The debate begins: Does Boise belong in BCS title game?
We can argue. We will argue. Heck, we’re arguing already. But the way has been cleared for Boise State to play for the BCS title.
The Broncos did what they needed to do to make their case. They traveled cross-country and beat a good Virginia Tech team on a neutral field that wasn’t all that neutral. They came from behind to win at the end, and now the burden of proof is on the BCS — the voters in the two human polls and the computers — to keep Boise out of Glendale, Ariz.
We’re going to hear about strength of schedule. We’re going to hear that Boise has only one real chance to lose — against Oregon State on Sept. 25 — the rest of the way. But an undefeated Boise would be awfully hard to deny no matter what else happens anywhere else in college football. And if a place in the title game comes down to an once-beaten Alabama or a once-beaten Iowa against a never-beaten-for-two-years Boise … well, that’s the decision the BCS dreads.
Because if Boise is the choice then a lot of BCS-level programs will scream, “Put them in our league(s) and have them play our schedule and see how long they stay undefeated.” But if Boise isn’t the choice, the BCS knows full well what’s coming.
A full-blown Congressional investigation. Impassioned demands for a playoff grid from everyone who loves an underdog. (And really, who doesn’t love an underdog?) Perhaps even the end of the BCS as we know it, which would be an altogether good thing for everyone except the Broncos.
Say what you will about Boise State and its blue field and its modest conference. But there’s nothing modest about what the Broncos did Monday night in our nation’s capital. A ton of football remains to be played in 2010, but no single game stands to cast the giant shadow of this Boise victory. And if you’re asking me if I think an undefeated Boise State deserves a shot at the BCS title, the answer is …
Absolutely.
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265 comments Add your comment
TV replay
September 7th, 2010
12:52 am
Clutchcoale,
You must be watching a whole different game. replay clearly and definitively showed the boise player blocked the vt player in the side. It wasn’t even close. You just saw what you wanted to see.
Ryan
September 7th, 2010
12:53 am
Depends on V-Tech’s final record. Also depends what the major conferences do. Unless V-Tech goes undefeated the rest of the way they don’t deserve a spot over a 1 loss SEC team. Prob over a 1 loss team in most other conferences though.
Innocent Bystander
September 7th, 2010
12:54 am
Whether or not they deserve it, they won’t be playing there. The computers KILL them in the BCS ratings.
Just to give you an idea, here’s the computer ratings from last year:
1. Bama 1.000
2. Texas .9206
3. Boise State .780
Their S[sic]oS will hurt them in the computers, not to mention the writers will have a natural bias to put in a big one loss team (Bama, Penn State, tOSU) over an undefeated BS-U.
VPI is the only ranked team they will play this year (Oregon St won’t be ranked when they meet), and if VPI goes on to lose 2-3 more, that makes this victory even less of a deal.
fayncdawg
September 7th, 2010
12:54 am
Maybe nothing Paul, but do remember BSU was undefeated the previous year. And then they went to Athens to start the season and got shellacked (WAS IT 51-7? I GOT TO LOOK THAT UP!). But to try to get back on topic, BSU will be cheering for VT every week to rout their opposition. But what MIGHT hurt BSU is that VT WILL NOT rout their oppsition the rest of the way. VT will probably lose another game that they were in good position to win. Right now my answer is NO!!
tckr83
September 7th, 2010
12:55 am
Oklahoma.. a great example. What is their BCS record as of late? And Boise wasn’t the program in ‘07 that they are now in ‘10… they aren’t sneaking up on anybody now. Great win though (in all seriousness), but this is getting out of hand if one team can fairly certain mail in a BCS title game ticket after the first game of the year.
Boise could’ve just eliminated dozens of programs tonight from the BCS title after one game… I don’t really consider tonight an upset, but Boise’s OOC schedule should be 4 big time schools every year. Not just one and a half to make up for their WAC stretch.
MarkTwain
September 7th, 2010
12:55 am
Any team that spouts the “anybody, anytime” mantra but will only do it home and home is a farce. No decent team would ever agree to play in Boise in front of 30,000. Shame on Virginia Tech for putting the rest of the nation through this crap for the rest of the year. Also, can we stop with the black uniforms? Every time I see a college team in black they are getting smoked.
TV replay
September 7th, 2010
12:56 am
Clutchcoale,
Again we must be watching 2 different games. In the game I was watching Boise was whistled for 11 penalties for 105 yds or more and many of those were questionable. I saw a couple of blatant VT holds that weren’t called including an O-lineman practically tackling a d-lineman for Boise.
