Just days away from their College Football Playoff quarterfinal game in the Fiesta Bowl versus the Penn State Nittany Lions, the rallying cry for the Boise State Broncos is on full display. The coaches are voicing it and the players are wearing it across their chests. Four words, four syllables, one simple plea… Please Count Us Out.
In fairness, everyone is counting Boise State out in the College Football Playoff. Despite being a higher seed than the Nittany Lions and coming into the game with just a single loss on the season to the top-seeded Oregon Ducks, the Broncos are somewhere in the neighborhood of an 11-point underdog in Tuesday night's Fiesta Bowl. But this is no concern for Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson. In fact, he seems to be relishing in the opportunity to prove all of the naysayers wrong.
“That’s what this place is built on, the chip on their shoulder. Please count us out,” Danielson said earlier this week, per Nicole Auerbach of NBC Sports. “If nobody gives us a chance, if the point spread continues to grow, whatever. Please count us out. That’s what Boise State football is built on, people thinking we can’t do anything, and we work our tails off to find a way to prove people wrong.”
It shouldn't be a surprise that the 36-year-old head coach is well-versed in his Boise State football history. The Broncos burst onto the national scene in a game, almost 18 years ago to the day, in which they were counted out by the majority of prognosticators before kickoff. Despite being 7-point underdogs against the mighty Oklahoma Sooners, Boise State stunned the world in an instant classic in which they secured a 43-42 overtime win, capping off a perfect 13-0 season.
Did I mention that game against Oklahoma was the Fiesta Bowl?
Article Continues BelowRelive Boise State’s victory in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl👇🏾
• Boise State finished 13-0 & ranked #5 in the Final AP pic.twitter.com/L5zHzNvnYz
— College Football Report (@CFBRep) August 28, 2023
While I selfishly hope that Boise State dusts off some of those trick plays to pay homage to that 2006 team, this Broncos squad hasn't needed to rely on trickery or late-game heroics to make their first ever College Football Playoff appearance. Instead, they've arrived at the party with a steady QB, a diverse group of pass-catchers, an underrated defense, and yes, the best running back in the country Ashton Jeanty, who enters the game just 132 yards away from breaking Barry Sanders' single-season rushing record.
Whether that is enough to topple a Penn State squad that looked dominant against the SMU Mustangs in the opening round of the College Football Playoff remains to be seen. One would assume that with a playmaker as dynamic as Ashton Jeanty, they at least have a puncher's chance. At the very least, Spencer Danielson believes his team is going to be ready for what is certainly the biggest game in program history.
“I believe in our team,” Danielson said boldly. “Put the ball down. We’re going to be ready.”