Boise State and North Dakota State have never faced off on the football field. But this season, these programs may be battling in a different gridiron style.
The Broncos and Bison currently sit atop their respective conferences as the season moves into autumn.
Big-time conference matchups and road battles still await; which team has, and could have, the better resume?
The Case for Boise State
This is not unfamiliar territory for the Broncos. Making a CFP appearance in 2024, Boise State could be set for its
second playoff bid in just three seasons.
QB Maddux Madsen has been excellent through three games. Six passing touchdowns on 610 yards with no interceptions. A revenge tour of sorts after an unremarkable 2025.
Their running back room is the eye candy of the offense, with Dylan Riley and Sire Gaines creating one of the best 1-2 punches in college football. Both RBs currently average over five yards per carry.
The blue turf boys have already set the table for future playoff consideration. Boise got a quality loss in pushing No. 2 Oregon to the brink on the road. They followed their trip to Eugene with an important 38-20 win over Memphis, another G6 school is vying for postseason consideration.
They will end conference play at Western Michigan, a Broncos team that is trying to join the likes of Boise and Memphis as G6 contenders, following their **victory** at Michigan.
What could stop the Broncos? The art of the letdown spot.
It almost happened to Boise last week, perhaps looking ahead to their trip to Kalamazoo and having an early scare at home with FCS’s South Dakota.
It is a concept that should be bookmarked in their conference schedule as well. Boise ends their season with home games against Oregon State and San Diego State, which could be the finishing touches to their resume. However, if they get caught looking ahead, trips to Fresno State and Colorado State (especially with the trip to Fort Collins coming on Nov. 7, the third-to-last week of the season) could spell trouble.
There’s nothing more dangerous than an underdog. Let’s see if Boise State can handle them, starting as the favorite in West Michigan this Saturday.
The Case for North Dakota State
As the new kids on the block, it would be quite the sight to see the Bison head to the CFP in their first year in FBS.
QB Nathan Hayes has delivered the goods, throwing for seven touchdowns and over 800 yards, while the defense has held three of their first four opponents to 10 points or less.
However, the Bison still have a lot of work to do.
NDSU lacks the non-conference strength or “quality loss” that PAC’s Boise State or fellow MW competitor New Mexico have, meaning they will have to run the table in the Mountain West to try to trump any outside G6 foes.
To do this, they will have to stay unbeaten while taking on a conference schedule that features their toughest matchups being all on the road.
Oct. 10 at UNLV, Oct. 24 at New Mexico and Nov. 14 at Hawaii.
If they can survive their travel and find their way to the Mountain West championship with an undefeated record, watch out, CFP.
Verdict:
As of Sept. 23, all indications point to Boise State being the G6 favorite.
A quality loss to a power school on top of matchups against G6 talent outside of the PAC, the Broncos’ schedule has all the makings of the perfect resume to punch their CFP ticket.
If they hold up their end of the bargain.
Does NDSU sit right behind Boise then? Perhaps not. Those honors may belong to the Lobos.
Coming off a quality loss in a 14-6 battle against ranked Oklahoma on the road, New Mexico also sports a more favorable conference schedule, playing NDSU and UNLV at home. Their toughest road trip will be Hawaii on Oct. 17.
That being said, this is college football. The 600 words above will likely be useless by Sunday morning.
Your Turn: Who is your G6 favorite for the CFP?
