Boise State’s path to CFP clears up with Navy’s Week 9 loss

Boise State received a second boost to its College Football Playoff hopes on Saturday.

A day after beating UNLV (6-2, 2-1 in MWC) on the road, 29-24, to take control of the Mountain West Conference, one of the Broncos’ main competitors for an automatic CFP berth sustained a debilitating loss.

Associated Press No. 24 Navy (6-1, 4-0 in AAC) lost handily to No. 12 Notre Dame (7-1), 51-14.

The loss knocked the Midshipmen from the unbeaten ranks. It also threatens to derail their quest for an automatic qualifying bid in the expanded 12-team CFP as one of the five highest-ranked conference champions.

Navy is still in the hunt for an AAC title, but the decisive loss to Notre Dame is a much more significant blow than Boise State’s 38-35 loss to No. 1 Oregon (7-0, 4-0 in Big Ten) in Week 2.

The Irish might not be finished helping the Broncos.

No. 23 Army (7-0, 6-0 in AAC) is the only remaining undefeated Group of Five conference team, and it plays Notre Dame in Week 13.

Should No. 17 Boise State (6-1, 3-0 in MWC) win the remainder of its games and finish the season as a one-loss Mountain West champion, it will be in excellent shape to make the CFP.

Among Group of Five programs, Memphis, Liberty, Louisiana-Lafayette and UL Monroe are the only other teams besides Navy with one loss.

None of those teams have a resume that competes with Boise State’s, making that an easy debate to settle should any end the season with an identical record to the Broncos.

The CFP conversation would have been much more heated if Navy had notched a marquee win in Week 9. Instead, Notre Dame helped clear Boise State’s path to the automatic playoff bid.