Bowl Projections 2012: Why Boise State Can Still Crash BCS Party

The Boise State Broncos experienced a devastating case of déjà foot on Saturday night against TCU, losing at home 36-35.

Any BCS National Championship hopes are now dashed for the Broncos as are the Heisman Trophy aspirations of quarterback Kellen Moore.

To make matters worse, the Broncos fell to No. 10 in the latest BCS rankings and second in the Mountain West conference.

Despite ALL of the doom and gloom, rest easy all ye fans of the boys in blue. You still have a shot to make your presence felt in the BCS.

Don't believe me? See for yourself. 

Help from TCU

In the most unlikely of scenarios, Boise State could still earn an automatic BCS berth by winning the Mountain West conference.

That can only happen if TCU loses its two remaining games against Colorado State and UNLV. This a far-fetched notion considering the combined record of those two opponents is 5-13.

Should Boise State somehow win the conference, it would receive an automatic BCS bid based on the provisions detailed in the selection process. 

Stranger things have happened and while unlikely, TCU did lose to SMU earlier in the season. 

If Boise State wins the Mountain West, the Broncos still must hope for one more thing to happen...



 

Houston Will Lose to Southern Miss

The Houston Cougars have run through the 2011 season with a clean sheet.

However, Houston has yet to face the best competition the Conference USA has to offer.

The Cougars are set to face Southern Miss in the conference championship game, and the Golden Eagles are sure to offer formidable competition.

Southern Miss is ranked No. 20 in the BCS rankings, and have beaten quality teams such as Virginia, Navy and East Carolina in 2011. The Golden Eagles can also score with the potent Houston offense, averaging 36.8 points per game.

Even if Boise State wins the Mountain West, it needs Houston to lose down the stretch. If the Cougars were to pass the Broncos, Houston would receive the automatic bid over Boise State.

Either way, it should be an entertaining conference title game in the Conference USA this year.

 

Boise State Can Receive BCS At-Large Bid

Contrary to what the sports pundits may omit, Boise State is eligible for an at-large bid into the BCS.

This possibility is being largely overlooked by many analysts.

Referring back to the selection provisions, any team with at least nine wins that is ranked in the Top 14 of the BCS standings is eligible for an at-large bid.

Of course, Boise State has fierce competition in that category. Other contenders for at-large spots include Alabama, Arkansas, Stanford, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma and others.

It isn't out of the question, however, as Boise State is an attractive bowl team and many of the aforementioned contenders may take themselves out in the next few weeks.

 

Boise State's Case as an At-Large Choice

Boise State represents an attractive option for BCS bowls.

Kellen Moore, the winningest quarterback in college football history, brings an intriguing storyline to the table for any host. Bowl committees would love to take advantage of the underdog story the Broncos pose against a team from a heavyweight conference.

The Broncos also have a growing fanbase that would jump at the opportunity to travel to a BCS bowl game.

Most importantly Boise State posts a strong resume compared to other contenders. Its win in essentially a road game versus Georgia looks better by the week. The Broncos have beaten better competition than Stanford and are ranked higher than Nebraska and Michigan in the BCS.

While its chances at an automatic bid are relatively slim, do not count out Boise State come bowl selection.