Boise State is in the AP Top 25 for the first time this season, and the Broncos didn’t sneak in quietly.
A 32-7 win over Western Michigan on Saturday was enough to push Boise State to No. 22 in the Week 4 poll, a major jump after the Broncos were stuck with just 48 votes a week earlier following a shaky 38-24 win over FCS program South Dakota. This time, voters gave Boise State 221 points.
That puts the Broncos just behind SMU, which sits at No. 21 with 246 points, and just ahead of UCLA at No. 23 with 218. Boise State is also the first team from a Group of Six conference to break into the Top 25 this season, putting the Broncos in position for the lone playoff spot reserved for a G6 program - though there’s a long way to go.
The Broncos still haven’t cracked the USA Today Coaches’ Poll. Boise State remains outside the top 25 there, even though it picked up 112 points and is the highest-ranked G6 team at No.
- The coaches’ poll includes Boise State coach Spencer Danielson among the voters.
Elsewhere at the top, Texas holds the No. 1 spot with 1,737 points and 62 first-place votes. Georgia is second, followed by Notre Dame, Miami and Ohio State. Indiana, Alabama, Florida, Ole Miss and BYU round out the top 10.
Here’s the full AP Top 25 for Week 4, with point totals in parentheses:
- Texas (1,737, 62 first-place votes)
- Georgia (1,646, 6 first-place votes)
- Notre Dame (1,581)
- Miami (1,501, 1 first-place vote)
- Ohio State (1,465)
- Indiana (1,408, 1 first-place vote)
- Alabama (1,305)
- Florida (1,272)
- Ole Miss (1,089)
- BYU (1,078)
- LSU (1,073)
- Texas Tech (1,053)
- Utah (903)
- Iowa (856)
- Oregon (725)
- Mississippi State (715)
- Tennessee (663)
- USC (410)
- Oklahoma State (345)
- Houston (278)
- SMU (246)
- Boise State (221)
- UCLA (218)
- Kentucky (150)
- Missouri (118)
In Other News...
Boise State Opens Pac-12 Play With Pressure To Look The Part
Boise State enters Pac-12 play carrying a three-game winning streak and the kind of attention that comes with a No. 22 ranking. After opening the season with a loss to Oregon, the Broncos have steadied themselves and now get their first conference test at home, where Utah State visits for a 5:30 p.m. Mountain kickoff on CBS Sports Network.
The opener brings more than the usual league-pageantry feel, because Boise State is expected to look the part in a conference race that will help define its standing nationally. Early betting lines have made the Broncos a strong home favorite, which only adds to the pressure to handle business and keep the momentum from their recent run from getting interrupted. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Just Sent A Clear Message Before Pac-12 Play
Boise States trip to Western Michigan offered the kind of complete performance coaches usually point to when the calendar starts turning toward league play. The Broncos left with a 32-7 win built on efficiency and control, with quarterback Maddux Madsen throwing three touchdown passes without an interception and Dylan Riley powering the run game with 138 yards and a score.
What stood out just as much was how thoroughly Boise State handled things on the other side of the ball. The Broncos owned time of possession and held Western Michigan to 223 total yards and seven points, the sort of road showing that can travel well as Pac-12 play approaches and the margin for error gets thinner. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Is Turning Its Pac-12 Home Opener Into A Throwback Moment
Before Boise State begins Pac-12 conference play at home against Utah State, the program is leaning into a piece of its own history. Coach Spencer Danielson helped set the tone at a recent press conference by wearing a special hoodie honoring the 20th anniversary of the Broncos undefeated 2007 team, the group that capped that unforgettable run with a Fiesta Bowl win.
The milestone celebration will carry into Albertsons Stadium, where several members of that 2007 team are set to be on hand, including Jared Zabransky and Ian Johnson. For a fan base that still takes pride in that era, it gives this home opener a little extra meaning beyond the standings and the conference debut. [Read more 🡒]