The Boise State Broncos started the 2017 season very feebly, but ended it very strongly. Can this program be more consistent this season? There is a lot of optimism that a proud program will be able to reclaim its glory days, which are not that long ago.
Will this team be able to go over its regular season win total of 10 in 2018?
Boise State 2018 regular season win total
Over 10
Under 10
Odds courtesy of BetDSI Sportsbook.
What Happened Last Year
The Broncos stumbled early in the season, suffering a scarring loss to Washington State in a game they had led by multiple touchdowns. Boise State, over the past few years, has let a number of games slip away despite dominating the statistical battle on a number of fronts. The Broncos appeared to be repeating a lot of the bad habits which had crept into the program in 2015 and continued in 2016. Boise State won the Group of Five’s New Year’s Six bowl bid in the 2014 season but lost ground the next two years. When the pattern of losing continued in September of 2017, a grim feeling began to envelop the program.
Yet, just as soon as the program began to decline, it picked itself back up again. Boise State’s defense became a wrecking ball which smothered San Diego State, the Mountain West Conference favorite entering that crucial midseason showdown. Their defense continued to excel and carry the Broncos to the Mountain West championship in a victory over Fresno State. Boise State began to look like the program it had been in its best days at the very start of this decade.
What Will Change This Year
There are two offensive linemen graduating who were starters for last season’s unit. Boise State could undergo some shuffling at this position in front of quarterback Brett Rypien.
The defense returns nearly all of its starters but loses who was clearly its best player last season, Leighton Vander Esch, who was taken in the early rounds of the NFL Draft. When one player has a superstar level of impact, replacing him requires a committee. Boise State will have that, but any one injury could affect production on the defensive side of the ball. All in all, the defensive line should be nasty, but reconfiguring the pieces of this defense could be tricky. Finding one superstar-level leader will also be a matter of considerable importance for the Broncos in 2018.
Outlook & Prediction
The Mountain West will have a couple of particularly tough teams for Boise State to deal with, but given the way the Broncos handled the conference last year, Boise State should be able to flex its muscles within its conference. All told, Oklahoma State, San Diego State, BYU, Fresno State, and Air Force are the five toughest teams Boise State will face all season. BYU is a mediocre team. Oklahoma State will be without its two best offensive players from last year, quarterback Mason Rudolph and receiver James Washington. San Diego State will lose star running back Rashaad Penny. The more one looks at Boise State’s schedule, the harder it is to find probable losses. When one adds the Mountain West Championship Game as a 13th game on the schedule, and since Boise State should be able to make that game, the Broncos should be able to go over the number.
