Which MW team schedules the hardest? Not the one you think

A look at 13 key players entering the Nevada football team's 2017 season. Chris Murray/RGJ(Photo: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports)I had a question. I am a journalist. As such, I went to seek the answer to my question.

What was the question? Which Mountain West team traditionally plays the hardest non-conference schedule?

I figured I knew the answer. It had to be Boise State. And if not the Broncos, then certainly Fresno State, a program that boasts it will play “anybody, anywhere, anytime.” Well, I was wrong.

So, who plays the hardest schedule? Let's go over our methodology first. I evaluated the last five years of non-conference schedules – the 2012 through 2016 seasons – by looking at the…