Boise State walked out of Autzen Stadium without a win, but the Broncos left Eugene with something almost as valuable for their 2026 college football case: proof they can go toe-to-toe with one of the sport’s heavyweights.
That’s not the language Spencer Danielson wanted to use after Saturday’s 34-27 season-opening loss at No. 2 Oregon.
The Boise State coach made it clear there are no moral victories. Still, his team spent most of the night looking nothing like a 24.5-point underdog.
The Broncos grabbed a 10-point lead late in the second quarter and took a 17-14 advantage into halftime before Oregon pushed back in the second half. Boise State then had two late chances to put together a tying touchdown drive, but the final push never got off the ground. In those two possessions, the Broncos managed just 18 yards on nine plays.
“Our team will battle, man,” Danielson said in his postgame radio interview. “I’m so proud of them doing it.
We obviously have to tighten things up, we have to clean some things up. We have to be better as a staff-starting with me-but our team will absolutely fight and battle, and I’m very proud of that.”
The result fits a recent Boise State pattern. In 2024, the Broncos used the energy from a 37-34 loss at Oregon in Week 2 as a springboard to a 12-1 regular season and the program’s only College Football Playoff appearance.
Now, in Year 1 of the rebuilt Pac-12, Boise State looks positioned to chase that kind of climb again.
The market noticed. Before the Oregon game, the Broncos had the lowest CFP odds among Group of 6 teams at +450.
After their performance in Eugene, those odds moved to +350. Oregon sits at -300 to reach a third straight College Football Playoff.
Boise State now owns the 18th-best CFP odds nationally and sits ahead of other Group of 6 contenders like North Dakota State (+750), Navy (+900), Army (+1000), Memphis (+1000) and UTSA (+1000).
That makes Saturday’s home meeting with Memphis at 4 p.m. Mountain time a big one early in the season. The Tigers are 2-0, and with the highest-ranked Group of 6 conference champion earning an automatic playoff bid, this matchup could carry early elimination weight.
Danielson said the Group of 6’s place in the playoff picture is part of what makes college football work.
“It’s great for college football, man,” Danielson said. “You put the ball down and it’s 11-on-11.
It doesn’t matter the logo. Who is going to play harder for longer?
That’s what makes college football awesome. We lost tonight, but it’s a game that I think everybody watching knows was toe-to-toe.
And I think what makes college football great is you create opportunities to have these types of matchups.”
In Other News...
Memphis Got The Start Fans Wanted But One Concern Just Grew
The opener delivered the kind of jolt Memphis fans were hoping for, with a 42-24 win over Arkansas State built around a relentless ground game and a defense that made the most of mistakes. Running back Jaylin Carter led the charge, and the atmosphere inside Liberty Stadium matched the moment, as the Tigers opened the season in front of one of their biggest crowds in years.
Still, the result came with a lingering concern under center. Trey Owens first collegiate start turned shaky quickly as he threw four interceptions, giving Memphis a reminder that the offense cannot lean on Carter and the defense forever. The Tigers got the start they wanted, but the passing game now looks like the part of this team that needs the fastest cleanup. [Read more 🡒]
Memphis Keeps Facing One Concern Before Its First Real Test
Memphis is 2-0, but the first two weeks have come with a familiar early-season wrinkle: not much certainty about what was coming at the Tigers on the other side of the ball. Quarterback Marcus Stokes and coach Ryan Huff both pointed to the same issue, saying the lack of recent film made it harder to settle in early, even as Memphis found enough answers to finish off both games.
The good news for the Tigers is that they have been able to adjust on the fly and still leave with wins, which matters as the schedule tightens. Boise State is next, and this time Memphis expects to have a clearer scouting picture before kickoff, a small but important change for a team still searching for cleaner starts before its first real test. [Read more 🡒]
Charles Huff Had A Lot To Say About Memphis Fans After Opener
Charles Huff had plenty to appreciate after Memphis opened its newly renovated Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium with a win over Arkansas State, and he made sure to recognize the crowd that helped set the tone. The Tigers pulled away 42-24 in a setting that felt like a reset for the program, with Jaylin Carter powering the offense with 183 yards and four touchdowns as the building welcomed fans back for the first time after its makeover.
Huff also sounded eager to make the game-day experience match the on-field product, noting that there were some bumps around getting in and getting served once fans were inside. The atmosphere itself clearly delivered, but the next challenge for Memphis is making sure the stadium return feels smoother all the way through, especially after a debut that showed how much interest there is in what the Tigers are building. [Read more 🡒]