Mountain West standings update: San Diego State, Boise State sit at the top

Almost halfway through the conference schedule, this is usually around the time of the year where the top of the crop begins to distance itself from the rest of the herd. If all holds true to that form, it'll likely be a two-horse race going down the stretch in the Mountain West, with a bevy of second tier squads waiting patiently in the wings.

San Diego State and Boise State still look to remain in an elite class by themselves but there's a whole pack of teams waiting right behind them with ground still to make up. New Mexico, Fresno State, Nevada, Colorado State and UNLV have all shown legitimate strides of becoming contenders but they'll have work to do in order to catch-up to the red hot Aztecs and Broncos.

Mountain West Conference Standings (As of 1/24)

Biggest Winner: San Diego State

Last week, Steve Fisher's squad pulled out a crucial conference win over Boise State, effectively putting the Aztecs in the driver's seat in the Mountain West. This week, San Diego State made sure not to sour any of their previous efforts. Despite some suspect moments, the Aztecs proved why they are one of the best defensive teams in the country, holding both Fresno State and Utah State to under 39% from the field and blocking a combined 14 shots in the two games.

That defensive prowess, combined with a renewed offensive focus, pushed the Aztecs to a perfect 7-0 in conference play heading into the last week of January. Upcoming road trips to Nevada and UNLV this week will test just how tight of a grip San Diego State has on the rest of the Mountain West.

Biggest Loser: Wyoming

The Cowboys entered the week at 3-3 in Mountain West games with the potential to cover some ground if they could snatch two big conference wins over Nevada and Boise State. Seven days later, Larry Shyatt and company are probably wondering what went wrong. The Cowboys collapsed late against Nevada on Wednesday night, blowing a ten point lead in the second half in what was an epic foreshadowing of what was about to come. Then on Saturday, with leading scorer Josh Adams out of the line-up due to suspension, Wyoming simply didn't have enough in the tank to close the door against Boise State.

The Cowboys fell to 3-5 in the Mountain West, now tied with Utah State for 8th in the conference. Wyoming will have to find their way by an improving Fresno State side and the best offensive team in the Mountain West in Colorado State, if they want to salvage the rest of their conference season.

The upcoming slate features some intriguing games that undoubtedly will have colossal impact on the shape of the conference going forward. Early in the week, San Diego State protects their flawless Mountain West streak against a Nevada team fresh off a big win over UNLV (11:00 PM ET, ESPNU).

On Wednesday night, a trio of games is headlined by a Boise State-UNLV clash in Vegas. The Runnin' Rebels are fresh off their first loss of the Todd Simon era and will be looking to get their season back on track again. A loaded Saturday slate starts with a highly anticipated Boise State-New Mexico showdown (5:00 PM ET, ESPN3) and concludes with a unique battle of two of the conferences most inconsistent teams when Utah State hosts Nevada.

All in all, as good as the week pasts have been, this upcoming week could be one of the most critical in shaping the overall picture of the conference.