The Good, the Bad, the Ugly: Revisiting Last Year’s Mountain Division Predictions

As we enter the summer and prepare for camp and media days. It is time that I eat a little bit of humble pie. My predictions for the Mountain Division last year were bad, really bad. So we are going to take the next couple of weeks to look back at my predictions and see how they played out. With that being said, let’s take a look at my good, bad, and ugly predictions for the 2021 season.

The Good

Air Force (Final Record 10-3, Final Prediction 8-4)

The writing was on the wall. When Air Force has lots of returning production on offense, they are always good. The biggest surprise in this group was the defense. I thought the Falcon defense would struggle more than they did. But the unit helped to propel Air Force into a championship contender.

New Mexico (Final Record 3-9, Prediction 4-8)

I think we all knew the Lobos were going to be bad. But I thought they would get progressively better, I was wrong. It was almost like New Mexico got worse as the season went on. I don’t think 2022 will be the last season for Gonzales, but I think the New Mexico administration will want to see more growth this season.

The Bad

Boise State (Final Record 7-5, Prediction 10-2)

The Broncos had one of the most misleading 7-5 records in the country. They had a chance to win every game they played, but some questionable calls (Oklahoma State) and some questionable coaching (Air Force, UCF, SDSU) led to one of the most disappointing seasons in the last few decades. It is clear that Boise State is really close to being a very good football team, will the players and coaches show enough improvement for them to take the next step?

Wyoming (Final Record 7-6, Prediction 8-4)

The Cowboys did what they needed to do and took care of business by going 4-0 against an awful non-conference schedule. But when league play started, the Cowboys were exposed against better teams. It was really hard to figure this team out, they completely dominated the eventual conference champions in Utah State, but lost to one of the worst teams in the conference in New Mexico.

Colorado State (Final Record 3-9, Prediction 5-7)

If you watched the Rams play this season, they never came across as a bad football team. They were competitive in nearly every game, but some questionable coaching and some second-half collapses left them with one of the worst records in the conference. This team could and should be dangerous this fall.

The Ugly

Utah State (Final Record 11-3, Prediction 4-8)

The Aggies completely shocked me this year. I have said it a number of times and I will continue to say it, I was wrong. I underestimated Blake Anderson’s coaching prowess. The Aggies struck gold in the transfer portal and continued to make that a priority in the offseason. The Aggies once again, have one of the easiest conference schedules which will make them a contender yet again.

That’s it for this edition of “The Good, the Bad, the Ugly.” Which team from the Mountain Division was the biggest surprise? Which team was the biggest disappointment? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.