There'll be no video tonight, but there is a set of predictions for the WAC.
The WAC has had teams crash the BCS party two years in a row. Boise State capped an undefeated season in 2006 with an upset win over my Oklahoma Sooners (boo, hoo). Last season, the Hawaii Warriors dominated their opposition in cruising to a 12-0 regular season record. They were then throttled in the Sugar Bowl by a very good Georgia team. Will a WAC team crash the BCS for the third year in a row? Doubtful.
There is strength at the top of the conference. Fresno State returns 17 starters and is favored by some to make a run at the BCS. I think they'll be pretty good. However, so will Boise State. And, the road to the BCS (or at least a conference championship) goes through the blue turf in Boise. In college football, it's not just how good you are, but who you play, where you play them, and when you play them. The schedule works against Fresno. I pick Boise State to win the conference based on their home game with the team from the San Joaquin Valley.
The Hawaii Warriors will slip this year. It would be hard for them to top last season ever again. Plus, coach June Jones took the money from SMU and ran to Highland Park. Still, Hawaii should finish with a winning record, finish 3rd in the conference, and qualify for a bowl game, most likely the Hawaii Bowl in Honolulu.
New Mexico State and Louisiana Tech are improving, and will be tough games for anyone in this conference. San Jose State and Nevada will be right behind, and can both have a good season with some luck. Utah State and Idaho are both in for long seasons. This conference has defined top-heavy in recent years, but is slowly improving.
Projected Finish:
Boise State 11-1, 8-0
Fresno State 7-5, 6-2
Hawaii 7-6, 5-3
New Mexico State 6-6, 5-3
Louisiana Tech 6-6, 4-4
Nevada 5-7, 4-4
San Jose State 5-7, 3-5
Utah State 1-11, 1-7
Idaho 1-11, 0-8
Next: Conference USA
2 comments:
Plus, coach June Jones took the money from SMU and ran to Highland Park.
He got money, but better than that is he got a school who will support him and give him the equipment and facilities he needs to attempt to build a decent team.
June is a very smart man to take the SMU job, for the reasons you just mentioned.
In the meantime, UH will be ok, but won't be anywhere close to what they were last year.
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