Boise State makes big jump in AP Top 25 after win over Colorado State

BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — With the introduction of this year’s College Football Playoff committee rankings last week, the weekly Associated Press college football poll has now taken somewhat of a backseat.

Nonetheless, the weekly Sunday AP poll still offers some indication of where teams will rank in the CFP committee’s rankings on Tuesday.

Following Boise State’s 64-38 road rout of Colorado State on Saturday, the Broncos have moved up three spots to No. 17 in the latest poll, receiving 563 points. It’s the highest that Boise State has been ranked this season.

Boise State is sandwiched between a pair of Big Ten teams, sitting behind No. 16 Iowa (563 points) and ahead of No. 18 Oregon (517 points). Boise State lost 34-27 to Oregon in the season-opener, but the Ducks had fallen out of the rankings in recent weeks before vaulting back in after defeating Ohio State on the road this past weekend.

As usual this season, the Broncos are the top-ranked team among Group of Six programs, which include teams from the Pac-12, American, Mountain West, Sun Belt, Conference USA, and Mid-American Conferences. The next-closest G6 team to the Broncos is the Mountain West’s New Mexico at No. 23. The Lobos defeated Nevada 31-3 this weekend and are 8-1 on the season, but dropped a spot from last week’s poll.

The Broncos’ position in relation to other G6 teams is notable because the highest-ranked G6 team in the CFP committee’s rankings will earn an automatic bid into the 12-team playoff. Although the AP poll has no bearing on those rankings, it’s indicative that the Broncos will also likely be the highest-ranked G6 program when the CFP committee rankings are released on Tuesday.

Boise State currently sits at No. 25 in the CFP committee’s rankings. Similarly to the AP poll, Boise State moved up three spots in USA Today’s coaches’ poll, which is voted on by Division I coaches across the country, including Boise State’s Spencer Danielson. The Broncos slotted in at No. 18 with 474 points and sit behind the SEC’s Ole Miss (474) and ahead of Oregon (438 points).