Boise State Broncos snubbed again
The Bowl Championship Series powers-that-be have once again made it nearly impossible for the Boise State Broncos to qualify for the national championship game on 3 January.
The Broncos currently slot in at number four in the BCS standings, sitting behind the Oregon Ducks, Auburn Tigers and TCU Horned Frogs. The fourth place rank is the lowest for the Broncos in any of the major polls. In the coaches poll, the school ranks third
in the nation, while in the AP Top 25 Poll, the university is ranked second behind the Ducks.
For several programs sitting in fourth at this point in the year would be a positive, and there would be a legitimate chance that they could qualify for the national championship. However, for the non-automatic qualifier Boise State, coming out of the Western
Athletic Conference, it is nearly impossible. That is astonishing considering we're talking about a team that has won their last 22 games, defeating such programs as the Oklahoma State Cowboys, Virginia Tech Hokies, and Oregon Ducks in the process.
In addition, the Broncos have returned all but one player from the club that went undefeated and won the Fiesta Bowl last season. It would be tough to argue that with another year of experience that team has not improved.
Nevertheless, it looks as though Boise is headed towards another disappointing season, all because of a skewed system and selection process.
The question has now become, what else can they possibly do?
The Broncos have rolled over every team they have played this season and last, actually sitting their starting quarterback on numerous occasions to ensure the other side does not get too embarrassed. The Broncos demolished the Wyoming Cowboys 51-6, and then
the following week Wyoming finished within six points of a skilled Air Force side. Moreover, Boise defeated the Oregon State Beavers by over a touchdown, with Oregon State then going on to defeat the Arizona Wildcats, who were ranked ninth in the nation at
the time.
The fact of the matter is, the Broncos could give any of the major football programs around the country a competitive game. Nevertheless, it looks as though they will once again be passed over for a traditional power with one loss.
Currently the Broncos are two spots ahead of the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Tide has lost one game this season to the South Carolina Gamecocks. Nonetheless, if Alabama is able to win out their schedule and defeat the Gamecocks in the Southeastern Conference
title game they are expected to get a national championship bid.
In order for Boise to get into the national championship game, they will have to win out the rest of their schedule, and Auburn will have to defeat Alabama but lose to Georgia, who currently sits at 4-5. Moreover, whoever wins in the week 10 match-up between
TCU and Utah will have to lose one of their remaining games. The odds for the Broncos are simply too low. Once again raising the questions, what can they possibly do?
The struggle of Boise State to earn a shot at the national championship is a perfect example of why the BCS structure needs to change. The system that was instituted in 1998 is simply antiquated and needs to be discussed and altered. The old programs are
no longer head and shoulders above strong mid-major challengers. The top five right now holds three teams from mid-major conferences, while the historical programs at Penn State, USC, Texas, Michigan and Notre Dame are all struggling. The BCS landscape has
transformed and those in charge need to recognize that a change is necessary.
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