Not Quite There Yet

Once again Boise State has come into Fresno and beat our Bulldogs. Once again we are left to question what could have been for this Bulldog football team. Once again we will likely finish behind Boise State in the WAC standings. While Fresno State has made strides to become a competitive football team in 2007 they have not quite caught up to the level that the Boise State Broncos play at. We cannot blame this on the talent levels of the two teams. Boise State does not have better players on the field. Boise State's players are not superior to those at Fresno State. However, Boise State has players that have bought into a system that functions almost flawlessly when they play Fresno State. On Friday night the Broncos once again played a perfect game against the Bulldogs leading to a 34-21 victory. While the Broncos executed perfectly Fresno State on the other hand made countless mistakes leading to another defeat at the hands of the Broncos. Where the Bulldogs go from here will be interesting to say the least. Fresno State can still enjoy a very successful season but will have to put this loss behind them in order to do so. What will happen from here will be up to the Bulldogs and their coaching staff. Hopefully we will not see a quicksand effect as the Dogs have been known to do after a tough loss.

Fresno State has a relatively tough schedule to finish the season. Aside the game this weekend against Utah State the Dogs have three tough challenges left against Hawaii, Kansas State, and New Mexico State. If everything goes to plan Fresno State will beat both Utah and New Mexico and lose to Hawaii and Kansas State. Unfortunately it seems that the Dogs have figured out how to finally win the games they should but they are now losing all the games they should lose as well. Instead of upsetting one or two teams a season Fresno State no longer shows up for games against teams that are in the upper echelon of college football. In the past two seasons we have lost to Hawaii, Boise State twice, Oregon twice, LSU, and have the chance to lose to Hawaii again and Kansas State. While it is great that we are beating the teams we should the Bulldogs seem to be out game planned by every single team with any type of talent. Every season Boise State's coaching staff seems to out coach ours. They blitz when we aren't ready for it and run delays, options, and off tackles when we are looking for something else. Fresno on the other hand seems to run absolutely everything Boise is looking for. Aside one drive this past Friday the Bulldogs did absolutely nothing on offense until eight minutes remained in the fourth quarter. In order for the Dogs to become a challenge to a team such as Boise State they are going to have to improve in the following areas:

1) Third Down Defense - Boise State went 10 for 18 on third downs, a stat I think is actually a bit off (It felt like they were closer to 15 for 18). It seemed that Boise would gain two-three yards on first and second down and ten yards on third down every time. Why the Bulldogs corners do not bump will always be something I do not understand. They continually let receivers run whatever routes they please only to give up ten yards when they need to stop them at seven. Our corners do not shadow the receivers well enough and are missing tackles once the ball is caught. Our safety help seems to be fine and I won't complain about LB play at all. But our corner spot is really hurting us right now.

2) Offensive Play calling - I am not so much upset with the play calling in the sense that I don't like what plays are being called. Instead I don't think the times they are being called makes much sense. On the first drive of the game we gain nine yards on first down and then throw on second and third when we need one yard? Fresno State will always be a run first team and if they try to lead with the pass they will not win games. At the same time when it is third down and eight why are we running draws up the middle? We seem to lack confidence in the players we need to believe in to win games and at the end of the year that will haunt us in games such as the ones against Boise State. If you run the ball outside successfully in the first quarter why do you stop doing so as the game moves along? Fresno abandoned what has worked all year and in the end they truly paid for it.

3) QB Protection - Brandstater would be hit on nearly every play by a delayed blitzing LB during the course of the game. Fresno's offensive line did nothing to protect Tom and he would be forced to throw many passes early leading to his erratic play. I will not blame the offensive line completely for Tom's performance. One of these times Brandstater is going to have to hit an open receiver deep for a TD. Early on he missed a wide open Marlon Moore downfield. Brandstater cannot continue to do this if he is going to make any kind of difference here at Fresno State.

4) Play up to the level of our opponent - The Dogs played A&M evenly. Fresno State did not play Boise evenly. Fresno State looked as if they felt the Broncos were better than them and they allowed the Broncos to dictate the pace of the game. In the future the Dogs need to go out and have that killer instinct that the Broncos have. If the Dogs can start a game like they did against Boise and keep the foot on the gas pedal maybe the outcome will be differently in the future. However, if they continue to sit on a small lead and run predictable plays they will lose every game against a team with superior game day adjustment ability.

