Mountain West football rankings: Boise State is the clear favorite yet again
Each week, Nevada Sports Net’s Chris Murray will rank the Mountain West football teams. Here are this week’s rankings, with each team’s overall record, its ranking last week, its result last week, its next opponent and a brief comment.
1. Boise State
Rank last week: N/A
Record: 0-0, 0-0 MW
Last week: Did not play
This week: vs. Utah State
Comment: Boise State again enters the season with lofty expectations, a Mountain West title being the minimum requirement to call this a successful season with a New Year’s Six bowl berth within reach if the Broncos play to their talent level. This program has always been strong in the trenches, an underrated part of its success the last 20 years, although the lines are the biggest question mark in 2020.
2. San Diego State
Rank last week: N/A
Record: 0-0, 0-0 MW
Last week: Did not play
This week: vs. UNLV
Comment: San Diego State let a golden opportunity to reach the MW title game slip through its hands last season and has the schedule set up this year to get back to that game for the first time since 2016. I wasn’t a big fan of SDSU rolling back the clock and hiring former head coach Brady Hoke this offseason, but he inherits a strong roster as long as the Aztecs can figure out its quarterback situation in a new up-tempo offensive attack.
3. Wyoming
Rank last week: N/A
Record: 0-0, 0-0 MW
Last week: Did not play
This week: at Nevada
Comment: Wyoming has a quarterback battle but has installed good-run, bad-throw quarterback Sean Chambers as its starter. Don’t be surprised if Levi Williams, who started the team's bowl game, takes over at some stage. He's expected to see the field in Wyoming's opener. The bigger question mark comes on defense where the Cowboys lost three coaches and some talented players. If the defense plays to its typical standard, Wyoming could reach the title game.
4. Air Force
Rank last week: N/A
Record: 1-0, 0-0 MW
Last week: Did not play
This week: at San Jose State
Comment: Air Force is the only MW team to play a game so far this season, pasting a so-so Navy team, 40-7, in a surprise shellacking that has raised expectations for 2020. The Falcons are without star QB Donald Hammond III, who is not a cadet in good standing and thus isn’t eligible to play. But the season opener shows that the Falcons still have a good roster and their scheme always gives MW opponents issues.
5. Colorado State
Rank last week: N/A
Record: 0-0, 0-0 MW
Last week: Did not play
This week: Game canceled
Comment: Colorado State’s game against New Mexico on Saturday was canceled due to COVID-19 issues, so Steve Addazio must wait a week to make his Rams debut. The Addazio hire was not inspired, but he inherits a good offensive club with enough ceiling to finish in the top four in the conference. Addazio reached a bowl in six of his seven seasons at Boston College (but never won more than seven games), so this team should be solid.
6. Nevada
Rank last week: N/A
Record: 0-0, 0-0 MW
Last week: Did not play
This week: vs. Wyoming
Comment: Nevada was Jekyll and Hyde last season, with a couple of big wins (over Purdue and No. 24 SDSU) but some brutal losses (71 points to Oregon, 51 points to Hawaii, 28 points to Wyoming, 26 points to Utah State, overtime to UNLV). The Wolf Pack must be more consistent this year. If it does, and if the offense plays to its potential, Nevada should finish above-.500 in MW play for only the second time since moving to the conference in 2012.
7. Fresno State
Rank last week: N/A
Record: 0-0, 0-0 MW
Last week: Did not play
This week: vs. Hawaii
Comment: Washington transfer Jake Haener won Fresno State’s starting quarterback job and will be guided by first-year head coach Kalen DeBoer, who has had success at each of his stops. After going 4-8 last season, outside expectations aren’t high for Fresno State, which was picked to finish fourth in the West Division in the preseason poll. But I see the Bulldogs overachieving that mark under DeBoer.
8. Hawaii
Rank last week: N/A
Record: 0-0, 0-0 MW
Last week: Did not play
This week: at Fresno State
Comment: Hawaii is one of six MW schools under the direction of a first-year coach after Todd Graham took over the reins from Nick Rolovich. Hawaii has a good bit of talent, but it’s had an uneven offseason (even more than your average college football program) and has a much different system than the one Rolovich used. The schedule is manageable, but don’t expect Hawaii to return to its second straight MW title game.
9. Utah State
Rank last week: N/A
Record: 0-0, 0-0 MW
Last week: Did not play
This week: at Boise State
Comment: On the plus side, Utah State has some coaching continuity, unlike most MW schools, although it lost first-round quarterback Jordan Love in the offseason along with a bevy of other quality players. If Love couldn’t find success on last year’s offense, new quarterback Jason Shelley, a transfer from Utah, will have his hands full, too. Couple that with a difficult schedule, and I don’t see the Aggies finishing above .500.
10. San Jose State
Rank last week: N/A
Record: 0-0, 0-0 MW
Last week: Did not play
This week: vs. Air Force
Comment: San Jose State took a nice step forward last season under Brent Brennan, going 5-7, which counts as a success for the Spartans. It will be difficult to take another step forward with the loss of MW offensive player of the year QB Josh Love, although transfer QB Nick Starkel has SEC experience. The real question is whether SJSU’s defense will be improved. If not, this team is going to struggle to win games.
11. UNLV
Rank last week: N/A
Record: 0-0, 0-0 MW
Last week: Did not play
This week: at San Diego State
Comment: UNLV should be an underdog in every one of its games this season, which is not a recipe for success for first-year coach Marcus Arroyo, who inherited a tough schedule and a bad defense that lost some of its key contributors. The Rebels’ offense has some good pieces, but the quarterback position remains unknown. Will it be last year’s starter Kenyon Oblad or TCU transfer Justin Rogers?
12. New Mexico
Rank last week: N/A
Record: 0-0, 0-0 MW
Last week: Did not play
This week: Game canceled
Comment: New Mexico’s season opener against Colorado State was canceled due to high COVID-19 numbers in Albuquerque, which is little weird because the game was supposed to be played at Fort Collins. Last week, I set New Mexico’s over/under on games played this season at 6.5 given the issues the program has faced during the pandemic. It’s looking like the under will hit on that one.
Sports columnist Chris Murray provides insight on Northern Nevada sports. Contact him at crmurray@sbgtv.com or follow him on Twitter @ByChrisMurray.