As of Sept. 23, Boise State is the Group of Six's early College Football Playoff favorite, the article says, citing a close road loss to No. 2 Oregon and a 38-20 win over Memphis; North Dakota State needs an unbeaten Mountain West run to build its case.
Quarterback Maddux Madsen had 610 passing yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions through three games, while Boise running backs Dylan Riley and Sire Gaines were each averaging more than five yards per carry. The article says road games at Fresno State and Colorado State could become trouble if Boise looks ahead.
NDSU's listed toughest Mountain West tests are all on the road: UNLV on Oct. 10, New Mexico on Oct. 24 and Hawaii on Nov. 14. The article suggests New Mexico may rank ahead of NDSU among Group of Six challengers, citing its 14-6 road loss to ranked Oklahoma and a more favorable schedule, including home games against NDSU and UNLV.
