Why did Boise State get first-round bye over Clemson? Looking at 12-team CFP field

The Boise State Broncos have been one of the pleasant surprises in the 2024 college football season. The Broncos are the Mountain West Champions, and their 12-1 record is quite impressive.

They been rewarded a first-round bye in the 2024 college football playoffs. Let's look at the reasons why the Broncos got a first-round bye instead of the Clemson Tigers.

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Why did Boise State get first-round bye over Clemson?

Boise State gets a highly coveted bye in round one due to its win in the MW Championship and a favorable rule. According to the committee, the five highest-ranked conference champions earn automatic first-round byes in the playoffs.

Hence, the Boise State Broncos will have to deal with the winner of the SMU Mustangs versus Penn State Nittany Lions game on Dec. 21. Whoever wins that game will tackle the Broncos in the quarterfinals.

Here's a look at the first-round games in the expanded college football playoffs:

Friday, December 20, 2024

• No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. No. 10 Indiana Hoosiers at 8 p.m. ET

Saturday, December 21, 2024

• No. 6 Penn State Nittany Lions vs. No. 11 SMU Mustangs at noon ET
• No. 5 Texas Longhorns vs. No. 12 Clemson Tigers at 4 p.m. ET
• No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers at 8 p.m. ET

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How did the Boise State Broncos get here?

From the start, the Broncos knew they'd have to be almost flawless to qualify for the expanded college football playoffs. Interestingly, they've been just that since their loss to the Oregon Ducks.

Led by Heisman Trophy frontrunner Ashton Jeanty, the Broncos have won their past 11 games. They've also been victorious against divisional foes and capped it with a dominant victory over the UNLV Rebels in the MW Championship Game.

The Broncos finished the season's first stage with an impressive 12-1 record. They now await the winner of the first round of the playoffs to continue their quest for the title.