Mountain West Power Rankings: Week 3

Week three has come and gone in the world of college football and overall it was one of the better weeks in recent history for the Mountain West. In reality it was only one win away (Boise State) from spectacular. With that said...Let’s jump right into this weeks power rankings.

1. Boise State - Yes, still Boise State. While I do adjust this list on a week to week basis that doesn’t mean that one loss will necessarily drop a team in rankings just as it means a win won’t automatically propel them upwards. Boise lost on Saturday in a game they desperately needed to cement themselves as the clear cut best Group of Five team in the country. Now, they have their work cut out for them, and have no margin for error. With all that stated, however, Boise is still the best team in the Mountain West in my opinion, and I believe they will show as much in the coming weeks. If Bryan Harsin and company know what is good for them, they will drop Thor’s Hammer in the middle of every single MW opponent’s chest for the remainder of the season. If they want to get back the respect they lost in Stillwater the recipe is easy - unleash an unholy beatdown on every single conference opponent and leave no doubt that there is a distinct difference between Boise and the rest.
2. Fresno State - Ok, Fresno I see you doing work. The Bulldogs (and their fans) can be tough to warm up to, but it is very easy to get behind a team whooping up on Chip Kelly. And that is exactly what it was, a whooping. Fresno showed no mercy as they absolutely blasted the Bruins. Last week I was given some criticism for where I placed the Bulldogs, and I may still receive some who think they should be number one, but Boise and Fresno will have the chance to settle that on the field in early November.
3. San Diego State - I was beginning to wonder if we were going to see the SDSU we are accustomed to seeing or if this season was going to be a “lost year” in the Rocky Long tenure. But, right on schedule the Aztecs of old showed up, beating Sparky at home in thrilling fashion. SDSU gets Eastern Michigan next week (yawn) but the following week is when they could really spoil the party when they square off with Boise State. Win that game, and everything changes.
4. Utah State - The Aggies absolutely blasted some school that shouldn’t even be funding a football team. Like I said last week, blowing out crummy opponents is a good sign, but it gets boring to watch. Next week the Aggies have Air Force and then (suddenly good) BYU. If they come out of those two games 2-0, they won’t be in fourth anymore.
5. Wyoming and Hawaii - Yes Wyoming won this week and Hawaii lost (Love you, Rolo) but Wyoming beat an FCS opponent (a very good one) and Hawaii lost to Army (who can be sneaky good at times). I have been high on the Warriors this year, but this last week brings them back to reality a bit. They are still young, inexperienced, and prone to losses such as this one. Wyoming is still an enigma to me. Are they any good at all? It is starting to trend towards no, but Bohl can really coach and you just never know about the Cowboys. I will hold on one more week.
6. Colorado State - The Rams weren’t supposed to win in The Swamp, so I won’t overreact to them losing. I am keeping them at sixth (which is really seventh). Conference play will really show us how good the Rams are.
7. Nevada - Good News: The Wolfpack (or is it Wolf Pack?) beat a Pac-12 school! Bad News: It was Oregon State who is (and has been) god awful. I am fairly sure (someone check) that Boise State has more Pac-12 wins over the past few years than Oregon State. Exactly. But still, good win for Nevada. Let’s see if they can build some momentum.
8. UNLV - Ok, I am finally ranking the Rebs and pulling them out of the basic tie for second to last. Sure they beat a team seemingly named after the town Laura Ingles lived in (if you don’t know who that is - look it up). But they won, and they seem to be exciting on offense, so I am putting them eighth (which is really ninth).
9. Ok I am tying the rest for last. Yes, even SJSU who looked like they had a heartbeat last week against Oregon. I am not trying to be mean or lazy, but the bottom of this conference is just splitting hairs at the moment. Don’t like it? I am sure you’ll tell me about it in the comments.

There you have it - the latest Mountain West Power Rankings. Let me know what you think about it in the comments below.