Oklahoma 52 Kansas 17

Of all the weeks that you want Oklahoma on your schedule, this is definitely not that week. Yes Oklahoma lost last week to Texas, but they played pretty well. I expect them to come out firing on all cylinders. Kansas has been a little inconsistent through their first 6 games. They need a mistake free game from their QB Reesing is they want to keep it close. Reesing is no Colt McCoy, but he is a very good QB. If there is one way to expose Oklahoma, it is through the air. In the end, Oklahoma just has too much firepower.

Oklahoma 42 Kansas 21

#12 Ohio State @ #20 Michigan State 1:30 PM MT ABC

I smell a Ringer! Javon Ringer already has 1,112 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns this season for the Spartans. Ohio State will have problems containing Ringer on the road.

Michigan State 31 Ohio State 17

Can Michigan State avoid their mid season collapse that has plagued them the past 10 years? If there is ever a time to beat OSU, this is the year. OSU is starting a true freshman at QB and their star RB has been hobbled by a bum ankle. Injuries have also started taking a toll on the defense. Yet the Buckeyes somehow find a way to win, while the Spartans always find a way to lose this game. I don’t think Javon Ringer can carry the load much longer for MSU. They need Hoyer to make some plays down field, which he hasn’t been able to do all season. OSU’s defense is their strength and they will be able to do enough to come away with a victory.

Ohio State 21 Michigan State 20

#11 Missouri @ #1 Texas 6PM MT ABC

Chase Daniels and the Tigers' offense looked confused at home against Oklahoma State. Daniels who only had one interception going into last Saturday threw three interceptions against the Cowboys. The problem for Chase Daniels and the Tigers is Texas' defense looks to be better than Oklahoma State. It is also more difficult to play on the road.

Texas 35 Missouri 31

There are no weeks off in the Big 12. After beating the #1 team in the nation last week, Texas plays their second toughest game of the season. Missouri is coming of a disappointing loss last week, proving to the world that Mike Gundy is a man. Someone other than Colt McCoy is going to have to have a big game on the ground to keep Missouri honest. Chase Daniel is about as good as they get at QB. He is completing about 75% of his passes and picks defenses apart. Jeremy Maclin is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. Last week, Texas got the breaks they needed, this week the ball bounces Missouri’s way.

Missouri 31 Texas 24

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