MWC

[Huskieforlife]

Again lets just use this thread for MWC news/rumors. Credit goes to HuskyHawk

 

[UConnJim]

Why Boise St may be making a mistake. This year, Boise St. was ranked 41st in the final Sagarin ratings with an 11-2 ranking. Why? Strength of schedule was 115. In contrast, UConn played the 69th ranked schedule. BSU, or any other school, is never going to be in the playoff playing a schedule that is >100. In fact, there was no team in the final Sagarin top 25 that played a schedule ranked >100. In the MWC, it will be almost impossible to have a good schedule, unless you can schedule two to three top OOC games per year. In 2008, Boise St went 12-0, playing only Oregon from a BCS conference and went to the Poinsettia Bowl.

The idea of a conference of the "best of the rest" was decent and should still be formed. All members would understand that if one of the other 5 conferences call, they will leave and there should be no exit fees. An undefeated team from this conference would have a CHANCE of going to the playoff as it would be a decent conference.

 

[auggie22]

Again lets just use this thread for MWC news/rumors. Credit goes to HuskyHawk

Thanks, HuskyHawk. Really, just thanks.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Thanks, HuskyHawk. Really, just thanks.

Angling for the gallows again this year. Then again, there was sarcasm involved.

 

[Jericho]

Why Boise St may be making a mistake. This year, Boise St. was ranked 41st in the final Sagarin ratings with an 11-2 ranking. Why? Strength of schedule was 115. In contrast, UConn played the 69th ranked schedule. BSU, or any other school, is never going to be in the playoff playing a schedule that is >100. In fact, there was no team in the final Sagarin top 25 that played a schedule ranked >100. In the MWC, it will be almost impossible to have a good schedule, unless you can schedule two to three top OOC games per year. In 2008, Boise St went 12-0, playing only Oregon from a BCS conference and went to the Poinsettia Bowl.

The idea of a conference of the "best of the rest" was decent and should still be formed. All members would understand that if one of the other 5 conferences call, they will leave and there should be no exit fees. An undefeated team from this conference would have a CHANCE of going to the playoff as it would be a decent conference.

But what is the strength of the schedule once Rutgers, Louisville, Syracuse and Pitt are removed?

 

[Jericho]

I also forgot that the Mountain West will add Utah State and San Jose State. Hardly big name programs, but both schools managed to be ranked at the end of this season. Since that is who Boise State will be playing in future seasons, you add those programs into their schedule and remove Rutgers, Louisville, Syracuse and Pitt from the Big East schedule. At that point, they're probably even in SoS. Heck, the Mountain West may end up with an advantage.

 

[UConnJim]

I also forgot that the Mountain West will add Utah State and San Jose State. Hardly big name programs, but both schools managed to be ranked at the end of this season. Since that is who Boise State will be playing in future seasons, you add those programs into their schedule and remove Rutgers, Louisville, Syracuse and Pitt from the Big East schedule. At that point, they're probably even in SoS. Heck, the Mountain West may end up with an advantage.

The bottom of the Mountain West is practically 1-AA football. The bottom 6 Sagarin ratings of the MWC are: Wyoming 126, Air Force 130, Colorado St 134, New Mexico 145, UNLV 157, Hawaii 161. With those teams in your conference, you will never have a strong schedule.

 

[HuskyHawk]

The bottom of the Mountain West is practically 1-AA football. The bottom 6 Sagarin ratings of the MWC are: Wyoming 126, Air Force 130, Colorado St 134, New Mexico 145, UNLV 157, Hawaii 161. With those teams in your conference, you will never have a strong schedule.

All of those teams have been good from time to time, particularly , CSU and Hawaii. Why is everyone so fixated on the current rankings. Everything changes.

 

[UConnJim]

All of those teams have been good from time to time, particularly , CSU and Hawaii. Why is everyone so fixated on the current rankings. Everything changes.

You're kidding right? Most of the MWC football schools are really bad. Clearly, Boise St.'s schedule would be better off playing a New Big East schedule than a MWC schedule. Here are the 5 year Sagarins of the MWC programs and the New BE programs (I left out SD St as we don't know where they are going):

MWC
Nevada: 59
Air Force: 66 (better than I thought)
Fresno St.: 77
Utah St.: 86 (dramatically helped by this year, but coach left)
Hawaii: 100 (June Jones was a miracle worker)
Wyoming: 104
San Jose St.: 106
Colorado St.: 117
UNLV: 126
New Mexico: 142
MEDIAN = 102

New BE
Cinci: 35
USF: 54
UConn: 58
Navy: 60
Houston: 62
UCF: 69
ECU: 73
Temple: 76
SMU: 81
Memphis: 141
Tulane: 150
MEDIAN = 69

(Why did we add Tulane?)

 

[HuskyHawk]

You're kidding right? Most of the MWC football schools are really bad. Clearly, Boise St.'s schedule would be better off playing a New Big East schedule than a MWC schedule. Here are the 5 year Sagarins of the MWC programs and the New BE programs (I left out SD St as we don't know where they are going):

MWC
Nevada: 59
Air Force: 66 (better than I thought)
Fresno St.: 77
Utah St.: 86 (dramatically helped by this year, but coach left)
Hawaii: 100 (June Jones was a miracle worker)
Wyoming: 104
San Jose St.: 106
Colorado St.: 117
UNLV: 126
New Mexico: 142
MEDIAN = 102

New BE
Cinci: 35
USF: 54
UConn: 58
Navy: 60
Houston: 62
UCF: 69
ECU: 73
Temple: 76
SMU: 81
Memphis: 141
Tulane: 150
MEDIAN = 69

(Why did we add Tulane?)

Never said it was better. But I clearly remember some very good teams and some solid Hawaii teams. Probably had CSU confused. Here's the worst programs under Sagarin ratings since 1985. Note that UTSA recently mentioned here as an expansion target is #1 (worst). By the way, as a Big 8 fan before UConn made the jump, I clearly recall seeing a similar list of the worst football programs of all time. #1 on that list...Kansas State, pre Snyder.

So the point is, there is no reason that CSU, NMSU, UNM, UNLV or others cannot duplicate what Boise has done, at the least. Nothing is permanent. Colorado once looked about like Oregon does now...today they stink. Oregon was mediocre at best then.

 

[Jericho]

Never said it was better. But I clearly remember some very good teams and some solid Hawaii teams. Probably had CSU confused. Here's the worst programs under Sagarin ratings since 1985. Note that UTSA recently mentioned here as an expansion target is #1 (worst). By the way, as a Big 8 fan before UConn made the jump, I clearly recall seeing a similar list of the worst football programs of all time. #1 on that list...Kansas State, pre Snyder.

So the point is, there is no reason that CSU, NMSU, UNM, UNLV or others cannot duplicate what Boise has done, at the least. Nothing is permanent. Colorado once looked about like Oregon does now...today they stink. Oregon was mediocre at best then.

You're not confused. Colorado State used to be pretty good. They've really bottomed out, but they made Bowls 9 of 12 years from 1994-2005. And the program was often ranked from 1994-2002 (the last few Bowl years were pretty medicore), finishing 79-32 during that period and 3 top 25 finishes.

 

[HuskyHawk]

You're not confused. Colorado State used to be pretty good. They've really bottomed out, but they made Bowls 9 of 12 years from 1994-2005. And the program was often ranked from 1994-2002 (the last few Bowl years were pretty medicore), finishing 79-32 during that period and 3 top 25 finishes.

Thanks. That green and gold with the ram helmet is hard to mistake.