5 Reasons Why Boise State Will Play for It All

Maybe America is so jealous of the Smurfs that they cannot stand when they are ranked inside the top three, but they continue to just put beatdowns on the opposition. 

Most "experts" and all the pollsters have them fourth, and deservedly so at the moment, since it is where they belong for now. However, they will be legit double-digit favorites in all of their games including a home date against TCU and a road test against San Diego State in November.

Those two games could be the biggest in program history during the regular season. However, who are we kidding because they will be severe underdogs with the likes of the SEC and Big 12 winner to get the benefit of the doubt.

Schedule Factor

I talked about Boise State's schedule, and it is favorable with their key home games against TCU and Air Force. The only three home games would be against Nevada (this weekend), New Mexico and Wyoming. Two of those three teams are brutal especially since Mike Locksley has been fired after going 2-26 in just four seasons. 

The road tests could be a bit interesting though the Broncos have caught a HUGE break with Colorado State, Fresno State and UNLV all struggling to even reach the .500 benchmark.

The one true tough test will be on November 19th, when they take on the San Diego State Aztecs. Ryan Lindley and Ronnie Hillman are two tremendous players, but the Broncos defense should be able to target them especially with a lethal offense of their own.

This schedule down the stretch is a bit easier than last season since Nevada was ranked all season long, and though TCU may be nearly as talented, they get them on the blue carpet.

Boise State has gone unbeaten three times in the regular season under Petersen, and a fourth will be on the way if both lines remain/get healthy (Byrd, Winn). 

SEC Gauntlet

While this could back fire on the Broncos, we have no choice but to sit back and trust that somebody can beat Alabama and LSU during the regular season.

The solid news is that there is a decent shot that even a one-loss, second-place SEC team would get passed by the Broncos. Here is the catch. It must be Alabama with the one loss.

If LSU goes 11-1 and finishes behind an undefeated Alabama team with their brutal schedule, I have a hunch and a gut feeling that the voters would take them over an undefeated Broncos squad.

Passing the eye test every single week against elite competition is something that goes a long way for the Bayou Bengals.

Still, if they win at Tuscaloosa against Alabama and run the table (including a win over South Carolina or Florida), they should be the top ranked team in America most likely. 

Tide Not Rolling?

If Alabama goes 11-1, there is a great chance that the Smurfs finally get their chance. Alabama only plays a few more projected bowl teams for the rest of the season!

Florida in the "Swamp" will be a huge test next weekend, but besides that, they get Tennessee at home and face the Mississippi State Bulldogs on the road. That is it outside of their home date with LSU and a trip to the "Plaines" where Auburn should give them a solid game.

I am not sure that is enough if they were to lose a game (even to top-ranked LSU). The system has always given us the best two teams, but unless the Alabama-LSU game in November is an all-time epic game, I cannot buy the fact there will be a rematch two months later.

Remember when we thought Ohio State-Michigan would play again? Well, both teams were dump trucked in their bowl games, and despite those Big Ten teams getting thumped, the BCS is not exactly loving the idea of giving two teams from the same conference a rematch from earlier in the season.

Big 12 Powers Falling?

The Oklahoma Sooners have not exactly been the luckiest team on Earth with all of their recent injuries. Travis Lewis did return fairly quick and has been back since their heavyweight bout with the Seminoles, but they are starting to drop like flies.

Kenny Stills missed the game against Missouri, and the Sooners surely missed his big-play ability, and to make matters worse, their star center Ben Habern is out six to eight weeks with a broken forearm.

Unlike Alabama, the Sooners have Texas, Kansas State and Texas A&M in those next six weeks. The Wildcats are a dangerous team that is prone to pulling off upsets due to having great play at both lines of scrimmage, but clearly, the Longhorns and the Aggies possess the biggest challenges. 

Can they choke away their No. 1 ranking (I understand they lost their top ranking at the moment) with tough, brutal games against very talented ranked teams in the Longhorns and Aggies? Survey and history says yes!

Oklahoma State might have the easier road out of the two teams, and plus, they get Oklahoma at home. They do travel to Missouri and Texas which should be tough contested games. Regardless of who wins the game at Bedlam, Boise State would prefer to have the Sooners and Cowboys each with one or more losses which would likely mean both teams are out of the top two or three spots.

Other Teams Still a Mystery

The Wisconsin Badgers may be representing the Big Ten, though I forsee them getting upset at home against the Nebraska Cornhuskers, who still must go to Penn State and Michigan. The Wolverines could be sleeper alert especially since they are still undefeated at the moment.

If the Badgers get by the Children of the Corn, I look for an upset when they have to travel to Columbus a few weeks later. The Buckeyes are breaking in their freshman signal-caller Braxton Miller, and I still think the Buckeyes defense is better than they have shown.

The Pac-12, Big East and ACC do not have an undefeated team in the making since Florida State, who had the most potential, has already suffered some injuries, and more importantly, two losses.

Clemson and Virginia Tech play each other next weekend, and let us not forget that Georgia Tech is gashing every single team at the moment. The Hokies could run the table, but if FSU gets healthy sometime in the next month, they could run the table in the ACC and knock off those Hokies in a payback game from last year.

The Oregon Ducks have lost their last two games against Boise State and must still get through the rest of their schedule unscathed which includes a Pac-12 Championship. Even then, they would still have a loss. 

Bottom line, these conference have nothing on Boise State, and the chances of seeing an undefeated season from those four conferences are slim to none. The Badgers may have the best chance at the moment, but I don't buy them just cruising to an undefeated season. There are no other teams in America who could go undefeated with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish already at two losses. 

Final Verdict

While most still suspect that Boise State does not deserve to make it all the way, I question if they honestly watch all of these games/teams. The Broncos have passed the eye ball test for years more times than not with an electric defense, and an offense that is built from a video game.

Kellen Moore gets a ton of notoriety because, at the end of the season, he will become the quarterback with the most all-time wins, but he is not the only great player on this team.

Billy Winn and Chase Baker have an argument as the best defensive tackle duo in the nation and the rest of the defensive line is superb. The talent is there with every other top-notch team, and if they continue to blitz the competition, they will get their chance at whomever is ranked No. 1.

They will certainly need a ton of luck of their own to stay healthy, but they will obviously need a few big-named schools to stub their toes at least once.

If more than one BCS team goes unbeaten, we may be looking at the Rose Bowl, but a trip to New Orleans could be on the horizon if the pieces start to slowly fall in place unlike last season. This could be a season of destiny with Alabama and LSU getting all of the talk and accolades, and little baby Boise State just sneaking around.