NOTE: This was intended to be published on the homepage, but along with double posts and other issues with script, apparently the text editor for article publishing has some bugs when adding pictures. New lines get added spacing paragraphs out unnaturally, and lines get deleted making my lists of standings look like the ticker tape of the International Stock Exchange. My best solution, and to allow comments to be added, is to post the article here. I just have to deal with the space deficit and lack of text wrap around images.
Fans predict four MWC teams will go 7-5
Aaron King
COUGARBLUE
Recently polled MT West fans predict what may happen for each game in 2007. Taking you through a Simulated 2007 season, the fan survey results reveal what exciting storylines may take place week after week.
If you don’t have the patience to read through all the results scroll down to the bottom now and refer to the final graphic that shows the overall records for each MWC team according to 300+ MT West fans.
Last year, MT West fans predicted the results of the 2006 season. In that survey over 400 fans were polled, about 70 more than the number that participated in this years poll, and their results proved to have some pretty good perspectives although a good many of them were wrong.
TCU didn't finish first, but TCU did beat all of their out of conference (OOC) opponents. Fans didn't see TCU losing to both Utah and BYU. Nor did they see Utah losing to BYU, Wyoming, and New Mexico.
BYU went undefeated in conference play while New Mexico did not become bowl eligible by their seventh game like what last year's fans had predicted. While it would have been an amazing season for the Lobos, starting off 6-0, in reality they only got their sixth win on the last week of the season against San Diego State.
Fans were right, however, that UNLV would have a 2-10 season. They weren't far off when they predicted CSU would have a poor showing in 2006. The fans even gave CSU some credit predicting three conference wins, but the Rams managed to get only one.
Wyoming surprised fan prognostications by beating Utah. When only looking at conference records, and having beaten the Utes in their head-to-head contest, Wyoming really was the third best team in the MWC last year, not Utah. That extra win was a small difference from the original expectation but it shot Wyoming from a sixth place finish to a fourth or third depending on who you ask.
Will Wyoming surprise the fans again this year? Not likely, since fan predictions were mostly in favor of the Cowboys having a winning season. Wyoming success won't be a surprise to the fans at all.
After all was said and done, fans knew how to predict the best and the worst of the MWC but last year - a lot like EVERY year in the Mountain West Conference - the fourth through seventh place finishes are anybody's guess.
What did MWC fans pick for those spots this year? Well, it's about time I get to the point:
MT West Fan Survey Results of 2007
Week One
UNLV @ Utah State
Utah @
Oregon State
Colorado State @ Colorado
Virginia @
Wyoming
South Carolina State @
Air Force
Arizona @
BYU
Baylor @
TCU
New Mexico @ UTEP
Games with closest margin of votes: Wyoming and Utah
Interesting Story of the Week: MWC teams start off season 7-1
AF 1-0
BYU 1-0
CSU 1-0
NM 1-0
TCU 1-0
UNLV 1-0
Wyo 1-0
Utah 0-1
SDSU 0-0
Week Two
Cal @ Colorado State
Utah State @
Wyoming
BYU @
UCLA
Air Force @
Utah
SDSU @
Washington State
TCU @
Texas
Wisconsin @ UNLV
New Mexico State @
New Mexico
Games with closest margin of votes: TCU and BYU
Interesting Story of the Week: After great first week, MWC goes only 2-5 in OOC
Utah 1-0 (1-1)
NM 0-0 (2-0)
Wyo 0-0 (2-0)
BYU 0-0 (1-1)
CSU 0-0 (1-1)
TCU 0-0 (1-1)
UNLV 0-0 (1-1)
SDSU 0-0 (0-1)
AF 0-1 (1-1)
Week Three
TCU @ Air Force
UCLA @ Utah
Wyoming @
Boise State
Hawai’i @ UNLV
SDSU @
Arizona State
BYU @ Tulsa
New Mexico @
Arizona
Games with closest margin of votes: Utah
Interesting Story of the Week: Wyoming and New Mexico each get first loss of season
TCU 1-0 (2-1)
Utah 1-0 (1-2)
NM 0-0 (2-1)
Wyo 0-0 (2-1)
BYU 0-0 (2-1)
CSU 0-0 (1-1)
UNLV 0-0 (1-2)
SDSU 0-0 (0-2)
AF 0-2 (1-2)
Week Four
Air Force @
BYU
Colorado State @ Houston
Portland State @
SDSU
Wyoming @ Ohio
Sacramento State @
New Mexico
Utah @ UNLV
SMU @
TCU
Games with closest margin of votes: Colorado St.
