BCS Rankings Week 10: Boise State on the Outside Looking in Once Again

It's a familiar story for the Boise State Broncos.

A team that lost one game in its last two seasons, Boise State has yet to make it to the BCS championship game.

This season, that same story is repeating itself, with the Broncos at No. 5 in the BCS rankings despite a 7-0 record.

It all has to do with strength of schedule. When the Broncos moved from the WAC to the MWC this season, it was supposed to give them a lift, with teams such as TCU and previously rising San Diego State boosting the conference's credibility.

But San Diego State has fallen this season after head coach Brady Hoke's departure to Michigan and TCU, despite a 6-2 overall record, has lost to Baylor and SMU.

Now Boise State must hope teams ahead of them falter, even if they go undefeated the rest of the way, if they are to stake a claim in the title game.

The Broncos not only have to hope No. 3 Oklahoma State and No. 4 Stanford lose, they also have such teams as the rebounding No. 6 Oklahoma, Arkansas, Oregon and South Carolina to worry about.

Once again, who is selected for the title game is entirely out of Boise State's hands and firmly held by teams surrounding them.

It's a powerless feeling for the Broncos, who have found out the hard way destiny isn't truly in their control. Strength of schedule takes precedent over brilliant play.

But such is the world of college football, a landscape with no playoff system that is determined by a fusion of human and computer.

For senior quarterback Kellen Moore in particular, it deadens the spectacular legacy the Broncos have drawn up.

But at this point, you've got to think it's more about personal pride than the overall outcome.

Boise State has plenty.