The WAC finally got some time in the spotlight. The Mountain West is usually the SEC of the non-BCS conferences, getting a free pass most seasons as being the best “mid-major” out there. The MAC’s time was earlier this decade. Now, it appears as if the WAC’s time has come. With Hawaii’s easy schedule and Boise State being Boise State, this could shove the MWC over and take that title for itself.
5 Burning WAC Questions:
1. Will New Mexico State be bowling at the end of the year?
The Answer: No.
Analysis: Not enough defense. The Aggies were only 99th in total defense. The run D got pummeled all of last year finishing 90th, but the worst part came in the secondary where NMSU ranked 98th. They may have the second best passing attack in the country, but don’t expect too much from the Aggies. 2008 should be the year where things fall into place.
2. Who is the replacement for Jared Zabransky?
The Answer: Maybe Bush Hamdan.
Analysis: He is apparently the frontrunner, but they need someone to step up in a big way. Zabransky was the heart and soul of this football team leading them for three consecutive seasons. The Bronco QB situation is currently in a flux with the aforementioned Hamdan, Taylor Tharp, and Nick Lomax. It’ll be interesting to see who steps up and takes control of the job.
3. What’s the one thing that could keep San Jose State from pulling off another great season?
The Answer: The schedule and WRs.
Analysis: Keep in mind, SJSU only defeated the dregs of the conference and San Diego State, Stanford, and Cal Poly (New Mexico in the bowl game). These teams 8 combined for an aggregate 17 wins at the FBS level. You could make a case that their best regular season win was against Cal Poly or Fresno State. This year’s schedule is a little tougher going on the road against Kansas State and Arizona State. Also, the WR corps is a bit decimated with graduation. The top three WRs are gone for QB Adam Trafalis.
4. Will Utah State continue being one of the worst teams in FBS?
Answer: Of course.
Analysis: They do get eleven starters back on defense, but is it that great? They had one of the worst passing defenses and they did rank dead last in pass efficiency defense. The 116th ranked defense would be lucky to see a decent amount of improvement. They should still rank down near the bottom in this category. And also, on offense, Utah State was atrociously anemic. Besides getting shut out 4 times against Arkansas, BYU, Utah, and Nevada, they were 114th in total offense.
5. Will Colt Brennan be a legit Heisman contender?
Answer: No.
Analysis: He could possibly receive an invite to appear at the ceremony, but does anybody think he’ll really win the Heisman? I don’t mean for this to sound pejorative, but he does play at Hawaii. He won’t receive the respect that a John David Booty or a Darren McFadden will. Brennan will shatter the record books, but most will chalk that up to the system he plays in and his schedule. As unfair as it is, Brennan, while one of the best players in America, will not win the Heisman trophy.
BTB All-WAC Team:
QB: Colt Brennan (Hawaii)
RB: Ian Johnson (Boise State)
RB: Yonus Davis (San Jose State)
WR: Chris Williams (New Mexico State)
WR: Davone Bess (Hawaii)
TE: Nick Cleaver (New Mexico State)
OT: Mike Martinez (New Mexico State)
OG: Hercules Satale (Hawaii)
C: Dominic Green (Nevada)
OG: Tad Miller (Boise State)
OT: Ryan Clady (Boise State)
DE: Tyler Clutts (Fresno State
DT: Matt Hines (Nevada)
DT: Michael Lafaele (Hawaii)
DE: Ben Calderwood (Utah State)
LB: Matt Castelo (San Jose State)
LB: David Vobora (Idaho)
LB: Ezra Butler (Nevada)
CB: Dwight Lowery (San Jose State)
S: Marty Tadman (Boise State)
S: Shiloh Keo (Idaho)
CB: Stanley Franks (Idaho)
K: Jared Strubeck (San Jose State)
P: Waylon Prather (San Jose State)
5 Potential Statement Games (in no particular order):
1. Sept. 8, San Jose State @ Kansas State
Ron Prince’s boys better be in for a battle. It was only a few years ago that Fresno State came into Manhattan and destroyed KSU. Josh Freeman is prone to making the big mistake and SJSU is all about creating turnovers, ranking 13th last season. This team is more than capable of pulling off this upset.
2. Sept. 8, Nevada @ Northwestern
Even though Northwestern was understandably distraught last season with the passing of head coach, Randy Walker, this team should be improved. Nevada is probably coming into Evanston fresh off a competitive-yet-crushing-near-the-end defeat at the hands of Nebraska. With one game under their belt, the new guys on offense could be ready to upset the Wildcats who will be assuredly improved.