Interesting Story of the Week: SDSU gets first win
Utah 2-0 (2-2)
TCU 1-0 (3-1)
BYU 1-0 (3-1)
NM 0-0 (3-1)
Wyo 0-0 (3-1)
CSU 0-0 (2-1)
SDSU 0-0 (1-2)
UNLV 0-1 (1-3)
AF 0-3 (1-3)
Week Five
Air Force @
Navy
Utah State @
Utah
UNLV @
Nevada
Colorado State @
TCU
BYU @ New Mexico
Cincinnati @
SDSU
Games with closest margin of votes: Air Force, SDSU, and UNLV
Interesting Story of the Week: SDSU breaks .500 with win over OOC opponent Cinci
Utah 2-0 (3-2)
TCU 2-0 (4-1)
BYU 2-0 (4-1)
Wyo 0-0 (3-1)
SDSU 0-0 (2-2)
NM 0-1 (3-2)
CSU 0-1 (2-2)
UNLV 0-1 (1-4)
AF 0-3 (1-4)
Week Six
Utah @
Louisville
TCU @ Wyoming
SDSU @
Colorado State
UNLV @
Air Force
Games with closest margin of votes: None were close in the polls
Interesting Story of the Week: TCU is now 3-0 in conf. play now frontrunners for title
TCU 3-0 (5-1)
Utah 2-0 (3-3)
BYU 2-0 (4-1)
CSU 1-1 (3-2)
NM 0-1 (3-2)
Wyo 0-1 (3-2)
SDSU 0-1 (2-3)
UNLV 0-2 (1-5)
AF 1-3 (2-4)
Week Seven
New Mexico @
Wyoming
SDSU @
Utah
TCU @ Stanford
Air Force @
Colorado State
BYU @ UNLV
Games with closest margin of votes: Wyoming
Interesting Story of the Week: TCU becomes bowl eligible with win at Stanford
TCU 3-0 (6-1)
Utah 3-0 (4-3)
BYU 3-0 (5-1)
CSU 2-1 (4-2)
Wyo 1-1 (4-2)
NM 0-2 (3-3)
SDSU 0-2 (2-4)
UNLV 0-3 (1-6)
AF 1-4 (2-5)
Week Eight
Utah @
TCU
Wyoming @ Air Force
E. Washington @
BYU
New Mexico @ SDSU
Colorado State @ UNLV
Games with closest margin of votes: None
Interesting Story of the Week: BYU is 2nd team bowl eligible with CSU and Wyo 1 game away
TCU 4-0 (7-1)
BYU 3-0 (6-1)
Utah 3-1 (4-4)
CSU 3-1 (5-2)
Wyo 2-1 (5-2)
NM 1-2 (4-3)
SDSU 0-3 (2-5)
UNLV 0-4 (1-7)
AF 1-5 (2-6)
Week Nine
Air Force @
New Mexico
UNLV @
Wyoming
Utah @ Colorado State
BYU @ SDSU
Games with closest margin of votes: None
Interesting Story of the Week: Wyoming becomes third MWC team bowl eligible
TCU 4-0 (7-1)
BYU 4-0 (7-1)
Utah 4-1 (5-4)
Wyo 3-1 (6-2)
CSU 3-2 (5-3)
NM 2-2 (5-3)
SDSU 0-4 (2-6)
UNLV 0-5 (1-8)
AF 1-6 (2-7)
Week Ten
Colorado State @
BYU
Army @
Air Force
New Mexico @
TCU
Wyoming @ SDSU
Games with closest margin of votes: Wyoming
Interesting Story of the Week: BYU and TCU both win, should rise in polls, and now set to face each other with the record 8-1 and undefeated in conference play
TCU 5-0 (8-1)
BYU 5-0 (8-1)
Utah 4-1 (5-4)
Wyo 4-1 (7-2)
CSU 3-3 (5-4)
NM 2-3 (5-4)
SDSU 0-5 (2-7)
UNLV 0-5 (1-8)
AF 1-6 (3-7)
Week Eleven
TCU @ BYU
Colorado State @
New Mexico
Wyoming @
Utah
Air Force @
Notre Dame
SDSU @ UNLV
Games with closest margin of votes: TCU and SDSU
Interesting Story of the Week: TCU topples BYU taking firm hold on championship, New Mexico and Utah become bowl eligible
TCU 6-0 (9-1)
BYU 5-1 (8-2)
Utah 5-1 (6-4)
Wyo 4-2 (7-3)
