We, the Media, Have Euthanized the Boise State Broncos

The following phrase doesn’t hold a ton of clout anymore.

“College Football needs a playoff system.”

Everyone knows there isn’t a true national champion every year. Everyone knows that teams get hosed out of the BCS system annually. Everyone knows the system needs change. But everyone doesn’t know that it has now gotten to the point where the AP Poll is too heavily influenced by the BCS Poll.

The Boise State Broncos are the most important case study for this.

Last night, the Broncos outplayed TCU, who was expected to wipe the floor with them. TCU played six bowl-winning teams this year, and beat all six of them. Boise State played one team that was ranked in the top 25 all year, and it was in the first week of the season.

And this wasn’t the first time Boise State was supposed to roll over in a BCS Bowl. I don’t think I need to remind anyone of the bedlam that ensued against Oklahoma the last time the Broncos were in the Fiesta Bowl.

So when the 14-0 Broncos left the podium last night, it was time to check in with analysts to figure out Boise State’s position on the totem pole. The decision was unanimous. Boise State would not be in consideration for an AP co-National Champion vote because of their weak regular season schedule.

So in the last four seasons, Boise State has finished undefeated twice. Both times, they beat a higher ranked team to take the cake. And both times, the press decided that Boise State wasn’t competitive enough in the regular season.

What we are now beginning to realize is this is the BCS system’s fault too; and it’s not because Boise State won’t play anyone. It’s that no one will play Boise State.

If you are in a BCS conference, your National Championship hopes are dashed with one loss. If you do happen to lose once (which almost always happens in conference), you are banking on strength of schedule. Thus you have an obligation to play good non-conference competition.

But playing good non-conference competition is a complicated dance; and the dance here happens with nearly every major team that isn’t Notre Dame (who is an independent) or USC (who is genuinely the exception to the rule). Every athletic director at a major conference is trying to book non-conference competition that looks great on paper, but will never beat his or her squad.

Big name teams can’t afford to lose in a season, and those big teams will never play Boise State for that reason (hey, that rhymed…excellent). This leaves Boise State in a paradigm with no schedule strength.

Teams will play Fresno. Teams will play Hawaii. Teams will play Nevada. But teams will not play Boise State. Chris Petersen and his Boise State squad have single-handedly increased the value of the WAC, and because of that major teams will continue to play everyone in the WAC, except for them.

People can call the BCS whatever they want to call it. But the real issue with the BCS has nothing to do with the postseason, and everything to do with the ridiculous implications that it puts on regular season play.

Hilariously enough, the other major college sport has the best system in place, where because of a playoff system, it is okay to lose and schedule better competition in the regular season.

In fact, they reward you for it.