BCS Standings: Boise State Pipe-Dream Becoming Reality

The Boise State Broncos may finally break out of the stable.

No other football team has been held back by the BCS more than Boise State.  Just two weeks ago, the polls highlighted so many undefeated BCS teams that it looked like the Broncos were going to be left out in the cold once again.  After a pair of upset-filled weekends, though, Boise’s back in business and a National Championship bid is more likely than ever.

Before it gets any help, Boise State would have to run the table.  With five Mountain West foes remaining, the Broncos will be heavy favorites for the remainder of their schedule.  They will crush the confidence of teams like UNLV and New Mexico, but TCU, San Diego State and Wyoming are talented enough to give Boise State a game.

Assuming they stay perfect, there are currently four teams that are in the Broncos' way of receiving a national-title bid.  There were eight at the beginning of the month, but Oklahoma and Wisconsin bit the dust last week and this past week, Clemson and Kansas State were exposed.  The four remaining undefeated powerhouses include LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma State and Stanford.

There are three dates circled on every Bronco fan’s calendar:

Nov. 5: The LSU Tigers will travel to Tuscaloosa.  With LSU and the Alabama Crimson Tide at the top of the polls and undefeated, somebody has to lose.  The winner will most likely be the national championship favorite.

Nov. 12: Stanford, which was nearly knocked off on Saturday night by the USC Trojans, will faceoff against the Oregon Ducks.  That is the last major threat to the Cardinal the rest of the regular season.  The Ducks have dominated their opponents since losing Week 1 to LSU, so Stanford will be on high-upset alert.

Dec. 3: Oklahoma State has a couple of tough games before it comes into its highly anticipated battle with Oklahoma, but its offense is almost too good for it to get knocked off before December. 

The Sooners bounced back in a big way, massacring the undefeated K-State Wildcats after losing a heart-breaker to Texas Tech last week.  If Oklahoma won this upcoming football game, it couldn’t even be considered an upset.

If Oregon sinks Stanford and Oklahoma burns OK-State, then that leaves Boise State and the winner of the LSU vs. Alabama matchup as the only undefeated top-notch teams remaining.  Now, a team like Oregon or Oklahoma could unfairly leapfrog them in the standings, but as long as the Broncos’ wins come by a wide margin, they should be fine. 

As a team in any sport, you never want to need help to get somewhere in the postseason, but compared to years in the past, Boise State doesn’t need that much help.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.  Follow him on Twitter.