WAC Rundown Week 2

Hawaii (0-1) @ Army (1-0)
Saturday, 9 a.m., CBSCS
Last week: USC 49, Hawaii 36 / Army 31, Eastern Michigan 27
This ain't (is that a word?) the same Bryant Moniz we saw last year QBin' Hawaii. He was well on pace to throw for 300 yards against USC in a 13-point loss last week before getting hurt. The question is, will he play this week? Strangely, there's no word one way or another on Hawaii's game notes (seems suspicious). Last time Army faced the Warriors, Hawaii set a school record for yardage in a blowout win in 2003. This time it's in the eastern time zone, the farthest from home Hawaii has been since 1975. But something tells me even if backup QBs Brent Rausch or Shane Austin have to play, the Warriors' offense will be too much.
Prediction: Hawaii

San Jose State (0-1) @ No. 11 Wisconsin (1-0)
Saturday, 9 a.m., ESPN
Last week: No. 1 Alabama 48, San Jose State 3 / No. 12 Wisconsin 41, UNLV 21
Credit San Jose State for playing a mighty tough non-conference schedule, but this is different than Fresno State scheduling tough early-season games -- for the Spartans they're body-baggers. San Jose State has lost 13 straight games against ranked opponents, and the closest its come in its last six road games against Top 25 teams was a 42-7 loss at then-No. 21 Boise State in 2007. We still don't know if Wisconsin is for real this year, but it's definitely for real enough to brutalize San Jose State at Camp Randall.
Prediction: Wisconsin

Idaho (1-0) @ No. 6 Nebraska (1-0)
Saturday, 9:30 a.m., FSNPPV
Last week: Idaho 45, North Dakota 0 / No. 8 Nebraska 49, Western Kentucky 10
Don't be overly fooled by Idaho's beatdown of a non-FBS team last week. The Vandals won't have as good a record as they did last season, even though they've got similar talent (sans first-round pick Mike Iupati of the 49ers). Nebraska has its most hype in about a decade and will overwhelm Idaho in Lincoln.
Prediction: Nebraska

Louisiana Tech (1-0) @ Texas A&M (1-0)
Saturday, 6 p.m., None
Last week: Louisiana Tech 20, Grambling State 6 / Texas A&M 48, Stephen F. Austin 7
The Male Techsters are still trying to figure out their own offense under first-year coach Sonny Dykes, who aims to spread it out more than his predecessor (he is a disciple of Mike Leach after all). With transfers all over the offense at skill positions, La Tech didn't have much to show for it against weak competition in its opener. And starting QB Ross Jenkins threw for just 101 yards, though he was efficient going 15 of 19. It'd be a shocker if this Tech team was up to par for a game in College Station. Oh, and Texas A&M is 9-0 all-time against the Dude Techsters, including a 45-14 beating in 2006.
Prediction: Texas A&M

San Diego State (1-0) @ New Mexico State (0-0)
Saturday, 5 p.m., AggieVision/Altitude 2/ESPN GamePlan
Last week: San Diego State 47, Nicholls State 0 / New Mexico State bye
Get ready to rub your eyes, wait for the blurriness to subside and repeat. San Diego State is about to start the season 2-0 for the first time since 1994. New Mexico State is one of just three FBS teams that didn't play last week, so we don't really know what to expect -- well, besides its usual loss in a football game.
Prediction: San Diego State

Idaho State (1-0) @ Utah State (1-0)
Saturday, 5 p.m., None
Last week: Idaho State 32, Montana-Western 3 / No. 7 Oklahoma 31, Utah State 24
If this game were on TV, I'd say tune in Fresno State fans. But it's not so I can't. The Bulldogs play the Aggies in Logan next week -- the same Aggies team that darn near pulled off its greatest win ever at Oklahoma last week. But they didn't. And now they go to the other side of the college football spectrum to play Idaho State. The only way Idaho State slows QB Diondre Borel enough to win this one is if the Aggies look real, real quick at the ISU logo (depicting a tiger) and mistake it for LSU (you know, because lower case 'l' looks like upper case "I"). Let's see how this strategy works out for them ...
Prediction: Utah State

Colorado State (0-1) @ Nevada (1-0)
Saturday, 7:30 p.m., ESPNU
Last week: Colorado 24, Colorado State 3 / Nevada 49, Eastern Washington 24
A rough, rather embarrassing start for Colorado State last week heading into a game against arguably a better team in Nevada. But the Rams beat Nevada last season (somehow). Wolf Pack QB Colin Kaepernick and RB Vai Taua had better not slip up again this season. With Kaepernick departing, who knows when the Wolf Pack will have another chance to compete for a conference crown? The Rams are starting true freshman QB Pete Thomas, and have lost 10 straight since beating Nevada last season.
Prediction: Nevada

Bye: Fresno State, Boise State

WAC rundown Week 3

***Note: Shucks, there goes my undefeated streak of WAC picks. And wouldn't ya know it Fresno State's double-overtime loss to Wisconsin last week is the only blemish on my record so far this year. I hope to bounce back strong, but I also hope I lose on my 'Dogs-boise state pick this week.

