Lack Of Respect Is The Key to Boise State Football Success

Boise State's undefeated football team can relate to Rodney Dangerfield.

They get no respect.

What may seem odd is the Broncos want it to continue!  They like the Dangerfield complex!

Sometimes referred to as "that cute little team that plays on the blue field," Boise State went 14-0 including a 17-10 victory over TCU in the 2010 Fiesta Bowl.

The Broncos ended the season as the nation's No. 4 ranked team.

Yet, there is little respect for a program that has a record of 49-4 with two BCS Bowl victories over the past four years.

"Everyone counted us out," Kyle Wilson, Boise State's All-American defensive back said after his team's 17-10 Fiesta Bowl upset of third-ranked TCU . "I don't know why they keep doing that, but keep it coming!"

Wilson isn't the only Bronco who feeds off the lack of respect. The entire team does.

Not only does Boise State play with the 'lack of respect' chip on their shoulder, but they practice with that chip firmly embedded on their shoulders too.

It's the key to the phenomenal success of a program that has only been playing NCAA Division I football for a little over 10 years.

The college football writers and 'experts' constantly remind fans that Boise State "just doesn't play anybody."

The pundits say that BSU would be lucky to be .500 in a 'real conference.'

In a recently released 2010 pre-season poll, one writer ranked next year's Bronco team at No. 3 and then added "Boise State can not prove they are worthy of a top ten ranking until they play for a national championship."

How does that work?

The writer ranks BSU No. 3 and then suggests the Broncos aren't worthy of the ranking.

Why did he put them at No. 3 if that's the case?

Granted, a few of those 'experts' are coming around very, very slowly and the Broncos are fine with that.

In fact, they wish the so called ‘experts’ would just slow down a little.

Boise State dominated Pac-10 champion Oregon. They beat No. 3 ranked TCU, which many believed should have been in the national championship game.

For a few writers and pundits, that was enough to convince them that Boise State belonged among the best teams in the country.

For other experts, it said nothing, which is o.k. with the Broncos.

Next season, the Broncos return 21 of 22 starters from their Fiesta Bowl team and face two strong BCS conference programs early in the year.

BSU will play Virginia Tech at Fed Ex Field in Landover, Maryland and will entertain Oregon State on the famed blue turf at Bronco Stadium.

In addition to the two BCS conference schools, Boise State will play bowl winner Wyoming and Toledo.

The schedule is very respectable even if the team isn’t.

Each year, BSU's head coach Chris Petersen has his team come up with achievable goals for the coming season.

One of those goals next year is a BCS National Championship.

Will the Broncos get enough respect from the voters in the polls next season to force the BCS to invite Boise State to play in the national title game?

Nobody knows just yet.

One thing the Broncos do know is that they can continue to count on 'lack of respect' to motivate the team to achieve the goals they have set.

Who knows, maybe that "cute little team that plays on the blue field" will hold that crystal football high in the air come next January as they are crowned National Champions.

To the writers, pundits and college football experts, no disrespect intended.