Nebraska Offers Boise State Two-for-One Deal: Why Won't BSU Accept?

Dr. Tom Osborne, athletic director at Nebraska, sent Boise State a two-for-one game offer to play the Broncos with the first proposed game scheduled for the 2015 season.

The offer was sent two and a half months ago, and Osborne has yet to hear back from BSU athletic director Gene Bleymaier.

Granted, the offer is for two games to be played in Lincoln and one game "on the blue" in Boise, but the delay in accepting Nebraska's offer is rather puzzling.

Bleymaier has been very vocal about the lack of major BCS programs who will agree to play the Broncos and has offered to "play anybody, anywhere, anytime."

A year ago, Bleymaier was given a new contract by BSU that includes a bonus clause that would earn him an additional $25,000 for scheduling BCS conference teams.

It appears that Bleymaier is not real interested in earning that bonus, at least in the case of Nebraska.

Why would he still be sitting on the offer from Osborne?

Nebraska is clearly a major BCS program so Bleymaier can't say the opponent doesn't reach the "quality" benchmark.

Bleymaier has been shopping the Broncos to all BCS conferences and has said in recent weeks that finding "quality" BCS programs is a major problem for BSU.

BSU has offered to travel to any location for a "one and done" deal for a million dollar guaranteed payday.

Some suggest the million dollar request by Boise State is too high, but when one compares the deals being offered today to teams of much less stature than BSU, you find that the million dollar guarantee is not out of line.

Many pundits and fans have been critical of BSU in recent years for their weak schedule.

Adding Nebraska for three years would be an indication that the Broncos are moving in the right direction to overcome the "weak schedule" issue.

Is Bleymaier holding out, thinking he can get Nebraska to agree to a home and home deal instead?

If that's the case, he might be waiting a long time.

Boise State is the team that needs the quality opponents. Nebraska has plenty of major opponents simply by being a member of the Big 12.

How long can Bleymaier continue to say "but nobody will play us" if he were to turn down the Nebraska deal?

The 2010 BSU schedule has Virginia Tech at Fed Ex Field in Landover, MD, as well as a game against Oregon State "on the blue" in Boise. These are clearly two quality BCS opponents.

If BSU wants to gain the respect of the nation's college football experts, they are going to have to schedule at least two quality BCS opponents if not more each year, not just in 2010.

The Nebraska deal would solidify at least one high quality opponent for three years starting in 2015, with time still to add others to the schedule.

If Boise State is serious about getting rid of the image of being "a cute little team that plays on a blue field," then they need to take a giant step in the right direction by accepting Nebraska's offer.