Boise State records one of its highest final rankings in AP Top 25

Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman

BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — With Ohio State lifting the College Football Playoff national championship trophy on Monday night after a 34-23 victory over Notre Dame, the 2024 college football season officially came to a close.

The final Associated Press Top 25 rankings were released Tuesday morning, and Boise State finished in its third-highest position ever to end a season. Ohio State topped the poll, of course, with national runner-up Notre Dame coming in at No. 2. Boise State ended the year ranked No. 8, unchanged from its final ranking before the College Football Playoff.

The only times the Broncos finished higher were in the final poll after the 2009 season (No. 4) and the 2006 season (No. 5). Both of those teams were unbeaten.

The Broncos’ season ended on New Year’s Eve in the CFP quarterfinals, when they lost 31-14 to Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl.

Boise State won its second consecutive Mountain West title en route to its first-ever playoff berth, and finished the season 12-2. The only other loss was to Oregon, which finished No. 3 in the final poll. Penn State finished No. 5.

Boise State ranked the lowest of the eight teams that were quarterfinalists, falling behind No. 7 Arizona State, which jumped up three spots after an overtime loss to Texas in the Peach Bowl, also the quarterfinal round.

In turn, Tennessee dropped from No. 7 to No. 9 after Ohio State easily dispatched the Volunteers 42-17 in the first round of the playoffs. Since entering the poll at No. 25 in week 5, the Broncos enjoyed a steady rise in the rankings.

They fell on just two occasions — by two spots after a bye week and then by one spot after a 28-21 home win over Nevada.

Boise State received 958 votes, behind No. 7 Arizona State’s total of 1,041 points and just ahead of No. 9 Tennessee’s tally of 945. The Broncos did not make the top eight in the Coaches Poll Top 25, coming in at No. 9 with 872 points, just behind No. 8 Tennessee (893).

The Mountain West team that Boise State beat in the league championship game, UNLV, finished No. 23 in the final Top 25 after defeating Cal 24-13 in the LA Bowl.