2018 Mountain West Preview
The Mountain West used to just be Boise State and everybody else but in recent years the conference has gotten much more competitive as the Broncos have taken a step back on the national stage since Chris Peterson left for UW. Fresno State jumped up last year out of nowhere and went to the MWC Championship Game. San Diego State, Fresno State and Utah State all are contenders that’ll make it tough for Boise State to run through the league unblemished.
Overview
- 3 teams in the top 51 of our preseason college football power rankings
- 6 teams are going bowling
- Plenty of opportunities to show they’re the best non-Power 5 conference in the country
What to Watch in 2018
- Can Boise run the table? They’re loaded. This could be Bryan Harsin’s best team since he took over in 2014. 10 starters are back on defense and Brett Rypien is back under center. The schedule is very favorable but the Broncos go to Stillwater to face Oklahoma State on September 15 in a game that could determine their fate this season. They win and they control their own destiny…a trip to a New Year’s Day Bowl. A loss and they’ll sweat it out that final weekend of the season.
- Is Fresno a flash in the pan? Jeff Tedford turned them around last year going 10-4. An incredible performance for the Bulldogs who’d come off of a 1-11 season in 2016! Can they keep it going? They have games at Minnesota and UCLA early that could build momentum for them. They’re going back to the MWC Championship in December.
- How many Power 5 teams can they beat in a season? Boise State at Oklahoma State, Fresno State at UCLA and Minnesota, Utah State at Michigan State, Wyoming vs. Washington State, San Diego State at Stanford and hosts Arizona State and Nevada vs. Oregon State. All are opportunities for the MWC to raise their profile nationally.
- Four teams are bunched up in the middle of the conference. Can Air Force, Nevada, Colorado State or Wyoming make the jump to contend with the teams at the top of the conference?
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2018 Mountain West Predictions
Mountain Division
| RANK | MWC MOUNTAIN | W | L | CONF W | CONF L |
| 27 | Boise State Broncos | 11 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| 37 | Utah State Aggies | 9 | 3 | 6 | 2 |
| 91 | Colorado State Rams | 8 | 4 | 5 | 3 |
| 78 | Air Force Falcons | 5 | 7 | 4 | 4 |
| 73 | Wyoming Cowboys | 5 | 7 | 3 | 5 |
| 109 | New Mexico Lobos | 3 | 9 | 1 | 7 |
West Division
| RANK | MWC WEST | W | L | CONF W | CONF L |
| 65 | Fresno State Bulldogs | 9 | 3 | 7 | 1 |
| 51 | San Diego State Aztecs | 9 | 3 | 6 | 2 |
| 115 | UNLV Rebels | 5 | 7 | 3 | 5 |
| 99 | Nevada Wolf Pack | 5 | 7 | 3 | 5 |
| 121 | Hawaii Rainbow Warriors | 3 | 10 | 1 | 7 |
| 118 | San Jose State Spartans | 2 | 10 | 1 | 7 |
2018 Mountain West Championship Game
Boise State is talented and experienced. This team is on a mission this season and beats Fresno State to win the Mountain West.
See more in our 2018 College Football Preview. Access data driven college football predictions all season long.
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