In 2009, the Boise State Broncos won their first game, 19-8 over the Oregon Ducks. The Broncos began the season ranked No. 14 and defeated ranked opponents in their first and last games of the season. Oregon at No. 16 and Texas Christian University at No. 4.
Despite going undefeated in the regular season for the fourth time in the decade, the Broncos weren’t even considered to be in the National Championship Game. Granted, there were five undefeated teams to choose from, but for the second time in the decade, Boise State emerged undefeated, unblemished, and had no claim to the national title.
In a new decade, they look to make their case to be in the National Championship Game stronger. Week one of the college football season has Boise State hosting Virginia Tech, an ACC team that ended the season ranked No. 10 by the AP and USA Today.
The Broncos' third game pits them against the Beavers of Oregon State, a team who spent significant time ranked in the top 25 and fell from those rankings after an embarrassing loss to BYU in the MAACO Bowl. This game is also at home for Boise State.
If Boise State emerges from the Oregon State game 3-0, the Broncos will have their most compelling case yet to reach the game they haven’t even been considered for, the National Championship.
They will need some help to get there, though. Some scenarios that will help:
1. The Broncos will need to win the rest of their games. The WAC is not a slouch conference. Losing to Nevada and Idaho on the road are real possibilities. The Broncos have to pull through unblemished, obviously.
2. The Beavers and Hokies must have good seasons. If Oregon State and Virginia Tech. wind up being mediocre and unranked, those wins will mean less in the long run.
3. There cannot be a plethora of unbeaten teams standing in the way. The power conferences and the Mountain West must beat each other up. BYU, TCU, and Utah will need to lose along the way.
4. Without a conference championship game, the Big Ten, Pac-10 will both need to boast champions with two losses. The Big East, as less of a powerhouse, can have a champion with one loss. This is probably the year to have such a thing occur. USC has a new coach. Can he fill the big shoes that have been left behind?
5. Either the Big 12 or the SEC Championship Games will need an upset. There will likely be an undefeated or one-loss team from both of these conferences that makes its way to their respective championship games. Only one of them can emerge victorious to dance with the Broncos of Boise State. Last year’s Nebraska over Texas dream will have to come true.
If all of these things can happen, we very well could end up watching a Boise State vs. Alabama National Championship Game come January 10, 2011 in Glendale, Arizona. Wouldn’t that be lovely?
We will certainly know soon if we have reason to hope for such a game. The Broncos' first test comes September 6 against the Hokies of Virginia Tech.
April 12, 2010
Bob:
“The Broncos’ first test comes September 6 at home against the Hokies of Virginia Tech.”
VT is playing at BSU? Fact check!
April 12, 2010
Andrew Jones:
My apologies. This is a neutral site game. The schedule I saw had an error in it. I should have double checked.
April 12, 2010
Blue:
BSU had better beat VT. BSU pushed to get the game moved to 9/6 for a reason, they know VT will be rebuilding their entire D. A few games under VT’s belt and they would have been a better match up for BSU on 10/2.
So, BSU had better beat a very young VT team!
April 19, 2010
NeighSayer:
Blue, it was ESPN that moved the game to Labor Day.
Boise State had reservations about the move.
http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2010/01/05/ccripe/boise_state_virginia_tech_might_meet_labor_day_after_all
April 25, 2010
BigBlueWall_fan:
Aside from that, the Broncos have a good shot at the NC game, but…there are too many ifs involved. I’m not holding my breath until fall. :)
June 8, 2010
BigBlueWall_fan:
The news just out today (Monday, June 7th, 2010) BSU was not invited to join the Mountain West Conference, not just yet. I for one am glad. Writers said it would have meant more money for us, but we would be starting all over in a new conference and we are already knocking on the NC door right where we are. I have always thought we should be wooing the PAC 10 conference instead of the Mountain West, because we already have sports in participation there, (wrestling to name one, and we are kicking serious butt). But now that the PAC is considering expanding to 16 teams (!?!?!), I would love it if BSU was invited,
There are some that say we wouldn’t be able to win in the PAC 10, but that was what they said versus a very tough Oklahoma team and we stayed with them to the very end; a very tough Oregon team and we beat them in the opening week of the season after a win the previous year elicited the remarks form them that they would be wearing their “Big-Boy Pants” - unquote; a highly-rakned TCU team in a game where we were again the underdog… etc. Even during the season, when Nevada and it’s two 1,000 yard rushing backs and a scrambling QB played us, some said we were going down…we stuffed the run. We can play in any conference, against anyone, and our fan base knows how to travel, and we have a great relationship with ESPN. Who needs the MWC? College football RULES!