Overall the game against the Broncos was quite heartbreaking not only for the players but for the fans and the city of Fresno as well. One day we will have to figure out a way to beat the Broncos. I am not sure Pat Hill will ever be able to out coach Chris Petersen on a day where the Broncos and Bulldogs play one another. I hope I am wrong but it seems that Petersen's innovation is just too much for the Bulldogs staff to figure out. Until the Dogs can open up their game plan and figure out how to run plays the Broncos have not seen nor are they ready for the Dogs will continue to lose to this WAC Cinderella story. Hopefully the Broncos run will end sooner than later, but if we continue to play at the level we are right now we will experience many more years of playing second fiddle to the team from the Blue turf up North.

The Red Seat Debacle

by nsc

Fresno State sits at 5-2. They are 4-0 in the WAC. This past weekend they played a rivalry game that had been somewhat renewed due to the fact that San Jose State beat the Dogs this past season. The Bulldogs had not played a home game in three weeks and had only experienced one home game over the past fifty days. With all of these factors present one would think Bulldog stadium would be full for their football game against San Jose State. Unfortunately that was not the case this past weekend in Fresno. Only 35,000 fans decided to grace Bulldog stadium with their presence. As usual the Red Seats were most notably empty as they usually are. Week after week if there is one thing that is certain it is that the red seats will not be filled. But the question as to why they are not full has to enter just about every single Bulldog fans mind. How is it even possible that the single best seats in Bulldog stadium go unfilled week after week? The answer is quite simple, Fresno State has absolutely no idea what they are doing when it comes to ticket sales. A situation such as the red seats being empty is one that can be solved easily. Here is how.

Every year red seat tickets must be renewed by their respective owners. This really doesn't come down to rocket science here when I state the fix for this problem. All Fresno State has to do is make sure that season ticket holders in the red seats understand that if their seats are not filled after the first five minutes of the game they will be filled. In other words if the red seat season ticket holders do not show up the university shall reserve the right to open those seats up to other prospective fans. Of course this is not the only solution. Fresno State could start a program where those red seat holders who will not be attending the game can give up their seats. There are so many different ways to handle this problem and the truth is it is becoming quite disheartening to see those seats empty week after week. How is it possible that everyone in the valley seems to be missing this young upstart team and the drive they have to win? Why does it seem like Bulldog fans expect a national championship or bust? Is it really too much to hope for WAC title first? These players are young and quite honestly they are playing their asses off for this city and the university yet we can only put 35,000 fans in the seats? I for one am tired of hearing about how we should expand the stadium. We have no business hoping to close the end zones off if we cannot put fans in the seats. So for every person who has a valid point with respect to expansion of the stadium you mine as well save it for now. The only way this stadium will ever grow is if Bulldog fans get off their couch and come down to Bulldog stadium to watch the game.

The Boise State Blackout

At first I thought this to be a terrible idea. I mean Bulldog colors are Red, White, and a bit of Blue. Yet we decided that we are going to go with black for a game to show the nation how amazing Bulldog stadium can look on national television. After I accepted the idea and even thought of it as "a fun experience" I come to find out that half the people in the stadium this past Saturday had no idea about a blackout against Boise. I will be wearing black and so will my entire family when we see the game Friday. But when you have twenty people in your immediate surroundings who have absolutely no idea that a blackout is going to take place what does that tell you about the marketing skills of Fresno State? In order to sell an idea such as this you have to market it. A month in advance there should be adds throughout the city of Fresno speaking of the blackout against Boise. The Fresno Bee should be advertising this game daily talking about where people can buy blackout shirts if they have the desire to purchase them. I am just a bit disappointed in the university as the idea now seems like a promotional ploy to make money instead of celebrating one of the biggest games in Fresno in the past five years.

