Author: Jono

Reality Check

by Jono

With this week’s addition of Hawaii as a full member, the MW looks as though it has stabilized and will live to see another round of realignment. It was a wild few weeks with surprises (Utah State jumping to the PacX at the last second!), intrigue (will the AAC schools stay or leave?), and an incredible amount of anxiety that certain schools will be left in an awful situation. Thankfully, the Lobos don’t have to wonder about where their future lies anymore, but there were nights where there was legitimate concern.

As much pride we take in the Lobos and the University, I can’t help but think that this round of realignment was a massive reality check as to where we actually stand in the overall pecking order.

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Estimating the UNM (and Other MW Teams) Bowl Probabilities

by Jono

We’re now a few weeks into the 2021 college football season and, despite the rough loss to Texas A&M this past weekend, I can’t help but feel a tinge of something that I haven’t felt in the past few years of Lobo football: hope. Make no mistake, this Lobo team isn’t anywhere near where Coach Gonzales plans to take the program, but based on what we’ve seen already and the schedule ahead, I started to wonder if the Lobos had a reasonable chance to be bowl eligible this year. After the past four years where that didn’t seem like a realistic thing to even be pondering, it felt weird, and good, to have that cross my mind again. So, I decided to go back to some of the previous posts I did to simulate the results of the season based on current win probabilities and see what the Lobo chances are looking like.

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The New, New College Sports Landscape

by Jono

In what would feel like an unprecedented event if it didn’t seem to happen every couple of years, there’s been another seismic shift in the college sports landscape. However, this one feels like the beginning to something bigger and will likely have serious ramifications for the future prospects of many universities, including UNM. In fact, it seems like such a big deal that I actually decided to come out of whatever rock I’ve been hiding under and start writing again.

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Lobo Football at NMSU Scattered Thoughts

by Jono

It’s rivalry week, as the Lobos head down to Las Cruces to take on the Aggies for the 109th meeting between these two programs. Historically, the series has been lopsided, with the Lobos having an all-time record of 70-33-5 against the Aggies. That in itself makes it seem less like a rivalry and more like when I would dominate Zach in basketball when we were kids (let’s see if he reads this). However, the last two years have seen the Lobos play sloppy games that resulted in close losses to the Aggies, so recently, things have felt a lot tighter.

This year, neither program feels like it’s in great shape. The Lobos have been subject to tough financial situations, some coach controversies, and just a rough season in the past year. The Aggies, on the other hand, won their first bowl game in forever right before they were set to get kicked out of their conference. Still, it’s a rivalry game and it means something regardless of how good the programs are. I’d certainly prefer to not lose to the Aggies for the third straight year.

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Lobo Football 2018 Season Preview

by Jono

After a long, eventful offseason, Lobo Football starts back up this weekend with a home game against Incarnate Word. Going into the year, the team has to answer some huge questions. Can they bounce back from a down season? Can they recapture fan support? And can they make a bowl game this year? It’s going to be a very interesting season.

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UNM Regents Vote to Ax Sports

by Jono

Yesterday was a rough day. UNM AD Eddie Nuñez and President Garnett Stokes proposed a series of cuts to the athletic department that were unanimously adopted by the board of regents. These cuts included the reduction of scholarships in some sports and, in the case of Skiing, Beach Volleyball, and Men’s Soccer, complete elimination. The cuts were deemed necessary to fulfill budgetary and Title IX requirements, but they really don’t sit well regardless.

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2018 Men’s Basketball MWC Tournament Preview

by Jono

After 10 weeks of Mountain West play, it’s finally time for the MW Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament in Las Vegas! Zach will be on the scene giving updates and reports all week, but before that happens, here is our preview of each of the 11 teams in the conference, including each team’s road to a championship, and what I think about their uniforms.

Also, if you haven’t already, be sure to enter our MWC Bracket Challenge! There’s even a prize this year!

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A Discussion About College Football

by Jono

The FBS Season wrapped up on Monday with Alabama beating Georgia, earning the Crimson Tide yet another National Championship. That is, unless you ask the folks out in Orlando, who believe the National Championship was decided the week before, when UCF finished their perfect season. That started us emailing back and forth about some of the flaws that we see in the sport, particularly in regard to how the playing field is tilted such that so-called Group of 5 schools, like UNM, have a nearly impossible path to even compete for the National Championship. Here is our discussion on the matter:

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