The Mountain West seemed poised to send a member to a New Year's Six bowl game in 2016, but a surprising early season loss by San Diego State and an October conference defeat by Boise State ended those chances before Halloween had ever arrived.
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This fall, all eyes will be on Wyoming starting QB Josh Allen who many are predicting could be taken with the first pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
In the meantime, feast your eyes on these Mountain West helmets ranked from 12th to 1st and see if you agree with our choices.
Note: These rankings are for each team's standard helmets. We'll be ranking the best overall Group of 5 alternate helmets soon. In the meantime, check out our helmet rankings for the AAC, Conference USA, Sun Belt Conference and MAC.
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12. UNLV
With a one-of-a-kind nickname like the Runnin' Rebels and a mascot with the sweetest 'stache in college football, UNLV can be much more creative than this.
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Schutt[/credit]
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11. Air Force
Effective and gets the job done — just like the Air Force itself.
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The Speedy Cheetah[/credit]
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10. Fresno State
Tell me this doesn't look like the cartoon character Chester from Looney Toons.
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Fresno State Athletics[/credit]
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9. Utah State
The gorgeous matte finish keep the Aggies from finish near the bottom of our list.
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Schutt[/credit]
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8. San Jose State
SJSU would've been ranked lower, but we dig the spear that goes from the helmet's base to the facemask.
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Inside the Spartans[/credit]
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7. New Mexico
There's just something a little off here on what would otherwise be a pretty unique logo. Maybe it's the Arena-football-inspired-funky-diamond-shaped lobo?
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FootballHelmets.com[/credit]
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6. Hawaii
We love the colors on Hawaii's helmets, but nothing will ever top its old-school look.
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Schutt[/credit]
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5. San Diego State
Whether it's the most original, jaw-dropping alternate helmets in the FBS or it's standard headgear, the Aztecs consistently get it done.
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The Speedy Cheetah[/credit]
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4. Nevada
A simplistic yet menacing silhouette done right by the University of Nevada.
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Schutt[/credit]
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3. Wyoming
This is easily the most difficult helmet to rank in the Mountain West.
Either you think this traditional outline of a cowboy riding a horse is a little piece of Americana or about as hokey as it gets.
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College Football News[/credit]
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2. Colorado State
Did you know the NFL's Los Angeles Rams were the first team ever to paint a logo on the side of a football helmet?
Colorado State is wise in not messing with this classic look.
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FootballHelmets.com[/credit]
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1. Boise State
CSU would have claimed the 1# spot had it not been for Boise State's sweet redesign in 2010.
Without these Nike-created lids, the Broncos would have surely secured the #12 spot with the cartoon-like logos they used to sport.
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Riddell[/credit]
