Balance making for tight finish

The Mountain West Conference, desperate for some respect in the BCS-ruled college football world, would love to have at least one of its members ranked in the top 25 of the national polls.

For that reason, Utah losing at home to New Mexico last week was another disappointment. Colorado State and Air Force had similarly short stays in the rankings earlier this season. Now the MWC doesn't have a single team anywhere near the top 25, and it will probably take several weeks for another team to break into the rankings — if then.

But while parity may not be good for the MWC's hopes of getting teams nationally ranked, it does make for an interesting conference title race down the stretch.

"We have four one-loss teams all playing each other over the next three weeks, so it's going to make for an exciting finish," MWC commissioner Craig Thompson said.

Indeed, half of the eight teams in the league still have a realistic chance of winning at least a share of the league championship.

"Everybody in the conference has a single loss and it's almost like starting all over again," Air Force coach Fisher DeBerry said.

Actually, four teams have more than a single loss in league play. BYU, UNLV and San Diego State each have three league losses and are, while not mathematically, realistically out of the conference title race. Wyoming has just two losses, but few expect the lowly Cowboys to win the rest of their games.

That leaves four teams with one loss each at the top of the standings gunning for the chance to play on New Year's Eve in the Liberty Bowl against the champion of Conference-USA, likely currently unbeaten TCU.

Utah and Air Force, which play each other Saturday morning in Colorado Springs, are each 3-1 with three league games remaining. Colorado State and New Mexico are 2-1 with four games left each.

The Lobos, who fell off the radar screen a bit after starting the year 1-3 overall, including a MWC-opening home loss to BYU, appear to be the team to beat — believe it or not. New Mexico, winner of four straight for the first time since 1997, has the most favorable schedule the rest of the way. New Mexico's toughest games are at home — against UNLV, Colorado State and Air Force. The Lobos' only road game will be to finish the season at usual MWC cellar-dweller Wyoming.