Boise State Football: 10 Important Storylines to Watch Develop Throughout 2012

The 2012 college football season is upon us. For the Boise State Broncos and their fans, it is probably one of the most interesting, intriguing and mysterious seasons in the history of the program.

There may be many in the football universe who think the days of talking about the Broncos busting the BCS are gone, but before they set that opinion in concrete, they might want to consider the program's history.

Since the year 2000, the Broncos have a gaudy record of 136-19, which at .877 is the highest winning percentage in college football over that same time period.

This kind of success is a testimony to the fact that Boise State is no fluke, flash in the pan or even the Cinderella team they are so often labeled to be. After all, didn't Cinderella only attend one ball?

The carriage the Broncos have been riding for over a decade has not turned back into a pumpkin and doesn't seem to be destined to do so. Many of those who try to write off the blue-collar program point to the ease of schedule, the trick plays, the lack of prominent conference and the list goes on and on.

Some have claimed that Boise State would never compete in the SEC, Big 12 or even Pac-12 and shouldn't be in the same discussion as those college football powerhouses. However, with a fraction of the budget and lack of a lucrative conference, Boise State has done remarkable things.

Imagine if the team from Boise could field a budget similar to Alabama, USC or even Oregon. What could the Broncos do with those kind of resources? They certainly have the program, tradition and coaching staff to line up with the best of them.

The 2012 season will be a benchmark season for Boise State. It should display the fact that the Broncos aren't going anywhere but up. Chris Petersen, his staff and his players are poised to have another remarkable, surprising season. It's surprising to everyone except those who follow this team or are a part of this program.

It's long past midnight, and there is no glass slipper. The Broncos aren't Cinderella. They are more like Robin Hood, and they aren't worried about the fairy tales that others spin about them.

This season, look for Petersen and his merry men to ride into the FBS forest and bring home some treasure.

On that note, let's look at some of the storylines that fans and critics alike should pay attention to this season for the Broncos.

Rebuilt Defense

It is no secret that the Broncos have had to rebuild their defense from the ground up. However, from what it looks like at this point, they have done a very good job.

The front four are not all new faces, but they are all new starters.

Senior Michael Atkinson and junior Ricky Tjong-A-Tjoe will fill the middle, and sophomores Tyler Horn and Beau Martin will cap the ends. All of them look strong, and all of them have solid backups, all of which is important on a Chris Petersen team that rotates often.

Senior linebackers Tommy Smith and J.C. Percy bring experience, leadership and toughness to the position, and senior Dextrell Simmons appears ready to go as nickel.

The secondary is going to be a strength of this team. Look for senior cornerbacks Jerrell Gavins and Jamar Taylor to shut down receivers all season long, and for sophomore safeties Jeremy Ioane and Lee Hightower to keep it all contained.

Watch this defense develop this season, it should be very interesting. They will be better than many expect right out of the gate, but if they stay healthy and come together the way they should, this defense could be every bit as special as the one the Broncos had last season.

New Offensive Coordinator

Robert Prince is the new Boise State offensive coordinator, and fans are anxious to see what he can do. Prince was an assistant with Petersen a long time ago on the Broncos staff, and the two share the same kind of adventurous spirit when it comes to calling plays.

Look for Prince to light it up this year. With risk comes reward, but it can also bring a few bumps and bruises. With a new quarterback, it won't be perfect out of the gate, but it will be fun to watch.

Look for this story to develop all season as the offense does the same.

By the end of the campaign, things could look much different than the beginning, but at least, it won't be boring.

Joe Southwick

There's a brand new quarterback at Boise State. Won't this story be interesting?

Joe Southwick has had the preparation, standing behind Kellen Moore for three years and backing him up the last two.

However, this is Joe's time to shine.

Look for Southwick to do better than some might think right out of the gate, but look for him to mature all season long.

By the Nevada game, Southwick could very well have impressed every fan, silenced every critic and helped to lead his team to a Mountain West championship.

Will it happen? Stay tuned...