Fresno State-Boise State Opening Thoughts

First of all let me say a little bit about what I have read over the past few days on the BarkBoard and Blue Turf Board. This game will not be decided by what these two teams have done in the past. Boise's SOS and Fresno's SOS have absolutely nothing to do with the outcome of this game. Fresno's winning margin and Boise's winning margin will not help decide who is better Friday night. Fresno's offensive totals and Boise's offensive totals will not allow us to know who will win this game Friday night. Instead whoever plays better on the field Friday will be the team that comes away with a win. I get tired of reading posts stating "Boise's SOS is...." or "Fresno's SOS is better than Boise's so...." Just so everyone knows that means absolutely nothing when the ball is kicked off for the first time Friday night. Both of these teams are good solid football teams. Boise State scores a lot of points and Fresno is very good at controlling the clock with their grind it out running style. In the end the team that is able to play their style of football will win this game. Just so everyone knows I am going with the Bulldogs Friday night. I think it's Fresno's turn to make this a series and their confidence will be at an all time high with their revenge win over San Jose. Bulldog stadium will be full for the first time this season and the Bulldogs will walk away with a very tight victory. Hell my cousing from Nor-Cal will even be at the game with me, so the stars are aligning for this one Bulldog fans.

Fresno State 38
Boise State 35

Week Nine BlogPoll Ballot

NSC your .02...I got LSU No. 1 this week only because USF lost. I have a feeling Ohio State loses at Penn State this Saturday and BC could lose Thursday. An Oregon win over USC could vault the Ducks to No. 2 and possibly set up a top 5 matchup with Arizona State if the Sun Devils beat Cal. Wait...I am getting way ahead of myself.

Rank	Team	Delta
1	LSU	2
2	Ohio State	--
3	Boston College	3
4	Oregon	6
5	South Florida	4
6	Arizona State	1
7	Oklahoma	1
8	West Virginia	3
9	Missouri	3
10	Florida	4
11	Kentucky	6
12	Kansas	3
13	Southern Cal	5
14	Virginia Tech	5
15	South Carolina	11
16	Auburn	3
17	Michigan	6
18	Virginia	8
19	California	10
20	Georgia	2
21	Alabama	5
22	Rutgers	4
23	Penn State	2
24	Texas	--
25	Hawaii	1

Dropped Out: Tennessee (#16), Texas Tech (#17), Cincinnati (#20), Kansas State (#21).

NSC's Difference Makers

by nsc

As most of you already know Fresno State will be taking on San Jose State in a game that has the feel of a rivalry game for the first time in countless years. Fresno State comes into the game with three impressive victories over La. Tech, Nevada, and Idaho (the last two being on the road). San Jose State comes into this game winning three out of their past four games with their only loss coming at the hands of #17 Hawaii in overtime. Both teams are filled with players who are able to make a difference at any juncture of the game. Fresno State may be playing the game at home but they cannot forget about the talent that San Jose puts on the field. Here are the players that I feel can make the biggest difference during the course of the football game on Saturday:

Offense

Quarterbacks

Tom Brandstater - If you take a look at TB's numbers they will not wow you. TB has completed 60% of his passes with a 2 to 1 td to int ratio. TB has not thrown for the most yards in the nation as he currently sits at 1100 yards passing but those yards have been efficient. Last season teams were able to stack the line with nine forcing the Bulldogs to throw. This year if teams load up on the defensive line TB is able to make them pay as his throws have been far more accurate than they were in 2006. At the same time Brandstater has only been sacked eight times in six games. For a makeshift offensive line such as Fresno State's only allowing eight sacks to this point in the season is impressive but has a lot to do with TB's decision making ability. If San Jose decides to force the Dogs to throw the ball TB is capable of making the difference in this game. San Jose fans will be surprised at how far TB has come in the past season. This Bulldog team is not one dimensional and will use the pass to open up the run if they have to.

Adam Tafralis - Unfortunately for San Jose State their running attack has been non-existent this season. With that being said Adam Tafralis has stepped up his game the past four weeks. Tafralis has thrown for over three hundred yards four weeks in a row and looks to continue his hot streak against Fresno State. Tafralis showed that he could throw the deep ball accurately against the Bulldogs in 2006. Fresno State will have to prepare for a QB who seems to be gaining confidence with every game that passes. Over the past two seasons Tafralis has led the Spartans to a 12-8 record and has exceeded most expectations. In this game Tafralis will have the opportunity to make a difference just as Brandstater will. If Adam makes few mistakes and gets the hot hand this could turn into a high scoring affair between the two hated rivals.

