Choke. Gag. Collapse. Any negative word you want to attach to the final few games of the Fresno State season can apply.

For all the bluster and all the big talk about playing anyone, anywhere, any time, Fresno State hasn't won the WAC championship since 1999, and it has never won it outright.

Oh sure, the program has played well against the biggest of the big boys highlighted by a huge scare thrown into USC last season, but much of the national reputation has been built on beating mediocre BCS conference teams (2004 Washington, 2004 Kansas State, and 2001 Wisconsin), or coming close against great teams (2005 Oregon and USC) without coming away with wins.

Of course Fresno State wants to play anyone, anywhere; it's a no-risk proposition. If the Bulldogs lose to a big-time team, no one thinks much about it, But a win, or a close loss, and head coach Pat Hill tells anyone who'll listen, and many who won't, how his team deserves respect, and then the national attention follows.

While all that's great since a program like Fresno State needs all the promotion it can get, there hasn't been enough substance behind the hype. Does all the focus and all the attention on playing the big name teams take away from the concentration on winning the WAC title? After all, how can you get up for playing Nevada when you've come within an eyelash of beating the number one team in the nation? 

The bigger question becomes whether or not Hill can get his team up for every game. A long college football season requires a team to be steady and to know when to turn on the emotion and when to focus on the potential landmines. Of course Hill and his staff can coach, and the USC and Oregon games proved that this is a talented enough program to play with anyone, so how do you possibly explain a home loss to Louisiana Tech with the WAC title on the line and a bowl loss to a good, but not great, Tulsa team? How do you explain an 0-3 start to the 2004 WAC season?

This year's team is good enough to win the WAC title even though Boise State is loaded and Nevada, Hawaii and Louisiana Tech are good. If a steady quarterback emerges from the three-way race between Tom Brandstater, Sean Norton and Ryan Colburn, the passing game will be explosive. The running game will be great with Dwayne Wright returning from a knee injury to work behind a big and talented line. The receiving corps is great, the defense is the best in the WAC, and the special teams are easily the best in the conference.

If, and it's a huge, screaming if, Fresno State can beat Oregon and pull off a shocker at LSU, the potential is there with the new BCS format to be in the hunt for a big money game even at 11-1. While that might sound like crazy talk, that's the positive potential of taking on a nasty schedule. Of course, the BCS isn't going to happen without winning the WAC.

The Schedule: The plus: Oregon, Nevada, and Hawaii all have to come to Fresno. The minus: back-to-back road games at LSU and Boise State. Fortunately for the Bulldogs, even losses to the Tigers and Broncos won't mean a big slide with home games against New Mexico State and Idaho to follow. The opening two games against Nevada and Oregon will set the tone for the year, while the third game, at an improved Washington, will be big to see how strong the team will be on the road.

What you need to know on offense ... There should be an excellent mix of a deep passing attack with a steady running game despite the loss of top running backs Wendell Mathis and Bryson Sumlin along with quarterback Paul Pinegar. Dwayne Wright returns from missing most of the last two years with a knee injury to lead the ground game, and he should run wild behind Kyle Young and a tremendous offensive line. Paul Williams and Joe Fernandez form an excellent 1-2 receiving punch, but they need a steady passer to get them the ball. Quarterback options Tom Brandstater, Sean Norton, and Ryan Colburn can all bomb, but they have to prove they can be consistent.

Best Offensive Player: Senior C Kyle Young. He's big, he's talented, and he'll soon be really rich. The 330-pound senior can play center or guard at the next level, and will be in the hunt for the Rimington Award and All-America honors this season as the leader of a strong line.

What you need to know on defense ... The Fresno State defense led the WAC in every appreciable category last year and will be close to as good despite the loss of three All-WAC stars in DT Garrett McIntyre, CB Richard Marshall, and FS Tyrone Culver. The linebacking corps will be the early strength for the ultra-aggressive D with Dwayne Andrews certain to be in the hunt for WAC Defensive Player of the Year. The secondary will be great after the two open spots are secures, and the line should be better against the run with a pair of 330 pounders at tackle.

Best Defensive Player: Senior LB Dwayne Andrews. Don't go handing over the WAC Defensive Player of the Year honors to Boise State linebacker Korey Hall quite yet. Andrews is due for a huge season as the quarterback of the WAC's best defense. A few more splashy stats will put him in the mix for several post-season awards.

Key player to a successful season: Sophomore QB Tom Brandstater. Sophomore Sean Norton and freshman Ryan Colburn will each get their chances at the starting gig, but Brandstater will likely be the day one starter against Nevada.The big sophomore has a live arm and should make some big, big plays with a veteran receiving corps to work with. The key will be consistency needing to keep the chains moving and not give away too many interceptions.

The season will be a success if ... Fresno State wins the WAC title. It has to be the goal. Playing well against Oregon and LSU would be icing on the cake compared to finally getting over the hump and becoming the outright best team in the league.

Key game: Nov. 1 at Boise State. The Bulldogs finally got over the hex the Broncos held over them, and then proceeded to lose the final four games of the year. Fresno State hasn't beaten Boise State in Boise since 1984, and it can't win the WAC title without coming away with a win this year.

2005 Fun Stats:
- Sacks: Fresno State 34 for 217 yards - Opponents 14 for 92 yards
- Penalties: Fresno State 105 for 944 yards - Opponents 69 for 623 yards
- Punt return average: Fresno State 18.6 yards per return - Opponents 5.7 yards per return