D.J. Harper

D.J. play that song! You know the one. It's the one that sounds like a breakout season for the patient, hard-working, comeback kid who wouldn't quit.

You can't keep a good man down, and Harper is proving that.

Look for him to prove it over and over again this season. As long as he stays healthy, look for Harper to surpass the 1,000-yard mark by the San Diego State game in early November.

Harper has the talent and the offensive line to make a lot of waves this season—and not just on "The Blue."

Kicking

This is one storyline most Bronco fans are tired of hearing about. However, it is still one that needs to be watched closely in 2012.

In the fall scrimmage, both senior Michael Frisina and sophomore Dan Goodale looked very good kicking the ball. Both made every extra point they kicked, and the two were nearly perfect on field goals with Goodale missing just one out of six and Frisina going 5-of-5.

The kicking game will be extremely important for the Broncos this season because they will probably need the points in much closer contests.

As the season goes on, it will be very interesting to see how accurate and dependable they become.

Injuries

The Broncos appear to have a much better team than many thought they would have. However, if the injury bug bites, then it is going to have an impact on a team with few proven backups.

Key positions to watch are the defensive secondary, the defensive line and running back. All three of those areas have a thin depth chart, or at the very least, a lack of experience beyond the starter.

Look for Coach Petersen to rest players when he gets the opportunity. This should happen late in some of the games, but fewer than last season.

Special Teams

With a new special teams coach now leading the cause, it will be interesting to see how the hammer heads do this season.

Coach Jeff Choate left for Washington State's staff, leaving coach Scott Huff to lead the charge. It will be intriguing to see if Coach Huff can bring the same kind of game or even elevate the game the special teams are accustomed to at Boise State.

The first game against Michigan State should give fans and coaches an assessment of how Coach Huff has done.

2013 Recruiting Class

So far this year, Boise State has had a total of nine verbal commitments from various recruits from around the land. However, they will need a lot more of them to complete a 2013 class that will be over 20 players.

How big the class will need to be depends on how many scholarships the Broncos get back and how many players they lose for various reasons as the year goes on.

Right now, there are some very good recruits looking at Boise State and some who have already committed for 2013.

Among the list of already committed are Andrew Tercek, an offensive lineman out of San Antonio, Texas, Ryan Finley a quarterback out of Phoenix, Ariz., Jack Austin from Chino Hills, Calif., and Joey Martarano a linebacker from Fruitland, Idaho, just to name a few.

Keep your eye on this all season long. If the Big East television deal is what it appears it will be and the Broncos prove they aren't slowing down, expect a big class with a lot of talent.

The Big East

Speaking of the Big East, the Broncos are officially headed that way. Now that the Big West has accepted the Broncos Olympic sports into their fine conference, the football Broncos are headed east.

It will be a step up in competition, and if the Big East television deal lands the Broncos over $10 million per year, as some have suggested, the Big East could be a very good thing for Boise State.

Not only that, but if the money is there for Big East teams, maybe BYU takes a second look.

It is not like the Big 12 or Pac-12 have come calling on the Cougars or the Broncos for that matter, so it only makes sense that with that much money in the Big East, BYU would at least look closer one more time.

With new commissioner Mike Aresco and his television experience, you can expect to see some very rewarding things happen this football season for the Broncos and others in the Big East.

NFL Success

Boise State had six Broncos drafted in the 2012 NFL draft, which was a record for the program. Two of those picks were selected in the first round.

Shea McClellin and Doug Martin went at picks 19 and 31 respectively. McClellin went to the Chicago Bears, and Martin went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In fact, Doug Martin was just named the starter for Tampa Bay, according to Matt Verderame of SBNation.

With players like Martin and McClellin leading the way and the other Broncos who are currently in the NFL playing on Sundays, expect their efforts to continue to promote the Boise State football program.

As recruits see those players week after week and announcers continue to name the school, it only helps the overall program for the Broncos.

Look for this to be a great year for Boise State at the college level, but expect the program to benefit from the actions of its past players now among the professional ranks as well.

For updates of these story lines and more, keep checking in with Bleacher Report all season long.