Facts are facts and Boise was penalized far more than VT. Just look up the frequency and severity of penalties in the box score. The numbers don’t lie
Mike
September 7th, 2010
12:58 am
And I am honestly not a fan of Boise, but I am a fan of sports actually being fair and decided on the field. College football is the most media biased corrupt sporting system in the world today. And that needs to change.
Patron
September 7th, 2010
12:59 am
That Boise State celebrated like it just won a bowl game after a close first game victory says it all. If Bama beats Penn State, do you expect to see them celebrating an automatic berth in the title game?… Hardly. At the risk of stating the obvious, that’s because they have to get ready to kick it off against an SEC schedule and then win a conference championship game against a then proven top 5 team. Playing a respectable conference schedule means that on any given Saturday, the underdog can win. You can’t say that about Boise State. On top of that, how about throwing in the dynamics of a border rivalry or two. How many times has Mr. Bradley written “Its GA/GT…throw out the records”. Bama/Aub, GA/FL, GA/GT, FSU/FL. Boise plays who, Washington, Oregon, Utah from its neighbors? One could go on and on. An answer like “absolutely” says a lot about the credibility of local media.
Boisian
September 7th, 2010
12:59 am
Everyone who is griping about Boise State’s easy schedule. Ever since the Oklahoma BCS win the Broncos have done all but beg to play ANY of the PAC 10, SEC or other ‘big boy’ on their home turfs and away from the blue field. These requests have been repeatedly denied fr the past 3, going on 4 years. We can’t set ourselves a strong schedule if the other teams are too chicken to play us.
It seems the the inbred BCS favorites are afraid of having their bluff called (and will be even more so after the game with VA Tech tonight). It is all a money issue. BCS has their system and Boise State has been a consistent challenge form outside to show that the system is seriously flawed.
I would love nothing else than for a true playoff series to enter the stage of College Basketball – opps we already have that, I meant Football.
tckr83
September 7th, 2010
1:01 am
Decided on the field against the WAC… and 1.5 good teams in the OOC… meh, give me a 1-loss superconference team that “decided it on the field” every weekend for the most part and didn’t run circles around a bunch of junior varsity teams out west.
Tide Rising
September 7th, 2010
1:02 am
Mike,
Personally I love Boise and everything about them from the smurf turf to their brand of football and especially due to the fact that they are a covering machine in betting. I just don’t feel its fair that Boise could get in over a 1 loss bcs conference team when they only play 1 or 2 good teams this year and a 3rd in Fresno that is ok but not great. When its all said and done their body of work overall will be sorely lacking. That’s all.
wawel78
September 7th, 2010
1:02 am
I tend to agree with CC, although not as vehemently. I guess we did watch a different game. I saw a team that lost a game, not one that won it.
LakeDawg
September 7th, 2010
1:03 am
Boise playing in the championship game is a complete joke, which is why it will probably happen. They were ranked preseason #3 so it WOULD happen. It gives ESPN a season long story to promote. Does anyone really think Boise is the #3 team in the nation? Seriously. Can you imaginre them playing Alabama? BCS Championshp will probably be Boise/OSU. ONE OF THOSE TEAMS WILL BE CROWNED AND EVERYONE WILL KNOW THAT NEITHER COULD BEAT THE SEC CHAMPION.
fayncdawg
September 7th, 2010
1:04 am
For the record that UGA vs BSU score in 2005 was 48-13.
fayncdawg
September 7th, 2010
1:08 am
I have 5 SEC teams ranked higher than VT by December. I even got the UGA vs SC loser ranked higher (yes I believe the home team will be the loser).
hateful kate
September 7th, 2010
1:08 am
if i had magical powers ohio state would cease to exist….
Lewi
September 7th, 2010
1:08 am
You guys are right about Boise’s easy schedule but, the fact remains that they are good enough to win a national championship game. The system isn’t perfect, and other teams have harder roads to go down to get there, but if Boise gets the chance they will win the national championship. And let’s not forget that if they do make it this year they will have gone 2 years undefeated, which would be pretty remarkable.
Supes
September 7th, 2010
1:09 am
Absolutely NOT!
A joke of a schedule with 2 legit games. Put BAMA or FLA or any mid to upper tier SEC team in the WAC and they will no doubt RUN that schedule.
Sorry Boise, you caught a break by beating a rusty VaTech team today. That’s it! Nothing more. Take your victory and go back to farm some potatoes.
