2010 Mountain West Conference Preview

> Check out the entire 2010 College Football Preview

The Mountain West has become one of the most interesting leagues to watch over the last six years. The original BCS busters, three MWC champions since 2004 have played in BCS Bowls and the league is reportedly on the cusp of earning an automatic BCS bid if they continue their success.

However, this is also a conference that will look a lot different in 2011. Utah, who busted the BCS in 2004 and 2008, is now joining the monster as they accepted an invitation from the Pac Ten in June. While the Utes will be missed, the Mountain West had a pretty good contingency plan in place as WAC superpower Boise State will debut next fall. They’ll also get the added bonus of adding Boise’s success into the BCS autobid computer matrix, so losing the Utes isn’t a fatal blow.

But in 2010, the traditional trifecta of TCU, Utah and BYU will have one more season to battle for dominance atop the conference. TCU is the clear favorite of the three as they return as much talent as any team in any league in the entire country. Meanwhile, rivals Utah and BYU could be in for very different campaigns as Utah appears primed for a run at another ten win season while BYU’s youth could turn 2010 into a rebuilding campaign.

The depth of the league also appears greatly improved and recent 4th wheel Air Force has some challengers as the league’s top upper-mid card talent. UNLV made a great coaching hire in the offseason, San Diego State appears much improved and Wyoming is riding the momentum from their shocking bowl victory to close out a winning season last fall. Needless to say, 2010 will be a great season to watch Mountain West Football.

Read each school’s individual preview by clicking below!

EXPECTED ORDER OF FINISH

• Texas Christian (8-0)
• Utah (6-2)
• Brigham Young (5-3)
• San Diego State (4-4)
• Air Force (4-4)
• UNLV (4-4)
• Wyoming (3-5)
• Colorado State (2-6)
• New Mexico (0-8)

Matt Baxendell is collegesports-fans.com’s college football guru. He has an opinion on every team, even lowly Western Kentucky, so feel free to email him at matt.baxendell@gmail.com if you want to talk football, comment on an article, get added to his mailing list or just feel like telling him how foolish he for thinking that WKU is in for another terrible season.