With an expanded playoff bracket, Boise State will be the dark horse to pull through.
The College Football Playoff has expanded to twelve teams, and the Boise State Broncos might be at the forefront of it. With playoff bids automatically going to the winners of the five highest-ranked conference winners and the dissolution of the Pac-12, Boise State has a reasonable chance to sneak into the playoffs.
The Broncos have some new talent– including USC transfer Malachi Nelson who will probably end up starting for the team at quarterback. Oddsmakers once again have Boise State as the clear-cut favorites to win the conference, which has consistently found itself at the top of the Group of Five. Now, the Broncos will try to forego a bowl game and make their way into the spotlight on the nation’s biggest stage.
Last year’s Boise State team was something of a conundrum– the team fired their head coach halfway through the year only for them to come back with reckless abandon, catching fire down the home stretch. The team hired interim head coach Spencer Danielson on fulltime, only boosting team morale and carrying some much needed momentum into 2024. Boise State won the Mountain West in 2023, edging out Fresno State, but the Bulldogs are keen on some revenge.
The Mountain West will get much more crowded this year with UNLV and Colorado State joining the mix as contenders for the title. The Broncos have by far the most well-rounded team in the conference. A first-ranked offense that is only poised to get better along with the second-best scoring offense in the conference springs the team to the top of a growingly shoot-out based game.
On the other hand, the Broncos have much work to do on the other side of the ball with the tenth-ranked defense in the conference. That will have to be made better by Danielson and company. The defense also failed to produce in the turnover department, averaging a -.21 turnover margin per game. On the nation’s biggest stage, mistakes are simply unacceptable.
Team morale will also play a major role, but the team has rallied behind Danielson, who has continued to put on a great offseason showing.
“At the end of the day, [we’ll] have a smile on our faces while we do it. That positive energy is what brings you to work and gets you excited for the next round,” Danielson said following a win in 2023 against Utah State.
