Boise State came agonizingly close to cracking the AP Top 25 this week, a rare spot for a team that opened the season with a loss and still climbed in the eyes of voters.
The Broncos, unranked before the season and still unranked now, collected 86 points in The Associated Press poll after their 34-27 loss to then-No. 2 Oregon over the weekend.
That total left Boise State 26th overall, just three points shy of No. 25 Virginia.
It was enough to show how much respect the Broncos earned in defeat. Boise State had only 43 votes in the preseason poll, but the narrow loss at Oregon clearly changed some minds. The Ducks dropped to No. 6 after nearly being upset at home by a 24.5-point underdog.
Boise State also finished as the top Group of Six team in the poll, edging Florida, which received 83 points. Memphis is right on the Broncos’ heels, though, and will bring a 2-0 record to Albertsons Stadium this Saturday. The Tigers picked up 23 points and landed 30th overall.
That sets up a big chance for Boise State. A win over Memphis this weekend likely would push the Broncos into the rankings.
Other Group of Six teams to receive points included Western Michigan, Boise State’s Week 4 opponent, with 12 points, Navy with 10 and James Madison with 4.
The Broncos also came close in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll, where coaches across FBS vote, including Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson. Boise State received 43 points in that poll, good for 28th overall. Memphis followed with 24 points, putting the Tigers 31st.
The AP Top 25 was led by Ohio State at No. 1 with 1,684 points and 46 first-place votes. Georgia checked in at No. 2, followed by Notre Dame, Texas and Indiana.
Oregon, despite the loss to Boise State’s opponent, remained in the top 10 at No. 6.
Here are the rankings, with points in parentheses:
- Ohio State (1,684, 46 first-place votes)
- Georgia (1,532)
- Notre Dame (1,512, 4 first-place votes)
- Texas (1,462, 2 first-place votes)
- Indiana (1,428, 8 first-place votes)
- Oregon (1,422, 3 first-place votes)
- Miami (1,405, 1 first-place votes)
- LSU (1,315, 5 first-place votes)
- Ole Miss (1,154)
- Texas A&M (1,079)
- Oklahoma (1,039)
- Alabama (910)
- Texas Tech (900)
- USC (861)
- BYU (840)
- Penn State (621)
- SMU (501)
- Tennessee (491)
- Washington (489)
- Utah (381)
- Iowa (369)
- Houston (214)
- Missouri (182)
- Louisville (163)
- Virginia (89)
In Other News...
Boise State Home Opener Just Became A Serious Playoff Test
The 2026 home opener in Boise already looks like more than a standard early-season tune-up. Memphis arrives with the kind of start that gets attention nationally, opening 2-0 behind a balanced offense and a defense that has been getting into the backfield, while Boise State is trying to reset after a close loss to Oregon and use its own opener to get back on the right track.
For the Broncos, the matchup is the kind that can tell them a lot about where they stand in the College Football Playoff race. Memphis brings explosive play ability, a strong run game and steady pressure up front, which means Boise State will have to be sharp on both sides of the ball in a game that already feels like a measuring stick long before September really settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon's Opener May Have Changed The Ducks Depth Chart Fast
Autzen Stadium had the kind of opening-night energy that can reshuffle a depth chart before September really gets going, and Oregons 34-27 win over Boise State felt that way from the start. The Ducks got standout work from junior wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan, junior kicker Gage Hurych and a defense that had timely contributions from players like safety Koi Perich and edge rusher Teitum Tuioti, enough to survive a tight game against a Boise State team that kept the pressure on.
For Oregon, the bigger takeaway may be how quickly roles are beginning to sort themselves out after one game. McClellans emergence gave the Ducks another reliable target, Hurych supplied points when they mattered most, and the overall performance left plenty for the staff to evaluate as it looks for the right combinations moving forward. In a game that was close well into the fourth quarter, those early impressions can carry a lot of weight. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Is Building Real Poll Momentum After Oregon
Boise States early-season push showed up in the Week 2 Coaches Poll, where the Broncos picked up 43 votes and climbed into the conversation just outside the top 25. That left them third among the teams receiving votes and 36th overall, a sign that the narrow national loss at Oregon resonated with voters who saw enough in the performance to move Boise State up the ladder.
The Broncos nearly doubled their preseason total, and that kind of momentum matters in September when every impression can linger for weeks. Ohio State stayed No. 1, with Georgia, Texas, Notre Dame and Indiana filling out the top five, but Boise State has given itself a real foothold in the next tier and a chance to keep building if it can back up the Oregon showing. [Read more 🡒]