After the regular season finished in a four-way tie, the Mountain West has used the computer rankings to determine the two teams that’ll go against each other in the conference championship game. Boise State will host the game at Albertsons Stadium on December 5 against Dan Mullen’s UNLV Rebels.

This will be the third straight meeting between the Broncos and the Rebels for the conference title. The last two matchups were won by Spencer Danielson’s team.

In the Mountain West, Boise State, New Mexico, San Diego, and UNLV concluded with a 6-2 conference record. Since all four teams did not face off against each other, computer metrics (Connely SP+, ESPN SOR, KPI, and Sport Source) were taken into consideration.

The teams were ranked based on efficiency, quality of wins, and quality of their respective schedules to determine the rankings. The Broncos and the Rebels earned the top two spots (finishing off with 47.75 and 45.5 ranks, respectively), advancing to the Mountain West championship game. Since the Broncos won 56-31 against the Rebels in October, they received the hosting rights.

However, this is not the first instance when computer models have been used to advance programs to the championship game at the Mountain West Conference.

During the 2023 season, Boise State, UNLV, and San Jose also finished 6-2 in conference play. Although the Rebels had faced off against San Jose, ending in a loss, 37-31. But UNLV and Boise State did not face off against each other during the regular season. Similarly, last season, Boise State earned the first spot in the championship title game, but UNLV and Colorado State had a tie.

On Friday, UNLV and Boise State will go against each other for the third straight season.

Spencer Danielson on defending conference title

Post-Utah State win in Week 14, Spencer Danielson touched on his conference title hopes.

“I look at our team, and yes, we had two tough losses in conference because we didn’t respond well to our quarterback being out, and we didn’t play our best as a team, and that’s on me,” he said.

Over the regular season, Boise State faced defeats against Fresno State and San Diego State. But they faced more challenges ahead, owing to an injured roster. Ahead of the road game against the Utah Aggies, six players were listed out of the matchup, including starting quarterback Maddux Madsen. He had sustained an unspecified leg injury against Fresno State and had not made an appearance after that.

Max Cutforth has been the leader of the offense over the last four games, leading the team to victories over Colorado State and Utah State. Presently, there is no official statement regarding Madsen’s appearance against the Rebels; the program remains determined to make its mark once again.

“So we’re going to let the chips fall where they may. I believe in this team, I believe they should absolutely deserve the right to go play in the championship game with how we finished the season, and I’m excited to see that happen.”

So far, the Broncos have dominated the winning streak against the Rebels, boasting a 12-3 record. On the other side of the scrimmage, the Rebels come off as excited. This is the fourth time UNLV has posted a 10-win season in its program history, and first-year coach Dan Mullen couldn’t be prouder.

“We are very excited to have the opportunity to play for the Mountain West title,” he said on Nov. 29. “This team has improved every week during the season, and we hope to play our best game in Boise.”