Mountaintop View 9-5-22. Playoff expansion, Wolf Pack & Falcons win, Cowboys rebound, Broncos are lost.

It’s Monday and we are back at it. Fresh off a weekend filled with Mountain West games, although the week certainly could have gone better for the conference. Through it all, we are bringing you coverage of both this past week as well as getting you ready for the upcoming weekend. Check out our original coverage and what we can find from the internet below.

Playoff Expansion is upon us.

On Friday, the Board of Managers met to discuss what playoff expansion will look like, which could begin as early as 2024, but likely will be 2026. It seems like the conference presidents (ACC, PAC, Big Ten) who were holding out last year are now suddenly wanting to come up with a plan, which is a lot like the one they voted against. 12 teams, 6 (highest rated) conference champs and 6 at large. Money is always an incentive and not being left out in the cold is motivating for the semi-power 3. There is still work to do, including revenue distribution, and the Rose Bowl.

Wolf Pack move to 2-0 after latest win.

Sure it’s the easy part of their schedule, but starting the season with two wins is building confidence. Behind a strong defensive showing and finding success through the air on offense, Nevada beat Texas State handily this weekend. The defense was bend-don’t-break, surrendering a lot of yards but only giving up 14 points. Nate Cox came in as quarterback and was able to buy enough time in the pocket to find open receivers.

Cowboys rebound with a double-overtime win.

It wasn’t always pretty, but the Cowboys bounced back after their embarrassing loss last week and endured two OTs to get a win. The offense looked and executed much better, especially for a team that has struggled to score points in recent years. And although he defense was far from perfect and not at all at the standard of a Wyoming defense, it came up big when needed.

Falcons dominate in gimmie game.

Air Force did exactly what they should in their opening game against an FCS opponent; dominate. They looked every bit of a well-run machine, executing their offense with little issue while shutting things down on defense. Even the passing game was clicking, as the Falcons had four offensive plays of at least 70 yards for the first time in the program’s history. Jumping out to an early lead was helpful as Northern Iowa did start to figure things out, but the game was already in hand.

Broncos looked lost in every facet of their opening game.

No this wasn’t 2021, but Boise State still struggled to run the ball or really move the ball consistently on offense. The defense was good but got beat on some big plays early and then was too fatigued to get stops late. Even special teams was a sore spot, with numerous short punts and two missed field goals. The team looked lost and although putting in a new QB helped show signs of life, it wasn’t enough.

On the horizon:

• From yesterday: Game recaps from: San Jose State, Nevada, SDSU, Hawaii, Air Force, Utah State, Wyoming
• Later today: Players of the Week: Week 1
• Later today: A new MWC Recruiting Roundup with the latest news, offers, and commitments. Plus, September Recruiting Rankings
• Later today: Power Rankings: Week 1
• Coming Tuesday: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly: Week 1
• Coming Tuesday: Reacts Questions: Week 2
• Coming Wednesday: Peak Perspective: Instant Impressions and Small Sample Sizes
• Coming Wednesday: Bowl Predictions: Week 1