TCU and Boise State Among Western Mid-Majors Showing Their BCS Caliber

With all the conference shake-up, and with Utah and BYU both poised to leave the Mountain West, an automatic BCS bid has slipped just beneath the horizon for the Western mid-majors.

But in the first week of conference play, these teams roared back, scoring some rather impressive wins.

So, could a new mid-major conference graduate to BCS status in 2011?

Let's take a look at the more impressive performances from the past week.

Playoff Corner (see how last week's games affected a potential playoff)

No. 12 ND State 

They may not be of BCS caliber, and they may not even be eligible to play in a BCS game, but the North Dakota State Bison certainly showed that they could beat a BCS team.

Turner Gill and the Kansas Jayhawks have some 'splainin' to do. We don't doubt that they'll have ample chance to get that mark in the win column that they missed last week, but it may take them a while.

No. 11 Tulsa

Traveling one state south, we end up in Oklahoma, home of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. Less than a week after Hurricane Earl gave Eastern Carolina a scare, the Golden Hurricane came to town and had residents boarding up their hopes for their football team's future

There may be a force field around the state, however, because the East Carolina Pirates had the ball last after the two teams exchanged 10 straight touchdowns to end the second half.

No. 10 Nevada

Further west we pay a visit to one of those teams that is changing conferences in the next two years, the Nevada Wolf Pack. The team put up an impressive rout of FCS member Eastern Washington.

No, Eastern Washington is not a powerhouse, but QB Colin Kaepernick showed that his team can score and is ready to compete. They step up their level of competition in consecutive weeks, playing Colorado State and then the Cal Bears at home.

No. 9 SDSU

Speaking of California, the San Diego State Aztecs put on an outstanding performance. Yes, the same team that has been muddling at the bottom of the Mountain West standings for years.

The 47-0 victory over Nicholls State isn't exactly national news, but it is more than what has been expected at SDSU. The team aims to finish in the upper half of conference play this year

No. 8 Idaho

Last year the Idaho Vandals surprised everyone with their 7-2 start before dropping their last three games. This year they are starting strong again with a 45-0 victory over the North Dakota Fighting Sioux.

Like the Aztecs, the Vandals have been cellar-dwelling in their conference for a few years now—and (un)like big conferences like the SEC, even the cellar dwellers can put the shellacking on the FCS.

No. 7 Air Force

The Air Force Falcon defense was not as successful in the first half of their game, but Air Force did put on a strong 41-0 performance in the second half.

Air Force faces conference rival BYU in what may be their last meeting for a while. The Falcons showed their depth by having seven different players wind up in the end zone. If they can keep up that offensive balance, they will give the Cougars fits.

No. 6 Houston

A different kind of Cougar, the Houston kind, manhandled the Texas State Bobcats, going up 54-7 at the half. Houston now faces UTEP, the team that dashed its BCS hopes last year, at home.

Deserving of the BCS?

With the exception of the ND State Bison, above, defeating a lowly FCS team, while BCS-like, is not the same as defeating an actual BCS team.

It may surprise you to learn that only the Big 12 scored more victories over BCS teams than the WAC and that NO conference won more such games than the MWC. Who said these conferences were not BCS-caliber?

No. 5 BYU

A different set of Cougars took on Heisman hopeful Jake Locker and the Washington Huskies. The game was a nail-biter. Despite the fact that the Brigham Young Cougars last scored in the third quarter, the stormin' Mormons held on for the 23-17 victory.

Next year, BYU will play football as an independent. Their "mid-major" status will be up in the air, as they are neither a part of a BCS conference nor enjoying the benefits of an annual BCS (Notre Dame)-sized paycheck.

No. 4 Fresno State

The Fresno State Bulldogs are the grandfathers of the BCS busters. No, they never did make it to one of the top four bowls, but they are currently on a 4-0 streak against BCS teams in the bowls, and in the first half of this decade they recorded the most victories over BCS opponents by any mid-major.

Could the Bulldogs be back? They defeated defending Big East champion Cincinnati in a come-from behind 28-14 victory last Saturday. They'll get another crack at the BCS against Ole Miss in two weeks.

No. 3 Utah

Poor, poor Big East. Their top two ranked teams were taken down last week by "BCS wannabes." The Utah Utes stunned Big East favorite Pittsburgh last Thursday 27-24 in overtime.

The Utes are seen as BCS long shots. With arguably three BCS-caliber teams in the conference, the Utes face the most difficult conference slate among BCS buster hopefuls. But if they can complete their schedule (which also includes a revived Notre Dame) with less than two losses, they will be eligible for a BCS at-large bid.

No. 2 Boise State

Along with Utah, the Boise State Broncos are the only team to bust into the BCS twice, winning both times. Last week they pulled off the largest upset of the week. I say "upset" because any loss by a Top 10 team is upsetting.

Boise State has been mentioned this week as a contender for the big prize, the national championship. Should they achieve such a feat (defeating a Top 2 team in the process), the laughs about the schedule may continue, but not about their football team.

No. 1 TCU

Yes, I'm more of a sucker for the Mountain West than the Western Athletic, and I think the Texas Christian Horned Frogs have the inside track to become the BCS buster because of their schedule. This week they defeated Oregon State 30-21 in a game well played by both sides.

The Horned Frogs had a much more consistent offense and defense than the Broncos. But my ranking here would be unjust to either team. I vote that TCU and Boise State play for a third straight year, but only if the venue is the National Championship Game.