The Good, the Bad, the Ugly: Offensive Preview
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Happy Tuesday, readers! We are now only a few weeks away from our first weekend of college football, and we are going to start our deep dive into previewing the top offenses and defenses in the PAC 12 and Mountain West. Before we begin, I want to say thank you to everyone who has followed “ The Good, the Bad, the Ugly” for the past eight years. This weekly feature is continuing for it’s ninth season, but it is going to look a little different moving forward. This year we will focus on more of a grade-based system (that may change in the off-season). It gives me a chance to provide more accurate assessments of the teams I’m covering. Hopefully it will add a new perspective to these articles. With that being said, this week’s edition of “The Good, the Bad, the Ugly” is going to dive into some offensive units from the PAC 12 and Mountain West.
A Tier
Boise State
The Broncos struggled with consistency on the offensive side of the ball last season. However, that should not be a problem this fall. Boise State has a healthy offensive line, one of the deepest running back rooms in the nation, and a healthy senior quarterback that has plenty of experience under his belt. If Maddux Madsen can take the next step as a leader of this team and stay healthy, this offense should have what it takes to lead the Broncos back to the College Football Playoff.
UNLV
I went back and forth on where to place the Rebels. I’m not sold on Jackson Arnold being anywhere near as productive as Anthony Colandrea, but this team should be really good on the offensive line and have the best running back in the Mountain West in Jai’Den Thomas. Arnold doesn’t have to be perfect for this offense to be really good; he just needs to be above average. If Arnold can put up respectable numbers along with Thomas and the offensive line staying healthy, this team should have a championship offense.
B Tier
Texas State
The Bobcats probably have more upside offensively than any team on this list and have, arguably, the top two offensive weapons in quarterback Brad Jackson and wide receiver Beau Sparks. This team fails to receive a preseason grade of an “A” because they have a variety of question marks at running back and on the offensive line. It will also be interesting to see how their offensive weapons do against a more challenging schedule.
Hawaii
The Rainbow Warriors have, arguably, the best quarterback of any team on this list in sophomore gunslinger Micah Alejado. Alejado fits the Hawaii offense perfectly with his quick decision-making skills and his ability to extend plays with his legs if needed. This is a pass first offense, but they need to do a better job of protecting their quarterback and running the football if they want to finish the season ahead of teams like UNLV and Boise State.
C Tier
Washington State
The Cougars are a bit of an unknown with new head coach Kirby Moore, but Moore has a good eye for offensive talent and has a good track record of working with quarterbacks. I’m a big fan of UC Davis transfer Caden Pinnick and think he has the potential to be one of the best quarterbacks in the PAC 12. The Cougars also have some solid options at wide receiver, but the success of this squad will likely come down to how it develops talent on the offensive line.
New Mexico
I’ve seen a lot of people hype up quarterback Jack Layne and even consider him a trendy pick for Conference Player of the Year. Frankly, I don’t see it. There were times last season where it felt like quarterback play was what kept a good team from becoming great. If Layne takes the next step and running back Scottre Humphrey can live up to expectations, this team should win the Mountain West Championship. But I’m skeptical.
D Tier
San Diego State
The Aztecs have dealt with the same problems for quite some time. Their defenses almost always rank at or near the top of the conference, but the offense sputters and keeps them from winning or contending for a conference championship. The Aztecs will have a solid rushing attack with Lucky Sutton leading the way, but the passing game is a significant question mark. If this team can be competent in the passing game and feature star wide receiver Jordan Napier, they have an excellent shot to compete for the PAC 12 championship.
San Jose State
Last season, the Spartans were expected to have one of the best offenses in the Mountain West, but they struggled with being inconsistent and had almost no rushing attacks. Sure, they want to air the ball out, but if this program wants to get back on track, they have to have a consistent threat in the running game. One of the reasons I’m skeptical of this group is the uncertainty around the quarterback position. We have only seen a small sample size of Hawaii transfer Luke Weaver. If he can play like he did in relief of Micah Alejado, the Spartans will have a chance to be competitive in the Mountain West.
F Tier
Colorado State
This was a tough one. Last season was an outlier for the Rams. They played much of the season with an interim head coach and were trotting out a different quarterback almost every week. Now they have a new head coach and a transfer quarterback that should be a significant improvement. However, this roster is still missing the star power that almost every squad in the Mountain West has.
Wyoming
Nobody should be surprised to see the Cowboys ranked lower than anyone. This has been an issue that plagued the Cowboys for years. They have a defense that is at or near championship caliber most seasons, but scoring 20 points is usually a massive challenge for this squad. If the Cowboys want to return to being a program that plays in a bowl game every season, they need to be respectable on offense. If the struggle continues, Jay Sawvel will be looking for a new job and the Cowboys need to consider a change in the culture of their program.
What grade would you give your team’s offense? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
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