Mountain West Conference 2024 Preview: NCAA Football Predictions & Team Insights

Let’s delve into one of my preferred G5 conferences nationwide, the Mountain West Conference. This league boasts one of the strong preseason favorites to clinch the entire conference title, but could there be other teams potentially vying for the same honor?

Even though the Boise State Broncos don’t have an official ranking, they are strongly favored to clinch the MWC title and are approximately 28th in the national ranking. At first glance, I can’t identify any other teams that pose a significant challenge to them for the championship, but there’s still a lot of football left to play. Last season was intensely competitive, with all 12 teams in the conference ranking between 6-2 and 2-6. The UNLV Rebels were defeated by Boise in the MW Championship, and it appears that we can expect to see a rematch this year.

Check out our full NCAA Football 2024 Preview!

Odds to Win Mountain West Championship

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• Boise State -150
• UNLV +350
• Fresno State +600
• Air Force +1200
• Wyoming +1600
• Colorado State +1800
• Hawaii +3300
• San Diego State +5000
• Utah State +5000
• San Jose State +5000
• Nevada +15000
• New Mexico +20000

Boise State is definitely at an advantage in the conference, being the second most favored team to win after Liberty in the C-USA (-225). The Broncos are aiming for a second successive victory in the Mountain West Championship and hope to reach their third consecutive MW Championship game. The conference has remained consistent through the realignments, resulting in fewer surprises compared to other leagues.

Let’s delve into finding a Mountain West Champion!

Check out our Big 12 Conference 2024 Preview!

Mountain West is Boise’s to Lose

Following Spencer Danielson’s leadership, which brought the Broncos to a 3-1 record and a Mountain West Title, Boise State appointed him as the full-time coach for the 2024 season. This appointment came after he replaced Andy Avalos in early November. Despite losing to UCLA in the LA Bowl, Danielson successfully steered the Broncos back on course and clinched the conference title.

Sophomore Maddux Madsen emerged as the starting QB, securing his position over USC Transfer Malachi Nelson. His supporting team is exceptional, with Running Back Ashton Jeanty achieving over 1,200 yards on the ground and another 500 in the air, in addition to scoring 19 touchdowns. Four out of five offensive linemen are returning to the team, and the receiver’s department has been boosted with the addition of a few transfers. While their defense might not be remarkable, the team is undeniably talented. Defensive End Ahmed Hassanein recorded 12.5 sacks last season and Andrew Simpson is a formidable presence among the linebackers.

What I find challenging about Boise is that their four most difficult games will all be away games.

Boise plays:

• @ Oregon
• @ UNLV
• @ Wyoming
• @ Colorado State

While avoiding Fresno State, they’re also welcoming the overlooked Pac-12 members, Washington State and Oregon State. Boise plays home games against all the least successful Mountain West teams, with their most challenging matches being away games, which could be intimidating in this league.

Who Can Hold Off Broncos?

UNLV Rebels

It appears that the Rebels are the popular choice for potentially upsetting the Broncos, who are heavily favored. Despite losing their exceptional freshman quarterback to a transfer to USC after a 9-win season, UNLV has recruited two senior aces to vie for the position. Whichever prevails will have returning receiver Ricky White III to work with, who delivered an impressive 81-1,386-7 season last year and is keen to settle scores with Boise.

The defense of UNLV will undoubtedly face some uncertainties, but Head Coach Barry Doom has bolstered the squad by adding 10 new transfers, including Safety Jalen Catalon from Texas. If they manage to prevent conceding an average of 28.6 points per game as they did last season, the Rebels stand a chance of challenging Boise, particularly as they’ll have the home field advantage with the game being held in Las Vegas this season. UNLV will be hosting their two most formidable conference rivals, yet they face a daunting task early in the season with a game against #22 ranked Kansas.

Fresno State Bulldogs

The Bulldogs are gearing up for the 2024 season with Tim Skipper, their former assistant, taking the reins as interim coach. They are hoping to replicate the impressive start they had last year when they began the season with a record of 8-1. Unfortunately, they stumbled in November, losing three consecutive games and missing out on the Mountain West Title game. However, the team is poised for a strong season, with many returning starters. The offensive line-up is particularly strong, featuring QB Mikey Keene and RB Malik Sherrod along with receivers Jalen Moss, Mac Dalena, and Josiah Freeman. Four out of five OL starters are also returning, setting the stage for a potentially successful season.

The defense had difficulty defending the run last year, conceding 200 yards on the ground in MW play. However, with the addition of USC Transfer Korey Foreman, Fresno hopes to improve this year. The secondary is also expected to improve with the return of CB Cam Lockridge from injury, who only played 4 games last year. While Fresno doesn’t have to face Boise State in conference play, they have challenging games as they will be traveling to Michigan, playing @ UNLV, and @ Air Force – arguably their three toughest games in the schedule.

Colorado State Rams

I’m extremely optimistic about the Colorado State Rams’ prospects this season, and I’d like to explain why. Their quarterback, Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, who passed for 3,400 yards and 22 touchdowns last season, turned down lucrative six-figure NIL deals to remain with the Rams. It’s evident that he has a strong faith in Head Coach Jay Norvell and a great deal of determination. I’m placing my faith in him as well. In addition, star receiver Tory Horton is returning for his final season, and the team will also see the return of three offensive linemen and their running back, Justin Marshall, who performed exceptionally well in the final few games of the last season.

On the defensive side, the Rams boast six returning starters and their secondary ranks among the best in the conference. Their season opens with a game against #4 Texas in Austin and an early clash with their rival, Colorado. I predict the Rams will take their revenge on the Buffalos this year and dominate the rest of the Mountain West. Notably, Colorado State will not be facing Boise and UNLV this season, but they do have away games against Air Force and Fresno. If they perform well, I predict a Colorado State team with 2-3 losses to make it to the Mountain West Championship.

Final Mountain West Predictions

• #1 Boise State
• #2 Fresno State
• #3 Colorado State
• #4 Air Force
• #5 UNLV
• #6 Wyoming
• #7 Hawaii
• #8 San Diego State
• #9 Utah State
• #10 San Jose State
• #11 New Mexico
• #12 Nevada

Check out our SEC 2024 Preview!

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• NCAA Football 2024 Preview
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• Big Ten Preview
• Big 12 Preview
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