No. 10 Boise State (2-0) @ Fresno State (1-1)
Friday, 6 p.m., ESPN
Last week: Wisconsin 34, Fresno State 31 (2OT)
Make no mistake, Fresno State fans are disgusted by the Broncos -- they wouldn't mind a similar WAC winning mark, but overall the feeling is disgust. Boise State has won seven of the past eight in the series, with the last loss coming in 2005 at Bulldog Stadium, 27-7. The series remains a mystery, as Fresno State always seems to have an edge on paper, but never in the score book. Until that trend starts to change, and someone figures out how the Broncos execute so flawlessly, we've gotta pick the other way.
Prediction: Boise State

Nevada (0-1) @ Colorado State (2-0)
Saturday, 2 p.m.
Last week: Nevada bye
Nevada's preseason hype came to a humbling crash in a 35-0 opening loss at Notre Dame. The Wolf Pack got a week off to think about it, and now faces what appears to be a tougher test than people realized two weeks ago -- an undefeated Rams team fresh off wins against Colorado and Weber State (albeit by one point). But Nevada won't get shut out again, and will flat outscore the Rams.
Prediction: Nevada

San Diego State (1-1) @ Idaho (1-1)
Saturday, 2 p.m.
Last week: Washington 42, Idaho 23
Signs point to a new era at lowly San Diego State, where things have never been quite as lowly as they have in Idaho. The Aztecs, under new coach Brady Hoke, have renewed discipline and beat Idaho 42-17 last season. They did, however, lose in Moscow in 2002. But don't expect a repeat. Idaho coach Robb Akey has four wins in his three-year career.
Prediction: San Diego State

Nicholls State (1-1) @ Louisiana Tech (0-2)
Saturday, 4 p.m.
Last week: Navy 32, Louisiana Tech 14
There's no way a Nicholls State team (sorry don't know their nickname so couldn't use it) that lost 72-0 in the opener at Air Force, can beat a team with the athletes La Tech has. Chalk up the first win of the year for those other Bulldogs as they try to rebound from losses at Auburn and Navy.
Prediction: Louisiana Tech

Utah State (0-1) @ Texas A&M (1-0)
Saturday, 4 p.m.
Last week: Utah State bye
The WAC Aggies had a bye last week to prepare as it tries to win its first road game in eight tries. Though these two teams have never met, the Big 12 Aggies are riding high off a bye week as well -- only their bye follows a 41-6 thumping of New Mexico. For a team that struggles as much as Utah State does on the road, it would be unthinkable to pull off a win in such a hostile environment.
Prediction: Texas A&M

UTEP (0-2) @ New Mexico State (1-1)
Saturday, 4 p.m.
Last week: New Mexico State 21, Prairie View A&M 18
Wow, the Aggies might literally be the worst team in the country. Let's hope Dwayne Walker can turn this program around and stop embarrassing the WAC. UTEP has already dropped two decisions to Buffalo and No. 24 Kansas, and awaits No. 2 Texas and No. 21 Houston after this one. It'll be a dreadful start to the season if the Miners can't win this one.
Prediction: UTEP

San Jose State (0-2) @ Stanford (1-1)
Saturday, 6 p.m.
Last week: No. 17 Utah 24, San Jose State 14
The Spartans are playing quarterback shuffle again with Jordan La Secla and Kyle Reed, and the team was competitive against a ranked Utah squad. The problem with San Jose State remains offense (save for the 56 points USC dropped on 'em). Jim Harbaugh will have Stanford's offense ready to score enough to outlast the Spartans, who last beat Stanford in 2006.
Prediction: Stanford

Hawaii (2-0) @ UNLV (1-1)
Saturday, 8 p.m., CBS College Sports
Last week: Hawaii 38, Washington State 20
UNLV is improved, and gave Oregon State a huge scare last week before losing on a last-second field goal, but Hawaii QB Greg Alexander caught fire in beating a Pac-10 team (that probably shouldn't be) on the road last week. Would be an easy Hawaii win if it were on the islands, but the desert will keep it close. Two road wins in a row for the Warriors? Unheard of.
Prediction: Hawaii