TommyJack
September 7th, 2010
1:12 am
Soooo, if strength of schedule means nothing, why bother computing it?
Bravesfan79
September 7th, 2010
1:12 am
Great win!! Screw the BCS…. THANK U … Boise State for helping BUST the BCS and push us closer to a playoff system!! ONLY THEN will college football rank among the Real sports in America, with a REAL Champion!
Golden Rules!
September 7th, 2010
1:12 am
If Boise St playing in the NC meant that the powers that be removed the heads from their posteriors and finally set up a playoff…Then HELL YES let them play.
hateful kate
September 7th, 2010
1:16 am
if the bad news bears can play in the astrodome, the boise state potato skins can play in the bcs title game, let them play!
Najeh Davenpoop
September 7th, 2010
1:20 am
Say what you want about Boise State’s schedule, but at least they only play half their games at home. A lot of big conference schools, including those projected to be at the top of the BCS standings, schedule more home games than away — Texas for example has 9 home games and (I think) 4 away/neutral site. As far as I’m concerned you can’t really hold strength of schedule over Boise State’s head all that much when their big-conference competitors are playing in front of home crowds for the majority of the season.
Bravesfan79
September 7th, 2010
1:23 am
The same people on here that think Boise would have NO chance against Alabama are the same ones who thought New Orleans had NO shot against Indy, or the Falcons had no shot against Minnesota in the NFC title game!
Sports are about COMPETITION…. ANYTHING can happen in sports… its what makes it great!
All you Boise haters are selfish fans, if you were TRUE athletes like i was you would love competition, and realize anything that helps push the BCS towards a playoff is for the best!
But thats right, you dont care about competition, you care about how many beers you can chug before halftime, and watching your team go to a meaningless whogivesasht.com Bowl.
I mean who cares about watching a REAL champion crowned when you can instead watch a bunch of .500 teams play a meaningless exhibition!
You chumps are falling into the loser mindset the greedy BCS presidents want you to have. They dont care about the fans, or the athletes, only the bottom line.
Tide Rising
September 7th, 2010
1:25 am
One other thing that no one has mentioned.
Boise going undefeated most years in their conference means not a dang thing and here’s why.
Look at someone like Georgia as a good example. When has Georgia lost to a non bcs team? 1997 to Southern Miss and that’s it? And before that I can’t even remember when but I bet it was a long time before that.
So that would be something like 12 years of playing 2-3 non bcs conference teams per year and never losing any of those 25 or 30 games over the last 12 years. That’s actually better than Boise’s accomplishments considering Boise has lost to Fresno, TCU, and Hawaii recently,
Yet Georgia hasn’t played in a bcs title game. Why? Because they play a tough 8 game conference slate and an additional 1 and sometimes 2 game game bcs non conference slate game that means they have a much harder road to get there.
Boise doesn’t have this tough bcs 8 game conference slate plus 1 or 2 tough bcs non conference foes. They have mostly WAC wins and quite frankly their wac record isn’t any more impressive than someone like Georgia or Florida’s records vs non bcs conference teams. In fact its worse.
So we know what someone like Georgia does against the type of teams Boise plays in its conference every week. So what does Boise do against bcs conference opponents. 5-3 the last 5 years including the VT win. That’s comparable to finishing 3rd in the sec east or west in most years.
Bottom line based on historical performance. Boise would be an average 5-3 team in a bcs conference and a decent team like a Georgia would run through Boise’s conference schedule unbeaten virtually every year. And in either case no one would be much impressed.
ClutchCoale
September 7th, 2010
1:26 am
@TV Replay… I’ve seen calls that were not even close to a block in the back stand. Many times. This one was close enough to stand and in my opinion should have. BSU got a lot of freebies tonight. VT should’ve won the game, bottom line. We have a nickname for us, the Chokies, and for a reason. But back to the point, I think BSU should have a shot at the championship game. Most teams are afraid to play BSU right now and prefer to play teams like San Jose State, Marshall, Rice or Miami(OH). Yes, cupcake teams. I’m glad VT gave BSU the opportunity, as we were once the little guys and other teams gave us a chance. 2001was a great year… but, until BSU can get a stronger schedule the best they can do is keep winning out. The big conferences have it easier; they can sit on their perch and say you’re not in a power conference. I much prefer a playoff to even the playing field so bigger teams can’t hide behind their conference. BCS wins in 2006 and 2009 show what they’re capable of. It’s a shame last year they got stuck playing TCU and not a bigger team (perhaps Alabama?). Problem is automatic bids. Just make it a playoff and no excuses. Everyone will still make their millions of dollars and we can stop seeing the same handful of teams every year… teams in big conferences will get more money to keep this system in place while the little guys lose out in the big payoffs and their programs stall. Share the wealth. But really, votes can determine a playing field, but shouldn’t determine who goes to the championship game. Imagine if they did that in any other sport. College football, and specifically Div 1 college football, is one of the only sports in the world that gets a #1/#2 matchup based on votes and not via a playoff. Anyway yea. Go Hokies! Go Broncos!
