BCS Rankings: 5 Ways Boise State Can Make the Title Game

Three great things happened for the Boise State Broncos this weekend. First, they won their football game. They cannot make it to the championship game if they do not win, period.

Secondly, Alabama was defeated by LSU. The fact that one team would fall from the ranks of the undefeated was a known fact. However, the Broncos were cheering for the Tigers to win. Had the Crimson Tide defeated LSU by the same score, a rematch would had still been a slight possibility because they were on the road. However, with the Tide falling at home, they are eliminated.

Lastly, the Georgia Bulldogs won their seventh straight game and now are in the SEC East lead. With each win by the Bulldogs, the Broncos become more likely to receive an opportunity at the BCS National Championship Game.

The reality is that the Broncos are still a long-shot, but that could change quickly. Here are five scenarios that could land the Broncos in New Orleans for their bowl game. 

Oregon Ducks Defeat Stanford Cardinals

Next weekend, the Broncos' odds of playing for a national championship will either take a great surge or diminish greatly. Boise State needs Oregon to beat Stanford or the chances become much slimmer.

This would leave the Cardinals with only two remaining games, both at home, and a sacrificial lamb in the championship game. Those two games would be against California and Notre Dame.

There are greater odds of Luck failing a basic math test than the Golden Bears beating the Cardinals—neither are going to happen.

The Fighting Irish could beat the Cardinals, but it is unlikely as well. The Irish have folded every time they have played on the national stage, and I have seen nothing as of late that would lead me to believe differently.

Can the Ducks slow down the balanced offense of the Cardinals? Unlikely. Can they outscore Stanford? Perhaps but they will need to play well. Either way, all of Idaho will become Duck fans this week.

Georgia Bulldogs Defeat LSU Tigers in the SEC Championship

Before you laugh and hit the next button, compare how similar this season and the 2005 season are. That season, LSU went into the SEC Championship ranked No.3 in the nation. Georgia went into the game ranked No. 13.

The Tigers were supposed to be on another level than the Bulldogs. People were skeptical of Georgia mainly because they had been defeated in back-to-back games earlier in the season—sound familiar?

The Bulldogs would shock the world, defeating the Tigers 34-14.

If history could repeat itself, this would be the Broncos' greatest opportunity. It would knock another team from the rank of the unbeatens and make the Broncos victory over Georgia even more impressive.

The Bulldogs have come a long way. They have a tough defense and a solid quarterback. Although LSU is a better team than Alabama, Georgia matches up better against LSU.

Is it a long-shot? Of course. Can it happen? Absolutely. 

Oklahoma Barely Narrowly Defeats Oklahoma State

For the Broncos to get into the championship game, the Oklahoma State Cowboys have to lose a game. Outside of their game against Oklahoma, they have remaining games against Texas Tech and Iowa State. The games have to be played on the field and not on paper. However, it is hard to believe that either of these teams could beat the Cowboys. 

That leaves only the Sooners with a shot to dethrone Oklahoma State. Oklahoma has been a complete disappointment this season. Prior to their loss against Texas Tech, they had only looked impressive against Texas. However, since that time, they have beaten Kansas State and Texas A&M by an average of 28.5 points per game.

The game is in Stillwater, but there are signs pointing toward a Sooners win. For example, although the Sooners destroyed Kansas State and the Aggies, the Cowboys only beat them by four points.

Bronco fans need the Sooners to win but not by too much. If Oklahoma blows out the Cowboys it could land a one-loss Sooners team over the Broncos for the championship. 

Arkansas Beats Oklahoma----Georgia Defeats Arkansas

I have already mentioned the importance of Georgia winning the SEC championship. As a result, I will not go into great detail on how that benefits the Broncos.

In this scenario, this would take out an undefeated LSU team and a strong one-loss Arkansas team. This would also ensure that no SEC team gets into the championship game.

Boise State could potentially be jumped by a one-loss team. However, they will not be jumped by a one-loss team that has not won their conference championship.

The Razorbacks are unlikely to beat the Tigers, but it is not out of the question.  They have won two of the last three games against LSU. It is possible that the mental edge will become a factor.

A win does not guarantee the Razorbacks will play in the SEC championship. All three teams will be ranked in the BCS and the two highest ranked teams will go to head-to-head record. This could favor the Razorbacks because of the late win and LSU having a stronger OOC than Alabama.

Conference Championship Game Upsets

The one thing that the Broncos have going for them is the additional championship games that the Pac-12 and SEC have to play. Even if Stanford and LSU finish the season without a loss, there is still hope.

The Broncos would need a major upset, but at least there is still hope. One or even both teams could lose after the regular season. Currently UCLA and Georgia are the most likely to be the Broncos last hope.

If UCLA loses again and Arizona State can get into the Pac-12 championship their chances improve dramatically. However, it would not be the first time that a team overlooked a lesser opponent in a conference championship and were upset.