College Football 2011: 5 Dream Scenarios for Boise State

he Boise State Broncos and their fans have had their dreams dashed several times over the past five years. The Broncos earned the respect of fans across the nation following their Fiesta Bowl victory over the Oklahoma Sooners at the end of the 2006 season, securing a perfect season in the process.

The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) has not been as willing to give the Broncos credit, however. The rating system denied them a trip to the National Championship Game in 2009, despite Boise State finishing the season 13-0. Another Fiesta Bowl win, this time over the fellow undefeated TCU Horned Frogs, gave Boise State its second undefeated season in four years.

Since 2002, Boise State has had seven undefeated or one-loss seasons, but have never been ranked better than fourth in the final rankings. The Broncos joined the Western Athletic Conference in 2001 and finished first or second in the conference every season through 2010. They will be moving to the Mountain West Conference this year.

With quarterback Kellen Moore and running back Doug Martin returning to lead the offense and Shea McClellin wreaking havoc on defense, the Broncos are projected to be ranked in the top 10 when the season begins. The season will being with a bang as Boise State will travel to the Georgia Dome to take on the Georgia Bulldogs.

Here is a list of the top five dream scenarios for the Broncos this season.

5. Win the Mountain West Conference

The Boise State Broncos spent the past 10 seasons as a member of the Western Athletic Conference, but will join the Mountain West Conference for the 2011 campaign. The MWC has been dominated by the TCU Horned Frogs and Utah Utes in recent seasons, but the Utes left for the newly renamed Pac-12.

Winning the conference should be the first item on the checklist for the Broncos. Their main competition will come from TCU, with Air Force and San Diego St. as other possible road blocks.

Boise State has the advantage of playing TCU at home on Nov. 12. The next week they travel southern California to take on the San Diego State Aztecs in what could be the final hurdle of the conference schedule.

The Broncos can't afford a loss if they plan on reaching some of the bigger goals on their to-do list. However, if they do stumble up during the non-conference portion of the schedule, winning the conference in their first season as a member would be a serviceable consolation prize.

4. Kellen Moore wins the Heisman Trophy

Boise State Broncos quarterback Kellen Moore is among the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy in 2011. The 6'0", 191-pound senior from Prosser, Wash. is listed as the No. 10 choice by the online sports book, Bodog, with odds of 18-to-1.

Moore doesn't have ideal size to play quarterback, especially in the NFL, so returning to college can only help his draft stock. He will attempt to prove is ability with a retooled receiving corps. Moore's main target, Titus Young, will be the biggest loss.

Tyler Shoemaker, Geraldo Hiwat and Chris Potter will likely be the three main options for the aerial attack this season. If Moore can find a rhythm with his batch of receivers, a question raised by many in the offseason, his odds for winning the Heisman improve.

3. Go undefeated

The only way the Boise State Broncos find themselves in the national championship game is if they go undefeated. Every game will be a de facto elimination game for the Broncos. Although the BCS does have its flaws, the importance it places on every game is one of its positives.

The biggest test of the entire season might come in the opening week against the Georgia Bulldogs, in the Georgia Dome. Although the Bulldogs aren't a lock to be in the preseason top 25, they always have a talented squad and playing them on the road to start the season will be a good test for the Broncos.

The Battle for the Milk Can, an annual rival game between Boise State and the Fresno State Bulldogs, has been won by the Broncos in each of the past five years, in convincing fashion. That said, rivalry games always pose a threat, especially when one team is a heavy favorite, giving the other team the underdog mentality.

Mid-November will be the biggest remaining portion of the schedule for Boise State. A home game against the TCU Horned Frogs on Nov. 12 followed by a trip to STADIUM to face the San Diego State Aztecs, should be a good test of the Broncos big-game acumen.

Win those four games and avoid a major upset and Boise State should complete their third perfect season since 2006. It won't guarantee a national championship spot, but it is their only chance to earn one.

2. Every other team loses at least one game

This is the toughest scenario for a Boise State Broncos fan, because they lack control over its outcome. If there are two other undefeated teams, especially if they are from major conferences, Boise State will likely be relegated to another BCS bowl game once again.

Here is a list of the top five contenders to crush Boise State's hopes and the toughest tests they will face this season:

Oklahoma Sooners

Sept. 17 at Florida State

Sept. 24 vs Missouri

Oct. 8 at Texas

Dec. 3 at Oklahoma State

Alabama Crimson Tide

Sept. 24 vs Arkansas

Oct. 1 at Florida

Nov. 5 vs LSU

Nov. 26 at Auburn

Oregon Ducks

Sept. 3 vs LSU

Nov. 12 at Stanford

Nov. 19 vs USC

Nov. 26 vs Oregon State

Stanford

Oct. 29 at USC

Nov. 12 vs Oregon

Nov. 19 vs California

Nov. 26 vs Notre Dame

LSU

Sept. 3 at Oregon

Sept. 15 at Mississippi State

Oct. 22 vs Auburn

Nov. 5 at Alabama

If each of those five teams lose a game along the way, the rest of the chips should fall in favor of Boise State finally getting a chance to play in the national championship game.

1. Win the National Championship

If the Boise State Broncos have reached this point, they will have won the MWC and Kellen Moore will likely have won the Heisman Trophy, or at least finished in the top four.

They will have completed an undefeated regular season and each of the big-name schools will have lost a game. And finally, the BCS will have finally given them a break and ranked them in the top two.

In all likelihood, based on schedule strength and ability, they would be playing a rematch against the Oklahoma Sooners. Only this time, it would be for all the marbles.

Boise State head coach Chris Petersen has shown the ability to craft great game plans when given an extended amount of time. He would need to do so again as Oklahoma would have the size advantage at just about every position.

It would be the ultimate reward for Petersen, who has spent the past six years building Boise State into a national power. It would be a extremely difficult task for the Broncos, especially considering nobody on their schedule comes close to matching Oklahoma's ability, but Boise State has overcome the odds before, they can do it again.