Boise State's Bryan Harsin on College Football Playoff spot: It's not a 'pipe dream'

Boise State coach Bryan Harsin is well aware of the long odds many prognosticators have given his program of securing a spot in this season's College Football Playoff.

He just doesn't feel the same way.

"I don't think that’s a pipe dream," Harsin said of the Broncos' chances of playing in the postseason, according to Pete Thamel of Sports Illustrated. "I know what other people think. Here's the thing, I still think college football is the greatest sport and most exciting for that reason, that you give a team like Boise a chance."

Despite returning 12 starters from 2014, when the Broncos went 12-2 and bested Pac-12 south champ Arizona in the Fiesta Bowl, Boise State enters fall camp as a long shot to compete for a national title.

As a member of a non-Power Five league, the Broncos will have to squeeze out programs with stronger pedigrees to secure one of the four bids. Last season, Big 12 co-champs Baylor and TCU were both omitted from the inaugural postseason, despite recording only one loss apiece.

Can Boise State convincingly make the argument it's more deserving of a place than a one-loss Power Five team, despite facing arguably weaker competition?

For most, the answer is no.

"The reality is that I can't imagine there’s a scenario where they leave out a Big 12 and an ACC schools with one loss (for one of our schools)," said Fresno State coach Tim DeRuyter, whose team, like Boise State, plays in the Mountain West conference.