It's almost the weekend Bronco Nation

Today is Part V of my Boise State 2026 season preview, going into the questions and storylines that will be answered and end up defining the season for the Broncos. Included (but not limited to) are:

• Can Maddux Madsen step up in his final season, or will he continue to shrivel (especially away from home)?
• Does another running back get significant snaps and touches outside of Riley and Gaines, or does the duo get an increased workload?
• Can Boise State rediscover their pass rush and how could that happen?
• Which, if any, true freshmen become regular contributors?

This is the final preview part specifically about Boise State, as tomorrow's final part of the 2026 season preview looks at the rest of the G6 landscape and what teams could challenge for the CFP spot.

Thanks for reading!

Hey guys! BSU fan from the UK here (i gather you probably don't get many of us)

I've seen this basket is going to be on offer at home games and my god it is absolutely amazing. I wish I could afford to come over there and come to a game (in the future I will for sure) to get one for myself but sadly that's not possible!

Long shot here, but i was wondering if there was anybody at all over there who would be willing to get one for me and send it over. Obviously i'll pay.

Thanks guys for taking the time to read this 😄 💙 🧡

#BleedBlue

Happy Humpday Bronco Nation!

Today is Part IV of the 2026 Season Preview, which focuses on Boise State's opponents. If you've ever listened to the Split Zone Duo podcast, you might be familiar with the format I went with, which is the rose-bud-thorn format. A rose for a team is something that's good about them. A bud is something that could be good, but we don't know yet. A thorn is a problem with the team. I also give:

• the basic information about the game (date, location)
• the coach and their history as a head coach
• a quick recap of how their 2025 season went
• a player to know for each team
• a brief series history between the teams and Boise State
• thoughts on if Boise State should beat that team or not

Tomorrow is Part V, the final main piece about Boise State, a dive into the questions and storylines that will define the 2026 season.

Based on the Broncos/PAC 12 media deal, it looks like this season's games are spread out among CBS, CBS Sports Network, USA, and CW.

I'm looking for the most affordable streaming service to catch the games. It looks like my best bet is YouTube TV, and I can get away with the YTTV sports bundle for $54.99/month. It also looks like I get access to the ESPN Unlimited app as a bonus.

I checked Fubo and DirecTV MySports and neither of them show CW on the channel lineup and are more expensive, and Hulu Live TV is way more expensive. Sling TV does not have CW, CBS or CBSSN. I have tried rabbit ears and cannot get it to pick up most local channels (apartment building).

Is YouTube TV Sports gonna be the best deal out there, or is there anything else I am missing? Thanks!

Would anyone be interested?

I’m actually somewhat impressed with Boise State’s roster this year. It’s certainly not the strongest roster we’ve had, but it’s far from the weakest. Ultimately, Week 1 against Oregon is going to tell us a lot about what kind of team this really is.
One of the biggest questions is how Boise responds if they fall significantly behind. If they find themselves down 25+ points, do they continue competing and make adjustments, or does the game get away from them? A lot will depend on Maddux and whether the dual-threat backfield can keep the offense moving and the game competitive.
I’m also watching the wide receiver room closely. There’s talent there, but will one of those receivers step up and clearly separate himself from the rest of the group?
Defensively, there are even more unknowns. With only four returning starters, this unit is a legitimate mystery heading into the season. The talent may be there, but how quickly will they develop chemistry in live-game situations? They could come together immediately, or it may take a couple of weeks before the defense really finds its identity.
For me, the Oregon game sets the expectations for the rest of the season:
If Boise stays within 20 points of Oregon, I see this team losing no more than three games.
If Boise stays within one score, I think 11–1 is realistic, with Boise winning the Pac-12 Championship.
If Boise goes into Oregon and wins convincingly, then an undefeated regular season and a College Football Playoff appearance become legitimate possibilities.
A CFP National Championship? I’m still going to be realistic—I don’t think Boise is there yet.
And even in the worst-case scenario, if Oregon completely shuts Boise down in Week 1, I still see this team finding a way to finish around 7–5.
Boise State doesn’t make a habit of losing seasons, and I don’t expect that to change this year.

Hey there Bronco Nation

Today is Part III of my 2026 Season Preview, which focuses on Boise State's defense and special teams.

There's a lot of turnover on this defense, with only 4 or 5 returning starters from last season (depending on if you consider David Latu a returning starter). The secondary in particular is getting a major rework done and the room looks very different with several transfers from P4 schools, G6 schools, and FCS schools all joining the team. Add to it that there will be a new starting LB and a new starting DL, we won't really know how good (or bad) Boise State's defense will be this season.

