The problem with Boise State.

[hawkeyebob62]

I think VaTech was overrated at #10....Boise better hope VaTech wins 10 games this year, otherwise the computeres will not like them.

At this point it's kind of hard to say whether that is true, or not.

What I find unbelievable is that NObody seems to be pointing that BSU got THREE callss that went their way. The block in the back on the punt return being waved off, the late/out-of-bounds hit ona guy who was still running as if he was IN-bounds, and the no-call on Va Tech's last pass attempt. Each on their own? Maybe there'd be a case. But all three within a three-minute span? Kind of has me curious.

Not saying there is a "conspiracy", but to have all three calls go their way is almost luckier than USC going eight years before being placed on probation...

 

[tdhawkeye]

Its just bad when a team wins their opener and already are said to have "one foot in Glendale" (from ESPN). One game? That shows you what the rest of their schedule is like. I do like watching them play, and really have nothing against them personally other than their schedule and how every reporter wants to root for them in the NC, like they're sticking up for the little guy. If they want to be considered a Big Boy, get a Big Boy schedule...

 

[hawkfan2679]

Boise State has beaten some good teams in the last few years but usually have to use trickeration to do it. Oklahoma game comes to mind.

They beat/dominated the Pac 10's Rose Bowl rep last year; granted, that was early season Oregon and late season Oregon was MUCH improved, but the game still happened.

 

[PlanoHawk]

I think VaTech was overrated at #10....Boise better hope VaTech wins 10 games this year, otherwise the computeres will not like them.

Well spoken. I'm not convinced about VT being that good at the beginning OR end of the year. The ACC could be OK this year, but I don't consider VT an better than the "top" teams in that league... just OK.

 

[HawkRock]

Boise State doesn't technically "fill up their schedule with cupcakes". Their conference schedule, weak as it may be on a national level, is what it is.

Boise State is actually going above and beyond by scheduling Virginia Tech, Oregon State, and Wyoming for non-conference opponents. There probably isn't a tougher non-con schedule in the country.

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

Boise State doesn't technically "fill up their schedule with cupcakes". Their conference schedule, weak as it may be on a national level, is what it is.

Boise State is actually going above and beyond by scheduling Virginia Tech, Oregon State, and Wyoming for non-conference opponents. There probably isn't a tougher non-con schedule in the country.

San Jose St. plays Alabama, Wisconsin and Utah. They are not going above and beyond by scheduling these teams, when you play in a conference as bad as the WAC you need to try to play at least a couple teams that are in the top 50 in the country. If Boise really wanted to, they could get tougher nonconference games. They demand home and homes or WAC level payouts for going on the road, then they act like every team is trying to avoid scheduling them. Nebraska offered them a 2 for 1 and they turned it down.

 

[ThunderHawk]

Well, it's entirely hypothetical whether they could go through a BCS caliber schedule unscathed. I guess it depends on which BCS conference. The ACC or Big Least? I bet they could. Big Ten? SEC? Doubtful.

In any event, as I said, it's completely hypothetical, so they'll just have to be judged on how they play out their actual schedule. They looked pretty damn good last night.

 

[TripleSkipler]

Boise State doesn't technically "fill up their schedule with cupcakes". Their conference schedule, weak as it may be on a national level, is what it is.

Boise State is actually going above and beyond by scheduling Virginia Tech, Oregon State, and Wyoming for non-conference opponents. There probably isn't a tougher non-con schedule in the country.

I agree completely that, "it is what it is." Boise State can't leave this conference any quicker and they have more or less called out any team in the country to play them. What more can they do? The reality for this squad is to win and hope for the best. Boise State fans deserve the opportunity to talk Nat'l Title but this actually happening, if two other teams from BCS conferences go undefeated, is zero.

