After a rocky start to a 2017 season, Boise State finished the year winning 9 out of its last 10. According to college football futures odds, the Broncos are expected to win the Mountain West in 2018, and a whole lot more.
The Broncos have spent the majority of this century as the premier program in the Group of Five. Unbeknownst to most, they are also the winningest program in college football over the same time span. Boise State's .841 winning percentage speaks for itself.
The Broncos return 15 starters, including senior quarterback Brett Rypien and 1,000-yard rusher Alexander Mattison in 2018. That and a host of others makes them the most likely team in all of college football to win a conference championship, according to Bovada's futures. They also get lucky in scheduling. Boise will host the three teams most likely to contend for a conference title–Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State–at home.
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More 2018 G5 Conference Odds:
AAC | C-USA | MAC | Sun Belt |
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Fresno State will cause the most problems for Boise State. The Bulldogs return 17 starters, including quarterback Marcus McMaryion and the Mountain West's top receiving corps. Fresno State's defense ranked second in the Mountain West by holding opponents to just 17.9 points a game in 2017. In Jeff Tedford's first year in Fresno, the Bulldogs upset Boise at home 28-17, only to lose a week later in the conference championship game by 3 points. It's highly possible for a return visit for both schools this year.
Looking for a long shot? Picking UNLV football in anything is a risky proposition. This year, however, there is reason for optimism.
Tony Sanchez returns Mountain West Freshman of the Year, quarterback Amani Rodgers. Rogers was one of only five players in the nation to average at least 140 yards passing and 75 yards rushing per game last season. Senior Lexington Thomas joins Rodgers in the backfield. Last year, Thomas averaged 6.3 yards per carry and finished with 1,336 yards and 17 TDs. The Rebels also avoid Boise State, Wyoming and Colorado State in the regular season which should help matters as well.
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| School | Odds |
|---|---|
| Boise State | -240 |
| Fresno State | +700 |
| San Diego State | +750 |
| Utah State | +1400 |
| Wyoming | +1500 |
| Nevada | +2200 |
| UNLV | +2200 |
| Colorado State | +2800 |
| Air Force | +3000 |
| New Mexico | +5500 |
| Hawaii | +20000 |
| San Jose State | +20000 |
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