I am not a Boise State Bronco fan. I don’t pull for them on Saturdays, ever. But sitting here trying to find yet another excuse as to why Boise State should NOT be allowed to play for a National Championship in January this season is near impossible.
The questions about Boise State will continue to be asked, but the arguments in favor of keeping Boise State from playing for a BCS championship are beginning to hold less water. Boise State has done everything they have been asked and by doing so, they have become the hottest topic in college football.
Their 37-24 victory over then No. 24 ranked Oregon State extended their winning streak to 17 games, bringing them five games short of the schools all time win record of 22.
Along with the win over Oregon State, Boise State also beat, then 10th ranked Virginia Tech in week one.
Under fifth-year coach Chris Peterson, Boise State is 52-4, a staggering .929 winning percentage. All time, Boise State is 356-143-2, an impressive .713 winning percentage.
In the past four seasons, the Broncos have won four BCS bowl games, knocking off both University of Oklahoma and Texas Christian University in the 2006 and 2010 Fiesta Bowls.
The popular argument for most Boise State detractors has to do with both their strength of schedule and their body of work. Boise State comes from a non-automatic qualifying (AQ) conference. This means that the only chance that Boise State and other non-AQ teams such as Utah and TCU have at getting into a BCS game is through an at-large bid.
As far as strength of schedule goes, the WAC may not be as terrible as most believe it to be. The WAC –although weaker than most if not all of AQ FBS conferences—is the home to several good, competitive football teams. Fresno State is always a strong competitor, Hawaii put almost 600 total yards on USC and Nevada has been busy dismantling opponents of their, including a 52-31 stomping out of the Cal Golden Bears.
The body of work argument is no longer as prevalent as it used to be either. In the 2009 Sugar Bowl, undefeated Utah knocked off now defending national champion Alabama, 31-17. Ask Alabama head football coach Nick Saban if he wants to put Boise State on his pre-season schedule.
Boise State does nothing but beat the teams put in front of them. Oregon twice, Oregon State, TCU, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma. Done, done, done, done and done. Undefeated seasons? You got it; they are on their way to their second. Player ability still in question? The only player that did not return this season, cornerback Kyle Wilson, is getting significant playing time with the New York Jets.
The most impressive attribute Boise State has is their ability to show up every Saturday. In a conference like the WAC, it can be difficult to get up for a game that you are sure you are going to win, yet, they always do.
At the end of the day, Boise State needs to earn the right to play for a national championship, and if they continue down the same road they are traveling, their chances are good.
But maybe I am getting ahead of myself, winning is never a guarantee.