NM 3-3 (6-4)
CSU 3-4 (5-5)
SDSU 1-5 (3-7)
AF 1-6 (3-8)
UNLV 0-6 (1-9)
Week Twelve
BYU @ Wyoming
Georgia Southern @
Colorado State
SDSU @
Air Force
New Mexico @
Utah
UNLV @
TCU
Games with closest margin of votes: Air Force
Interesting Story of the Week: TCU clinches share of title, BYU and Utah set to fight for 2nd in MWC, and Colorado State becomes 6th bowl eligible team
TCU 7-0 (10-1)
BYU 6-1 (9-2)
Utah 6-1 (7-4)
Wyo 4-3 (7-4)
NM 3-4 (6-5)
CSU 3-4 (6-5)
AF 2-6 (4-8)
SDSU 1-6 (3-8)
UNLV 0-7 (1-10)
Week Thirteen
Wyoming @
Colorado State
Utah @
BYU
UNLV @
New Mexico
TCU @ SDSU
Games with closest margin of votes: Colorado State
Interesting Story of the Week: TCU clinches outright title marking 4th straight year MWC champion goes undefeated, BYU seals 2nd place with win against rivals, Colorado State claims victory in the Border War.
TCU 8-0 (11-1)
BYU 7-1 (10-2)
Utah 6-2 (7-5)
Wyo 4-4 (7-5)
NM 4-4 (7-5)
CSU 4-4 (7-5)
AF 2-6 (4-8)
SDSU 1-7 (3-9)
UNLV 0-8 (1-11)
With TCU only having one-loss they stand in GREAT shape to go to this years 5th BCS bowl, leaving the Las Vegas bowl and Pac-10 match-up for 10-2 BYU. New Mexico will be going to the New Mexico Bowl again to face the WAC and hopefully WIN this time. Utah will likely go to the Poinsettia Bowl or the Armed Forces Bowl with their 7-5 record. With the Armed Forces bowl being on New Years Eve and featuring a Pac-Ten tie-in, they will probably invite Utah.
The Poinsettia bowl is a question mark for me. The choices are, in this simulation, CSU or Wyoming. Wyoming played stronger all year long, while CSU was predicted to beat Wyoming in the head to head. If it was my vote, I would take Wyoming.
Bowl Game Summary
BCS bowl – 11-1 TCU
Las Vegas bowl – 10-2 BYU
Armed Forces Bowl – 7-5 Utah
Poinsettia Bowl – 7-5 Wyoming
New Mexico Bowl – 7-5 New Mexico
With all this consensus opinion on the 2007 season, it is easy to see where some real
swing games are. Will BYU lose to TCU at home? Can Utah beat Oregon State and with one-win make their record look much nicer at 8-4? Will Wyoming lose to CSU after shutting them out last season, or will they also be 8-4? Will we have two or more teams from the MWC ranked this year?
Man, I can’t wait!
This survey was supposed to help me get through the next two-week wait for fall camp…but instead I just feel that much more desperate for Football to begin!
Aaron King can be reached at
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.
(Even more so with the homepage publisher geeking out on me...)
They see good things for BYU and the majority think that BYU's toughest games will be UCLA and TCU. The vast majority had us winning at home against Arizona easily, and even over Utah. 