MWC unit previews: SECONDARIES

The Wimple's ranking of the MWC's secondaries, best to worst:

Air Force's corners are the conference's best returning tandem: Anthony Wright and Reggie Rembert were 1st- and 2nd-team all-MWC. Jon Davis joins returns as safety with them, and the only newcomer is Phil Ohili, who has two years' experience as a backup. Air Force and TCU had the best pass defenses in the MWC last season, holding opposing squads to 154 and 157 ypg, and 57.6% and 47.4% completions. AFA returns 75% of its starters secondary; TCU only 40%-- although new starting cornerback Jason Teague played lots and often in '09. AFA's and TCU's secondaries are the class of the conference in 2010.

See TCU's and the rest of the MWC's secondary ranking after the jump.

MWC unit previews: Special Teams

Preseason practices are just weeks away.  To get you there, the Wimple begins the MWC unit rankings, starting with special teams. 

[updated] UTAH spring report

When Utah's spring got underway the second week of March, the Utes primary questions were on the defense, at all three levels. See James Durrant's writeup at the Utah Rivals site for many more details. Second-year line coach John Pease hoped to get his players back to the production Utah fans grew used to under Gary Anderson's tutelege, and to answer to this offseason's first question: who will replace DT Kenape Eliapo and DE Koa Misi? At tackle, Neil A'asa appeard to get ahead of Lei Talamaivao and James Aiono; Trevor Reilly leads at end.

There's fruitbasket turnover occuring at linebacker in SLC this offseason, as the Utes graduated one of the conference's best-ever LB corps. So the second question in Salt Lake City was: Will Utah find a linebacking corps this spring? Replacing Mike Wright, Stevenson Sylvester, and Kepa Gaison won't fall to inexperienced players. DC Kalani Sitake, who coaches the linebackers, thinks his team is in better position going into 2010 than it was going into 2009. Projected starter Nai Fotu is out for the year with a torn ACL, J.J. Williams (pictured) and Boo Anderson may have won themselves starting spots with a strong spring. Chad Manis, Chaz Walker, Jamel King, and Matt Martinez were are in the mix for the third spot. Four-star recruit VJ Fehoko doesn't join the team until fall.

In the secondary, Coach Whittingham replaced J.D. Williams, who joined Bobby Hauck's staff at UNLV, by moving his TE coach, Jay Hill, to cornerback. Hill gets one starter back, Brandon Burton. Conroy Black is pushing Lamar Chapman gets the first-team snaps at the other end. In between them are two question marks, making the last defensive question for the Utes: Will the new safeties save the secondary? Only Justin Taplin-Ross (pictured) nailed down a starting spot this spring. Early-enrolled Damian Payne practiced much of the spring with the first team, rotating with redshirt freshman Chris Washington.

On offense, the questions were less pressing to start the spring, owing to a much fuller roster of returners. However, returning starter and phenom Jordan Wynn went down on the first play of the spring game, and there're rumblings his injury was more serious than the Whittingham has let on. Fortunately for the Utes, senior Terrance Cain (pictured) took over and was brilliant, as was redshirt freshman Griff Robles. It appears the Utes' attack is not dependent on Wynn.

Fully four starters return on the o-line, leaving a battle (and the first offensive question) only at left tackle: who will replace all-MWC Zane Beadles? Caleb Shlauderaff moves over from guard into that spot this spring, and that move may be permanent if the Utes can't find a better tackle. Walter Watts will take Shladeraff's spot next to center. Percy Taumoelau is also in the mix at left tackle.

Matt Asiata was granted a medical redshirt, but didn't practicing this spring. Eddie Wide and Sausan Shakerin had the show largely to themselves, and put on a good one.

At wideout, the story is much different. David Reed, Aiona Key, and John Peel took just over half the team's receptions and even more of the team's receiving yards with them to graduation. Only Jerome Brooks returns, having had over 17 receptions for more than 154 yards in 2009. DeVonte Christopher, Shaky Smithson, and Luke Matthews return with Brooks, all having caught passes last season, and all hoping to answer the question Who'll be Jordan Wynn's go-to receivers? They were pushed hard for first team snaps by walk-on Griffin McNabb (pictured), who who shone late in the spring, and was the go-to receiver in the spring game. The team's three receiver recruits don't enroll until the fall.

