But what about the SEC?
5 years after taking over as Head Coach for the Broncos, Chris Petersen has established himself as on of CFB's elite coaches and the only two time recipient of the Paul Bear Bryant Award, given to the nation's best Head Coach. Meanwhile, Kellen Moore is universally regarded as a top tier CFB QB and, by some, one of the best signal callers of all time. He begins the year within striking distance of CFB's all time wins record, held by Texas' Colt McCoy, as the Bronco Senior class closes in on 50 career wins.
But first, the Broncos will have to get by the SEC's Georgia Bulldogs in Atlanta, a school that had utterly dismantled them the year before Petersen took over. Georgia was coming off a poor season in which they had lost their bowl game to the UCF Knights. However, they boasted what many considered the SEC's best QB in Aaron Murray, the highest rated RB recruit in the country, Isaiah Crowell, and a rapidly improving 3-4 defense, blessed with size and speed, under second year defensive coordinator Todd Grantham.
Georgia would go on to win the SEC East, display extraordinary defense all year long, and compete in the SEC Championship game against #1 LSU. As the teams take the field, Georgia enters absolutely determined to squash BSU and send them scurrying back to the Mid-Majors while the Broncos take the field in front of a crowd that had been whipped into a veritable frenzy, screaming GATA and ESS-EE-SEE. The Broncos were cold as ice as they entered into the fray and, by the end of the night would have a thoroughly convincing win that would give them wins over the PAC-12 Conference Champions (twice), ACC Conference Champions, and SEC East Divisional Champion in back to back to back to back years. By all unbiased accounts, there were no remaining arguments to be made...Boise State had arrived.