Wyoming Cowboys picked sixth in preseason Mountain West media poll

LAS VEGAS – The expectations for the Cowboys outside the locker room are not high.
Wyoming, despite having more first-team all-conference selections than any team, was picked to finish sixth in the preseason Mountain West media poll released Wednesday.
That’s one spot ahead of rebuilding Border War rival Colorado State.
"Same as last year. I don’t know if we were last or second-to-last, but it was the same question: Do you think you’ll surprise people?" UW middle linebacker Easton Gibbs, the preseason MW defensive player of the year, said of the poll. "I think it just gives us another chip on the shoulder. It’s always nice to keep stacking those chips and getting ready to go into the year.
"I think it should be a good run for us this year and I think we’ll have some fun."
The Pokes were picked fifth in the Mountain Division in 2022 but finished second behind Boise State after losing in excruciating fashion to the Broncos.
Boise State, which garnered 28 first-place votes, is the favorite to win the MW championship as the conference begins a new era without divisions.
Air Force (two first-place votes), reigning champion Fresno State (five first-place votes), San Diego State (one first-place vote) and San Jose State were also picked to finish ahead of the Cowboys.
"I think as a team we don’t really look at that. We’ll take it with a grain of salt for sure," quarterback Andrew Peasley, who joined Gibbs to represent UW at Wednesday's MW media day even at Circa Resort & Casino, said of being voted sixth. "We’ve just got to do what we do. I think we were picked near (the bottom) last year. Obviously, we were in the championship run.
"We do us and we’ll continue to try to be on top."
Rounding out the preseason predicted order of finish was Utah State in eighth, followed by UNLV, Hawaii and New Mexico.
UW head coach Craig Bohl and his peers will take the stage on Thursday.