UTAH wraps up, roaring.

Guest-blogger, and die-hard Ute fan Jack contributed to this report.

Ten-win seasons do not grow on trees in most places, but perhaps it's time to consider Salt Lake City as fertile ground for ten-win seasons. Utah's dismantling of Cal in the Poinsettia Bowl made 2009 the program's fifth such season, and '08-'09 its first back-to-back 10-win seasons.

In some ways, Utah's season didn't get underway until the second half of the eighth game of 2009, when Wyoming was threatening to hand the Utes their second loss of the year, and Kyle Whittingham pulled the redshirt off of Jordan Wynn. The 18 year old provided a spark for the offense, going 9-14 with one touchdown in his first collegiate game and win. Wynn finished the season as a starter, going 3-2, including the come-from-behind tie against BYU, which ended in a loss in overtime, triggering commentary from the other starting QB in that game.

While Wynn is the best story for the '09 Utes, Utah's backfield is a similar story, and nearly as good. Franchise back Matt Asiata suffered a season-ending knee-injury early in game four, leaving smaller runners Eddie Wide, Sausan Shakerin, and Shaky Smithson to man the run game. Wide ('10 senior) stepped up in a big way, topping 1,000 yards by year end. Shakerin and Smithson ('10 senior) were effective change-of-pace backs. Asiata may return in 2010, if granted the medical redshirt. Shakerin ('10 soph) will be joined by redshirt Beau Burton and true freshman Princeton Collins as the backup RBs.

The Utes started only one senior on the o-line in '09, all-American Zane Beadles. The Utes' steady recruiting at OL is paying off, and the strong front that maintained the Utes' national top-50 rushing attack in '09 may improve it in 2010. Whittingham insists that the line will not be blocking ahead of a quarterback battle this offseason, despite Terrence Cain's better stats as a signalcaller. (139.4 v. 130.7 QB rating; Cain ran roughly twice as often as Wynn, for slightly more ypc.)

The 2010 signal caller will be throwing to a largely turned-over corps of wideouts. Three of the Utes' top four receivers graduate, taking half of 2009's catches and receiving yards with them. There'll be room on the two-deep for several of the full nine receivers Utah has enrolled in the '09 and '10 classes.

On defense, the situation is nearly reversed. Six of eight 2009 starters off the line were seniors, including standout LBs Stevenson Sylvester and S Robert Johnson. The '09 seniors (DE Misi, LBs Sylvester, Wright, Gaison, CB Sanford, Ss Johnson and Dale) took Utah's pass defense from 22nd in '08 to ninth in '09. Look for a return to something like 22nd in 2010. Over the last two or three years, the Utes have recruited better than any team in the conferece (except perhaps TCU), so expect considerable foment on the two-deep in spring and fall as younger players vie for starting spots in the defense. While Utah returns some of its most talented young players on the line, including DE Christian Cox and DTs David Kruger, Sealver Siliga, and JUCO transfer James Aiono (who redshirted in 2009), it is unclear who will rise to the top of the chart behind them at LB and in the secondary.

TCU 55, Utah 28

All week the Wimple has been at a loss to find a way sum up the game's significance. ESPN deigned to visit the campus; a conference game sold out; the Frogs' BCS ranking was the highest among the non-cartel teams ever; these (and a dozen more) facts pointed at the issue, but somehow fall short of describing it fully.

Perhaps a number will do the trick: 50,307. That's how many tickets TCU sold for this game.

That's over fifty thousand, should your common sense be arguing with you right now. And it's probably somewhere shy of actual attendance, considering how jammed the students (and alums still flashing student IDs at the gate) were on the east side.

No Southwest Conference game ever drew so many; no horde of tea-sippers from Austin, no mob of Arkansas hillbillies or uppity Mustangs, not even any grand gathering of Frog faithful in the good old days ever numbered so many as Saturday's throng, purple-clad almost to a one. The jubilation was well under way when the Wimples (including one fly-in from Alberta, Canada) squeezed in with the students about 90 minutes before kickoff. By the time the clock began counting down 60 minutes to gametime, there were easily more than 25,000 already in place. Many actual games have been seen by fewer fans than this week's warmups, even since the revival.

