Also, repeating as champs is very hard with a target on your back. And it really doesn’t work well without a solid pocket-passer at the helm. We learned their offense is not as effective without a plethora of talented wide receivers. And no matter how good the defense is, the offense still needs to help out a little bit, which is challenging when the QB struggles with accuracy.
We learned that winning in a soft non-conference schedule does not indicate how good a team is. A few great players can get overshadowed by some average or below average players. Winning away from the islands is difficult. We learned that inconsistent teams yield inconsistent results. An explosive, up-tempo offense can cover a lot of shortcomings elsewhere and that anything can happen when the players believe in it. We learned that turning around a culture and program in a year is possible. Also, a running game can make all the difference when it is present or missing. We learned that no matter how talented some players on the roster are, winning becomes hard with a bad offensive line. And the defense did improve but not enough. But an explosive offense can strike at any time thanks to countless weapons on offense. We learned even the best program team in a decade don’t always live up to the expectations. AFA’s formula for success is tried and true and the system is bigger than any one player. We learned that a team, even an academy team, can reload after losing a bunch of talent. And unfortunately, even better the best team in the conference does not guarantee a spot in the conference championship when you don’t take care of business in other games. However, a knack for turning the ball over leads to some ill-timed losses. We learned balanced talent can lead to a lot of wins.
A solid ground game and a lagging passing game.
FINAL MEDIA PLAYER 2012 PLUS
Plus the best special teams player in the nation. We learned they can win all season with the formula of: an excellent defense. Feel free to drop your own rankings in the comments section. Take a look at this week’s MWCConnection Power Rankings, and let us know what you like and what you don’t. Below is our attempt to make sense of it all. Not sure if things are clearing up or becoming more confusing a month into the season.
FINAL MEDIA PLAYER 2012 FULL
The Mountain West was on full display this weekend with conference action, games against P5 teams, and games against G5/FCS teams.