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We are five weeks into the 2023 College football season. Fresno State and Air Force are both (5-0). Preseason favorite Boise State is currently sitting at (2-3). There have been upsets. There have been big disappointments. The conference as a whole has gone (24-23) in non-conference play with two games remaining. Right now Fresno State is projected to go to a New Year’s Six Bowl game as the best Group of 5 team. It is gearing up to be a wild season in the Mountain West, and with that it is time for some hot takes.
Fresno State will lose 3 of the next 4 games.
Fresno State is currently ranked 24th in both the AP and the Coaches poll going into this week’s game against Wyoming, and the Bulldogs are sitting pretty at (5-0) going into the game. Yes the Bulldogs have two wins on the road against Power 5 teams, but that being said not one of the teams that Fresno State has beat has a winning record at the moment.
There are cracks starting to show for the Bulldogs as they head into arguably their toughest four game stretch of the season. Wyoming is sitting at (4-1) with their only loss coming to the 3rd ranked Texas Longhorns, and the Cowboys had that game tied going into the 4th quarter with a backup quarterback starting for them. That game is going to be a primetime, nationally televised game at the highest altitude in Division I football. Following that up Fresno heads to Utah State, to take on the Aggies who are the biggest question mark in the conference right now. The Bulldogs then have UNLV and Boise State at home. UNLV looks to be much improved and are massively underrated. Boise State is a rivalry game and it doesn’t matter how good a team is records get thrown out for a rivalry game.
Colorado State is the most underrated team in the conference
A lot of people have been writing off the Rams and I think that is a huge mistake. Since benching Clay Millen for Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi the Rams offense has hit a new level. The redshirt freshman has passed for 1360 yards and 11 touchdowns since coming in for the 4th quarter against Washington State.
All three of Tory Horton’s touchdowns against Utah Tech 👀 pic.twitter.com/OSXHJa9umz
— DNVR Rams (@DNVR_Rams) October 1, 2023
The Rams also have the best receiver in the conference in Troy Horton. Horton has racked up 540 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns for the Rams so far this season and is showing no signs of slowing down. In addition, you have Dallin Holker who is quietly putting up 90 yards per game receiving. The Rams also have a capable defense led by Mohamed Kamara who is currently second in the nation in sacks with 6.5. Don’t sleep on the Rams they still have some noise to make this year and will be a tough game for everyone playing them.
Harrison Waylee will win OPOY
The first two games of the season Wyoming ran a running back by committee approach while Harrison Waylee was recovering from offseason knee surgery. Upon his return in week 3 against Texas, his presence was immediately felt in the game. Waylee took his first carry in a Wyoming uniform 62 yards to the house. In just 3 games Waylee has racked up 457 yards on the ground and has had 3 total touchdowns of over 40 yards. He is also averaging 8.6 yards per carry, and is arguably the most explosive back in the conference. At his current pace Waylee would finish the season with 1521 yards on the ground which would be a top 15 performance in conference history, while missing two games.
Harrison Waylee is…fast. pic.twitter.com/wbeq3fspyT
— Alex Taylor (@alex_m_taylor22) September 24, 2023
Four Coaches will be fired at the end of the season
Several Coaches in the conference should feel their seats starting to get warm. Ken Wilson is in his second season with the Wolfpack and he has led them to a dismal (2-15) record thus far in his tenure at Nevada. Brent Brennan has been the Head Coach for San Jose State since 2017 and outside of a conference title in the shortened 2020 season, he has only one winning season with the Spartans.
This year they are sitting at (1-4). If results don’t start coming soon Timmy Chang may be on his way out of Hawaii. The Rainbow Warriors are (5-14) since Chang took over the program last year, and don’t look to be on the rise. The wild cards will be Brady Hoke and Andy Avalos. Both Boise State and San Diego State have aspirations to play in a Power 5 conference, and as such are used to winning all the time. If either of these teams have a bad year it could spell the end for their coaches.
The Mountain West will have a team playing in the New Year’s Six
As of right now the highest ranked Group of 5 team gets a bid to a New Year’s Six bowl game. If the season ended today that team would be Fresno State. I think there are three Mountain West teams that have the potential to make it to a New Years Six bowl this year. Fresno State and Air Force are both currently undefeated, and if either team can run the table they should be locks to make it in. Wyoming is the third team and if they run the table it would be hard to keep the Cowboys out of the New Years Six.
