BCS Rankings 2011: Boise State Will Be Done in by Weak MWC

Since Chris Petersen became Boise State's head coach for the 2006 season, the Broncos have had three undefeated regular seasons.

Twice, they were rewarded with a bowl game against fellow BCS buster TCU. The Broncos and Horned Frogs split those two meetings. Only one of those two games was a BCS game.

The other time, the Broncos were rewarded with a Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma. You probably remember that game.

In past seasons, Boise State has had at least one quality in-conference opponent to deal with. Generally speaking, that's come in the form of Hawaii or Nevada, but even Fresno State and San Jose State have given the Broncos quality runs.

Now, the Broncos are in the Mountain West Conference, and that team is just not there. Even TCU is having a down year when compared to their normal high standards. It's hard to see them giving Boise State much of a game.

Time will tell how big Boise State's win against Georgia was. We don't know exactly how good the Bulldogs are. We just know that they play in a big conference and are a traditional power.

I am not saying that Boise won't get into BCS game. Actually, I am not even saying that they should be in the National Championship Game if other BCS conference teams are also undefeated.

You can complain all you want about the current system, but it's not going to impact 2011 at all. Boise State just doesn't play against the kind of teams that schools like Oklahoma, LSU and Alabama play against.

But here's what I am asking for:

If they go undefeated and earn a spot in a BCS Bowl, then the BCS powers that be need to put them in a game against one of the best teams not in the National Championship Game.

They had a golden opportunity to do that with both Boise State and TCU two years ago and blew it. That year, Florida had spent a lot of time as the No. 1 team in the country, but lost the SEC title game to Alabama. Cincinnati was an undefeated team, although not at Florida's level.

Instead of putting TCU and Boise against Florida and Cincinnati, TCU and Boise against each other. Cincinnati also played in the Sugar Bowl against Florida. That game didn't go so well.

Even when the Broncos played Oklahoma, that was a year where the Sooners were not playing up to their normal standards.

No, I am not advocating a playoff here. Now is not the time for that fight. But if the opportunity presents itself for Boise State to make a BCS game, I do ask the people who schedule them to put them against the team that they deem the third or fourth best in the country.

Then, we'll get a chance to see how good the Broncos really are. From there, we actually might get more of an answer as to how necessary a playoff actually is.