Time for big games in WAC, MWC

So it's finally here, the week of the big game. Is everybody excited for the huge Nevada-Boise State matchup?

Actually that could be a pretty good game between a couple of teams that haven't lost since September (or in Boise's case, since last December). They are two of the highest-scoring teams in America with Boise averaging 44 points a game and Nevada 41. Nevada leads the nation in rushing offense and is No. 2 in total offense, where Boise State ranks No. 9.

The Friday night matchup has all the makings of a 55-50 shootout. I'd take Nevada, but since it is being played on the blue turf in Boise, I'll go with the Broncos.

The real big game on Saturday features Utah at BYU. It marks the first time in history that the two schools have gone into a late-season game with identical overall (9-2) and conference (6-1) records.

It's always a big game for the rival schools and the fans, but it won't have the same expectations as last year when the two came into the game with a combined record of 21-1, the best ever in the long rivalry with a BCS bowl game on the line for Utah.

Could this be the year the Cougars lay a whipping on the Utes in Provo like they did on a regular basis in the 1970s and 1980s? They're overdue since the Utes have dominated in Provo recently, winning six of the last eight meetings with BYU's two victories both coming in the waning minutes, the 24-21 "Luke Staley" win in 2001 and the "4th-and-18" victory in 2007.

It looks like Utah and BYU are locked into the Las Vegas (Dec. 22) and Poinsettia (Dec. 23) bowls with TCU, barring the upset of the century against one-win New Mexico this week, headed to a BCS bowl bid. But which school will go to which bowl?

It makes sense for Utah to go to the Las Vegas Bowl and BYU to go to San Diego. Utah hasn't been to the Las Vegas Bowl in eight years, since it beat Carson Palmer and USC, while BYU has never been to the Poinsettia Bowl and has played in Las Vegas four years in a row. Whether they admit it or not, BYU players and coaches are sick of going to Las Vegas every year, as are the fans. A poll on KSL.com asked which bowl fans would prefer and nearly 70 percent chose San Diego.

However, if BYU beats Utah this week, would the Las Vegas Bowl be able to justify passing on BYU to get third-place Utah? Well, the bowl did that last year when it passed on higher-ranked TCU, allowing it to play Boise State in the Poinsettia Bowl, and took BYU. If Utah wins this week, it will make the Las Vegas Bowl's decision easy.