What we do know is the scheme under Erik Chinander, now in his 3rd season as Boise State's defensive coordinator and defensive playcaller. I go into that scheme and how it can let the defense flourish, but also where the weak points are and how opposing offenses can take advantage of them.

Then there's also the special teams, which hasn't been good for the last few years. The return game has been absent, the coverage has been leaky, and last season was a bad year for kicking. Stacey Collins is still the STC, and the kickers on the team haven't changed, so can Boise State start doing some good in the third phase of football?

Tomorrow will be a look at Boise State's schedule and all the teams on it (which by default will also mean a look at the rest of the Pac-12 Conference). Until then, hope you enjoy reading!

Was thinking about trying out a college fantasy football league this season. Salary cap format, so no need to coordinate a draft. Looks like you just sign up and build your team.

Dylan Riley was the first guy in my team, but curious if there’s anyone else you guys are taking too?

Looking at league settings, theres no minimum or max league size. Full FBS was available which I thought was cool.

Any interest in a Boise fan league?

Hey folks

Today is Part II of my 2026 Season Preview, with the Boise State offense taking the spotlight. It was an inconsistent unit last season that had some really nice highs but some atrocious lows. A good chunk of that unit is back this season, including the polarizing QB Maddux Madsen, but there's also a lot of new faces. The wide receiver room and offensive line got reworks, and it could lead to a higher ceiling but also a lower floor.

In this post, I go through the entire offensive roster, organizing each position into three categories:

1. Need to Know Names- the guys that will almost certainly be starting and be key players

2. Names to Keep an Eye On- the guys that could start or be important pieces, either as depth options or players who see their role grow as the season wears on

3. Rest of the Roster- the guys that will look like they'll mostly be relegated to special teams and garbage time if they see the field at all

I also get a bit into the scheme of the offense and what recent history dictates we'll see from the offense in terms of play calling and personnel usage. Tomorrow will be Part III, where I'll do the same but for the defense and special teams.

Hope you enjoy!

I don’t really know how to record on PlayStation but I was playing this morning for the first time in like a month and it happened. The actual song doesn’t play but the crowd chants the opening like IRL. Probably a way to get around copyright issues.

Thought it was super cool and would share.

I know this is a basic question, however do y’all this team could be the one who will make the playoffs. This year’s team has a good amount of talent on the roster. Maddux Madsen was pretty underwhelming last year in my opinion, but not bad. Our Linebackers are also rather weak. I don’t necessarily think that the offense is bad in fact I’d say it’s pretty good. I feel that the team can keep up against Oregon but will ultimately probably lose in the end. The games against Memphis and Fresno State will probably be the most important because teams also are possible contenders for the G5 slot (not to mention Fresno’s an in conference matchup). What are y’all’s thoughts?

Hey Bronco fans

If you don't know who I am, I've been doing writing about Boise State and G6 football for the last couple years, but decided last year to move it to Substack. I started Bronco Breakdown as a free alternative to Boise State and G6 coverage (mostly Boise State though) because well, let's face it, there's barely any coverage on Boise State and G6 football outside of the local outlets, and most of those you have to pay for. That isn't to say outlets like Bronco Nation News shouldn't be free, because those guys do have families to support, but more that I understand a lot of people can't afford subscriptions to those sources.

I try to go in-depth with previews for both the season (where I will have a new piece out from today through Friday) as well as weekly previews for Boise State games and the week ahead in Pac-12/G6 football, and also postgame write-ups for Boise State games. I also write about news concerning Boise State and, in some cases like the legal stuff and recent lawsuits, try to make it written for the average reader.

This piece is an introduction to Boise State's coaching staff, along with their coaching histories and the story about each coach as we head into the 2026 season. Later this week will be a preview of Boise State's offense, defense, special teams, schedule, and a quick preview of the G6 as a whole. If you enjoy what you read and/or are interested in more, subscribing is free and I don't plan to make it paid in the future; all it takes is an email address mainly so that whenever I publish/post something, it gets sent to your email inbox.

Thank you!

Brett

Howdy Broncos,
Planning on attending the Boise State v Texas State game to cheer on my bobcats (hopefully) new found success in the PAC. Is there a process for securing a tailgating spot with a vehicle and tent and the whole shabang? Do I need a parking pass and are there certain parking lots for visitors? Any info would be greatly appreciated! Can’t wait to meet our new PAC foes!