BCS Standings 2011: Why Boise State Deserves No. 4 Spot in Initial Rankings

It is very difficult to dispute the notion of LSU, Alabama and Oklahoma being the top three when the initial BCS rankings are revealed next week, but there are plenty of questions regarding which teams will follow closely behind.

The favorite is No. 4 Wisconsin after its destruction of Nebraska, but I think that the next team in line after the big three should undoubtedly be the Boise State Broncos. Because of their non-BCS status the Broncos are often under-appreciated, but I think they have the tools to compete with the big boys.

Here are three reasons why the Broncos should be ranked No. 4 ahead of the likes of Wisconsin, Oklahoma State, Stanford, Clemson, et al when the BCS rankings are revealed.

Defense

The Broncos have long been known for their explosive offenses, but over the course of Boise State's non-BCS dominance, defense has been a huge contributing factor. This season is no different, as the Broncos rank 10th in the nation in terms of scoring defense.

Detractors will point to an easy schedule for reasoning, but the Broncos have faced some very impressive offenses already. Georgia, Toledo and Tulsa in particular are all perfectly capable of putting up crooked numbers on offense, but Boise State was able to hold all of them to 21 points or less.

While the Broncos defense won't have to be dominant for the team to succeed moving forward, it helps prove that Boise State is perfectly capable of competing with and beating bigger programs. Say what you will about the Broncos' level of competition, but few things are more portable in football than great defensive play.

Kellen Moore

As quarterback Kellen Moore goes, so go the Broncos. Moore, one of the Heisman Trophy favorites, has been dominant as usual in 2011, as evidenced by his 1,391 passing yards and 17 touchdowns through just five games.

Moore has proven that he is equally capable of shredding defenses of BCS schools as cupcake programs. The losses of Titus Young and Austin Pettis was expected to have an adverse effect on Moore and Boise State's passing game this season, but his smarts and efficiency can make any receiver a viable target.

It's clear that the most important position on the field is quarterback, and the Broncos just so happen to have a signal-caller that could start for just about any team in the country. As long as Moore continues his assault on opposing defenses, it is conceivable to think that the Broncos could essentially beat anybody.

Past Performance

College football rankings are meant to reflect the here and now, and I would never dispute that, but in Boise State's case, I think some consideration needs to be given to their body of work. For years, the Broncos have been considered inferior due to their competition level, but they have met and defeated every challenge put in front of them.

The majority of Boise State's wins have been over WAC and MWC teams, but it has also scored countless victories over big-conference teams as well. Regardless of how many times they have been disrespected by the voters and the BCS system, the Broncos are a BCS-caliber team in terms of talent.

I'm not naive enough to think that the Broncos should be ranked ahead of the likes of LSU, Alabama and Oklahoma, but I honestly think that they aren't significantly worse than any of those teams. The Broncos simply play who is on their schedule, and whether that team is in the Top 25 or Bottom 25 of the nation, they get the job done more often than not. In my mind, that makes them deserving of the No. 4 spot.