Coach P said his feet were off the ground by kickoff, it was so loud. The crowd was relatively football savvy, too. Clearly the team was enthused by all of it-- TCU blocked its first punt of the season, and generally was a step ahead of the Utes all night long. Utah tested the Frog secondary early and often, and could connect only a few times, though two consecutive completions midway through the second quarter totaled 90 yards and 6 points. Jordan Wynn was excellent, but totally overmatched. He'll lead a different animal in 2010.

Dalton was good, passing over (and quickly!) an endless litany of blitzes; he put the ball in the wrong place several times, but avoided costly errors, and punished the Utes early and often with good passes, decisions, and running. The Frogs won the battle in the trenches soundly. Turner, Wesley, Tucker, and Dalton combined for 40 carries, 315 yards, 3 running TDs, 0 sacks or QB hurries. Wesley and Tucker will cause many a nightmare for opposing defense coordinators; they were sensational Saturday. (now add to the mix Andre Dean, Waymon James, and maybe Dwight Smith... and weep for the good days ahead!)

In the air, the Frogs had slightly less yards than the Utes; but aside from the two-play 90-yard drive in the second, the Utes were generally one dimensional at best, and often no-dimensional. TCU's defense was simply hellacious, and the coaches didn't let up. Hughes was unrelenting, tallying eight tackles (2.5 of them for losses, and three on one drive), 1.5 sacks and three QB hurries. Tank Carder (who was all grins afterwards) got nine tackles, one for a loss, one INT, one PBU, and one QB hurry. Washington and Griffin was monstrous as well. When the Frogs finally put in their second team D, the Utes were done trying. They ran up the middle, for zero or less yards, giving back the ball, and letting the Frogs take a knee to end the pain.

And then the floodgates opened, for the first time since 1997, but for the totally opposite reason. The fans poured onto the field, and celebrated the victory (ostensibly with the team, but mostly with each other) and chanted "B-C-S" and sang the alma mater as rowdily as humanly possible.








here's ESPN's Saturday preview, filmed from the commons at TCU:



and highlights, via the mtn.:


and the YouTube highlights, from SuperFrog:

#4 Frogs get ESPN Gameday

It's what's for dinner

At least SDSU and Utah have the excuse of a road game. But really, BYU: what was that you laid in Provo Saturday? Really, Boise State couldn't be happier.

No victory lap: Utah

The Utes return only half of the starters that won a BCS bowl last season; they replace a program-defining quarterback, key coaching personnel, and take the new crew-- and an NCAA-leading winning streak-- on the road for critical games against BYU and TCU.

That was the Utes' situation to open the 2005 season, and it's nearly identical to what they face this season. The difference?

Depth.

Kyle Whittingham's program has recruited very well since taking over the helm in Salt Lake. Rivals ranked six of Whitt's '05 recruits three stars or better; ten in '06; eight in '07; ten in '08; and a full 16 in '09, including a five-star DE. As crude as the Rivals ranking system may be, it clearly indicates the increase in the caliber of athletes Utah has attracted to its program in the last half-decade.

So will all of that depth adequately fill in the holes in Utah's depth chart created by last year's critical graduating seniors? That's the $64,000 question. Whittingham says, "We're at a point where we shouldn't have a dip down," and as easy as it is to dismiss that as coachspeak, smart money must favor the Utes in all but its most challenging contests: road trips to Oregon, TCU, and BYU. Were it not for Whittingham's surprise flirtation with starting true freshman Jordan Wynn at QB, pictured above, while saying that five-star JUCO transfer Terrence Cain, pictured below, wasn't really doing any worse under center, smart money might favor the Utes in one or two of those games, too.

Coach W hasn't named a starter yet, but Wynn's surprising climb into the two-deep prompted returning backup Corbin Louks to transfer to Nevada. Neither Wynn nor Cain have ever taken a snap in D-1, so expecting either one to produce the kind of calm game-winning drives in pressure-cooked situations like Brian Johnson did repeatedly in 2008 is asking to have one's cake, and eating it, too. Simply put, Utah will downgrade at least slightly at QB this season.

And QB is just the first depth-question. Ben Vroman and Sean Sellwood replace Louie Sakoda as kicker and punter. Neither will be as good.

