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Boise State wins Mountain West championship as first expanded CFP bracket begins to take form

Boise State is headed to the College Football Playoff

The Broncos captured the Mountain West Conference title Friday night time and earned their spot in the sport’s first 12-team playoff with a 21-7 victory over UNLV within the Mountain West championship sport. 

Star operating again Ashton Jeanty ran for 209 yards and a landing in his sixth 200-plus-yard sport this season.

With 2,497 speeding yards for the season, Jeanty is now fourth on the FBS all-time single-season speeding record behind solely Barry Sanders (2,628 yards in 1988), Melvin Gordon (2,587 in 2014) and UCF’s Kevin Smith (2,567 in 2007). Jeanty additionally finishes the common season with 29 speeding touchdowns.

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Running again Ashton Jeanty of the Boise State Broncos busts by means of an entire within the line throughout the first half of the Mountain West Championship in opposition to the UNLV Rebels at Albertsons Stadium on December 06, 2024 in Boise, Idaho. (Loren Orr/Getty Images)

Jeanty gave Boise State a tone-setting play with a 75-yard landing run within the second quarter, his twelfth carry of fifty or extra yards this season. 

Boise State will cling on to or enhance on its No. 10 rating within the last College Football Playoff rankings that come out Sunday. That would nearly definitely make the Broncos no worse than the fourth-best convention titlist and in line for a first-round bye.

The Big 12 title sport on Saturday pits No. 15 Arizona State in opposition to No. 16 Iowa State.

The winner is within the playoff. But the one sensible route left for both crew to earn a bye (and the additional $4 million that comes with it) could be to mix that win — ideally a convincing one — with a loss by the Atlantic Coast Conference chief, No. 8 SMU, which performs No. 17 Clemson.

IOWA STATE, SMU ADS HAVE WAR OF WORDS AFTER LATEST CFP RANKINGS: ‘STAY OFF MY LAWN!’

Offensive lineman Mathyus Su'a of the UNLV Rebels and outside linebacker Jayden Virgin-Morgan #5 of the Boise State Broncos battle along the line of scrimmage during the first half of the Mountain West Championship at Albertsons Stadium on December 06, 2024 in Boise, Idaho.

Offensive lineman Mathyus Su’a of the UNLV Rebels and out of doors linebacker Jayden Virgin-Morgan #5 of the Boise State Broncos battle alongside the road of scrimmage throughout the first half of the Mountain West Championship at Albertsons Stadium on December 06, 2024 in Boise, Idaho. (Loren Orr/Getty Images)

The Big 12 commissioner and Iowa State’s athletic director are amongst these already crying foul. By the time the title video games are over and the brackets are revealed, they gained’t be the one ones.

Now the nation will flip its consideration to the opposite convention championship video games as the primary playoff image of the expanded playoff period will shake out. 

Oregon, top-ranked and the one undefeated crew within the nation, is in, too. But Saturday’s sport in opposition to No. 3 Penn State is for the Big Ten title and a first-round bye.

If Penn State prevails, then there’s an argument that the Nittany Lions may find yourself with that prime seed.

In the SEC, it’s No. 2 Texas vs. No. 5 Georgia. Sadly, Bevo is not going to be within the constructing. The winner will get a bye and a championship. The loser ought to nonetheless be in, but when that loser is Georgia, the Dawgs may very well be on the street for the primary spherical.

Depending on how the brackets form up, these groups may face one another 3 times this season.

Barring one thing utterly sudden, it is going to take both a loss by SMU, a change of coronary heart from the choice committee or each to knock Alabama out of the bracket. If the Tide make it, the Southeastern Conference may have 4 groups within the playoff.

Since the choice committee positioned the Crimson Tide at No. 11 final week, one spot forward of Miami, it seems to be very very similar to the Tide will keep forward of the Hurricanes of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The approach final week’s rating shook out, that meant Alabama was in and Miami was out.

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Ashton Jeanty #2 of the Boise State Broncos fires up the crowd prior to the start of the Mountain West Championship between the Boise State Broncos and the UNLV Rebels at Albertsons Stadium on December 06, 2024 in Boise, Idaho. 

Ashton Jeanty #2 of the Boise State Broncos fires up the gang previous to the beginning of the Mountain West Championship between the Boise State Broncos and the UNLV Rebels at Albertsons Stadium on December 06, 2024 in Boise, Idaho.  (Loren Orr/Getty Images)

A handful of groups aren’t enjoying this weekend and don’t have a lot to fret about. No. 4 Notre Dame ought to get a house sport. 

No. 9 Indiana, considered one of 4 Big Ten groups projected to make the playoff, will most likely be on the street.

In between, there may be the matter of No. 6 Ohio State and No. 7 Tennessee. Last week’s projected bracket paired the 10-2 groups in a first-round sport to be performed on the Horseshoe in Columbus, Ohio.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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Ella Bennet
Ella Bennet
Ella Bennet brings a fresh perspective to the world of journalism, combining her youthful energy with a keen eye for detail. Her passion for storytelling and commitment to delivering reliable information make her a trusted voice in the industry. Whether she’s unraveling complex issues or highlighting inspiring stories, her writing resonates with readers, drawing them in with clarity and depth.
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