Week Nine Fan Guide

Week eight saw some teams establish themselves as legitimate contenders while others approached elimination. This weekend features another slate of important games. Some teams will likely be eliminated from the championship race. Let’s take a look at what we can expect this weekend.

Teams eliminated from contention and removed from the fan guide: New Mexico

Teams that can be eliminated this weekend: Air Force, Nevada

Air Force

Bye

The Falcons suffered their third conference loss against Boise State this past weekend. A Boise State win this weekend would eliminate the Falcons from championship contention. But this team still has plenty to play for. A win over Army will give them the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy.

Boise State

vs. Colorado State

A win for the Broncos will eliminate Air Force from championship contention. The only other game that impacts the Broncos this weekend is Hawaii-Wyoming. A Rainbow Warrior victory would get the Broncos one step closer to clinching a spot in the title game.

Colorado State

@ Boise State

Thanks to a cushy schedule, the Rams are somehow 2-1 in conference play. The Rams are going to face their toughest test of conference play as they travel to Boise this weekend. The Rams would also benefit from a Hawaii win over Wyoming.

Utah State

Bye

The Aggies suffered their second loss in conference play to Wyoming this past weekend. This makes them a long shot. They will also need to win three of their last four games to become bowl eligible. They need Hawaii to beat Wyoming and Colorado State to beat Boise State.

Wyoming

@ Hawaii

The Cowboys control their own destiny after beating Utah State. They still have to face Boise State and Fresno State but will be heavy favorites over Hawaii and Colorado State. A Colorado State win over Boise State would go a long way in securing a spot in the championship game.

Fresno State

vs. San Diego State

This is the biggest game of the weekend for the Mountain West. The winner of this game is in the driver’s seat to represent the West in the conference championship game. The Bulldogs are pulling for Nevada to beat San Jose State and Wyoming to beat Hawaii.

Hawaii

vs. Wyoming

Getting back into the conference race will be almost impossible for the Rainbow Warriors, but a win over a talented Wyoming squad would go a long way to getting them back on track. Hawaii needs Fresno State to beat San Diego State and Nevada to beat San Jose State.

Nevada

@ San Jose State

The Wolf Pack is on the verge of being officially eliminated from championship contention. At this point, Nevada fans just need to see some growth from this young, inexperienced squad.

San Diego State

@ Fresno State

As I stated earlier, this is a huge game in the West. An Aztec victory would go a long way in building some momentum for a team that has struggled on the offensive side of the ball. The Aztecs are pulling for Nevada to beat San Jose State and Wyoming to beat Hawaii.

San Jose State

vs. Nevada

Coming off of a heartbreaking week, the Spartans will return to action against Nevada this weekend, and they are heavy favorites over the Wolf Pack. San Jose State will have a lot of the country pulling for them this weekend, and rightfully so. The Spartans are still in a strong position to contend for the championship. They should be pulling for San Diego State to defeat Fresno State.

UNLV

Bye

Coming off of a non-conference game against Notre Dame, the battered and bruised Rebels have a much-needed bye week. They will be watching the conference closely. Wins by Wyoming and Nevada would be huge for this team.

Which games will you be watching this weekend? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.