Running Backs

Lonyae Miller & Ryan Matthews - Fresno State's two headed attack features a true freshman and a true Sophomore that have lead the way to dominating performances on the ground the past two weeks. Matthews has rushed for five TD's in the past two weeks while totaling near 240 yards rushing during that period. Lonyae Miller has totaled over 100 yards each game the past two weeks and looks to continue that trend against a Spartans defense that allows 170 yards on the ground per game. If Fresno State is able to control the clock with the ground game San Jose State will be in for a very long day. The past two weeks Fresno State has controlled the clock and virtually ended both games by halftime. Fresno State will look to do the same thing to the Spartans as they try to take them out of their game allowing the Dogs a big lead going into the half.

Wide Receivers

Kevin Jurovich & David Richmond - These two receivers have been Tafralis' favorite target early in the season. Jurovich has caught 44 passes and already has 638 yards receiving with five td's to go along with those gaudy stats. Richmond also has performed quite well as He has nearly 500 yards receiving with three td's to this point in the season. The Fresno State secondary is going to be tested early and often by the Spartans. If the Dogs defensive secondary can find a way to shut down these receivers they will have a shot to run away in this game. However, stopping the Spartans passing attack is going to be much easier said than done.

Bear Pascoe, Clifton Smith, Jason Crawley & Seyi Ajirotutu - Bear Pascoe is TB's favorite receiver. Pascoe does a great job of fighting off defenders to get to the ball and rarely does the ball get through his hands. Clifton Smith is a shifty back that can be used out of the backfield when the Dogs want to clear the field and give him some room to run. The past two weeks Clifton has made life much easier for TB by opening up the underneath passing game and allowing TB to dump the ball off when in trouble. Jason Crawley has done a good job of filling in for the injured Marlon Moore. While Crawley may not be the fastest of the Bulldogs he is physical and has great hands. If Fresno State needs a reception look for Crawley to step up and make the big catch. Seyi has done a phenomenal job of catching the deep routes this season. While Seyi does not have the wheels to outrun anyone he seems to run great routes and find himself open more often than not. If TB can find Seyi downfield the running game may open up allowing the Bulldogs to control the tempo on offense.

Defense

Corners and Secondary

A.J. Jefferson, Marvin Haynes, Damien Owens, & Moses Harris - The Bulldogs secondary has done a phenominal job on the field this season. The first team defense may not have an interception but they have limited what other teams can do. The Bulldogs do not give up the big play in the passing game often and are very physical. The Dogs hit very hard and will make every receiver pay if they come over the middle to make that all important third down reception. Fresno State will try to force San Jose to do what they don't want to and that is run the ball. If the Bulldogs can shut down Tafralis and the Spartans passing game the Dogs will be in great shape to walk away with a win.

Dwight Lowery & Christopher Owens - Lowery is one of the best corners in the WAC. He seems to have a nose for where the football is going and will more often than not walk away from a game with an int. He has 12 int's in 20 games for the Spartans so odds are better to stay away from this talented CB. Owens has done a good job on the other side of the field and actually has one more int that Lowery this season (Lowery has 3 Owens has 4). Fresno State will have to be careful when going to the air because these two men can turn the game around with one play.

Linebackers

Ben Jacobs & Marcus Riley - These are the two single most important men on the Bulldogs defense. Jacobs makes the calls and Riley seems to find himself near the ball every single play. Fresno State uses their LB's to control the running game and have done a very impressive job of shutting down other team's this season in all facets of the game. Look for both Riley and Jacobs to make some noise against San Jose as they are both capable of dominating this game on defense.

Matt Castelo - The Spartans took the field with only one LB on defense last week against Hawaii. Castelo would total 12 tackles in the game as he showed that he can be counted on in the middle of the field. Castelo will play a big role along with Owens and Lowery in stopping the Bulldogs running game. The Spartans will need Castelo to step up and play big in the middle to prevent the Bulldogs from running when they want to. If Castelo can find a way to neutralize the Bulldogs running game San Jose will have a much better chance of winning this game.

Special Teams

A.J. Jefferson and Clifton Smith - Fresno State is explosive both on kickoff and punt returns. A.J. Jefferson leads the nation in kick return average as he take the ball for 33 yards every time he touches it. Clifton Smith showed against Nevada that his shifting is back in gear and he will be hard to bring down if given enough room to roam the field. San Jose may be smart just to kick the ball out of bounds every time because these two can change the course of the game with one kick.

