Power Rankings: Week 2. Falcons alone at #1, who is at #3? Rebels rise, and more.

We are back at it. Now every Mountain West football team has played at least one game. Unfortunately, not all of those games went well for the conference. Take a look at this week’s MWCConnection Power Rankings, and let us know what you like and what you don’t. Feel free to drop your own rankings in the comments section.

1) Air Force

The Falcons are at the top of the conference, but they have some flaws as well. They will need to clean up their turnover and special teams misfires that sprung up in the first half of the Colorado game. These should all be fixable and it’s clear that Air Force’s offense and defense can play with anyone on their schedule

2) Fresno State

The Bulldogs were good but not quite good enough this past week. They can contend with anyone but maybe aren’t quite at the same level as the Falcons or PAC-12 teams this season. They should win most if not all of the Mountain West games and are the only team that deserves to be in the conversation with AFA.

T4) San Diego State

The Aztecs are tied for the fourth-best team in order to illustrate the gap between the two teams mentioned above and everyone else. SDSU looks good but not great so far this season. Their lack of a passing game is still present once again, despite the summer hype of things being different this time. Perhaps more concerning is their secondary, which has long been a strength and figured to be again. That will need to be figured out if they want to say among the top of the conference.

T4) Boise State

There is little, if any, separation between the Broncos and the Aztecs. They did in fact bounce back this week, however, the offense still remains a huge concern. The defense can play with anyone and keep them in games, but Boise State struggles in the run game and does not have consistency in the passing game. They have two weeks left to get it together before the toughest part of their schedule comes.

6) UNLV

There is no #5 team, again showing the gap between the top four and everyone else. The Rebels jump a few spots in the rankings after they played Cal down to the wire. They had their opportunities but are not quite there yet as a team. Still, with the Mountain West being weaker this year, UNLV could be the team that takes advantage, winning games they previously didn’t and putting themselves firmly in a position to play in a bowl this year. Things are looking bright for the Rebels.

T7) San Jose State

The Spartans showed a lot more life against Auburn, which is promising. They actually led at halftime and gave it everything they got. At this point, San Jose State is probably the team with the most unknown through two games. The consistencies are they don’t score a lot of points, but they don’t give up a ton of points either. Stay tuned.

T7) Wyoming

Wyoming still has the potential to be a bowl team, but they are who they are. The run game looked great last game, but the passing game struggled. They had to settle for a barrage of field goals in the first half. The defense showed up for the first time this season, which is a plus. However, it’s still hard to tell how either side of the ball will play once conference play begins. It is safe to assume they will be in every game but be hard pressed to put up points, because that’s how they have played for years.

8) New Mexico

The Lobos defense looks like it will keep them in games this season, and they have the players to run their personnel. On offense, they are disciplined and have a scheme for what they are trying to do. However, the execution is lacking at this point in their development. They have improved from last year though.

9) Nevada

The Wolf Pack were playing with fool’s gold and were finally exposed. The loss stings no matter what, and it was a game they should have won. But on the other hand, every positive thing they do is a bonus, considering the offseason they had. They should still win another game or two this season. And, it could be much worse (see #12),

10) Utah State

The Aggies are in a tailspin so far in the 2022 season. They had to come from behind to beat UConn, and then a beating from Alabama that would have happened to anyone. But then they got completely manhandled by Weber State, in a game that wasn’t even close. Their offense struggled mightily and the defense didn’t do much better. The fans weren’t the only ones who revealed their true colors this weekend.

11) Colorado State

Some predicted the Rams to have an instant turnaround, while others thought there would be some growing pains. But no one was expecting them to only score 7 points in their first six quarters of the season. The Air Raid offense found its groove in the second half, but decisively losing to Middle Tennesee State isn’t a good look. It appears Colorado State has a long way to go.

12) Hawaii

At least they covered, right? They were always going to lose the Michigan game, but another loss can’t be good for anyone’s spirits. Their touchdown was a nice explosive play, and hopefully, they can do more of that this coming week. This appears to be the most winnable game on their schedule, and for everyone’s sake, they need to make sure they come away with a victory.