Brandon Burton and speedy R.J. Stanford take over from CBs Sean Smith and Brice McCain.

The Utes must replace their right guard and tackle at least once: slated starters Caleb Schlauderaff and Walter Watts both missed practices with knee injuries in the fall.

Derrick Shelby replaces DE Paul Kruger and Nai Fotu replaces Koa Misi while Misi recovers from an injury

With so many new starters, the really remarkable story coming out of SLC this season will be how far the Utes don't fall. 2009 will not be an '05 redux, when the Utes barely managed bowl eligibility. Only a few programs in the conference-- and in the country, really-- can replace as star-studded a cast as graduated from the U after 2008. Despite all the new names penciled into starting spots for the '09 Utes, look for Utah to be just fine in 2009. Will they compete for the conference crown?

No.

But they'll win all their home games, and the easy road games. And look for the Utes to be favored for the MWC title next year, when they face BYU and TCU in SLC.

That's a mighty quick turnaround, all things considered.

Rating the MWC: the contenders

The Big Three will top the MWC, again.

BYU has to replace 4 starters on its offensive line; it will promote 4 experienced linemen, and early indications are that the faithful blue need not fear much dropoff in performance from the new starters. Max Hall, now experienced both in highs and lows and itching to run more, pilots the Cougars' attack again. The defense, newly humbled, appears focused on recovering its conference-dominating form. BYU loses one fantastic skill player-- Austin Collie-- but returns an enviable roster at QB, TE, WR, and all-MWC pass rusher Jan Jorgensen.
The Cougars get one of the conference's most enviable home games: Florida State climbs to Provo in September, and likely will return to Tallahassee with a newfound respect for resurging BYU and the MWC. BYU also hosts CSU, Utah State, TCU, Air Force, and Utah this year, and may beat all of them. TCU and Utah, as usual, will be the Cougars' toughest competition. On the road, BYU opens at Oklahoma (the "neutral site" you'll see on schedules and commentary is a snicker-worthy figleaf), and also travels to Tulane, UNLV, SDSU, Wyoming, and New Mexico. Besides OU, which BYU won't beat, the Cougars must watch out for trap games at UNLV and New Mexico. However, BYU can realistically hope for 11-1, and might feel disappointed again if it wrings only 10 wins from this schedule.

TCU learned to run the spread effectively in 2008, and appears poised to run the it most prolifically in '09. The Frogs' backfield, receiving corps, and offensive line are deep, experienced, and talented, giving Andy Dalton the weapons, room, and time to thrive in his third year at the helm. Look for the Frogs' O to dominate defenses all season.

The D will drop off only as much as Henry Nuitei and Jeremy Coleman don't develop at DT; look for the Frogs to hold the ball slightly less than last year's nation-leading figure (but score more), giving the D more time to show both its strengths and vulnerabilities. TCU travels to Virginia, Clemson, Air Force, BYU, SDSU, and Wyoming; taking sufficient intensity to win on the road has been a weakness for the Frogs. Unless corrected, look for TCU to drop 2 away from Fort Worth-- likely at BYU and Clemson. Coming to Fort Worth this year are Texas State, SMU, Colorado State, UNLV, Utah, and New Mexico. Likely only Utah stands a fighting chance to return home with a win.

The Frogs likely will win out at home, making for another 10-win season. If TCU ups its road focus, however, there's no juggernaut standing in the way of 12-0 in 2009; this season TCU goes as far towards undefeated as it wants to.

Utah has more talent to replace the starters it lost from its eye-popping '08 season than it had after its eye-popping '04 season. Probably this means the Utes finish slightly behind BYU and TCU, but the proof of this pudding will be in the tasting, and if there's anything we learned about Utah last season, it's never to bet against them! So: lesson learned. Utah is clearly a contender in every game this season, but its road trips to Oregon, Fort Worth, and Provo are dangerous for the less experienced team, which the Utes will be each time. The Utes also travel to San Jose State, CSU, and UNLV. If health luck has run in the Rebels' favor, and not also in the Utes', Utah may lose in Las Vegas, as well.

