WAC 2009 Preview

Why they will have a good season:

All the pieces are back from the team that went undefeated in conference last year. Once they get past Oregon, nothing is going to keep them from being a BCS buster.

Why they will have a bad season:

If the Broncos don't take care of business with Oregon, they could lose the focus they need to repeat as conference champs. Their defense could be suspect to strong running teams (Oregon and Nevada). They will not end the season with less than 10 wins, but all of Bronco Nation knows that 10 wins would be a very disappointing season.

Why they will have a good season:

For once the Bulldogs schedule could lead to a great season. Not that it isn't as brutal as ever, but this year they get Boise State in week 3. Which means they won't be completely beat up when they try to take down the defending champions. A win against Boise State would mean a great season no matter what happened afterwards.

Why they will have a bad season:

Fresno State has no idea who will be playing quarterback this year, and something has to be done about the defense. If the Boise State doesn't go well, they will struggle to even be bowl eligible.

Why they will have a good season:

Hawaii is kind of a wildcard this year, very few starters have been selected, and they are just so far away that nobody ever really knows what they are up to. They also have a good schedule, Boise State and Fresno State both travel to the islands, and no one has an easy trip there.

Senior Greg Alexander could be the next in line of great Hawaii quarterbacks. If someone can figure out what Jones did to make Hawaii so explosive on offense, they could beat everyone just by outscoring them.

Why they will have a bad season:

The Warriors have struggled being consistent ever since June Jones jumped ship for SMU. The already weak defense has no one returning. If the offense can't outscore everyone, well, they will obviously be outscored a lot.

Why they will have a good season:

This will be the first time this decade the Vandals will have consistency at head coach as Robb Akey starts his third season in Moscow. Even though they have been down lately, Idaho has slowly been building something up north. They also have a favorable schedule that puts a lot of winnable games at home.

If Idaho can finish in the top half of the WAC this year, they could finally be a factor in the conference in years to come.

Why they will have a bad season:

Let's face it, it's Idaho. They have consistently underachieved since joining the FBS division. Chances are they will again this year.

Why they will have a good season:

LaTech has improved greatly under head coach Derek Dooley, and the trend seems likely to continue in his third year. Seniors D'Anthony Smith and Antonio Baker lead a solid defense that will be able to contain the high-powered offenses in the WAC.

Why they will have a bad season:

The Bulldogs schedule features two SEC teams, and they travel as far as Hawaii to play. The schedule could prove too much for a team without a true leader. Ross Jenkins looks to keep the starting job at quarterback, and he has a long way to go before he's ready to take LaTech to the next level.

Why they will have a good season:

Nevada could have one of the best rushing attacks in the nation with Luke Lippincott, Via Taua, and dual-threat QB Colin Kaepernick. Taua and Kaepernick each rushed for over 1000 yards last year, and the only reason Lippincott didn't is because he was injured. With all three back, watch out.

Why they will have a bad season:

With no real receiving threat, defenses will be able to key the run. They have a tough non-conference that if they don't survive, could leave them unable to compete in the WAC.

Why they will have a good season:

A lot of New Mexico State's success will rely on probably QB starter Jeff Fleming. If the juco transfer can step in for the departed Chase Holbrook, the Aggie offense might actually be pick up where they left off in the passing game. They will also rely heavily on senior Marquell Colston to anchor a running game to keep defenses honest.

Why they will have a bad season:

The Aggies don't really have a lot of talent returning, or even their coach for that matter. All signs are pointing to a rebuilding year, and that's not a good sign considering they are rebuilding off a team that was tied for last in the conference last season.

Why they will have a good season:

The Spartans are loaded with experience this year. Well, more so than usual. They have 14 starters returning from a team that showed signs of hope last year.

Brothers Carl and Duke Ihenacho anchor a defense that has and will continue to keep them in every game.

Why they will have a bad season:

The Spartans will have a rough start to the season, they open up against USC and then play Utah and Stanford. The offense isn't anything to brag about, averaging less than 20 points last year. The defense is going to have to play pretty well to hold the offenses they will face to 20 points.

Why they will have a good season:

These Aggies also have a new coach, former Utah defensive coordinator Gary Anderson, who was responsible for the defense that shut down the Alabama defense.

Utah State returns a lot of players from a team that exceeded expectations last year. Having consistency at some key positions, namely QB Diondre Borel, along with a fresh coach could lead to exceeding expectations even more this year.

Why they will have a bad season:

Every team struggles adjusting to a new coach, and a lot of Coach Anderson's reputation is based on his ability to recruit. Utah State might not see any effects of the change for a couple years. If things don't take off right away, it could be a long season.

So with all things positive and negative taken into account for each team. Here is how the season is going to shake out:

Boise State 13-0 (8-0)
Nevada 10-2 (7-1)
LaTech 9-3 (6-2)
San Jose St. 6-6 (5-3)
Hawaii 7-6 (3-5)
Idaho 5-7 (3-5)
Fresno State 4-8 (3-5)
Utah State 2-10 (1-7)
New Mexico St. 1-12 (0-8)

Please comment on where I'm wrong and with any additional insight.