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Boise State vs Memphis: A CFP Statement Game

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Boise State vs Memphis: A CFP Statement Game

Originally posted on Anubis Sports | By Cody Marmon | Last updated Sep 9, 2026 6:33 PM ET

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September college football games are often referred to as “cupcake games,” but the Boise State vs Memphis matchup in Week 2 feels more like a statement game. The Broncos have already been to the College Football Playoff; they bring back 13 starters from 2025 and have an opportunity this weekend to put themselves in the driver’s seat for a second invite when they host the Memphis Tigers.

Maddux Madsen and Boise have already shown the committee they can hang with the nation’s elite; he threw three touchdowns against the Oregon Ducks and didn’t turn the ball over. Memphis has proven it won’t blink on the road, especially on the West Coast. Now both programs arrive at the same intersection with a chance to plant an early-season and season-long credential the CFP committee will certainly remember in December.

The Tigers sent an early-season shock wave in Week 0 when they defeated the UNLV Running Rebels 27-21. They outscored Dan Mullen’s group 20-7 in the second half.

Memphis has looked dangerous under first-year head coach Charles Huff, averaging 34.5 points per game, 265.0 rushing yards and 205.5 passing yards. Their 4.5 sacks through two games rank 15th in the nation.

The Broncos are coming off a competitive 34-27 defeat to No. 6 Oregon; they dragged the Ducks into the fourth quarter with the game tied at 24 in Eugene. The Athletic’s Ralph D. Russo placed Boise State No. 20 in his AP Poll rankings following Week 1.

It doesn’t matter where they play, the Broncos have notoriously played the Ducks tough. That distinction matters; how a team loses is judged heavily by the College Football Playoff Committee.

Huff shared his assessment to the media on Tuesday after watching the film on Boise State vs. Oregon.

“Fear. Appropriate fear… I haven’t slept since Saturday night.”

The Boise State vs Memphis Game Tilts The Group of Six Landscape

According to Heather Dinich, a national college football writer for ESPN, Boise State has the best playoff shot of any Group of 6 team at 17.5 percent. The G6 bid doesn’t require a conference crown this year. The requirement is being the highest-ranked team by the committee come December 6.

The CFP’s own guidelines say the committee judges teams based on strength of schedule, head-to-head outcome, and results against common opponents.

There’s also a strength-of-conference ripple effect. If Memphis wins, the American Conference instantly becomes the perceived leader among G6. If Boise State wins, the newly renovated Pac-12 takes that mantle. The committee has repeatedly leaned on conference strength as a deciding factor, and this game will shape that perception for the rest of the season.

The Broncos received the most total votes for the AP Top 25 after week 1 (86), and the Tigers received the fifth-most (23).

The question becomes whether Boise State can physically reset in time for a Memphis team that doesn’t need an invitation to play fast and opportunistic.

It’s about recovery vs readiness, the delicate balance every coaching staff faces after a high-impact opener. Danielson’s program has built its reputation on toughness, but even the toughest teams show the aftershock of a game where every snap feels like a collision with future NFL draft picks. Oregon forces teams to defend space, speed, and size all at once, and that kind of strain can linger.

Memphis-Boise State is the Group of 6 version of a title eliminator; it’s not technically a playoff game, but it will feel that way Saturday, Sept. 12, at Albertsons Stadium, where the Broncos boast an 18-2 record on the famous blue turf since Danielson was named head coach.

This article first appeared on Anubis Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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