Sec Fact Finder( the real one)
September 7th, 2010
1:26 am
The win by Boise State was a good win, but I think the most telling point tonight was made by Herbstriet when he said giving a team 4 to 6 weeks to prepare for a game is a great advantage and Boise St. did that in their previous bowl games(TCU & Oklahoma). But getting up each week in a major conference is alot tougher. Lets see how they compete with Oregon St. in a few weeks and reevaluate where they really are in the landscape of BCS football.
wawel78
September 7th, 2010
1:26 am
Texas has 12 games – 7 @ home, 2 @ neutral locations, 3 away.
hateful kate
September 7th, 2010
1:28 am
braves79,
were you listening to “glory days” when you wrote your rant….
Golden Rules!
September 7th, 2010
1:29 am
Lake Dawg…BSU is a damn good team…are they 3? Too early to tell but they practically returned the entire starting team from last years undefeated BCS game team. I give them credit for having the nads to play a big first game and not some cupcake D2 school for their suspension/warm-up game. Not to mention that they flew across country to play in someone else s back yard.
Tide Rising
September 7th, 2010
1:35 am
najeh davenpoop,
Big time bcs conference teams have a typical 7-8 home games per season- 4 conference and 3-4 noncon games at home, usually the non bcs teams come to play at a bcs team’s home. Why? Its not because Alabama is scared to play at San Jose State or Georgia is scared to play at La-Lafayette. Its because we have vastly larger, 90-100k stadiums and the money generated from these bigger venues means a lot more money for the home team and the visiting team as well. The visitors like a San Jose St or a LA-Monroe make an enormous amount of money for these away games. That’s why they play them. Simple economics Najeh.
Golden Rules!
September 7th, 2010
1:37 am
Tide nobody denies that BSU plays a weak conference schedule. They simply do what is required of them and that is to beat everyone they play. Ask yourself an honest question. Would you want Bama traveling to Boise in November?
Tide Rising
September 7th, 2010
1:42 am
Bravesfan79,
Of course Boise would have a chance to beat Bama. Just like Ark, Ole Miss, Miss state, South Carolina. Tenn, and Auburn.
We will likely be favored to win all of these games and will just as likely lose one or maybe 2 of them. Upsets happen and any team can be beat on any given day by a lot of different teams.
Does that mean that a 9-4 Ole Miss team that beat eventual national champion Florida in 08 was better than Florida? No. It just means they played better on that day.
Tide Rising
September 7th, 2010
1:44 am
Golden Rules!,
I would rather travel to Boise in December to play them and play 1 other decent team all year then play our current sec schedule which includes Florida this year and play Penn State on top of all that. And 30,000 Boise fans doesn’t intimidate us if 92,000 LSU fans don’t.
Golden Rules!
September 7th, 2010
1:51 am
It isn’t the fans you have to worry about. The cold and the altitude make Baton Rouge on a Saturday night look like Disneyland.
Would you swap BSU for Penn State?
Tide Rising
September 7th, 2010
1:52 am
I’m out but Golden Rules hopefully you will understand my point. I like Boise more than you know and they are one of my favorite teams to watch and my favorite to bet on. But its just flat out not fair that a team that essentially plays 2 tough games in a year could get in the bcs title game over a 1 loss bcs time like us.
As an example we played and beat 10 bowl teams last year and 10 teams that finished with winning records. Does any rational person believe that last year’s Boise team would have defeated 10 bowl teams including the #1 team Florida and #2 team Texas? Seriously?
LakeDawg
September 7th, 2010
1:59 am
Golden Rules Boise played that game so they would have a chance at a BCS game, because the rest of their schedule is filled with Portland States and San Fransisco States. Boise is a good top 20 team, nothing more.
