Boise State rises to No. 11 in College Football Playoff rankings

Broncos once again ranked above every Big 12 team, in position to secure first-round bye

Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty. / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Boise State continues to climb in the College Football Playoff rankings. 

After moving up one spot to No. 12 in last week’s rankings, the Broncos (10-1, 7-0 Mountain West Conference) checked in at No. 11 in the latest rankings, which were released Tuesday evening. The Broncos are once again slotted above every Big 12 team, putting them in the driver’s seat to earn a first-round bye.

The five highest-ranked conference champions receive an automatic bid to the College Football Playoff with the top four champions getting a first-round bye.

With Heisman Trophy contender Ashton Jeanty leading the way, Boise State has been the top-ranked Group of 5 team in every edition of the rankings. The 13-person committee has projected American Athletic Conference winner Tulane at No. 17 while Army, ranked No. 19 a week ago, dropped out of the rankings following a 49-14 loss to Notre Dame.  

Oregon (11-0) remained atop the rankings after having the week off. The Ducks own tight home victories over No. 2 Ohio State (10-1) and the Broncos. 

Texas (10-1) is ranked third, followed by Penn State (10-1) and Notre Dame (10-1). The Big 12 had five teams crack the rankings, led by No. 16 Arizona State (9-2). 

The four highest-ranked conference champions by the committee are Oregon (Big Ten), Texas (SEC), Miami (ACC) and Boise State (MWC). The four first-round matchups would be Arizona State at Ohio State, Tennessee at Georgia, Indiana at Penn State and SMU at Notre Dame. Boise State would play the Arizona State/Ohio State winner in the quarterfinals. 

The Broncos have just one victory over a team in the CFP rankings: a 29-24 Mountain West win at No. 22 UNLV (9-2) on Oct. 25.  

Washington State (8-3) was ranked as high as No. 18 before suffering back-to-back losses to New Mexico and Oregon State. Boise State defeated the Cougars 45-24 in September.

The Broncos close the regular season at 10 a.m. Mountain time on Black Friday with a home game against Oregon State (5-6). Boise State will host the Mountain West Football Championship on Dec. 6 against UNLV or Colorado State (7-4, 5-1). 

Here are the College Football Playoff rankings for Week 14 of the 2024 season:

Week 14 College Football Playoff rankings 

Nov. 26, 2024

1. Oregon (Big Ten)

2. Ohio State (Big Ten)

3. Texas (SEC)

4. Penn State (Big Ten)

5. Notre Dame (Independent)

6. Miami (ACC)

7. Georgia (SEC)

8. Tennessee (SEC)

9. SMU (ACC)

10. Indiana (Big Ten)

11. Boise State (MWC)

12. Clemson (ACC)

13. Alabama (SEC)

14. Ole Miss (SEC)

15. South Carolina (SEC)

16. Arizona State (Big 12)

17. Tulane (American)

18. Iowa State (Big 12)

19. BYU (Big 12)

20. Texas A&M (SEC)

21. Missouri (SEC)

22. UNLV (MWC)

23. Illinois (Big Ten)

24. Kansas State (Big 12)

25. Colorado (Big 12)