Western Michigan Hosts Boise State In Winner-take-all Group Of Six Battle
Group of 6 Game of the Year
After three weeks of college football, the Boise State Broncos sit atop the Pac-12 power rankings at 2-1 and have 48 votes in the AP Poll, though still sit firmly outside the top 25.
Boise State has been able to ride the success of its running game to two straight victories over equal or lesser competition, but failed to take down Oregon when the Ducks were vulnerable early in September.
Nevertheless, the Broncos are humming … but not just the ones out of Boise.
Week 4 of the college football season features many impactful games, but none hold higher stakes than the one that will be played in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where the Western Michigan (WMU) Broncos will host the Boise State Broncos in what’s being called “The Bronco Bowl.”
Cute names aside, there are serious implications relating to this football game: the College Football Playoff (CFP).
While Big Ten, Big 12, SEC and ACC programs functionally compete for 11 slots in the CFP bracket, the rest of the country has just one guaranteed bid in the 12-team bracket. That is 69 Group of 6 (G6) schools across the nation, competing for a single spot in the CFP.
So, of the 69 teams, how does one figure out ‘who’s in’ and who’s the other 68? Play football, of course.
Two of the strongest G6 contenders happen to play this Saturday in what is likely to be the Group of 6 game of the year.
Western Michigan and Boise State are both considered front-runners for a CFP berth. With their 2-1 records and “quality losses” to ranked Power 4 programs, this game will likely be one of the deciding factors when the CFP committee selects the G6 representative.
Western Michigan Vs. Boise State
Western Michigan made a lot of noise after their Week 1 near-upset over the Michigan Wolverines.
Holding a Power 4 school to seven points for essentially 60 minutes is nothing short of impressive, but unfortunately, WMU did not account for an extra second that would ultimately spell their demise in that game.
Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson has praised Western Michigan for their top-notch defense and valiant effort in Week 1.
"I saw a little bit of what happened with the Michigan-Western Michigan game early on," Danielson said. "When I went back and studied this, unbelievable. They're an undefeated football team, period. End of story."
Take whatever side of the argument you want here, the ugly truth is that Western Michigan failed to score a touchdown against the Wolverines.
Since then, WMU has rattled off two wins, notching a 2-1 record after beating Monmouth and Rice by a combined score of 77-35.
Through three weeks of play, their offense averages 29.7 points per game to Boise State’s 34.3. The orange and blue have scored 38 points in their last two games.
Western Michigan’s offense can best be compared to the Air Forces of the world. WMU favors the option, runs the ball heavily and occasionally loads up for a deep ball once the opposing secondary is lulled to sleep.
The key to this week’s game will be: Who runs the football better, the Broncos or the Broncos?
On the season, Boise State is the “superior steed” in this regard. The team averages 258.3 rushing yards per game to Western Michigan’s 165.7.
Through three games, WMU has compiled 497 yards on the ground. In Boise State’s last two games, they’ve racked up 682 yards.
Boise State enters this week as the favorite, and rightly so. In a game where both offenses run the ball religiously, the orange and blue have WMU beat in all capacities.
Boise State ranks 15th in the nation in rush yards per game (258.3) and jumps to 14th in the nation in total rushing yards this season (775).
On the defensive side of the ball, the team only allows 96.7 rushing yards per game, ranking 32nd in the country.
The orange and blue’s Achilles’ heel this week may be that they play on the road. The Broncos are 0-1 on the road this season and in 2025 they compiled a 2-3 record in away games.
What do last year’s road losses have in common? Boise State never scored more than seven points.
On the season, the “Mid-West Broncos” allow just 16 points per game, ranking 31st in the nation and eighth among G6 programs.
While it’s unlikely that we’ll see Boise State score just one touchdown or less this week, Western Michigan’s defense is certainly capable of forcing that outcome, as they did in Week 1 against Michigan, prior to the second Hail-Mary attempt.
College Football Playoff
The performance WMU posted in Week 1, plus its 2025 MAC championship, has the program on a short list of G6 playoff contenders.
Both Boise State and Western Michigan have put themselves ahead of the pack when it comes to CFP berth odds are concerned. Pushing Power 4 teams to their absolute limit is something that the committee will take into account as far as G6 resumes go.
Oddly, Western Michigan has more to gain this week.
The program was not on the minds of many, prior to the Michigan game, and the conference they compete in is traditionally considered to be weak. A win over Boise State would be the highest quality victory that WMU could have this season.
The consequences of losing this week are equal for both teams, however. As mentioned before, there is just one playoff spot offered to the G6, meaning the program that is selected for that spot must be nothing short of perfect.
The loser of this matchup will be cast into the river of hopeful nobodies, while the winner will officially be in control of their postseason dreams.
Final Score: 26-20 Boise State
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