If nothing else, Boise State football had an interesting 2022. Sometimes chaotic and off the rails. Sometimes exhilarating and promising.

We saw the departure of one quarterback (Hank Bachmeier) and the emergence of another (Taylen Green). We saw fans willing to pack the car for one offensive coordinator (Tim Plough) to leave then willing to buy another guy (Dirk Koetter) a car to stay. We saw Andy Avalos was a leader when faced with tough decisions and a bit testy when asked tough questions.

We saw the Broncos fall at UTEP in one of the most embarrassing losses in a long time. We saw Boise State not lose a regular-season conference game. We saw the Broncos sputter in the Mountain West title game then come through late for a bowl game victory.

We saw enough good and enough bad in 2022 to bring about no clear consensus for what 2023 will bring. Here are some thoughts on the Broncos' football team as it heads into the new year.

1. THE GREAT TEAMMATE WILL NEED TO BECOME THE GREAT

PLAY CALLER. Most of Bush Hamdan's time at Boise State is relegated to the stories others tell of it. The stories that don't show up in Hamdan's four years worth of stats with the Broncos: 36 completions, under 300 yards, 4 touchdowns, 2 interceptions.

He was a career backup who endeared himself to all around him. His former teammate, Pete Cavender, had tons of stories about the good deeds Hamdan did, including the time Hamdan organized a Secret Santa amongst Boise State's locker room then went out and bought gift cards with his own money to give out as awards.

Cavendar went down to the student union building, found a copy of Dan Hawkins' mugshot and copied and pasted it a few thousand times then used that paper to wrap his present for Tim Brady (who ended up marrying Hawkins' daughter). He won the award for "Best Wrapping" and Hamdan handed him a $25 gift card to Texas Roadhouse.

"A guy who went above and beyond what he needed to do," Cavendar said of Hamdan.

Over a decade later, Hamdan is the new offensive coordinator at Boise State after stints at Arkansas State, Washington, Missouri and a few other landing spots.

This past season was defined by the Broncos' offensive coordinator. It's reasonable to think Boise State's future is, in large part, controlled by Hamdan.

Can he develop Green from a solid dual-threat quarterback into an elite future draft pick? Will he show the ability to game plan and adjust that made Koetter so impressive? Most importantly, what will Hamdan be like as a play caller?

That's what fans care about, isn't it? The Monday morning quarterbacks love to come out after every 3rd-and-8 screen pass and they love to judge offensive coordinators by how creative or dull their plays are.

That is what Hamdan has to prove. Luckily, he's on a good run. Before he left for Boise State, Hamdan assumed play-calling duties at Mizzou for the Tigers' final few games and the offense drastically improved.

2. TAYLEN GREEN WILL NEED TO BECOME MORE CONSISTENT.

This is not to say Green is not a good passer. Far from it. Green, at times, slung the pigskin like he was operating an offense on Madden's Rookie mode. He made a few spectacular passes rolling to his left and layering the ball over a defender's head.

But it's clear: Green needs to improve his consistency.

Take that Mountain West Championship Game for example. Green looked rattled. His timing was off. He misfired on simple screen passes. He forced a couple throws into dangerous windows.

The goal is that a year preparing as the starter will allow him to get the reps needed to gain that consistency.

Think about this: Green really didn't take the majority of first-team reps at a practice until late September. He prepared in spring practices all through the fall and during the first few weeks of the season as the Broncos' backup. The fact he played as well as he did with such limited live reps—and live reps with the top receivers—is incredible.

It is clear that a big reason Hamdan took the Boise State job is because of No. 10. Which is smart. If you're gonna be asked to mold a quarterback, you might as well get the one who's 6-foot-6, throws it a mile and runs down the field with the stride of a high jumper.

3. I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS ABOUT THE DEFENSE.

Here are the guys that, for sure won't be playing for Boise State's defense next season: S JL Skinner (Starter), DB Tyreque Jones (Starter), CB Caleb Biggers (Starter), LB Ezekiel Noa (Starter), EDGE George Tarlas (Starter), DT Scott Matlock (Starter), NT Jackson Cravens (Often a starter), EDGE Isaiah Bagnah, CB Tyric LeBeauf and EDGE Deven Wright.

And then there are two other starters—LB DJ Schramm and EDGE Demitri Washington— who still have their Covid year available but haven't announced if they're returning yet.

That's an insane amount to lose in one season.

And this is a defense, though good statistically, melted against a quarterback better than average.

The Broncos had the No. 6 passing defense in the nation, the No. 31 rush defense and a top 10 total defense in America.

Yet, they gave up 250 yards to Oregon State's Chance Nolan, almost 400 yards and 3 TDs to BYU's Jaren Hall, almost 100 first-half yards to Fresno State gunslinger Jake Haener (that wasn't too bad) and 238 yards to North Texas' Austin Aune.

The Broncos' defense was buoyed by a few great playmakers and an atrocious Mountain West conference. Now it will lose many of those playmakers, play a much-tougher schedule and somehow things are going to stay the same?

I'm skeptical that's possible.