With Boise Win, Playoff System Rising
September 7th, 2010
2:03 am
All this win does is make the case for a playoff system – they will win their conference in a convincing way, Alabama will likely as well. From a conference stand point the WAC like the SEC has a good team, some improving teams, and a bunch of so-so teams — yes including the SEC. The conference winners should play in a playofff system at the end of the season to determine a champion.
Another point if these college teams had four pre-season games like the pros then these first games would not be so painful to watch. To this give Boise credit for preparation and timing – their experience and returning starters gave them an edge last night over VTech
Reid Adair
September 7th, 2010
2:10 am
I was driving back to town and listened to the game on the radio. If the two radio commentators talked about this deciding Boise State’s chance in the national championship game, they said it at least 20 times.
While this was a great win for Boise State, I guess these guys forgot the Broncos have 11 more games to go.
Reid Adair
September 7th, 2010
2:13 am
Sorry for two comments, Mark, but I also love the comments from these folks who want to hold Boise State’s conference against them. If Boise State is such a dog team, why not invite them to join your favorite team’s league?
How quickly people forget Boise State vs. Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, Utah vs. Alabama in the Fiesta Bowl and several other examples.
Matthew
September 7th, 2010
2:28 am
Wow, I can’t believe the same people who shouted over and over about how BSU was going to get smoked by VT…and now WHINING LIKE LITTLE GIRLS about how they “got lucky” and the refs gave it them. East coast fans are whiners. Pure and simple. But that’s fine…keep underestimating BSU. We’ll take that…all the way to Glendale. We like Glendale….
Big Phil
September 7th, 2010
2:37 am
I just have one comment, because I live in D.C. and I typed in Boise St. into google and got ajc. Just one comment. If you think that this game was at anything but a home game for VT then you are stupid. I live in D.C.and VT is one of the major schools in the area especially at any tech workplace, like Northern VA. Really, if you’re from VA, you can get to FedEx on the DC metro system. Its like a 30 minute Metro ride, for like 5 bucks. I went to MD (who play in the same county as FedEx) and we got overran by VT fans every year, making our on poor excuse for a stadium into a VT satellite field, so this was no surprise.
That’s all.
Elmo
September 7th, 2010
2:57 am
Their Schedule is a complete Joke.
West Coast Football
September 7th, 2010
2:59 am
Yes- It would also be nice to see the Crimson Tide travel more than bus ride
away from their university to play competitive teams. At least BSU travels
outside of their geographical area to challenge competitors. I wonder if the
Crimson Tide would be playing the Nittany Lions if the game was in Happy
Valley. I respect Tennessee, and Georgia, because they will travel outside
of the SEC boundaries to play (Respect Florida also).
West Coast Football
September 7th, 2010
3:06 am
@ Elmo- The Crimson Tide scheduled Georgia State University- Is that a serious opponent
for a defending national champion ? They even asked GSU to move the game up
so they would have more time to prepare for Auburn.
Geico
September 7th, 2010
3:09 am
Does the AJC hate America and traditional conservative values?
NYdawg
September 7th, 2010
3:26 am
There’s definitely a typo here. You wrote: “We’re going to hear that Boise has only one real chance to lose — against Oregon State on Sept. 5 — the rest of the way.”
Sept. 5 was two days ago.
NorthWest_Dawg
September 7th, 2010
3:33 am
@Dave_Bliss … it was 48-13 in 2005 … but that was five freakin’ years ago when UGA had arguably the best team it had under Richt … and Boise State was just beginning to get going on the national scene consistently.
But absolutely if it goes undefeated does Boise State deserve to play in the BCS’ MNCG … I agree with you, Mark. All the nuts on here are going to say that they don’t play the SEC’s schedule. Neither does Texas. Neither does Ohio State. And frankly, who’s afraid of the SEC any more? The worst team in FBS last year had the Gators nervous and held them to 25 yards of offense for 3 quarters. And Ole Miss lost to FCS Jax State? Seriously? Jax State? And you’re chest thumping about how tough the SEC is?
Boise State is doing all it can under the current system, which any rational person would want to see obliterated like the Death Star. Anything to get us closer to a playoff … I’m all for it!
NorthWest_Dawg
September 7th, 2010
3:36 am
@LakeDawg … Boise State doesn’t play either SF State or Portland State … they actually play Fresno State (which beat BCS team Cincinnati last week), Oregon State (the PAC-10 runner up a year ago), and three other bowl teams BESIDES Virgina Tech.
So, get off your high horse and realize that no WAC team lost to an FCS school last weekend. That would be Big 12 and SEC teams doing that. Open mouth. Insert foot. Mmmm. Tasty.