Boise State Football: 5 reasons why Broncos will struggle in 2017

5. Bryan Harsin is no Chris Petersen when it comes to coaching Broncos

In three seasons at his alma mater after taking over for Chris Petersen, Bryan Harsin has done a laudable enough job of maintaining standards. Under his watch, the Broncos have gone 31-9 from 2014 to 2016. That includes the trip to the 2014 Fiesta Bowl and two seasons with at least 10 wins.

Of course, Harsin’s predecessor didn’t even lose nine total games in his first seven seasons at the helm in Boise. Petersen won four WAC and one Mountain West championship in eight seasons with the Broncos. Twice the Broncos finished the year with a perfect record under Petersen. Three other times, they ended the year with only one defeat.

Harsin has already failed to meet that honestly unrealistic standard. The Broncos will remain decent in the future with Harsin at the helm, but he will never be quite the transcendent coach that Petersen was when he still patrolled the Smurf Turf.

With that fact acknowledged, the Broncos no longer feel like a team of destiny as they did under Petersen. While they are still one of the top schools in the Mountain West, they may never be as hegemonic as they were under their previous coach. Having to come to grips with that truth sure does stink for Broncos fans, who have to watch the steady fall from undisputed top Group of Five school to just another face in the mix.