5 darkhorse contenders for the 2024-25 College Football Playoff
Boise State Broncos
No matter who is at the helm for Boise State, the program continues to win as it has not had a losing season since 1997. The Broncos did go just 8-6 last season, but four of their six losses came in one-score games. Still, the program decided to part ways with Andy Avalos during the season, meaning 2024 will mark the first full year under Spencer Danielson who rallied the Broncos to the Mountain West title game last year. Danielson also had a strong offseason which has Boise State in position to grab the Group of 5 spot in the College Football Playoff.
The headline of the offseason in Boise was adding prized quarterback prospect Malachi Nelson who transferred from USC. Nelson will learn from experienced offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter and will have some nice weapons alongside him including former five-star wideout Chris Marshall and electrifying running back Ashton Jeanty. The Broncos鈥� defense also figures to be solid as it returns several starters headlined by talented edge rusher Ahmed Hassanein who had 12.5 sacks last year. Boise State has a Week 2 matchup at Oregon that will go a long way in determining its playoff fate, but a loss there might not ruin its chances with an easy schedule after, boosted by home matchups with Washington State and Oregon State.
