Boise State is still sitting on top of the Pac-12 football power rankings after Week 2, and the Broncos earned that perch with the most eye-catching non-conference win the league has managed so far.
Boise State handled Memphis 38-20 at home last weekend, turning the game into a runaway after halftime. The Broncos finished on a 35-3 scoring burst and hammered away on the ground for 357 rushing yards.
Even with that strong finish, there’s a glaring issue hanging over the team: pass coverage. Boise State’s defense is allowing 381 passing yards per game, which ranks last nationally.
The Broncos opened the year with a road loss to then-No. 2 Oregon, so the early résumé already has both ends of the spectrum. Their next chance comes Saturday against South Dakota at 8 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.
The rest of the league’s early picture is pretty rough. Through two weeks, Pac-12 teams are 0-7 against ranked opponents, and six of those games came on the road.
Oregon State is right behind Boise State in these rankings after a 35-24 home loss to No. 13 Texas Tech.
That result might look strange at first glance, but the Beavers have taken on a brutal schedule, and Texas Tech - the Big 12 favorite - needed late heroics to leave Corvallis with the win. Oregon State gets Montana next Saturday at 9 p.m. on USA Network.
San Diego State comes in next after a 28-10 road loss to UCLA. Despite preseason claims from head coach Sean Lewis, the Aztecs still look like the same defense-first, offense-limited team in 2026. Their next game is Saturday against James Madison at 8 p.m. on The CW.
Utah State lands in the middle of the pack after a 49-3 home win over Sacramento State. Quarterback Jayden Mandal bounced back nicely from a brutal Week 1, throwing for 316 yards and accounting for three total touchdowns.
Colorado State follows after a 58-24 home win over Southern Utah. The Rams have looked sharp through two weeks, though the schedule has been soft enough that the first true test is still ahead.
Texas State dropped a 31-26 home game to UTSA, a costly result in a non-conference matchup against a rival. The Bobcats had a fourth-quarter lead and let it slip away. They’ll be back in action Saturday against North Texas at 10 a.m. on USA Network.
New Mexico State also showed some fight, even in a 16-14 road loss to No. 19 Washington. That came after a home loss to FCS Idaho State, which makes the showing in Seattle stand out even more.
Washington State rounds out the rankings after a 34-7 road loss at Kansas State. The offense has not found its footing under first-year head coach Kirby Moore, and the unit looks broken right now. The Cougars return Saturday against Duquesne at 1:30 p.m. on USA Network.
In Other News...
Boise State Has A Pass Coverage Issue Fans Cant Ignore
Boise States defense has had enough bright spots to keep the early-season conversation from turning entirely gloomy, especially with the group stopping all five fourth-down tries and coming away with an interception. Even so, the passing game on the other side of the ball has become impossible to overlook after the Broncos have given up 762 yards through the air in their first two games, a number that leaves them near the bottom nationally and raises real questions about how quickly this secondary can settle in.
Coach Spencer Danielson and defensive coordinator Erik Chinander have both pointed to execution and indecision in pass coverage, with the biggest concern centered on giving up explosive plays. The timing is less than ideal with South Dakota, an FCS team that brings a balanced offense, up next, giving Boise State another chance to clean up a problem that already feels like it could shape how this defense is judged moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Faces A Bigger Test Than Fans Might Expect
Boise State gets a late kickoff at Albertsons Stadium against a South Dakota team that has quietly turned into a real early-season test. The Coyotes are 3-0 under a first-year head coach, and quarterback Austyn Modrzewski has already put up enough passing production to make this more than a routine nonconference tune-up for the Broncos.
Spencer Danielson has been pressing the need to clean up defensive breakdowns, which makes this matchup feel like a useful barometer for where Boise State really stands. Randy Cross has pointed to the key players on both sides and the competitiveness of the game, and if South Dakota brings the same edge it has shown so far, Boise State may have a much tougher night than the setting suggests. [Read more 🡒]