Overall this should be a hard fought game. I am sure I left some players out that can make a difference in the outcome of this game but the blog was running a bit long. Saturday is only two days away and from what I hear our tailgate will have some Spartan fans with us. Here's to a very well played game between two teams that will give their all out there on the football field. Go Dogs.

The Revenge Factor

by nsc

Saturday Fresno State begins a journey against four teams that defeated them in 2006. While the Bulldogs seem to have successfully forgotten about what happened in 2006 there is no way to forget about the teams that beat them during that unfortunate season. This Saturday San Jose State will represent the first team from the WAC that knocked the Bulldogs off in 2006 . Fresno State and San Jose State do not get along well. Aside the two coaches (who seem to have more respect for one another than most coaches do) you would be hard pressed to find players from either team that have anything nice to say about one another. San Jose State fans have nicknamed Fresno State various names such as Tractor U while Fresno State fans generally refer to San Jose State as "San Loser State". Over the past fifteen years Fresno State has owned this series as they have lost one time in that span. However, 2006 would be the one season that the Spartans were able to regain some of the glory from the Bulldogs. However you view the Bulldogs and Spartans one thing is certain about this series: These two teams do not like one another and this Saturday it will become obvious in Bulldogs Stadium.

The Spartans-Bulldogs series seemed to have lost some of it's luster due to the Bulldogs dominating the series for the past fifteen years. But if you were to take a look at the message boards between these two teams you would see there has been very little love lost between the two teams' fan bases. Fresno State fans do not like San Jose State fans. San Jose State fans don't typically like Bulldog fans. In other words the rivalry between the two teams may have taken some time off but it is beginning to heat up once again. Regardless of what you might feel may play a role in the game between the Spartans and Bulldogs on Saturday one factor cannot be ignored: Revenge. Fresno State feels as if they owe San Jose State a beating after they lost to them last year in San Jose. TB played what he called "His worst game as a Bulldog" this past season and wants nothing more than to atone for the mistakes he made in 2006. Brandstater has handled himself well this season and seems to be gaining confidence with each game that passes by. At the same time you have to remember that Fresno State has not been home since their win over La. Tech. Fresno fans cannot wait to see the Bulldogs play after their 2-0 road trip. The Bulldogs sit at the top of the WAC with a 3-0 record and look to make the move back to the top of the conference this season. The next step is to knock off San Jose, something the Dogs seem to want more than anything in the world right now.

The Spartans must realize that they are coming into Bulldog stadium under tough conditions. San Jose may have had one extra day to prepare for the Dogs but their devastating loss to Hawaii may have some affect on team. At the same time maybe the Spartans look at this game against the Bulldogs as a chance to rebound from their tough loss to Hawaii. Although most WAC fans despise June Jones and the Rainbows you would be hard pressed to find a Spartan fan who hasn't named Fresno State enemy #1. If the fans feel this strongly about the Bulldogs then the players surely match that intensity to beat their hated rival. The Spartans look to be a passing team as they throw the ball for over 250 yards per game but only rush for 60 per game. Fresno State's secondary has been impressive this season as they have held opponents to an average of 185 yards passing per game. Tafralis and the Spartans will test the Bulldogs early and often in this game. While Tafralis possesses gaudy stats with respect to passing yards he has thrown nine int's this season. Fresno State is yet to pick off a pass and are hoping San Jose State is the fix for this problem. In the end the Bulldogs are going to have to find a way to pressure Tafralis into making mistakes. If Tafralis is able to relax in the pocket he will have a field day against Fresno State which can only mean bad things when it comes to the final score.

Overall both teams have plenty to play for. The Spartans have now lost a game in the WAC and if they hope to contend for the title they can ill afford to lose a second game. Fresno State is atop the WAC standings now and realize they cannot afford to lose a game either. Because Fresno State lost this game last year I believe they have the advantage if for no other reason than the revenge factor. Fresno State will come down the ramp on Saturday to a sold out homecoming crowd who is once again excited for Bulldog football. J-Mac has invigorated this team and it's fan base with his creativeness and has found a way to open up the offense again as the Bulldogs have scored 49 and 37 points the past two games. If Fresno State can play with the intensity they have shown in the past three games they will control the clock and win this game by two touchdowns. However, if the Dogs make mistakes and turn the ball over more than they take it away they will be in for a fight to the end. Fresno State has everything going for them with respect to momentum. They have won three straight games and seem to be gelling as a team. The players have confidence, the fans have confidence, and the coaching staff has confidence in the Bulldogs. Look for this game to mirror many of the Bulldog-Spartan games before the 2006 season. Fresno State will control the clock and win this game going away in front of a sold out crowd in Bulldog Stadium.