Utah State, Louisville, Air Force, Wyoming, New Mexico, and SDSU must play the Utes in Salt Lake City, and each of them will be the underdog (although watching Kragthorpe's power attack against Utah's new-ish defense will be a treat).

Look for Utah to reach 9 wins-- and do it three years faster than they did after their last BCS bowl. But any let-up from TCU or BYU, and the Utes may sneak into a tie for the conference championship.

Utah - post spring

Utah didn't lose quite as much of its BCS-team the year after the Sugar Bowl as it did the year after the Fiesta Bowl. But the Utes are still trying to plug holes and fill some big shoes: the biggest being graduating QB Brian Johnson's, PK Louie Sakoda's, and DE Paul Kruger's.

Whittingham tries 5:30AM practice to keep the '09 Utes' minds off their '08 success; The QB battle likely isn't big enough for RSFr DeVonte Christopher as much-touted JUCO transfer Terrance Cain and returning QB Corbin Louks appear to have taken the battle to themselves. R.J. Sanford and Brandon Burton hope to replace the Utes' tremendous CBs; Matt Asiata doesn't expect to split carries with anyone in '09; one starter the Utes didn't lose to graduation is LB Stevenson Sylvester. Whittingham hopes hitting will grow up some young players. One younger player who is emerging is WR Aiona Key; another is featherweight true freshman QB Jordan Wynn, who's good work in the high-scoring spring game may keep the Utes' QB battle a three-way fight into fall.

After the Utes' second scrimmage, the offense still looks shaky, and Louks and Cain remain "about even" (Whittingham's estimation). None of the Utes' kickers are anywhere near Louie Sakoda's reliability, however.

MWC > SEC

Remind me, Coach Saban: who's the team from the "real BCS conference"? Would it be the 13-0 team from somewhere out West that just beat the snot out of your pampered elite Crimson Tide? Or is it the wimps from Tuscaloosa who gave up with time still on the clock, after their QB went down for the... 6th (7?) sack of the day?

Ahh... how stereotypes suffer when the underdogs come out with better motivation, preparation, and coaching. In sum, one could call it a... quest perfected. Congratulations Utah, and Mountain West Conference.

Here's SMQ, Fiutak's gamenotes;

MWC lands five bowl berths

Utah will face Alabama in the Sugar Bowl;
TCU will play Boise State in the Poinsettia Bowl;
BYU plays Arizona in the Las Vegas Bowl;
Air Force matches up with Houston (rematch) in the Armed Forces Bowl;
Colorado State plays Fresno State in the New Mexico Bowl.

Utah 13, TCU 10

The Horned Frogs paved the Utes' way one giant step closer to a BCS berth with a litany of mistakes-- most glaringly true freshman Ross Evans' two missed field goals late in the fourth quarter. Both of Evans' kicks capped failed bids to score only a few yards from the endzone. TCU extended the Utes' next drive with a pass interference penalty on a 3rd down. A couple plays later, Brian Johnson passed for a touchdown, and the Utes' first lead in the game. Down 3 points with less than a minute to play, Dalton drove the Frogs halfway down the field before throwing his second interception of the game. Then it was curtains for the game-- and for TCU's third attempt to jump over the brink of almosts, and jubiliant celebration for the blacked out Utes.

The Frogs have two Saturdays off, before concluding the season against Air Force, in Forth Worth.

Post-game press: FWST lead; Dalton pressured; bowls attending; CGP doesn't blame Evans; LeBreton; CGP staying at TCU, and ain't the type to leave; Graham Watson 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; Dr. Saturday; Spitblood; DMN;

In the meantime, here's a theraputic visual for recovering Frog fans, and any aspiring kickers:

Waiting for Thursday

Thursday's game against Utah is as big a game as TCU has played since its revival in the late 1990s. Frankly, it's as big a game as TCU has played since the 1950s. Not since then has a late-season conference game meant as much as this-- a win in Salt Lake City tomorrow makes TCU the frontrunner for an autobid to the BCS, with only two off weeks and one game left to play.

The football stars do not align very often to create a matchup for cartel outsiders with this much riding on the outcome. In 2000 and '03 the Frogs confronted very similar situations, and lost each time. If TCU can pull off the win (bettin' money is split almost evenly), its strength of schedule and media notoriety very likely will push it ahead of Boise State, to lead the non-cartel teams that are eligible for a lucrative BCS bid. The leader gets the only autobid reserved for the cartel outsiders.

