Power Rankings: Week 6. A new number one, Broncos rising, many dropping, and movement at the bottom?

We are back at it. Another week of games, another week of Mountain West teams disappointing, and now another week of rankings. Teams are distancing themselves from one another with each passing week. Through it all, the MWCConnection Power Rankings are back for another week. Let us know what you like and what you don’t. Feel free to drop your own rankings in the comments section.

1) San Jose State

Look out Moutain West, there is a new top team in the conference. After needing a comeback to beat an FCS team in Week 1, San Jose State has been getting better and better and have really put it all together in the past few games. They have passed their biggest tests to date, and their schedule looks pretty easy for the rest of the season.

2) Air Force

The Falcons looked vulnerable the past few games and got tripped up against Utah State, resulting in another loss. Wyoming was more excusable based on the way they play defense and credit to the Aggies of course, but two losses in their own division prove the Falcons are as flawed as everyone else this season.

3) Boise State

It was just a few weeks ago the Broncos were left for dead after losing in spectacular fashion to UTEP. But an offensive coordinator change and a quarterback change have resulted in a total change on offense, and the results have been promising. Their run game looks dangerous, and the defense is among the national leaders in some categories, such as passing defense. That should continue with their next game coming against Air Force and they will need to use the bye to continue to grow on both sides of the ball.

4) UNLV

The Rebels laid an egg in their biggest game of the season to date. Scoring only 7 points will not win many football games, although missing their best wide receiver and quarterback, so some of that can be explained. However, allowing teams to score 40 points is pretty awful as well. That will definitely need to get cleaned up immediately, especially if they are missing key offensive players for a bit. The road is not going to get easier for UNLV the next two weeks either.

5) Wyoming

Slow and steady is winning the race for the Cowboys. After a rough start, they are playing their best football of the season, on both sides of the ball. There is still work to be done and they are not dominating their victories. However, they are rounding into a classic Bohl team, but perhaps with a bit more semblance of a passing game this season. It is impressive how the young players are developing on the fly and that could bode well for later this year and years to come.

6) Fresno State

The Bulldogs season is slipping away, and quickly. This is what can happen when injuries to key players pile up. They still have a bunch of talent, especially at the skill positions, but it hasn’t been enough the past few games. There is still time to turn things back around but they need to figure it out immediately. Going up against San Jose State won’t make it an easy task at all.

7) San Diego State

The Aztecs did not get the boost from firing their offensive coordinator that they were hoping for. It is clear the passing game will be a taller task than just one game. They barely beat lowly Hawaii and once again they relied on coming from behind to pull out the victory. This is a team heading in the wrong direction.

9) New Mexico

Credit to the Lobos, they put up a fight each and every game. The good news for the team is that they have jumped out to early leads the past two games. The bad news for the team is that they have blown early leads the past two games. The game planning is there, but they are still lacking a bit this year.

9) Utah State

The Aggies showed signs of life this past week and could be turning things around. They were forced to make a quarterback change, but it looks like the move the offense needed to make. Utah State has looked much more dynamic the past two weeks, and it will be very interesting to see if they can keep it going. They are moving into an easier stretch of the schedule, with at least three of the next four games being wins on paper. Time will tell.

10) Nevada

The Wolf Pack lost the Norvell Bowl, but had many chances to come away with a victory. The turnovers were bad, the lack of passing on offense was worse. The defense seemed to play well, but they also went up against a bad offense, so it’s hard to say. However, the team showed a big fight and still has a strong running game. It seems they just don’t have enough weapons at this point.

11) Hawaii

Hawaii lost a heart-breaker this past weekend and that loss surely kept coaches and players up at night over the weekend. However, it was clear they were a different and much-improved team coming out of the bye week. If they can play with the same energy for the rest of the season, they will likely end up with a few more wins to their name before the end of the season.

12) Colorado State

The Rams finally picked up their first win of the season. Sure it was to Nevada, who is not to be confused with a great team. And it wasn’t a pretty game by any means. But wins still count for something and hopefully, they have the monkey off their back because there is still half the season left. Their offense is still a big work in progress.