San Jose St. plays Alabama, Wisconsin and Utah. They are not going above and beyond by scheduling these teams, when you play in a conference as bad as the WAC you need to try to play at least a couple teams that are in the top 50 in the country. If Boise really wanted to, they could get tougher nonconference games. They demand home and homes or WAC level payouts for going on the road, then they act like every team is trying to avoid scheduling them. Nebraska offered them a 2 for 1 and they turned it down.

I think Boise State has tried aggressively to play harder non-conference opponents because they understand how bad the WAC is internally, which is the reason they are leaving it.

The Nebraska argument is a great example of Boise State missing an opportunity to play with the big boys. Unfortunately, Boise State is motivated by money much like any other team in the country because they don't make nearly as much as the BCS schools. This is a big reason a 2 to 1 split doesn't work for Broncos.

Also, I'm not a Boise State fan, but I have to give them credit for trying whatever they can to become a relevant program that deserves the Nat'l Title Talk. With the conference they are currently in, I don't care who they play, they don't deserve the hype.

 

[dagdaj]

My problem is the blue field. A pink locker room is one thing, but a blue field is unholy.

Either they make it and win...in which case they deserved it. Or they lose and the case s solved and any non BCS darling will have to show some special to ever deserve it again.

Right or wrong, I'm becoming more and more impressed with the BCS with each passing year.

 

[shonblatt]

I think it was more of a secondary National champ. game for both programs OR maybe they were afraid to split for fear they BOTH would lose and totally screw up the BCS making less of a case for a playoff...

Both of them winning would have been far more damaging to the BCS than both of them losing.

They both win, and suddenly non-AQ conferences have a lot more leverage at the negotiating table. The BCS conferences doesn't want to split the pie up any more than they already are forced to.

But hey, matching them against each other is a win/win/win for the BCS because one of them loses, the winner can be marginalized because they didn't beat a BCS team, and the next season people will still complain that these schools don't play a tough enough schedule.

 

[olivecourt]

Most of these issues will probably resolve themselves... not sure why everyone is getting so uptight about it now.

One correction-- no one is saying Boise State deserves a national title. They are saying they might deserve to PLAY for a national title. IF they go undefeated, and IF VaTech turns out to be a great team (the coaches poll had them at #6), and IF Oregon State and Nevada end up being 8-9 win teams, then I don't see how they haven't earned a chance to compete for it. They would be on a 25+ game win streak with more marquee wins than pretty much any team in the country. Would they get blown out in a title game against Alabama or a Big Ten team? I highly doubt it... if they aren't an elite team, then why can't anyone beat them?

To folks complaining about the officiating: the non-call on the block in the back was the right call. The late hit was pretty much irrelevant, as Boise's scoring play would have been a touchdown from 10 yards out, 30 yards out, or 80 yards out... he was that wide open with no safeties over the top. The way Boise was clicking on that final drive, the only effect of those calls was to help them score quicker and leave more time for VaTech. And if you can't see the difference between those teams based on a comparison of their final drives, I don't know what to tell you. One of the teams is a big-time team that can play in any situation, the other is a very good team that wasn't ready for the last two minutes of a huge game.

 

[Ozhawk]

It is my opinion that V-tech is nowhere near as good as their ranking. It is also my opinion that BOise state barely beat them. Now BOise state doesn't play a single team for the rest of the year until their BCS bowl game.

 

[roetbombaaa]

Doesn't anyone remember last year, when Nevada almost upset them? Just because they play the "sisters of the poor" the rest of the year, doesn't mean they can't be beaten by any of them. You can be rest assured that these teams will be licking their chops to beat these guys. They haven't punched their way out of the proverbial "wet paper bag" just yet. Calm down people, there's a lot of season left. I agree that Boise's talent is twice that of the majority of the teams they play, but upsets happen. Upsets happen....

 

[gonzoJM]

Obviously, Boise couldn't go through a major conference schedule with the players they have now. BUT if they were in a BCS conference, doesn't it stand to reason that they would benefit in recruiting by being in that conference? Wouldn't they then have the opportunity to get better players, who would then be coached by undoubtedly a very good coach in Chris Peterson?

