I know this isn't Mariner related, but I hope it's enough of a Northwest connection to be forgiven.
What Boise State is doing is truly one of the most amazing stories in all of sports and deserves to be recognized. Just over a decade ago this school was in Div IAA, yet practically overnight has been built into a true powerhouse despite having no natural advantages (we have a tiny recruiting base, no boosters with fat wallets, no national reputation academically, etc.). We also have gone through 5 different head coaches in those few years, including one dying immediately after our first season after spending most of that year and the previous year getting treatment for cancer. This is one of those instances as a fan where I feel like I'm dreaming and if tomorrow I get up and read in the paper that the Broncos lossed ten games this season I'd think that I finally woke up and the world makes sense again.
***We interupt your regularly scheduled blogging to bring you this special report***
With the 19-8 stomping of the Oregon Ducks on Thursday and 37-32 upset last year, the Boise State football team has now established itself as the undisputed King of the Northwest and one of the elite programs in all of football. While it may be a small school without a large budget and it's recruits are only rated 2- and 3-stars by the scouting agencies, don't be fooled into thinking that they are underdogs any longer. BSU can now go toe-to-toe with just about any team in the country.
Of course the first thing people think of when talking about Boise State (besides the blue turf) is their offense, and it definitely is a good one. Under center we have one of the best pure passers in the country in Kellen Moore. As a freshman he led the team to within two points of a perfect season, including slicing and dicing Oregon's much vaunted secondary for 3 dozen points in Autzen in just his third college game ever. There aren't enough superlatives to adequately describe just how amazing he is (and yet in true Bronco-style, the only other college who had any interest in him was Eastern Washington). They also have numerous playmakers, with running backs Jeremy Avery and DJ Harper and wide outs Titus Young and Austin Pettis leading the way. 40 points a game is a given.
But as good and notorious as the offense is, the true strength of the team is its defense. Last year it was the third best scoring defense in the country and it's even better this season and definitely one of the very best anywhere. It will brutalize opponents, and we got a glimpse of that Thursday. Going up against an offense with two Heisman Trophy candidates, a great tight end and loads of big, talented recievers, BSU's D completely dominated. The Ducks, whose famous spread-option attack was supposed to average 45 points a game, was shut down almost entirely and didn't pick up a single first down until half way through the third. Our defensive line is absolutely stacked with two great 4-man units which rotate regularly and a secondary that combines lockdown corners and smashmouth, big-hitting safeties led by Klye Wilson who could be a first round NFL pick next year.
What's really scary is that we were playing short that game. We have a 325-pound DT who is an absolute wrecking ball. He demands a double-team on every play yet can still break into the backfield with regularity. He terrorizes QB's and stuffs running backs. Even better, he will line up on offense in short yardage and goal line situations. And no, he isn't a Refrigerator Perry-like gimmick, he's got legit speed. He rushed and recieved for nearly a thousand yards as a fullback his senior year of HS and busted a 25-yard run in our spring game. He's just a freshman but is going to be awesome.
To give an idea of just how talented this team is, consider a few facts. Last year the team 
finished about 12th in the polls. They did so with the youngest team in the top 25. They also didn't have a single player drafted, the only team in the top 25 for which that was true. So we should be a top 10 and possibly top 5 team this season. And we will do that with four seniors on the whole roster. FOUR!!! And only two of them are any good. That should make it very clear just how stacked we are. So as good as we are going to be, and it's the best team we've ever had, we will return practically the ENTIRE roster next year. We could be ranked in the top 5 before the season starts. And that's even if we weren't adding the very best recruiting class we've ever had, yet we'll be doing exactly that. The guys we signed this past June (who will mostly be red-shirting this season) are easily more talented than any group that came before them.
That's something else that needs to be remembered. As good as this program has been, and as good as this this team is going to be this year and next, this will be just the 14th season BSU has been in Division 1A. We still have not hit our recruiting ceiling which means not only that our success so far is not a mirage and can be maintained long term, but we can actually do better. In short order, we'll be able to be win against the Floridas, USCs and Oklahomas (oh, wait, we've already beaten one of those teams!). Don't look at the Broncos as the plucky, little-guy any longer. We are for real, and we are here to stay.
Comments
...it fascinates me when little colleges somehow become world-class at something. Be it a particular academic program, a team sport or a research achievement, there are a lot of stories like what's happening in Boise State all over this country's universities...though some are not commonly publicized. Sometimes all it takes is one great leader, one brilliant scholar, or a well-thought-out ad campaign to change things for the better for a small school.
c-points for giving me more background color on this BSU team...I noticed their performance last year with some interest, but as I don't live out west, I didn't get the full appreciation for it.
It is tough trying to not get caught up with all the Bronco hype. I have lived in Boise for five years (Seattle previously) and tried to keep my distance (root for them, but not buy any Bronco gear). However, the consistency from year to year is getting tough to ignore. They have even survived a couple of coaching changes. I gues the hardest part is that they are blue and orange AND are the Broncos who I rooted against in the NFL (go Seahawks). I used to hope the Huskies would return to their glory days, but I might as well jump on the Bronco bus.
