College Football Coverage: Mountain West Preview

The Mountain West Conference has been at the mercy of the Five Families of college football, watching the Pac-12, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC and ACC divvy up the spoils, while leagues like the MWC have to try and put something together based on what’s left.

Perhaps this new era beginning in 2013 will be the start of a good, more stable run for the Mountain West. They won the battle for survival in the West—the WAC folded up shop and its best teams folded into the Mountain West, giving the league 12 teams, two divisions and a conference championship game.

Furthermore, Boise State decided to junk its plans of going to the Big East and is staying to become the new-look Mountain West’s flagship program.

It adds up to a potentially exciting year and an exciting new era for this league. The college football coverage at the links below preview each division, the Mountain and the West. For the record, whoever named these divisions needs to be reassigned. Doesn’t it sound awkward to say the “Mountain West Mountain”, or the “Mountain West West.” C’mon, we can do better.

While Boise State, and to a lesser extent Fresno State, are the favorites to win their divisions, I’m going in alternate directions. TheSportsNotebook has San Diego State and Utah State to meet in the title game that will be played on the homefield of the team with the higher BCS ranking.  And I’m going to lean in favor of San Diego State to bring home the championship.

There’s five teams with real shots at the league hardware though, and 2013 promises to be an exciting year in a new-look league.

Boise State & Utah State Lead Up The Mountain
The West Is Divided Down The Middle