The Big 12 battle is cranking up as we are inching closer to the end of a regular college football season. Even many SEC bigwigs like Alabama and Ole Miss faced setbacks, and underrated gems are coming out on the surface, announcing their ability to rise higher on the ladder. The reshuffling, the uncertainty, and the beauty of the football peak here. Boise State serves as one of the epitomes of this trend, as the 12th-ranked Broncos came fresh off a satisfying 17-13 win over Wyoming last week. They are making a strong case to add to their ranking stack as the Big 12 leaders failed to deliver. Do they get a bye? Jerry Palm of CBS Sports broke down the odds.

Alabama, Ole Miss, and Indiana all three had a massive retreat in week 13. Also, the needle movers, BYU, and Colorado lost their streak. BYU’s loss to Arizona State made room for the outside top 12 to get their chance. While Indiana also poses a challenge, the Broncos have a clear edge as they have lost to the No. 1 Ducks by only a field goal, unlike the Hoosiers, who suffered a significant defeat.

Palm, the CBS Sports analyst’s last week’s projection could already see the Broncos bagging a bye. He’s still sticking to his words. The analyst noted, ‘‘I don’t think that the Big 12 champion is going to move past Boise State, assuming that Boise State gets no. 12 and one and they’re the Mountain West Champion. If they don’t get there, I don’t see which big 12 team is going to be put ahead of them. Given the way they are now, they’re going to have a minimum of two losses, and it really hasn’t been a great year for the league in terms of high quality at the top.”

The Big 12 leaders—Arizona State, Iowa State, BYU, and the Colorado Buffs—are all tied with a 6-2 conference record, but it’s unlikely any of them will make the top 4. Meanwhile, Boise State’s strong performance (10-1) and undefeated conference record position them well to secure a wildcard spot in the playoffs. As Palm put it, “I mean, it’s been great for competitiveness among each other, but I don’t think the Big 12 champion is going to crack the top 4 unless Boise State falters or the ACC falters, but that seems unlikely. But Boise State, as good as they look, they’re probably going to get a bye.”

The vision isn’t up in the air, though. But the pivot in the Broncos’ breakout season is undoubtedly their shining armor, Ashton Jeanty. He has, as always, been in the driving seat, leading his team to a narrow win against Wyoming last week and securing their spot in the Mountain West title game.

Ashton Jeanty made history for the Boise State Broncos

Jeanty rushed for 159 yards and posted three impressive touchdowns, marking a season record of 1,893 rushing yards in just 10 games and 256 carries. He smashed Jay Ajayi’s glory of 1,823 yards achieved through 14 games and on 347 attempts back in 2014. Jeanty continues to live on his beast energy to run over 100 yards for the 10th game in a row. This kid is unstoppable in all senses. Even coach Spencer Danielson handed him the flower, noting him as the best football player in the country:  ‘A big-time leader and an elite human being.”

Going beyond his leg and hand flex on the gridiron, Danielson acknowledged how selflessly and unconditionally the Florida native loves his team. He said it’s rare to find a hard worker and a leader in one person, and the Broncos found that rare catch in Jeanty. Given the team gears up for the Mountain West Championship game, Jeanty will have even more chances to add to his Heisman stacks and challenge Travis Hunter in the race.