The oddities of this 2024 college football season are still popping up every week.

Like this one: A team with one of Group 5’s best hopes of derailing this new 12-team College Football Playoff format hasn’t even played a conference game yet.

No. 25 Boise State defeated previously undefeated Washington State 45-24 at home on Saturday to improve to 3-1. The blue turf was once again graced by the presence of superstar running back Ashton Jeanty, who rushed for 259 yards and four touchdowns on 26 carries.

But 2024 is strange. The Broncos now enter October 0-0 in the Mountain West Conference despite their win against the Cougars, but are at the top of the list of teams that can play for a national title.

The MWC agreed to a scheduling alliance with Wazzu and Oregon State, the final two members of the Pac-12, for this unique season. In the past two weeks, the Pac-12 has poached five MWC teams, led by Boise State, to join the conference. And since this latest confusing round of conference realignment began, the Pac-12 is now suing the MWC in federal court for a “poaching fee” that could cost more than $40 million.

This is the battle between the suits. On the field, Boise State continued its impressive start to the season, led by Jeanty and a stifling defensive front. The Broncos officially open MWC play next weekend at home against Utah State.

The kind of win Boise State needed to boost its potential playoff resume

The margin for error given to the Broncos isn’t the same as most other top-25 teams. Because they are not part of a Power 4 conference, losses in November and December will need to be kept to a minimum if they are to strengthen their potential position as one of the five highest-ranked conference champions to receive automatic bids.

Boise State’s first third of the season looks pretty darn good on paper.

“Where’s the ceiling?” That’s what Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson said after the game. “We have to keep growing. I know we’re not playing our best football yet, but I also know that every team on our schedule can absolutely beat us. I know that. And that has been shown throughout college football.”

They battled Georgia Southern on the road and went toe-to-toe with an Oregon team then ranked No. 3 in the country at Autzen Stadium, but lost 37-34 on a last-second field goal. After that game, Jeanty bluntly called the Broncos one of the best teams in the country before adding that they would dominate the rest of the teams on their schedule.

What followed was a 56-14 home win over Portland State and a win over Wazzu on Saturday. That was important because there won’t be so many high-profile encounters anymore.

The one that could decide the conference outcome – and potentially an automatic Group 5 bid – is Boise State’s road trip against 4-0 UNLV in Las Vegas on Friday, Oct. 25.

Another Heisman moment for the best in college football

Jeanty threw over two Wazzu linebackers en route to his fourth touchdown run of the night. And when he reached the back of the end zone, he lifted his right leg, extended his right arm and struck the famous pose again. He did it after his record-breaking six-touchdown performance in Week 1 at Georgia Southern. And against Wazzu it was appropriate that he struck again. The junior running back once again proved how miserable it is to try to tackle him.

He pushed the defenders to the ground with a stiff arm. He ran over linebackers who got into a gap. He used his speed to stand out from the crowd.

“Relentless,” Danielson said. “Talk about a guy who focuses on his team, loves that team and finds any way to score because that’s what his team needs. This is Ashton.”

Ashton Jeanty, 59 yards to house. Cougs with a few more missed tackles.

Jeanty tonight: 18 carries, 218 yards, 3 touchdowns

BSU 31, WSU 17 pic.twitter.com/fZvExf1aAA

– Greg Woods (@GregWWoods) September 29, 2024

Jeanty has now rushed for 845 yards and 13 touchdowns in four games. That’s an average of 211 yards per game.

“We’re going to run the ball — even if you know we’re going to run the ball — and we’re going to keep getting yards, and then we’re going to make you give up,” Jeanty said.

What other “outsiders” are in the mix?

The beauty of the expanded playoff format allows more fan bases to dream.

Besides Boise State and UNLV, there are others who can think big. Army and Navy of the American Athletic Conference are 4-0. Liberty of Conference USA is also 4-0. While James Madison is 4-0 and has yet to begin conference play in the Sun Belt, the Dukes are coming off a 70-point performance in their last two offensive games at North Carolina, followed by a 63-point performance at home against Ball State.

Go deeper

What we learned about the College Football Playoff in Week 5

(Photo by Ashton Jeanty: Loren Orr / Getty Images)