I'm sure that's ridiculous heresy, but wouldn't that indeed be the case?

 

[SDK46]

Let's not be too hard on BSU in and of themselves.

They are simply the "Y" variable for a God-awful, politically-driven, money-grubbing system known as the BCS. Honestly, have you ever seen such a muddled, non-statistically-driven mess?

Eliminate the top two-team voting and institute an 8-team playoff based upon computer criteria (overall record, SOS) and this all goes away for good.

 

[Hawksel]

The problem with Boise State doesn't have anything to do with the Broncos, it has to do with the BCS system, which creates a bastardized, overcomplicated system of comparative and subjective team values rather than a competitive system represented by a playoff. For example, if Boise State was in a terrible conference in basketball and played their way into the NCAA Title Game as a higher seed, nobody would complain that they didn't deserve to be there. Just look at Butler.

Above all, I hate the fact that the system makes people route against underdogs. Why do you think so many people wanted us to lose last year during our undefeated run? Because it was essentially decided at the beginning of last season that the Big Twelve and SEC were the most deserving to play in the title game and silly old Iowa (as well as Cincinnati, Boise and TCU) was daring to screw that up. I personally hope Boise gets its shot at the national title if it does everything right this year. If they don't, than what's the point of them playing Division 1 football?

 

[IAHawkFan]

Obviously, Boise couldn't go through a major conference schedule with the players they have now. BUT if they were in a BCS conference, doesn't it stand to reason that they would benefit in recruiting by being in that conference? Wouldn't they then have the opportunity to get better players, who would then be coached by undoubtedly a very good coach in Chris Peterson?

I'm sure that's ridiculous heresy, but wouldn't that indeed be the case?

Iowa State has a larger stadium and better facilities/etc and play in a BCS conference, do they have better talent?

How about Indiana/Vanderbilt/etc?

Being in a bigger conference doesn't automatically give them better players. In fact, it probably give them worse players as they never establish a tradition of winning...

 

[gonzoJM]

Iowa State has a larger stadium and better facilities/etc and play in a BCS conference, do they have better talent?

How about Indiana/Vanderbilt/etc?

Being in a bigger conference doesn't automatically give them better players. In fact, it probably give them worse players as they never establish a tradition of winning...

Right, except that they ALREADY have a tradition of winning. If they were to go into a major conference now, their tradition is already intact. Therefore, the Indiana/Vandy/ISU comparison is not applicable. Yep, they'll probably get worse players. That's absurd.

Plus, they wouldn't have to win all of their games in a major conference to get to a major BCS bowl.

 

[tm3308]

Right, except that they ALREADY have a tradition of winning. If they were to go into a major conference now, their tradition is already intact. Therefore, the Indiana/Vandy/ISU comparison is not applicable. Yep, they'll probably get worse players. That's absurd.

Plus, they wouldn't have to win all of their games in a major conference to get to a major BCS bowl.

Exactly. They have a tradition of winning now, and winning big games against "the big boys". If they were in a BCS conference this year (say the Pac-10), they could legitimately sell recruits on the prospect of going to BCS games, and playing against big schools frequently. Joining a bigger conference also gives them more revenue with the increased exposure. And Boise has done a very good job of maximizing their resources thus far.

I'm not saying they would start bringing in top classes every year. But they could start to get that occassional gamebreaker, and then win with player development and good gameplanning. Sounds a lot like us, doesn't it?

 

[cmlong03]

I have so many problems with Boise St. All of them have been covered thoroughly by you guys so far except one. And that one is that I am sick of people saying they looked really good monday night. First quarter they won 17-0. The last 3 quarters would be considered by most to be a one sided game by the score of 30-16 VT. They were dominated for three quarters by one player, Tyrod Taylor, and what about this is impressive? The first quarter technically counts but its obvious that VT came out with some first game jitters and once they got those aside it was very clear that they were the better team. I don't know why no one else sees it this way.