Boise State Football: 4 Games That Could Derail the Broncos in 2011

A missed field goal is all that stood in the way between Boise State and a trip to the National Championship game. 2010 was a memorable season that should have been the one.

The Broncos, led by senior quarterback Kellen Moore, are destined to have another incredible season. Moore is only 8 wins away from becoming the winningest quarterback in NCAA history and is sure to make another trip to New York City for the Heisman Trophy presentation.

Although the team lost Austin Pettis and Titus Young to the NFL draft, the Broncos are sure to have another high powered offense roll out onto the blue field.

But as September rolls around, there are four games that could ruin Boise State's dream and destroy the expectations that fans have for this upcoming season. Read on for more.

September 3rd: Georgia

The last time Boise State played an SEC team was in 2005 against... you guessed it, Georgia. Although Boise lost 48-13 to the eventual SEC champions, it seems as if the tables have turned in favor of the Broncos.

The passing attack in 2005 was practically non-existent. If Coach Chris Petersen wants to win this game, it will be won based on how well Kellen Moore and the Bronco wide recievers mesh this season. The loss of Austin Pettis and Titus Young was a huge one. But Moore's amazing accuracy can turn almost any wide out into a star.

The Boise defense will have to keep up with a Georgia offense that is also rebuilding. This game is going to be huge and will mean more to the schedule than the Virginia Tech game meant last season. I expect the Broncos to leave it all on the field because the road to New Orleans will have to go through the Georgia Dome.

September 24th: Tulsa

2009 was the last meeting between these teams. Boise State had to come from behind in order to pull off the victory. The game was overpowered by a decent Tulsa offense and defense that required a miracle from Kellen Moore.

This year brings something more interesting as Tulsa QB GJ Kinne has been regarded by some as a top 5 QB in the nation. Expect Tulsa to have a nice showing on offense and to give the Bronco defense a bit of a scare early in the game.

Boise State will need to hit Tulsa hard early on in order to keep the momentum on their side. Kinne will be launching a serious air assault and Moore will have to match it to keep up. This is easily the second most important game on the schedule.

October 22nd: Air Force

While not presenting as much of a threat, Air Force still has the weapons to give Boise a headache. Quarterback Shaun Carney is likely to get the starting nod but the running attack is what will present the biggest obstacle.

This will be the same offense that almost upset top ranked Oklahoma in Norman but couldn't pull ahead as they went on to lose 27-24.

The key to this game will be to take them out early. Air Force has been known to be a second half team and not piling on the points in the first half will be a big mistake. They may not be a likely foe but the Falcons have upset potential.

November 12th: TCU

Gary Patterson and his TCU Horned Frogs roll into Idaho for what is sure to be a nationally televised game. Armed with one of the most potent defenses in the country, Patterson is going to give Boise quarterback Kellen Moore the biggest headache of his life.

TCU loses Andy Dalton to graduation but don't count out the Horned Frog offense. I expect sophomore quarterback Casey Pachall to get the nod for opening day but he will need some time to learn the system. His mop-up duty time behind Dalton gives him some experience and if he limits turnovers, they're going to be just fine.

This game is going to come down to the winner of this match-up: Boise State defense vs TCU offense. Boise will no doubt put some points on the board but if TCU is able to keep up with Moore then this game could very well be a toss up.

Having the game in Boise gives the Broncos a slight advantage but make no mistake: TCU won't fear the blue field come November.