? It's anybody's game. Boise Sate leaving for the Mountain West this summer means the WAC will crown a champion not from Boise, Idaho, for the first time since 2007 and for only the second time since the 2001 season.
If commissioner Karl Benson had his druthers, he'd probably prefer Louisiana Tech, Idaho, Utah State, San Jose State or New Mexico State win the title since those are the schools that will still be in the conference come 2012. However, Hawaii, Nevada and Fresno State, which are all defecting to the Mountain West next summer, are the clearly top three in the eight-team league, with Hawaii and Nevada likely fighting it out for the top spot.
Both Hawaii and Nevada finished with a share of the conference title a year ago with Boise State. Hawaii is also the only team to win the conference outright since 2002. The Warriors did so in 2007 after completing an undefeated regular season. They lost to Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Nevada earned its second shared title last year with a dramatic overtime win against Boise State. It was the first time Nevada had beaten Boise State since 1998.
? Here's a telling stat. In the past five seasons, the teams leaving the WAC ? Boise State, Hawaii, Fresno State and Nevada ? have been to 18 total bowl games. The teams staying ? Louisiana Tech, Utah State, San Jose State, New Mexico State and Idaho ? have been to three. Utah State hasn't been to a bowl game since 1997 and New Mexico State holds the nation's longest bowl drought at 50 years.
With just one bowl tie-in when the WAC restructures in 2012, expect some of those droughts to continue to thrive.
? Where have all the cowboys quarterbacks gone? A year ago, the WAC was one of the most formidable quarterbacking leagues in the country with Boise State's Kellen Moore, Nevada's Colin Kaepernick, Hawaii's Bryan Moniz, Fresno State's Ryan Colburn, Idaho's Nathan Enderle and Utah State's Diondre Borel. Four of the six ranked in top 26 in passing efficiency a year ago and three ranked in the top 13 in total offense, including Moniz, who led the nation.
But this year, only Moniz returns while the rest of the league struggles to find replacements to ensure the conference stays as offense-heavy as it has been in past years. Last season, the WAC had six teams in the top 60 nationally in scoring offense, including three in the top 10. The conference also had three teams in the top six in total offense. Conversely, the WAC had six teams ranked 95 or lower in total defense and five teams 83rd or lower in scoring defense.
Some of the new quarterbacking names to watch this year are Fresno State's Derek Carr, Nevada's Tyler Lantrip and Idaho's Brian Reader.
? Catching the bottom up with the top. One of the biggest criticisms of the WAC, even from its coaches and its commissioner, is the lack of parity throughout the league. Obviously, Boise State dominated the league for most of the time it was in it, but it seems like the same few teams are always the ones in contention. With all of those teams leaving for a new conference in 2012, it's time for the traditional bottom feeders to start improving their product and help ameliorate the WAC's image.
New Mexico State has finished in the bottom two in the league each of the last three seasons and hasn't won more than four games since 2004. San Jose State has won a total of three games in the past two seasons. Utah State hasn't won more than four games since 2000.
? Ending the bowl drought. Can't talk about wins without looking at bowls. The WAC will have bowl tie-ins with the Hawaii Bowl, Humanitarian Bowl and Poinsettia Bowl this year. But once Hawaii, Nevada and Fresno State leave the conference at the end of the school year, the WAC's bowl ties are reduced to just the Humanitarian, making it the only FBS league with just one automatic bowl tie-in.
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