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Television Schedule and Watchability Rankings for Utah State

The Mountain West announced the television schedule for the fall

NCAA Football: Boise State at Utah State Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports

On Tuesday afternoon, the Mountain West provided teams and fans kickoff times and television channels for the Fall 2020 season. Games from the Mountain West will be aired either on CBS Sports Network or on the Fox Family Channels (FOX, FS1, FS2).

Games at Boise State (7:00 PM EST), at Nevada, and vs New Mexico are currently scheduled for FS1. Games vs San Diego State (9:30 PM EST), at Wyoming (9:00 PM EST), vs Air Force (9:30 PM EST), and at Colorado State (9:30 PM EST) are currently scheduled for CBS Sports Network. The Fresno State game does not yet have a channel but that should clear up in the near future. Now that all but one of the channels are known, lets take a look at the watchability rankings for each game.

#8 vs New Mexico (11/26; FS1)

The game against the Lobos comes in at number eight because it will probably turn into a double digit victory for the Aggies quickly. All do respect to New Mexico but they have not been very good lately and it is hard to think that one year will change this. The game might not be over by halftime but it will be controlled by the Aggies by the third quarter.

#7 at Colorado State (12/12; CBS Sports Network)

This will be closer than the New Mexico game but it is hard to tell what Colorado State will look like under a new coach. The game is being played in mid December and will likely see snow and bad weather so it will probably be lower scoring but in a game that may turn more into a defensive battle I would give the edge to the Aggies.

#6 vs Fresno State (11/14; TBD)

This game was a thriller last year as the Aggies won it 37-35 on the road. Fresno State was not very good last year and both the Aggies and Bulldogs should be improved this year. This will be a back and forth type of game but the Aggies should be able to make enough defensive stops to pull ahead late.

#5 at Nevada (11/5; FS1)

This should be a pretty entertaining game. The Aggies beat Utah State at home 36-10 last season but with the development of Nevada sophomore quarterback Carson Strong, this one looks to be closer. With the exception of the 2019 season the games between these two have been close and it is a rivalry that has been going on for some time as the Wolfpack and Aggies were also in the WAC together. Nevada finished the season 7-6 with a bowl loss to Ohio and after allowing quite a few points last season, it is reasonable to think that the Wolfpack spent time addressing those issues in the offseason.

#4 vs Air Force (12/3; CBS Sports Network)

For any Mountain West fan watching Air Force play can be fun because they can put up some points in a triple option offense and can also play stout defense. However for any Aggies fan out there, it probably won’t be as fun. Air Force is a tough matchup but the performance against a Navy team that was favored was outstanding. The offense looked pretty good and the defense really good. This game is usually an important indicator for the Mountain Division and that will be no different this year even without divisions. Last year Air Force beat down the Aggies 31-7. Utah State should have a better game this time around.

#3 at Boise State (10/24; FS1)

This is an exciting game because it is the season opener for both teams and I do believe that it will be close throughout the first half because since it is the first game both teams are going to make mistakes. However, this game could get away from the Aggies in the second half. Utah State doesn’t have much experience at quarterback and while they have been building experience in the offseason, that experience hasn’t been tested yet. Boise State has some rebuilding to do as well on the offensive and defensive line but they have shown over the years that they do not rebuild, they reload. This may be an exciting first half for Aggies fans and a frustrating second half.

#2 at Wyoming (11/19; CBS Sports Network)

This is another one of the games that usually decides the division along with the Boise State and Air Force games. Wyoming played well at moments last year especially in wins over Missouri, Texas State, Nevada, and Georgia State. The Cowboys also lost quite a few close games to Tulsa (24-21), San Diego State (26-22), Boise State (20-17), Utah State (26-21), and to Air Force (20-6). Three of the later losses came when Wyoming lost starting quarterback Sean Chambers to injury just before the Boise State game. Had Chambers been available maybe the Cowboys would have won on the Blue. Sean Chambers is back though and looks to pick up where he left off. This will be a higher scoring game, probably in the late 20 to early 30 score point range and whoever wins this game will be in good position to contend for the Mountain West.

#1 vs San Diego State (10/31; CBS Sports Network)

This could quite possibly be the biggest game of the season for the Aggies. A win would give the Aggies confidence after a likely frustrating loss to Boise State and would give them fire power to win important games against Nevada, Fresno State, and Wyoming. A loss could mean that the season is turning into a disappointing one and a lack of confidence leads to losses against teams such as Nevada and Wyoming. San Diego State lost to the Aggies last year in a close 23-17 game and will come to this one ready to play. Utah State cannot afford to go on a couple game losing streak if they want to contend for the title this year playing only eight games. If the Aggies lose to Boise State but win out in the rest of their games or even go 6-2, they may quite possibly get another crack at the Broncos in the championship game.