Preseason Poll Primer
In fact, those three schools have accounted for eight of the ten outright MWC Football championships won since the league was formed in 1999 (with BYU and Utah also sharing a title in a three-way tie in '99). The only other institution to claim a conference crown? Colorado State, which won the league outright in 2000 and 2002, and shared a crown in '99.
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It's been a while, but there was a time when the Rams were the fashionable pick to win the MWC, tabbed by preseason voters to capture the conference championship in three straight years, from 2001 through 2003.
Here's the rundown of MWC preseason favorites, by school and number of times picked to win the league:
TCU: 3 times (2006, 2007, 2009)
Utah: 3 times (2000, 2004, 2005)
CSU: 3 times (2001, 2002, 2003)
BYU: 2 times (1999, 2008)
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TCU is a lock to be the preseason pick in 2010, giving them early bragging rights for the fourth time in six seasons of league membership.
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Here's the rundown of MWC Football championships, by school and number of times having won the league:
BYU: 4 times (1999*, 2001, 2006, 2007)
Utah: 4 times (1999*, 2003, 2004, 2008)
CSU: 3 times (1999*, 2000, 2002)
TCU: 2 times (2005, 2009)
(* shared league title in a three-way tie)
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By the way, preseason pollsters have picked the eventual winner four times in 11 years, with BYU (1999-share), TCU (2009), Utah (2004) and CSU (2002) each winning once when picked to take the league title.
Last year, the media picked 1st through 4th place correctly, and were within one placement spot on three other teams. The only real "misses" last season were Wyoming (picked 9th; finished 5th) and CSU (picked 6th; finished 9th).
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I'm headed to Las Vegas for MWC Football Media Days later this morning--look for my reports on "Cougar Tracks" and via Twitter; follow me at twitter.com/gregwrubell.
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"TRUE BLUE NEVER FADES. BYU FOOTBALL ON KSL."