A win tomorrow night would mark a new height for the modern Horned Frogs, who have not ascended to eligibility for a January bowl since two-squad play began. (Ironically, it was TCU's last triumph over Texas in 1962 that provoked the 'Horns' coach to support the switch to two-squad play, hastening its arrival.) Gary Patterson's teams have camped out in the BCS rankings, but have never finished a season eligible for a bid. (Although under current rules, the 2000 and 2005 teams would have received the non-cartel autobid, which wasn't created until '06.)

Pregame Press: Kragthorpe says the Utes are lucky UNM ain't TCU; November is the Utes' defining month; SI looks at the four non-cartel teams still vying for a BCS bid; Utah-TCU winner likely will lead cartel outsiders in BCS poll; BCS elimination game; Brian Johnson is inconsistent; Utes' defense (6th nationally) shut down Lobos; Utes rise in BCS poll; BYU wants Utah to win; FWST on top defenses, lots of penalties, Kerley likely to travel; some Ute fans don't like the blackout; focus on Utes' D-ends; SLTrib notes; SportsIllustrated takes note, and says the MWC oughtta have two BCS bids this year; Stewey Mandel ranks both teams in his top ten; Gordon Monson calls the Utes overrated; SLTrib Wednesday notes; focus on McCain; quotes from Whittingham's presser; Patterson's; FWST's Wednesday notes; DMN on the non-cartel leaders' interest in each others' games;

a little shameless sentimentality from a Ute:

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.

TCU to return to Houston for the Texas Bowl; 5 MWC Teams Go Bowling

http://www.texasbowl.org/-- TCU will square off against the Houston Cougars in the 2007 Texas Bowl . . . This is the Horned Frogs’ third consecutive winning season and their third consecutive bowl appearance. . . TCU head coach Gary Patterson is in his seventh season at the helm and has posted a 60-25 record, including leading the Horned Frogs to a bowl game six times. Patterson has had four 10-win seasons, more then any other coach in TCU history.

The 2007 Texas Bowl will be played on Friday, December 28 at Reliant Stadium at 7:00 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally on NFL Network. DePelchin Children’s Center, Houston’s oldest charitable organization, is the official charitable partner of the Texas Bowl.

[here's the goFrogs.com release]

Five Mountain West teams will play bowl games this year- the most ever. The Mtn.'s preview of the MWC bowls.
BYU will face UCLA (again!) in Las Vegas, Air Force v. California in Fort Worth; Utah v. Navy in San Diego, TCU v. Houston in Houston, and New Mexico v. Nevada in Albequerque.

TCU 20, Utah 27

The Frogs turned in one of their most disappointing offensive efforts Thursday, losing to Utah by a touchdown. TCU frequently stopped the Ute's offensive drives, but gave them second chance after second chance, throwing 5 interceptions before the final whistle.

TCU gets its first bye this week; New Mexico comes to Fort Worth on November 3rd.

Sorting the MWC: Kings of the Mountain

The usual suspects will vye for supremacy in the Mountain West next season: TCU, BYU, and Utah. The Horned Frogs and Cougars both bring new quarterbacks to play behind seasoned lines (Max Hall at BYU, either Marcus Jackson or Andy Dalton at TCU). TCU returns nine starters in its leage-best defense, and will be the only one of the three to start the season ranked. Brian Johnson returns under center for the Utes, who will probably boast one of the nation's best offenses.

None of these teams play each other before Columbus Day. Utah must travel to Fort Worth and Provo. BYU hosts both TCU and Utah. Each of these games will be tremendous contests.

Utah has the toughest OOC schedule, playing Washington State, UCLA, Louisville. While the Utes can win them all, they'll more likely split them. BYU gets rising Pac-10 challengers UCLA and Arizona in its schedule, and will likely split those as well- but two wins is not out of the question. TCU faces Texas in early September- a win in Austin would be a memorable upset.

Most likely these three conference giants will all end up 10-2 or so. However, if any one of them has only one loss, they may win a BCS berth. If any one of them goes undefeated, a BCS bowl is certain.