Nevada players celebrate after their 27-23 win over #13 Charlotte.

Maybe the coaches of the Mountain West read my previous article criticizing the performance of the league through week 3, and decided to prove everything I said wrong.

Mountain West teams went a combined 8-2 out-of-conference during week four, including two victories over ranked teams (Nevada over Charlotte and Colorado State over Arkansas State). These are steps in the right direction for a conference who one day hopes to be a FCFB powerhouse.

Boise State, last week’s #12 in the power rankings, went to Air Force and knocked off the Falcons, who were previously #1 in the power rankings. Could this victory be spurred by my criticism of the Broncos in last weeks power rankings? Furthermore, could UNLV’s decisive victory over Central Michigan be because I questioned just how good the Rebels could be this year?

Obviously, a lot went wrong in the power rankings last week, but this week is a fresh start. See the new and improved power rankings below.

12. San Diego State (1-3) (LW #9)

San Diego State lost to Illinois. Yes, Illinois. The Aztecs have put the entire conference to shame, so the least I can do is drop them all the way to the bottom of the power rankings. SDSU’s only win came against 0-4 Georgia Southern. They desperately need a win, and luckily, they play fellow cellar-dweller Utah State next week.

11. Wyoming (1-3) (LW #11)

Wyoming got a nice road win against a solid Penn State team last week, but they stay where they are in the power rankings because their strength of schedule is abysmal. The Cowboys were shut out by an average Oregon State, and lost two games to 1-3 teams. The win against Penn State is a start however, and Wyoming has an opportunity for another quality win when they host conference foe Nevada.

10. Utah State (1-3) (LW #7)

Utah State fell to a very good Ohio squad last week. Although they dropped three spots in the power rankings, spots 10-7 are all filled with evenly good teams, and they have plenty of opportunity to move up. Utah State travels to take on San Diego State next week. A loss may be catastrophic for the Aggies.

9. Boise State (1-3) (LW #12)

Boise State’s victory over Air Force shocked personnel across the Mountain West, and now Boise leads the Mountain division at 1-3. Can the Broncos keep up the pace? They’ll have to prove that they can, starting with a tough road test at Hawaii.

8. San Jose State (1-3) (LW #8)

One thing I did get right last week: I told readers that SJSU was underrated and could hang with any team. SJSU proved me correct and knocked off a good Minnesota squad at home. The Spartans have a tough test next week when they host New Mexico.

7. Hawaii (2-2) (LW #10)

I hesitate to rank Hawaii so highly. Although they have two wins, both come against 1-3 teams, Kent State and Nebraska, and when they have played good teams, the games haven’t been too close. Hawaii needs to prove that they are as good as their record indicates. Losing to Boise State next week would not help their case.

6. Colorado State (2-2) (LW #6)

There is a huge gap between the top half and the bottom half of the league right now. Colorado State is where the top half starts. The Rams knocked off #18 Arkansas State 14-8 at home, and are starting to look like true contenders. They will have to make up for their loss to Air Force in conference play, however. The Rams have a tough test next week, when they take on a very good UNLV team.

5. Air Force (2-2) (LW #1)

Air Force lost to Boise State? Really? This baffling loss drops Air Force from the #1 spot in the rankings, and shakes up the Mountain Division race. However, they are far from out of the picture in the race. Their 2-1 conference record puts the Falcons in great position to win the Mountain but they’ll have to take care of business in other MWC games. Air Force takes on Fresno State next week in one of the best conference match-ups of the year so far.

4. New Mexico (3-1) (LW #2)

New Mexico took care of business last week against Bowling Green. They only fall in the rankings this week because their wins are looking less impressive. New Mexico State and Bowling Green are both bad, and UTEP is only average. Furthermore, New Mexico finds itself behind in the race for the Mountain division crown after a loss to Air Force. New Mexico has yet to beat a truly good team, and it can be argued that they have the softest schedule in the MWC. All New Mexico can do now is win games however, starting with their opponent next week, San Jose State.

3. UNLV (2-2) (LW #5)

UNLV seems to be the polar opposite of New Mexico, in that there is a strong argument to be made for UNLV having the toughest schedule in the Mountain West. UNLV played four good out of conference games, and most recently beat a good Central Michigan team. Although the Rebels would like to have a couple more wins under their belt, they have to forget about it and focus on their first conference game, a good Colorado State team.

2. Fresno State (3-1) (LW #3)

Fresno State took care of business last week against 0-4 FIU. Fresno has a head-scratching loss against 1-3 Syracuse, but a win over 3-1 North Texas is Fresno’s saving grace to their resume. However, Fresno will have the ability to build their resume and take down a top conference foe next week when they host Air Force

1. Nevada (3-1) (LW #4)

Nevada’s victory over #13 Charlotte propels them to the #1 spot. However, this comes with some controversy, as Nevada needed a substitute head coach to take down the 49ers. Could Nevada have defeated Charlotte with their current head coach? Maybe. But I can’t fault Nevada for having the best resume in the Mountain West. Nevada can prove that their victory over Charlotte wasn’t a fluke by demolishing Wyoming next week.