No. 19 Boise State’s been the top-ranked Group of 5 team in the College Football Playoff committee rankings since Nov. 8. But Bryan Harsin’s team can’t possibly stay that way now, nor can it represent the non-power leagues in Jan. 2’s Cotton Bowl.
Boise State’s loss means WMU is officially the Cotton Bowl favorite
Boise State didn’t clear a necessary hurdle to make the Cotton Bowl. Door’s open, WMU.
Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
The New Year’s Six bowl games keep one at-large spot open every year for the country’s top-ranked Group of 5 champion, and that’s where Boise State has a problem. The Broncos lost at Air Force on Friday, 27-20, falling to 10-2 overall and 6-2 in the Mountain West. They’re eliminated from contention in the MWC Mountain, which means they can’t win the conference as a whole and can’t take that New Year’s spot.
Even a Wyoming loss to New Mexico on Saturday (10:15 p.m. ET, ESPN2) would have the Pokes beat Boise State for the division on a tiebreaker. As Mountain West Connection explains, a Wyoming L would leave three teams tied in the Mountain at 6-2, but the Cowboys would finish first on a divisional-record tiebreaker. Boise’s out either way.
Wyoming and Boise both came into the week 6-1, with the Cowboys ahead on a tiebreaker because they beat Boise earlier this year.
Boise State’s loss is huge news for Western Michigan
P.J. Fleck’s No. 21 WMU has been just behind Boise in the committee rankings. But it started to look like WMU would be in the clear after Wyoming beat San Diego State last week to stay ahead of Boise in the MWC. WMU is happy that’s now locked in.
Western Michigan is 12-0 after beating Toledo on Friday. So Fleck’s team will finish unbeaten, it appears, and clinch the MAC West. As long as WMU beats Ohio or Miami (Oh.) in the MAC Championship, that’ll be a 13-0 record. With Boise out of MWC contention and No. 20 Houston already out in the American Athletic, the lane’s extremely clear for WMU to get to Arlington.
Nothing’s guaranteed. WMU still has to beat whomever it plays next week, or its one loss against a terrible schedule will probably keep it out. (The team’s best win is against middling Big Ten West product Northwestern.) A WMU loss would open the door for someone else, but a win should keep things straightforward. Western Michigan’s now right on the doorstep.
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