3. Sept. 8, Fresno State @ Texas A&M
Even though the Bulldogs almost shocked Oregon and play them again this season, a win against Texas A&M would resonate further across the college football landscape. Fresno was a disaster last year, but can we really expect Pat Hill to continue this downslide? Fresno State is a fine team everywhere besides QB. If Tim Brandstater can get better from where he was last season, expect Fresno to compete in this one. Texas A&M is teeming with hype this season, many think they can play for a spot in the BCS so a win here would get Fresno State a bunch of respect.
4. Sept. 22, Northern Illinois @ Idaho
Statement game? You bet. Idaho is recognized as a second-tier WAC program going against a traditional MAC power. Even though Northern Illinois will be somewhat down, they’ll still be solid enough where a win against them would be a solid one. Idaho has a lot to prove in this game, mainly, the biggest thing to prove is that they can move beyond the Dennis Erickson thing. As slimy as that was, Robb Akey is in control now and it’s his job to improve the situation at Idaho.
5. Sept. 8, New Mexico State at New Mexico
Chase Holbrook and crew will be ready for this game. It’s an in-state rivalry with a lot of excitement. The Lobos took them out in a tight one last year. New Mexico was about as mediocre as they come but they should be better than last year. Look for the Aggies to score a ton of points in this game. As mentioned earlier in the article, the MWC/WAC feud has been going on since the WAC split. So, this could be a statement between two middle-of-the-road teams in their respective conferences.
Take These to the Bank (at your own risk!):
1. Louisiana Tech will continue to stink.
Louisiana Tech had one of the worst defenses in the nation last season and even though the firing of Jack Bicknell was a little bit unfair since it was a rebuilding year to begin with, Derek Dooley is the new sheriff in town and he’ll have a tough first season. The Bulldogs offense was okay with QB Zac Champion leading the way there and the RB position is fine with Patrick Johnson, but overall, the team just doesn’t have enough talent to compete right now.
2. Boise State will remain the good ol’ Boise State we all know and love.
Even if there is a QB battle going on right now, everywhere else is just about set. Whether Bush Hamdan, Nick Lomax, or Taylor Tharp steps up or not is somewhat irrelevant anyway. With Ian Johnson in the backfield, the running game will remain sharp. It was the 6th best in the country last year, an impressive total. However, even with this all said, the QB won’t have many options to throw to. TE Derek Schouman and the top three receivers are all gone. The defense though will remain stout overall with Marty Tadman and Orlando Scandrick in the secondary.
3. Fresno State will upset one BCS team.
They have three opportunities to do it, on the road against Oregon and Texas A&M while playing Kansas State in Fresno. They still have talent and Pat Hill hasn’t suddenly forgotten how to coach a football team. The loss of Dwayne Wright will hurt at RB, he declared early for the NFL draft and the offense basically revolved around him. If Clifton Smith can be healthy though, Fresno State should be okay in that department. The defense was bad last year; expect LB Ahijah Lane and DE Tyler Clutts to help stage a mini-turnaround.
4. Expect Nevada to maybe take a step back this year.
The Wolf Pack will still make a bowl game and they may even finish with a 5-3 conference record again. But the loss of Jeff Rowe will hurt more than it may seem. Sophomore QB Nick Graziano will take the reigns of the pistol offense, but also gone are what used to be Jeff Rowe’s top targets, Anthony Prudewell and Caleb Spencer. The defense will be fine retaining 7 starters from last year led by Ezra Butler.
5. Hawaii will not play in the BCS.
I may be the only one on the planet saying this, but the WAC is no cakewalk for Hawaii this year. The Warriors will wear the bulls-eye every game they play this season and the Nevada game is extremely dangerous. They do have the defense to contain Hawaii’s offense to less than 35 points. Hawaii’s defense is still really bad and if they make a quantum leap in terms of their defensive ranking, it will be a product of the schedule. Even though the Warriors are a very, very, very good team capable of playing in the BCS, they won’t get in at 11-1 because of the schedule. The pollsters won’t respect that.
Projected WAC Standings (including tiebreakers):
1. Hawaii (7-1)
2. Boise State (7-1)
3. Nevada (5-3)
4. New Mexico State (4-4)
4. Fresno State (4-4)
4. San Jose State (4-4)
7. Louisiana Tech (2-6)
8. Idaho (2-6)
9. Utah State (1-7)
Eric also writes for the blog, Saturday Sound Offs.
