The WAC is a conference undergoing some big changes. After losing Boise State, and preparing to lose some other key members, this was the final stand for a conference that is trending downward. The WAC managed to get three teams in to bowl games this season and despite lacking a true threat the conference put together three good games against superior competition.
Unfortunately you don't get credit in the win column for a good effort. The WAC was the lone conference to not win a bowl game. Here is a brief overview of the WAC's bowl performances this season.
Best Win: No wins
Worst Loss: Utah State, Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
The unfortunate theme of the season for Utah State seemed to be late losses. This game was no different. Leading 23-10 midway through the third quarter against the MAC's Ohio, the Aggies gave up a 44-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarter and then gave up a one-yard touchdown run with 13 seconds remaining in the game.
This was probably the WAC's best chance to pick up a win this postseason, and it slipped through Utah State's fingers in the final minute.
The Biggest Game: Louisiana Tech, Poinsettia Bowl (L)
The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs were excited to make a bowl trip, and going up against a TCU team that was in a BCS game each of the past two seasons made for one of the most intriguing match-ups of the bowl season, at least as far as the WAC was concerned. The Bulldogs more than held their own against a solid program like TCU but they saw just how they stack up against where they want to be moving forward.
Results
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Ohio 24, Utah State 23
Poinsettia Bowl: TCU 31, Louisiana Tech 24
Hawaii Bowl: Southern Mississippi 24, Nevada 17
Conference-By-Conference Breakdown
- 0-1 vs. Conference USA
- 0-1 vs. MAC
- 0-1 vs. Mountain West
Overall Grade: C
We'll give the WAC some credit here. All three bowl games were decided by one possession, so the WAC put up a fight in all three contests. Going in to the postseason the WAC was already a big underdog. They did not have many opportunities of course, but they put on a solid showing despite coming up shy of a single win.
Kevin McGuire is a national college football writer for Examiner.com and the host of the No 2-Minute Warning podcast. He can be reached at cfbexaminer@gmail.com.
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