Mountain West teams search for identities as brunt of league season arrives - Casper Star-Tribune Online
The losses of Utah and BYU in the offseason were always going to be considered a big blow for the Mountain West Conference.
Has it been hit even harder than expected?
With much of the nonconference season behind it, the league has just one team featured in the national rankings and, in the latest Associated Press poll, not even one other team received a single vote.
Outside of preseason favorite Boise State, all seven other programs have been dealt head-scratching losses, leaving the MW staring at a down year after several consecutive seasons in the national spotlight.
"When you look at Boise, obviously they're as good as anybody in the country," Colorado State coach Steve Fairchild said. "TCU, I know they've suffered a loss or two, but I guarantee you they're a good, solid program. It looks like Air Force and San Diego State are playing very well, and the rest of us are trying to catch those teams."
The Horned Frogs were picked in the preseason to finish second behind Boise State and certainly have a leg up in that department with road victories against Air Force and San Diego State already in hand.
But TCU lost to Baylor to open the season and has since lost to Conference USA member and crosstown rival SMU.
Air Force, picked third in the preseason, not only lost to TCU at home but allowed 59 points at Notre Dame on Saturday.
And the Aztecs suffered their second consecutive defeat, following a loss at Michigan with a home defeat against the Horned Frogs on Saturday.
The Aztecs and Falcons meet Thursday in a key league matchup.
"We'll get a chance to find out a little bit more, in other ways, about our football team," Air Force coach Troy Calhoun said.
The four teams chasing a finish in the top half of the league are still searching for answers as well.
All four -- Colorado State, Wyoming, UNLV and New Mexico -- have lost at least one game to a Western Athletic Conference foe.
The Rebels and Lobos each have a loss to a Football Championship Subdivision team on their resume.
Exactly how the league is shaping up at this point isn't exactly at the front of their minds.
"I haven't seen film on everybody in the league, so it's hard for me to make an assessment right now," UW coach Dave Christensen said. "I've watched one team -- and that's UNLV."
Contact sports reporter Eric Schmoldt at eric.schmoldt@trib.com. Follow him on Twitter @ericschmoldt. Check out his blog at trib.com/cowboys
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