The AP #10 ranked Washington Huskies welcome the Boise State Broncos to start the 2023 season. As the season kicks off the Huskies have championship aspirations, not just the conference, but nationally.  In 2022 the Broncos lost in the Mountain West Conference Championship to Fresno State. However, even with the loss Boise State finished the season with 10 wins.

In this matchup of two of the top teams in their respective divisions, Vegas has the Huskies as a 14.5 point favorite and combined points at 58.5. If this were to come to fruition the score would be somewhere around 45-20 in the Huskies favor.  However, I don’t see it being that high-scoring of an affair.

Washington will have no trouble moving the ball on the Broncos’ defense. Their defensive line is mostly transfers from smaller programs. Their strength is at the linebacker position with DJ Schramm, while the defensive backfield is not equipped with hang with the likes of Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, Ja’Lynn Polk, Germie Bernard, or Denzel Boston.

On the flip side, the Boise State offense will grind the clock. Running backs George Holani and Ashton Jeanty pair well with Taylen Green. While Green doesn’t put a ton of fear into defenses with his arm, he does is explosive with his legs. With the new clock rules in college football I can see the Broncos taking the air out of the ball to limit the Huskies’ offensive opportunities.

My Picks: Washington -14.5, Under 58.5 points
Score:  Washington 37, Boise State 20