2011 College Football Conference Previews- The Mountain West Conference
The Mountain West Conference as been in the national spotlight over the past few seasons with a few of its teams throwing a monkey wrench into the BCS standings by challenging teams from the major conferences for some of the top spots in the rankings. Many of the teams in the MWC also continue to enhance their strength of schedule by adding more and more major schools to their non-conference schedule, thus slowly closing the gap between the level of competition in their conference and the six majors.
The following is a brief preview of each team in the MWC along with their current odds to win the conference title this season as provided by BetOnline.com.
Air Force +1400
The Falcons return six starters on an offense that ranked second in the nation in rushing last season including option QB Tim Jefferson and All-Conference tailback Asher Clark. These two combined for 1,770 yards on the ground, while Jefferson added an additional 1,342 yards through the air. The defense returns seven starters to a unit that was ranked 28th in the nation in points allowed. The current odds on this team could make them the value pick on the conference if a couple of more pieces fall into place by opening day.
Boise State -350
The Broncos join the MWC after dominating the WAC for the past few seasons. They bring a team that is still loaded from last season’s 12-1 squad with a total of 14 starters, seven on each side of the ball. The offense will once again be led by QB Kellen Moore, who was a Heisman Trophy finalist last season. Boise State will also have RB Doug Martin back after rushing for 1,113 yard in 2010 along with two key pieces of the offensive line; Nate Potter and Thomas Byrd.
Colorado State +2000
The Rams added insult to injury last season after losing their final two games of the season by a combined score of 93-10 to finish 3-9 overall and 2-6 in the conference. This season could be just as bad if they do not do something to fix an offense that averaged 16.5 points a game and a defense that gave up an average of 34.7 points. The one shining light was the emergence of freshman quarterback Pete Thomas, who completed over 64 percent of his throws for 2,662 yards.
New Mexico +10000
The only direction the Lobos can go this season is up after a 1-11 campaign in 2010. This was one of the worse teams in Division I, giving up an average 44.3 points a game, while averaging just 15.8 points on offense. A host of changes throughout the coaching staff should hopefully make this year’s team somewhat more competitive, but 2011 will most likely be another long season for New Mexico.
San Diego State +900
The Aztecs returned to a bowl in 2010 for the first time in 12 years after compiling a 9-4 record overall. They should have a good opportunity to make it two years in a row with the return of QB Ryan Lindley, who threw for 3,554 yards and 26 TD’s, and RB Ronnie Hillman, who rushed for 1,304 yards as a freshman. All told, there are eight starters back on an offense that was ranked 19th in the nation in scoring with an average of 35 points a game.
Texas Christian +300
The Horned Frogs main competition in the conference is gone, but they will now have to go through Boise State to claim another MWC title. This will not be easy considering the mass exodus of talent from last year’s 13-0 squad. The majority of the passing game is gone including QB Andy Dalton, but the running game should remain a potent weapon behind the duo of Ed Wesley and Matthew Tucker, who combined for close to 1,800 yards last year. TCU returns just five starters from a defense that ranked first in the nation in points allowed in 2010, but there is plenty of talent ready to step up to fill the void.
UNLV +7500
The Rebels were another of the have-nots in the MWC last year with just two conference victories and a 2-11 record overall. They were also another team that was way out of balance with an average of 18.4 points a game on offense to go along with a defense that allowed an average of 39.7 points a game. They return seven starters on offense but the starting quarterback and running back positions remain up for grabs as summer camp get ready to open, just adding to the question marks that already exist for UNLV heading into this season.
Wyoming +3000
The Cowboys are coming off a dismal 3-9 campaign in 2010, but to make matters even worse, the one bright spot on this team, QB Austin Carta-Samuels decided to transfer after being named the MWC ‘Freshman of the Year’. Heading into summer camp, Head Coach Dave Christensen has yet to name a replacement but the job will most likely go to either true freshman Brett Smith or redshirt freshman Emory Miller. No matter who is behind center on opening day, look for the Cowboys to go with a heavy dose of RB Alvester Alexander, who led the team with 792 yards rushing last season.
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