No. 24 Boise State’s Saturday matchup with Oregon State has been thrown into uncertainty after the Federal Aviation Administration grounded all flights in the United States on Friday afternoon “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety,” according to a statement from the FAA.
The nationwide travel pause has already rippled through college football, and Oregon State is one of the teams caught in the middle of it. The Beavers, who are 5-4 overall and 3-2 in Pac-12 play, were still in Corvallis as of Friday ahead of their 4 p.m.
Mountain time game against Boise State. ESPN’s College GameDay is in the Treasure Valley for the Pac-12 matchup.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that 12 other FBS programs are also dealing with the fallout from the ground stop, and the list of affected games stretches across the country.
Those matchups are Baylor at No. 10 BYU, Kansas State at TCU, Minnesota at Penn State, North Texas at UTSA, No.
19 Ole Miss at Oklahoma, Oregon State at No. 24 Boise State, Purdue at No.
15 Iowa, No. 8 Tennessee at Texas A&M, No.
6 Texas at No. 21 LSU, No.
2 Utah at No. 23 Arizona, Washington at Michigan State, and Wyoming at UTEP.
As of 4 p.m. Mountain time Friday, the Pac-12 had not released a statement on the situation.
James Crepea of The Oregonian reported that Oregon State “is exploring all options” to make the trip to Boise in time for Saturday’s game. If the Beavers end up on buses, the drive from Corvallis to Boise is roughly eight hours on short notice. Central Oregon is also under a wind advisory, which could complicate travel even more.
Boise State has dealt with a similar headache before. Ahead of its Week 1 game against then-No.
2 Oregon, the Broncos’ team plane could not land at Eugene Airport because of heavy rain and was diverted to Portland. Boise State then took buses from Portland to Eugene and got in just before 9 p.m. local time for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff the next day.
In Other News...
Boise State Fans Have One Big GameDay Concern This Weekend
ESPNs College GameDay is bringing its full traveling circus to Boise States campus on Saturday, Nov. 14, setting up a three-hour pregame show before the Broncos meet Oregon State. The appearance gives Boise State another national spotlight moment, and the event is free for fans, with gates opening early in the morning for those hoping to get a spot near the set.
The only real concern hanging over the day is the weather, since forecasts call for rain overnight before the broadcast. By showtime, though, conditions are expected to turn mostly sunny, which should ease some of the anxiety for fans planning to spend the morning outside and add to the kind of atmosphere GameDay is built for. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Faces A Real Threat To Its Playoff Push
Boise States unbeaten start has put the Broncos in a strong spot atop the Pac-12, and the path to a College Football Playoff push is clear enough: keep winning and let the rsum take care of itself. The next hurdle comes at home against Oregon State, a team with a 5-4 record that looks more dangerous than the standings suggest, mostly because of how often it throws the ball and how well its quarterback has handled that approach.
That matchup matters because Boise State has shown vulnerability against the pass, which gives Oregon State a real opening to make things uncomfortable in a game that could shape the Broncos bigger-picture hopes. If the Beavers can get their aerial game rolling, they have the kind of profile that can hang around and challenge the spread, even against a Boise State team that has spent the season building playoff momentum. [Read more 🡒]