Fresno State 38
San Jose State 17

NSC's .02 on WACky Weekend

by nsc

In all of my years as a college football fan I am not sure I can say I have ever seen a weekend develop the way this past one did for the Western Athletic Conference. Aside the Fresno State-Idaho game the other three games played all went down to the wire with two of them needing overtime to decide a winner. On Friday Hawaii stormed back after being down 14 with four minutes left to defeat San Jose State 42-35 in overtime. While Hawaii is suspect on defense they continue to win and at the end of the day that is all you can do to keep yourself in the WAC race. Saturday La. Tech defeated NMSU 22-21 at home as La. Tech scored the winning touchdown with less than two minutes remaining. Those two games alone would have made for a wonderful WAC weekend but in the end they did not compare to what we were given Sunday night in Boise, Idaho. Boise State and Nevada played a four overtime classic with the Broncos coming away with a 69-67 victory when Tim Brady was able to corral Colin Kaepernick on a two point conversion attempt. You have to give Nevada and their Freshman QB some credit as Boise more often than not destroys WAC teams on their home field. It is not often to have a visiting WAC school take the lead on Boise State with less than four minutes to play and that is exactly what happened last night. However, Boise came away with the win and as I stated earlier in the end all that matters in wins and losses.

While this weekend was exciting it pushed me to begin thinking about which team in the WAC has shown the least amount of weaknesses up to this point. Now remember that when I consider the amount of weakness a team has shown I am only considering their first team defense and offense because generally those are the players who will be in for the majority of each game. Although Hawaii is undefeated there is no way to view them as a strong favorite to run the table. Now that we have seen that Nevada can play with just about anyone in the WAC that game at home against Hawaii is going to be much harder to come away with a victory than first thought. At the same time Hawaii still has Fresno State, Boise State, and Washington on their schedule (although all three are at home). Hawaii has shown that their first team defense is not going to stop anyone. If a team can put pressure on Brennan they will force him to throw early and make mistakes. If Brennan continues to throw multiple interceptions each week it will eventually catch up with him and Hawaii will see a loss for the first time this season. Boise State until last night looked unstoppable. However, it has become obvious that they have containment problems on the outside with respect to the running game. As Fresno State fans we know all about teams that can't stop the outside run (Fresno State couldn't for a good three years in a row until this season). Boise State's games against Fresno State and Hawaii now look far tougher than before as they have to travel for both games. Boise will enter a hostile environment this time around in Fresno as the Bulldogs look to be back on track for the first time in over two seasons.

Fresno State has shown that they can dominate a game and coast to victory. Over the course of their first three games in the WAC the Bulldogs first team defense has given up a total of forty points (6 to La. Tech, 20 to Nevada, 14 to Idaho). If the Dogs first team defense stays in for the course of the game we may see another La. Tech effort as the Bulldogs completely shut down Champion and his offense. Although I realize this is hard to believe the fact is that Fresno State has shown just as few weaknesses as anyone in the WAC up to this point. You can make the argument that we haven't played anyone compared to the other top tier teams in the WAC but we knocked off Nevada rather easily while Boise struggled against them. Hawaii struggled to beat La. Tech a team Fresno defensively controlled their entire game with La. Tech. With San Jose State and Boise State coming to town in the next two weeks the Dogs will see what they are made of. San Jose comes off a defeat where they played maybe their best game of the season. San Jose put a scare in Hawaii and did all they could to knock the Rainbows off on a soggy field in the Silicon valley. Now the Spartans will travel to the Central Valley and try to knock the Bulldogs off for a second straight week. Whether this will happen or not depends on if the Dogs can control the running game once again. For the first three WAC games the Dogs ticket to wins has been their strength in the running game and look for this game to follow suit. However, Fresno State's one glaring weakness has been their offensive continuity. One drive they march down the field with relative ease while the next drive they cannot gain a yard. If the Dogs can find a rhythym on offense it is going to be hard for any team in the WAC to beat them regardless of where the game is played.

