We are back at it. Every Mountain West team has now played a game, which allows the rankings to be based on actual results rather than speculation. Take a look at what ended up changing this week and feel free to drop your own rankings in the comments section.
Overall, the games went well for Mountain West teams this weekend. Over half the teams came away with wins. However, many of the wins were against FCS teams, and not every team had an easy victory. Then, some MW teams suffered losses but had pretty good showings against better competition. Due to this, it made for some interesting choices for the order of the rankings this week. Should teams move up for competitive losses? Should teams be rewarded for wins against inferior competition, especially if they struggled at times? That was the dilemma; read on for how the rankings shook out this week.
T1) Ashton Jeanty (kind of, but also not really)
Jeany may have had the best game of any player in the nation this weekend. He certainly carried the Broncos. 267 rushing yards and 6 rushing touchdowns is an impressive feat and he is recognized for it this week.
T1) UNLV (the start of the actual list)
The Rebels take the top spot this week because they won and they beat what is thought to be a quality opponent. Time will tell how good Houston ends up being, but for now, beating a P4 team should count for something. UNLV was in control from start to finish and while their offense had its moments, the defense was the real story. The transfers in the secondary played well and LB Jackson Woodard added some pass-rushing to his game. They looked strong in the opener.
2) Boise State
If you split up the Bronco’s offense and defense, the offense would be #1, while the defense would be somewhere towards the bottom. Throw in the fact that they won, but not in a way that answered questions about its defense, and the second spot seems appropriate for this week. Boise State’s offense looks legit, with two legit running backs and a quarterback who can spread the ball around to talented receivers. The defense made some plays but was prone to long lapses in stopping the run and the pass. Until that clears up, the team is vulnerable to slipping up.
3) Fresno State
In some ways, the Bulldogs may have had the best showing in the Mountain West despite losing. They played the defending champs well and were within a touchdown of timing the game early in the fourth quarter. Of course, Michigan is not the same team as last year, but they are still very good, and it’s impressive Fresno State was able to keep pace. Their offense couldn’t quite put up many points, but the defense looked great. Keep an eye on the Bulldogs as the season progresses.
4) Air Force
The next few teams are all pretty much the same in the sense that they started off struggling with FCS teams before winning big. The only reason the Falcons get the nod in the fourth spot is because they weren’t trailing at any point. The defense was sound, as expected, given their opponent, but the offense still looks like it’s working some things out. Air Force often takes a few games to round into form, but it also wouldn’t be surprising if never quite fired on all cylinders this season.
5) Utah State
The Aggies got off to a slow start and then their starting quarterback went down. At one point, they were trailing to Mr. Robert Morris. But as Utah State has down so many times in the past few years, they found their footing in the second half, putting up points while pitching a shutout. It was good to see the team playing together after all they’ve been through the past few months.
6) San Diego State
Likewise, the Aztecs were down 6-3 at halftime before waking up and blowing out their warm-up team. It wasn’t quite an Aztec FAST start, but the offense was able to put up a lot of points. It’s hard to know how much can be taken away from this game, but San Diego State playing well overall is better than them not playing well the entire game. It was an offensive explosion not seen around this team in quite some time, which is a positive outcome.
7) Hawaii
The Rainbow Warriors came away with a victory last weekend and nearly did the same this time. They took UCLA to the wire and did so in a surprising way. It was the Hawaii defense that led the way, holding the Bruins to a mere 13 points. The issue was they only scored 10 of their own. If the defense has improved enough to have games like this, it bodes well for Hawaii. On the other hand, the offense has to be better; they really haven’t looked like a potent offense through two games thus far. Still, Hawaii is intriguing to watch, even if it’s not the way previously expected.
8) San Jose State
The Spartans were another team that struggled mightily against an FCS team before finding a way to win. The new-looking offense under the new coaching staff underwhelmed to say the least. Aside from a strong performance by Nick Nash, there wasn’t much to be excited about. Some credit is due for San Jose State’s ability to endure lead changes and find a way to win, but this game also demonstrates it could be a long year if they don’t improve.
9) Nevada
The Wolf Pack nearly pulled off a big win in Week 0 and came out with a victory in this game, giving Jeff Choate and company their first win together. They feature tough style of play that has kept them in two games so far and if they can stay competitive all year, this rebuild may go a bit quicker than intended. The Wolf Pack are a bit of a surprise through two games, and their move in the rankings reflect that.
10) Wyoming
Speaking of long years, Wyoming could have one if this first game is any indication. A pick-six on their first drive and two interceptions in the opening quarter is about as bad of a start to the season and the post-Bohl era as one could imagine. The Cowboys looked downright awful and have to hope this game was an aberration against a strong team and not a sign of things to come. But until that comes to fruition, they are placed here in the rankings.
11) Colorado State
The Rams slide a lot and it’s not necessarily fair to them. They got completely destroyed by Texas and while that isn’t a true indication of the team they will be this year, the early sample size isn’t great. In many ways, Colorado State is just a product of some oddities that have them down so low. They didn’t win, nor did they look great, but they played a top opponent. A win next week would get them closer to the middle of the pack again.
12) New Mexico
The Lobos may currently be the best 0-2 team out there. They probably should have won their first game and fought hard in a shoot-out this past week. Their offense has a ton of fire-power, but are not consistent and have a tendency to be turnover prone. New Mexico’s defense looks like a huge work in progress after surrending 61 points to Arizona. They will get a win or two this season and probably frustrate some teams even in their defeats. This isn’t the New Mexico of the past few seasons.
