MWC: Proving it Belongs With the Big Boys

Fans of the Mountain West Conference have always beleived their conference to be the best non-BCS conference in College Football. After all, since the induction of the current BCS bowl system, the first non-BCS team to crash the party was the MWC's own Utah Utes in 2004. And it was largely BYU who helped pave the way for that to happen, after controversy arose after they were denied BCS consideration in 2001, when they were 12-0 at the time.

This year the MWC has laid down further proof to solidify those claims. In fact, they have even submitted some evidence that they belong among the ranks of the BCS conferences.

Exhibit 1: 3 weeks into the College Football Season, the MWC boasts the second highest percentage of 3-0 teams at 44%, barely behind the 45% of the Big 10, slightly ahead of the 42% of the Big 12 and the SEC, and WAY ahead of the 10% of the PAC-10, and 0% of the ACC. The next highest percentage a non-BCS conference has is Conference USA with 8%.

Exhibit 2: The MWC has fewer losses to current ranked teams than ANY other conference, having only lost 1, and that was UNLV's loss to conference opponent, Utah. The MWC has beaten every non-conference ranked team it has faced. Utah beat Michigan, BYU beat UCLA, and UNLV beat Arizona State.

Exhibit 3: The MWC is 7-2 against teams from BCS conferences this year, with W's over Michigan, Washington, UCLA, Arizona State, Arizona, Stanford, and Ohio, and losses coming to Texas A&M and Colorado. In fact, after going 4-0 against PAC-10 teams just this week, the MWC is now 5-0 against PAC-10 teams this year.

Exhibit 4: The MWC is the only non-BCS conference to have a player listed on ESPN or Sports Illustrated's Heisman Watch Lists. BYU's quarterback, Max Hall, is currently listed No. 6 on each list, after setting a MWC record for touchdown passes in a game, with 7 against UCLA (in 2 1/2 quarters!) Max Hall also has the second most passing touchdowns in the nation, and the third most passing yards. Another BYU player, Dennis Pitta, is number two in the nation in receiving yards.

As you can see from the evidence presented, the MWC is showing that they belong, and putting themselves in the national spotlight. If BYU and Utah can both go undefeated until they meet the last week of the season on Nov. 22nd, that game will indeed be in the national spotlight, as the winner will be contending for a BCS bowl invitation.

NEWS FLASH TO THE REST OF THE COUNTRY: THE MWC HAS ARRIVED.

Penalty Call On Locker Is No Controversy

Alright. I don't know about the rest of you, but I've had enough. Enough complaining, enough discussing, enough of having a referee do his job being called "controversial." What Jake Locker did on Saturday was against the rules. Period. End of controversy.

As the 4th quarter wound to an end of the game between then no. 15 BYU and UW, BYU held a 7 point lead, 28-21. Washington had the ball, with one last chance to put a scoring drive together, with a chance to tie the game or even win. Finally, with 2 seconds remaining, Jake Locker rushed into the end-zone for a touchdown, after putting together an impressive drive, and making some heroic plays.

Nobody blames him for being excited. He had just accomplished a great thing. However, at that point, he threw the ball high into the air, prior to celebrating with his team. Was he taunting BYU? No. Was this an act of boasting? No. Was it offensive or disturbing in any way? Absolutely not. He simply let his emotions take over his actions. This is something that no athlete, at any time, especially not a team leader like Locker, should do. In the words of Michael Jordan "Learn to control your emotions, or they will control you."

A player of Locker's caliber surely knows the rules of the game. In fact, they had even reviewed these rules in practices, after being advised that the referees would be making this rule a "point of focus." So by letting his emotions take control, he broke a rule that he knew about. Period. End of controversy.

A lot of people say that even though Locker broke the rules, the referee should know he was just excited, and didn't do it on purpose. And that being, they shouldn't have made the call. How many times do you think an offensive lineman false starts on purpose? How often does a defender run into the kicker on purpose? It is safe to say that most penalties, most of the time, are not done on purpose. It is also safe to say that all college football fans, if being completely honest, would say that they would want referees that are calling their games, to call any penalties they see. That is what happened here. Referee Larry Farina saw something that he knew to be against the rules. At that point, it is his job to throw his flag. Even UW's coach admits this fact. "It's one that they almost have to call," coach Tyrone Willingham said. "It really should be a no-call, but it's one they have to call when they see it." Period. End of controversy.

One of the FSN broadcasters, at the end of the game, commented "This one is credited to the officials." That is ridiculous, and couldn't be further from the truth. Even after the RIGHT penalty was called, the Huskies still had the chance to kick the extra point to tie the game. Sure, it was from 35 yards now instead of 20, but for most college kickers, that is still an easy kick. However, BYU's Jan Jorgensen penetrated UW's line, and blocked the kick. He didn't just tip it, or get a finger on it. He outright blocked it. The Cougars EARNED this win. It wasn't handed to them by anyone wearing black and white. If you want to blame anyone, blame the UW line. Period. End of controversy.

Another point of interest is that UW's offensive line was not called for a single holding penalty during the entire game, even though there were countless times that they were outright tackling BYU players in the backfield. Even on that last Washington scoring drive, there were at least two BLATANT holds that went uncalled. If anyone has a right to complain about the officials, it is BYU, not the Huskies, who's "controversial" penalty was something clearly against the rules. That is something no one can argue. Period. End of controversy.

BYU was not lucky to escape Seattle with a victory. Washington was lucky to have a chance to tie it up. Earlier in the second half, BYU's tailback Harvey Unga fumbled the ball into the endzone on what otherwise would have been a BYU touchdown. A lucky break for the Huskies. BYU easily could have been up 14 going into that last drive, and the game already virtually over. However, as it stands, the game is over, and BYU not only won, but EARNED a victory. Period. End of controversy.