As I stated earlier the WAC has been a fun conference to say the least this season. While the overall team talent looks to be down the field of play seems to be much more even than any year in the past. Any one of three teams look like they could walk away with the WAC championship. The deciding factor will be how well these teams protect home field and if those same teams can steal a game from one another on the road. Fresno State has to travel to Hawaii, but remember this Bulldog team has never lost to Hawaii on the island. In fact this Bulldog team is 1-0 against Hawaii on the island (with respect to those who remain from the 2005 team). The WAC is shaping up to give us an exciting finish and for the first time in quite a while Fresno State looks to have just as good a shot at the title as anyone.

BlogPoll Ballot Week 8

I didn't vote last week, but here is this week's ballot. Any sugestions for changes?

Rank	Team	Delta
1	South Florida	25
2	Ohio State	24
3	LSU	23
4	South Carolina	22
5	Kentucky	21
6	Boston College	20
7	Arizona State	19
8	Oklahoma	18
9	California	17
10	Oregon	16
11	West Virginia	15
12	Missouri	14
13	Auburn	13
14	Florida	12
15	Kansas	11
16	Tennessee	10
17	Texas Tech	9
18	Southern Cal	8
19	Virginia Tech	7
20	Cincinnati	6
21	Kansas State	5
22	Georgia	4
23	Michigan	3
24	Texas	2
25	Penn State	1

Dropped Out:

NSC Talks Expansion

by nsc

Expansion: The Mountain West Twelve

Now I realize that talking about expansion with respect to Fresno State is a topic that has been covered many times by Barkboard posters. However, I have never once written a blog on expansion and my ideas for it (which generally copy what many other Bulldog fans picture with respect to expansion). I believe the best move that can be made with respect to any type of expansion is for Fresno State and two other schools (Hawaii, Boise State) to leave the WAC and join the Mountain West Conference. I know many Bulldog fans hate the MWC for abandoning us the way they did but let me be the first to say that the WAC is a terrible conference. The WAC is not horrible because of the teams at the top or even the teams in the middle. The WAC is terrible because the bottom tier is so bad that three of the four generally end up in ESPN's bottom ten. Idaho, Utah State, La. Tech, and even NMSU have looked god awful this season. Aside La. Tech the other three schools generally are quite bad year in and year out. Below is how I would split up the two conferences with a championship game at the end of the season.

Western Division
Fresno State
Boise State
Hawaii
San Diego State
UNLV
New Mexico

Mountain Divison
BYU
Utah
Air Force
Colorado State
Wyoming
TCU

I am sure it is obvious that I made up the names for the two divisions. I chose to put New Mexico in the Western region because they do not share a true rival with any of the teams in the Mountain Division. You can make the argument that each team should have a true rival but if that were the case then TCU would have never been added as a school to this conference. Now realize that I am only proposing this type of expansion with respect to college football. I am not trying to relate this to any other sport nor do I have the desire to cover those sports. I feel like this conference above would not only help with recruiting but would also help with the big picture. If this twelve team conference were formed there would be that opportunity to create a BCS birth for the overall winner of the conference. I realize many of you want to see a playoff but this may be the one guaranteed way to get a mid major into a BCS game every single year. Sure our chances of making it are 1 out of 12 but isn't that far better than what the BCS offers us right now? At the same time we would not be forced to go undefeated to qualifiy for a BCS game.

In the end I realize this is a dream that I am proposing. I just know there is something better out there not only for the Bulldogs but for teams such as Boise State. Being in the WAC will continue to hurt us for many years to come. If the Mountain West were expanded you could then play all five teams in your division and have a rotation of three teams from the other division every year. Could you imagine a league schedule for Fresno State that included: San Diego State, Hawaii, Boise State, UNLV, New Mexico, BYU, TCU, and Wyoming? Now tell me that isn't a huge upgrade in scheduling within our own league. Like I said I realize it's a dream but does anyone else out there have any ideas or thoughts on what might be best for the Bulldogs down the line? Share them in the comments section here.