LAS VEGAS – Both teams can say it all they want, but we know better – and so do they.
Friday night’s matchup between No. 17 Boise State and UNLV is not just an ordinary game. It’s not ‘the biggest game because it’s the next one’, as Spencer Danielson says weekly.
It literally is the biggest and most important game of the season for both teams because of what’s at stake. There’s major implications for both the Mountain West title race and the College Football Playoff.
The winning team earns the inside track to host the Mountain West title game and stays on track to earn an automatic bid to the new 12-team playoff as one of the five highest-ranked conference champions.
The loser won’t even control its own destiny to make the title game and likely is out of the running for the playoff.
“Obviously it’s a big moment,” UNLV coach Barry Odom said. “Our guys understand that. We know how important this game is.”
Boise State (5-1) is already the favorite for the spot reserved for a non-Power 4 champion. If the Broncos win the final five regular season games and the Mountain West Championship, they are almost assured of getting into the playoff – either as the fifth-highest ranked champion or as an at-large spot.
But a loss would be crushing. Sure, it wouldn’t be a ‘bad loss.’ But it would be a loss – and the second of the season. UNLV would have one. Currently Army and Navy have none. Memphis is also lurking with one loss.
If Boise State loses to UNLV it would take a number of teams all losing at least once and probably twice for the Broncos to get back into the CFP picture. It seems very unlikely.
Boise State’s schedule is also very manageable down the stretch. The Broncos have three home games (San Diego State, Nevada and Oregon State) and road trips to San Jose State and Wyoming. This is by far the toughest remaining hurdle.
Should the Broncos win this game, they’ll be in prime position to make history. And they know it – whether they want to admit it or not.
“For us we’re just approaching it like another week,” Boise State tight end Matt Lauter said. “We’re not going to freak out like ‘oh God, our playoff chances are going to be low is we lose’ because then you start getting ahead of yourself and you lose steam and you start over-thinking everything.
“I think the whole team is excited. We’re going down to Vegas and obviously we played there last year for the championship game so I think the whole team is pumped to get back on the turf and go play at Allegiant Stadium.”
Boise State went to Vegas last season and ruined UNLV’s dream season with a 44-20 victory in the Mountain West Championship game. Many of the same players are back for Boise State – but also for UNLV.
And while the Broncos are hoping to replicate those results again, UNLV has been waiting for nearly a year to get another shot at them.
In fact Boise State has won seven straight meetings in the series by an average of nearly 25 points per game. UNLV hasn’t beaten Boise State since 1976 – and they’d love nothing more than to end that trend on the biggest of stages.
UNLV (6-1) has already qualified for back-to-back bowl games for the first time in program history. The Rebels’ lone loss was a 44-41 defeat in overtime to Syracuse.
As big of a game as it is for Boise State, it might be even bigger for UNLV. The Rebels have never won a Mountain West Championship and the thought of a CFP bid has mostly been fantasy for programs like the Rebels.
There’s plenty at stake for both teams – and with plenty of folks watching. The Friday night, 10:30 p.m. ET kickoff should allow for many college football pundits and fans to tune in.
“You look around the world of college football this week and the top five games, it’s UNLV and Boise from anybody who put out a list,” Odom said. “We certainly know there’s a lot of attention about it and that’s great for Vegas and great for our program.
“That’s what you dream of as a player and as a competitor and as a coach, to be in this situation and to have this opportunity. It’s what we work so hard to do and why guys are going to end up coming to UNLV, to play in games like this on the national stage. It’s as big as it gets.”
Yahoo! Sports columnist Dan Wetzel called it, “the most anticipated Group of 5 game in memory.”
UNLV has several impact players on both sides of the ball including wide receiver Ricky White (nine touchdown receptions and three blocked kicks) and linebacker Jackson Woodard (four interceptions, three sacks, 63 tackles).
The Rebels rank No. 3 nationally in turnover margin at +12. They are No. 2 in the country with 13 interceptions on defense.
UNLV has also scored at least 50 points this season and rank No. 5 in scoring offense at 43.6 points per game.
“It’s a heavyweight match,” Boise State coach Spencer Danielson said. “We know in all three phases they have a bunch of talent, great schemes and they are going to play hard. That’s what we’re working to do as well.
“This game is the biggest one of our season because it’s our next one. And we’re fired up for the challenge. We know they are going to be ready for the moment, and we will be, too.”
Danielson is big on the cliché phrases used by football coaches often. But he’s not dumb. There’s plenty riding on it this game – and he knows it.
Friday night. A national stage. One of the biggest games of the season. Boise State at UNLV. A chance to strengthen your stance for the College Football Playoff at stake.
What more could you want?
“It’s awesome,” Danielson said. “It’s awesome for college football.”
A win would make it that much better.
