What the hell happened last week? The parity in the conference manifested itself onto the road, and as result chaos ruled among the conference. Top teams losing at home to bottom teams? Half of the teams now have a 1-2 conference record which could mean that the conference race from #3 down is up for grabs. I'm sure there is going to be a lot of discussion about where teams sit in the power rankings. Here are my rankings for this week (last week in parenthesis). All are my opinion only. Let the madness continue.
1. Montana State (1)---Last week beat Idaho at home 38-7, this week at Portland State---With the carnage going on all around them, the Bobcats carried the Big Sky banner onto ESPN and showed a national audience what the top team in the conference looks like. They have a road game this week, heading out to the Pacific Northwest.
2. UC Davis (2)---Last week beat Cal Poly at home 56-10, this week at Eastern Washington---The Aggies also avoided armageddon last week, putting away their lessor conference opponent early and not giving them a chance for an upset. This week, they return to the road against a suddenly formidable foe. They better be careful.
3. Idaho (3)---Last week lost at Montana State 38-7, this week Cal Poly at home---The last time the Vandals played on national television, they were going toe to toe with one of the top teams in FBS. This time around, however, was a very different story as they were outplayed from the start. They bring in a bottom team this week.
4. Montana (5)---Last week beat Northern Arizona 31-20, this week bye---The Grizzlies almost fell victim to the carnage in the conference as well, but a strong second half on both sides of the ball prevented that from happening, and they got a good, solid win. They get a week off to try to keep both sides in sync and prepare.
5. Northern Arizona (6)---Last week lost at Montana 31-20, this week Idaho State at home---The Lumberjacks were looking good on the road in the first half last weekend but could not seal the deal as they lost their momentum in the second half. They look to turn things around this weekend, heading home to face a lesser foe.
6. Weber State (4)---Last week lost to Northern Colorado at home 21-17, this week at Sacramento State---Lost to Northern Colorado at home? After beating the Grizzlies on the road the previous week? Well, that is exactly what the Wildcats did, not keeping any momentum from the win the week before. Now they have a tough game this week.
7. Sacramento State (7)---Last week lost to Eastern Washington at home 35-28, this week Weber State at home---In another head scratcher, after dropping their conference opener and taking a week off, the Hornets promptly lost at home to a struggling team. They need the game this week against an equally desperate conference foe.
8. Portland State (9)---Last week won at Idaho State 42-38, this week Montana State at home---The Vikings took advantage of a slight break in their murderous schedule and got a strong win on the road last week. They return to the difficult schedule this weekend, hosting the top team in the conference, but with confidence.
9. Eastern Washington (10)---Last week won at Sacramento State 35-28, this week UC Davis at home---Having the benefit of coming off a bye, the Eagles sit at 1-1 have their impressive road win last week, just ahead of the 1-2 bunch behind them. However, a tough conference game is on the docket for this week at home.
10. Idaho State (8)---Last week lost to Portland State at home 42-38, this week at Northern Arizona---Engaging in a high scoring affair last week, the Bengals tried to punch in a late touchdown to steal the game, but they could not complete the pass. They go on the road this weekend, trying to break out of the batch.
11. Northern Colorado (12)---Last week won at Weber State 21-17, this week bye---Knocking off one of the top teams in the conference on the road was a great way for the Bears to get their first win of the season. As a reward, they get this weekend off to rest and try to build on that confidence for the rest of the year.
12. Cal Poly (11)---Last week lost at UC Davis 56-10, this week at Idaho---Everyone else in the conference lowlands were inflicting all kinds of wounds on the top teams, but the Mustangs could not get anything done right last weekend. After last week's shellacking, they go on the road again, this time against an angry top team.
RECAP: 1, then 2, then 3-7 in a bunch with 8-11 right behind them, 12 a bit off the pace.