Last weekend, all was right in the college football world. With Marc Verica doing his best Matt Schaub imitation and Keith Payne running train on Richmond's defensive front seven, the Cavaliers crushed the Spiders in an inspiring first game. Two days later, the boys from the blue turf of Boise State came to town for a nationally televised Monday night matchup with No. 10 Virginia Tech. Under the bright lights of FedEx Field, the much-hyped game certainly lived up to its billing. But after Tyrod Taylor misfired on two desperation heaves and Kellen Moore kneeled out the clock, the No. 3 Broncos emerged 33-30 victors - and perfectly poised to crash the BCS national championship party.
Then JMU happened. For U.Va. football fans, the Dukes' improbable 21-16 dismantling of Virginia Tech was the next-best thing to a Cavalier victory at the Los Angeles Coliseum. But the Harrisonburg riot police officers weren't the only ones feeling the hangover of the Hokies' latest choke act - Boise's big first win has seemingly become a big waste, and the Broncos appear destined for yet another trip to the Consolation Bowl, perfect season be darned. But after watching the James Madison-miracle and then almost seeing Virginia spring its own upset of USC during the waning minutes Saturday night, I firmly believe the impossible will happen this season, and that's why I'm still a believer in the Broncos. So if you want to join every college football analyst in America by declaring Boise's bubble burst, be my guest, but here's my take on why Boise State can still make it to Glendale, Az., for its first-ever BCS Championship.
The first step to that title appearance is an undefeated season - no pressure, right? But after toppling Virginia Tech, the Broncos are basically on the brink of their third unblemished season in five years. With three months of football remaining, I know how premature that perfection prediction seems. But I also know that Boise State's remaining schedule looks more like an extra-large helping of Georgetown Cupcakes than a serious threat to derail the program's second consecutive perfect season. Only the Broncos' Sept. 25 home game against No. 25 Oregon State remotely resembles a threat, but I seriously doubt the Beavers have enough firepower to end Boise State's 44-game home winning streak on the infamous Smurf Turf.\n"Not so fast, my friend," Lee Corso might say. "Even if Boise State goes 12-0, the Broncos are hardly guaranteed a spot in the big game" - and he'd be right. Boise State currently sits behind No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Ohio State in the AP top 25, and although the actual BCS rankings don't come out until week eight, the Broncos will undoubtedly need to leapfrog at least one of those two teams to secure a title game berth. Recent history suggests that won't be easy. Just last year, Boise State became only the second team in Division I FBS history to record a 14-0 season. Nevertheless, the Broncos had to settle for a Fiesta Bowl win against TCU and a No. 4 ranking while two higher-ranked undefeated programs with serious football pedigree, Alabama and Texas, played for the ultimate prize.
Of course, if Alabama and Ohio State both run the table, Boise State can kiss a national championship bid goodbye. But consider that since the inception of the BCS in 1998, the preseason No. 1 and No. 2 teams have gone undefeated and played each other in the national championship only twice - USC vs. Oklahoma in 2004 and Texas vs. USC in 2005. Alabama must survive an ever-dangerous SEC schedule that boasts five top-25 teams, including a brutal three-game stretch against No. 10 Florida and at No. 12 Arkansas and No. 13 South Carolina. While the Tide tries to roll through the SEC unscathed, Ohio State will have its hands full as well. The Buckeyes handled then-No. 12 Miami at home, but they still play four more ranked Big Ten teams, including tough road tilts at No. 11 Wisconsin and No. 9 Iowa.
Moreover, a one-loss season by either Alabama or Ohio State could still be enough to keep the Broncos on the outside looking in for the title game. The top two teams held a sizeable strength of schedule advantage over Boise State from the start, and that was before the Broncos' marquee win took a JMU-sized hit. But last time I checked, Virginia Tech is still talented, still undefeated in conference play - and with rivals Florida State, Miami and North Carolina all losing as well - still equipped to right the ship, win the ACC title and restore some of the luster to Boise State's regular season r
Read More
Payton Cormier breaks Division I goals record
By Michael Liebermann | 10 hours agoCormier has forever cemented his legacy as one of the greatest lacrosse players in NCAA history.
Cavaliers advance to NCAA Championship with second place finish at Baton Rouge Regional
By Stephen O'Dea | 12 hours agoVirginia will head to the National Championship in Carlsbad, Calif., with a chance to make history.
Thank you, Reece Beekman
By Ben Istvan | YesterdayBeekman will leave Charlottesville as the program's all-time leader in steals.
