Post-Spring MWC Football Round-Up: the Contenders

Although they change order from year to year, these three teams continue their choke-hold on the conference's top expectations. All three return much of their offenses. The Utes and Cougars must re-construct key pieces of their defenses. The Horned Frogs appear poised to emerge from a semi-rebuilding year with a vengeance. Utah wins the scheduling lottery, facing both TCU and BYU at home, in November.

• BYU-- The pieces are in place for an utterly devastating offense. Will the defense take form fast enough to keep the pressure off Max Hall and his offensive brethren? The Cougars' have to travel to Fort Worth and Salt Lake City, though, facing both of the MWC's other best teams on the road. Both contests look to be dandies. This could be the first year in a while nobody sweeps the conference. Jake Locker's Washington Huskies may test the Cougars' new starters at linebacker and safety passed their limits, but by the time BYU travels to Fort Worth, the squard should be solid.
  
• TCU-- After a tough but disappointing season, look for the Frogs to cash in some good luck for a change. They will bring an improved pass rush, power running, and QB play to the gridiron in '08, and will compete for the league title. They play in each of the first 11 weeks of the season, and will need some luck to face Utah-- in Salt Lake City on week 11-- healthy. If the Frogs can break their Thursday blues, and beat BYU and Utah (both meet the Frogs on Thursday nights), the Frogs will be an attractive one-loss invite to the Orange Bowl. Of the Frogs' opponents, only Oklahoma is more talented.
  
• UTAH-- This is Brian Johnson's last year with the Utes, and it may be his best. Utah's defense loses key personnel at all three levels, but likely will have the offensive firepower to give their D room to grow. Facing BYU and TCU at home is a boon. Winning the season opener at Ann Arbor will attract the national spotlight; cashing in on that attention could make Utah a favorite for an at-large BCS berth.

Post-Spring MWC Football Round-up: Middl'uns

Two Mountain West teams seem poised to do what New Mexico and Air Force did last year-- come together like they haven't done in a while-- perhaps even a very long while. This season will be UNLV's and Wyoming's best chance in a long time to break even and perhaps go bowling. Wyoming brings back most of its offense, and with a new coordinator, high expectations.

• WYOMING-- Cowboy fans expect their new offensive coordinator to coax better things from their offense this year. He'll have the pieces to do just that: a veteran QB, backfield, and line. A full season effort in '08 will make the difference between playing in December or watching others play in December.
• UNLV-- This is a make or break year for Mike Sanford's crew. He's got more players on scholarship than he's ever had, and has returning depth all over the field. The Rebels have 7 home games this year, and have as good a chance as ever to be a MWC bowl team

Post-Spring MWC Footbal Round-up: the Rebuilders

Two of the MWC's five bowl teams (AFA and UNM) lose so many pieces of their '07 squads that they must measure success in '08 by their record in '09. Add to these the hapless Colorado State Rams, who dwelt with UNLV at the bottom of the conference last year, but have only a new coach to show for it, and SDSU, who'll be breaking in 4 new starters on the O-line and another at QB, and you have the conference's 2008 rebuilders.

• NEW MEXICO-- 2007 was the best year for New Mexico in a generation. Don't expect 2008 to exceed it, however, because the Lobos have to rebuild the offensive line, again. They also must find new go-to receivers, too. The defense ought to be stout, and UNM has talent eventually to get back on track in a big way-- in 2009.
• AIR FORCE-- AFA lost its top 6 rushers to graduation, including the MWC offensive POTY, Chad Hall; it will rely on a brand new QB in '08 as well. In short: Troy Calhoun's coaching challenge begins in earnest. The Academy's rebuilding project will depend on how quickly young and new players can master Air Force's ground attack.
• COLORADO STATE-- Can a new coach reverse the Rams' slide into mediocrity? CSU will be one of the conference's biggest question marks in 2008. The defensive line must be replaced-- not that the old one will be missed-- and so must the quarterback-- who will be missed. The good news is that runningback Kyle Bell returns, and is just the kind of player you can build a team around.
• SAN DIEGO STATE-- The Aztecs sent four players into the NFL via its draft, the most of any MWC team. For the first time in Chuck Long's tenure, however, the cupboard doesn't seem bare. His young team tasted winning last season, but must mature in a hurry to taste it again in '08.

'08 season schedule

The Frogs commence conference play with an August matchup against New Mexico in Albuquerque. The next four games are against non-conference foes: Stephen F. Austin (winless in '07), Stanford, SMU, and OU. Conference play resumes in October against San Diego State, and with the November 6 game at Utah, TCU will have played 11 games in less than 11 weeks. After a 16-day break, the Frogs finish at home against Air Force on November 22.

The Frogs play two Thursday games this year, predictably the biggest conference games: against BYU and Utah. By the tilt with the Utes, the Frogs will have been through a grind like the '05 season, which featured 11 games with no bye weeks- and only one loss.

The Wimple expects the most difficult games to be at Oklahoma and at Utah. If the Frogs maintain better health than they did last year, any loss will be disappointing, though OU (and only OU) plainly has a talent advantage.

TCU, Utah, and BYU would be in play for a #1 or #2 BCS rank with an undefeated season, and any MWC team will rank above 15 with a 1-loss season, and outrank any other 1-loss non-cartel team.