Rece Davis predicts winner of UNLV-Boise State Mountain West Championship

Rece Davis discussed the Mountain West Championship implications and outlined a chaotic playoff path for the conference.

ESPN College GameDay host Rece Davis picks the Boise State Broncos to win this year's Mountain West title over the UNLV Rebels. | Mateo Rosiles/ Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The UNLV Rebels and Boise State Broncos will meet for the Mountain West title for the third consecutive season. This pairing was determined by a composite average of four metrics needed to break a four-way tie for first place involving San Diego State and New Mexico. The Rebels travel to face the Broncos on the blue turf where they have historically struggled.

Boise State Broncos head coach Spencer Danielson leads a team that holds a significant historical advantage in this series. The Broncos lead the all-time series 12-3 and have won 10 consecutive games against the Rebels dating back to 1976. This includes a 56-31 victory on October 18 where Boise State scored 28 straight points to start the second half.

UNLV Rebels head coach Dan Mullen looks to reverse that trend after securing back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time in school history.

The offense features conference Offensive Player of the Year Anthony Colandrea, who threw for 3,050 yards and 22 touchdowns, and he faces a Broncos unit that welcomes back starting quarterback Maddux Madsen after he missed the final three games with a lower-leg injury.

Rece Davis Predicts Winner Of Mountain West Championship

On Wednesday's episode of the College GameDay podcast, host Rece Davis discussed the stakes of the upcoming title game. The conversation highlighted a potential UNLV path to the College Football Playoff that hinges on chaos in other conference championships. Davis explored scenarios in which the Troy Trojans and the Duke Blue Devils win their respective title games.

Davis noted the unique situation of a four-loss team hosting a ten-win team for a championship. He said, "You guys aren't expecting this. We're going to pick one more game. Because of this, if Troy wins and if Duke wins, does it open the door for the Mountain West to get back in? Maybe not for Boise State with four losses, but UNLV is a 10-win team.

UNLV head coach Dan Mullen led the Rebels to the MWC title game in his first season with the program. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

"Now, they had to go to the computers to sort out their tie to find out who was playing in the Mountain West Championship Game. If Troy and Duke win, will the Mountain West get a team in the field again this year? So tell me, Vegas, Boise, who wins it?"

The veteran analyst picked the Broncos despite the disparity in overall records. Davis stated, "I'm going to take the Broncos also. They win it. And I agree with Dan. If all of those things come to fruition, Duke would get in the playoff and we would no longer worry about three-loss teams getting in the playoff because then a five-loss team would be in the playoff."

A victory for Boise State would rely on their 30th-ranked rushing attack led by Dylan Riley. The running back earned second-team all-conference honors after rushing for 1,016 yards and 10 touchdowns. The Broncos also boast a stout pass defense that allows just 167.3 yards per game.

Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson is 23-7 in his three seasons with the Broncos. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

UNLV counters with an opportunistic defense that ranks 25th in the FBS with a positive turnover margin. While they allow over 420 yards per game, they rely on a high-powered offense that averages 37.2 points per contest. Running back Jai'Den Thomas provides balance for Colandrea as he led the nation with 7.43 yards per carry this season.

The Broncos will host the Rebels on Friday at 8:00 p.m. ET on FOX.