Boise State’s grip on the Group of Six College Football Playoff race isn’t in doubt, but the Broncos are still waiting for the Coaches Poll to catch up.
After beating Utah State 37-18 on Saturday in their Pac-12 opener, Boise State stayed on the outside looking in when the Week 5 Coaches Poll came out Sunday. The Broncos are 4-1 overall and 1-0 in conference play, yet they remained unranked despite finally breaking into the AP top 25 last week.
The margin was thin. The bottom of the Coaches Poll top 25 included No.
21 SMU with 354 votes, No. 22 UCLA with 318, No.
23 Duke with 274, No. 24 Pittsburgh with 242 and No.
25 Kentucky with 210. Just behind that group were Oklahoma State with 187 votes and Boise State with 161.
That was still enough for Boise State to lead the Group of Six in voting once again. The Broncos finished well ahead of James Madison, which got 42 votes, North Dakota State with 29 and New Mexico with seven. No other Group of Six program picked up votes.
Maddux Madsen gave the Broncos a clean, efficient performance against Utah State and turned in one of the best games of his college career. He completed 17 of 21 passes for 244 yards, threw two touchdowns and did not turn the ball over. He also added seven carries for 42 yards.
“That is our leader. He deserves a ton of credit,” Broncos head coach Spencer Danielson said after the game.
“He’s playing at a high level. Through five games, has not thrown an interception, the ball is on the money.”
At the top of the Coaches Poll, nothing changed. Texas, Georgia, Notre Dame, Miami, Indiana, Ohio State and Alabama all held steady in the top seven.
The biggest shakeup near the top came from Florida, which fell from No. 8 to No. 15 after a 45-17 road loss to No. 16 Missouri.
Others receiving votes: Oklahoma State 187; Boise State 161; Nebraska 117; Wake Forest 87; Northwestern 70; Wisconsin 47; James Madison 42; Minnesota 40; North Dakota State 29; Arizona 15; New Mexico 7; Baylor 3; Virginia Tech 1; Texas A&M 1; Kansas State 1
In Other News...
Boise State Made Its Pac-12 Statement But One Concern Lingers
Boise State handled Utah State 37-18 at Albertsons Stadium, a result that served as another reminder of how comfortably the Broncos have controlled this matchup over the years. The win lifted Boise State to 4-1 and kept it unbeaten in Pac-12 play, while also preserving its spot among the nationally ranked teams, with quarterback Maddux Madsen and running back Dylan Riley leading the way on offense.
Madsen was sharp throughout, completing 81% of his passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns, and Riley added 93 rushing yards and two scores to keep the Broncos in command. Even with the strong showing and the conference statement it provided, Boise State still leaves the game with one issue to sort through as the schedule gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Looked In Control But Fresno State Questions Are Already Building
Boise State wasted little time establishing control against Utah State, scoring touchdowns on its first three drives and never really letting the game drift after that. The Broncos rolled to a 37-18 win, moving to 4-1 overall and 1-0 in Pac-12 play, with quarterback Maddux Madsen handling the offense efficiently and the defense adding its own spark through linebacker Jake Ripps pick-six.
The bigger test now is whether that momentum carries into a Fresno State matchup that already has some built-in questions around it. Boise State looked sharp in every phase against Utah State, with Madsen completing 17 of 21 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns and Dylan Riley adding 93 rushing yards and two scores, but the next step will be proving that kind of control can travel into a game where the pressure figure is likely to be much higher. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Just Got A New CFP Talking Point
Boise State kept its place in the Associated Press Top 25 at No. 23 after a 37-18 win over Utah State, and even with a small drop of one spot, the Broncos still have a clear place in the national conversation. They remain the highest-ranked Group of Six team in the AP poll and in the USA Today Coaches' Poll, which matters now more than it usually would with the College Football Playoff rankings about to come into view.
For Boise State, the optics are pretty straightforward: the Broncos have the best standing among the non-power conference crowd, and they are carrying that claim into the most important rankings stretch of the season. They are still outside the Coaches' Poll top 25, but with the AP recognition and their positioning among Group of Six teams, they enter the playoff-rankings release with something meaningful to point to. [Read more 🡒]