Welcome to the 2023 college football season! To officially kick things off our analytics-based series of conference articles, we're taking a look at the Mountain West Conference.
Last year was not exactly a banner year for the second-best West Coast conference, as it went 20-28 in nonconference matchups with a dismal 1-15 regular-season record against the Power 5. That lone win? Air Force coming out on top against the “mighty” Colorado Buffaloes.
Despite this, the conference managed a respectable 3-4 bowl record with Air Force, Boise State and Fresno State all coming out on top in the postseason. Ironically, Air Force and Fresno State doubled their Power 5 win total with convincing wins over Baylor and Washington S tate, respectively.
So, what does 2023 hold for the Mountain West? Well, we know the conference will look significantly different without its Mountain and West Divisions. They've merged together to form one 12-team division, where the teams with the two best conference winning percentages will clash for the title, similar to the Big 12.