Although you're a Ute, I agree with you and I read that probably the same way that you did. But I don't think that's what he meant. He was not comparing the MountainWest to the pac-12, he was comparing the MountainWest to the big east. The big east at that time was by far the weakest of all the BCS conferences. The MountainWest with TCU, BYU, (and yes even Utah, Haha) was threatening the big east for quite a few years as being superior to them. Boise State was also a factor, and even though they had not yet joined the MountainWest, there was talk about them joining the MountainWest and overtaking the big east in strength.