I like the Boise State story and enjoy watching their style of football...but let's not get too carried away. After Oregon, here is Boise's schedule:
Miami of Ohio
Fresno State
Bowling Green
UC Davis
Tulsa
Hawaii
San Jose State
Louisiana Tech
Idaho
Utah State
Nevada
New Mexico State
It's a quirk of the BCS point system that a team like Boise can play one or two good opponents per year, beat up on the Little Sisters of the Poor all season and be in contention for a major bowl game. No way that a team playing that soft of a schedule should be considered "Elite". To be elite in college football, a team should have to go through the meat grinder that is a major conference schedule.
Boise may well be looking at an undefeated season but could anyone say that if they were playing Miami, Florida's schedule:
Florida State
Georgia Tech
Virginia Tech
Oklahoma
Florida A&M
Central Florida
Clemson
Wake Forest
Virginia
North Carolina
Duke
South Florida
I think Boise would be looking at 2-3 losses, maybe more, with that schedule.
The cushy mid-major schedules are a legitimate concern, (and precisely why most feel that even if Boise does run the table, they still wouldn't have a shot at a title game appearance, unless every other contender has TWO (2) losses at season's end.
But, not every "major" conference has major talent every season.
Penn State is ranked 5th. Because the Big 10 ain't so big this year, they're looking at a date with OSU in November and not much else. (OSU has USC on their schedule, so they at least have two tough games).
In good years, the power conferences DO have 4-5-6 really good teams. But, in bad years, it's often a different story. The Big East and ACC routinely have strength slosh from year to year. Some years the ACC is stacked ... other years ACC games are cupcakes compared to the SEC.
The reason I lean toward considering a Boise St. is because in general, the power conferences won't even CONSIDER an away game against someone like Boise. So, BSU is forced to try and earn their exclusively on the road. (If FSU beats Miami at home, or vice versa, nobody blinks because these schools trade off home field each year).
I'd support sliding a BSU into the title game to call the bluff of the BCS conferences -- and tell them ... "listen, if you don't want the undefeated small fry to ruin your title hopes, then SOMEBODY has to be willing to go and play them on THEIR turf occasionally"
1. Anything Cool Papa submits is feature material.
1a. Your last submission CPB -- forget the name -- was one of our most-trafficked articles of the year. That's including a boatload of sister sites.
2. In the big pic, SSI is going to be a sports blog, as opposed to a Mariner blog.
Yes, I'd love for Boise State to play a tougher schedule and they they would certainly lose more games if they did, but that doesn't mean they aren't one of the best teams in football. Chris Petersen is 4-1 against BCS teams since taking over as head coach and non-BCS teams are 3-1 in BCS bowl games so both our program and others have proven that they can win against good teams from AQ conferences. I can understand the skepticism, but their body of work (along with Utah's) should make it clear by now that they can hang with the Big Dawgs.
Furthermore, my post wasn't intended to be an objective, numbers driven analysis or a simplistic assessment base on one or two games. Rather, I am trying to provide insight on the state of the program from the perspective of someone who follows the team closely. The point is that this team is LOADED with great players, absolutely loaded, and is cabable of punishing good BCS teams. That is what I am trying to get across. No matter how good someone may think BSU is, they are actually better than anyone realizes, and I want to give everyone a heads up about what should be expected in the future.
Of course you're going to think I'm just blowing smoke or looking at things with rose colored glasses, but believe me, when I say that this is a legit top ten team and a true top five team next year, it's with very good reason. It's very difficult explaining why that is in a short post directed toward people who aren't familiar with the team and may not be huge college football fans without boring everyone to death so I probably didn't make my case effectively. However, don't take that to mean that there isn't a very strong case. Since it will be a long time before Boise St. plays another BCS team (either in a bowl game this year or the beginning of next season) you can either take my word for it or wait several months or a year to see for yourself. But if you take the latter course, don't be suprised if the Broncos manhandle the next top 10 team they face.
Are you talking about the Michael Saunders post? That's really shocking.
As for the Boise State football team, what level of coverage would be appropriate?
1. none
2. a couple of updates during the season
3. regular updates
4. numerous in-depth articles on the players, coaches and program
I'm guessing if it were put to a vote, 1 or 2 would win out.
'Canadian Bacon' was a smash hit. You can write me offline if you'd like an idea just how much of a hit...
I'd go for weekly updates on Boise State as long as they're hot, but that's just me. Are they a threat to go top 25 any time soon?
BSU was ranked 16th in the preseason by the coaches (which is too low since that's worse than they finished last season and they are a better team this year) and they are now 12th. They will go higher but it will be hard to crack the top 5 until after their bowl game because their schedule is so weak and games at the end of the year count more in the polls which really works against us.
Next year is going to be real fascinating. If we go undefeated this season we will start next year in the top 5 preseason (or at least we should but the voters will be sick at the thought). We then play Virginia Tech the third week of the season in DC in the Redskins 93,000 seat stadium. Both teams should be ranked in the top 10 (VT is also looking great with an outstanding QB) and it will be an absolute premier matchup with the East Coast media all abuzz over it. If we win that then there will be very serious talk about us being in the National Championship, although again our weak end of season schedule and the voters reluctance to vote a non-BCS team high will be tough hurdles to overcome. If we played in the Mountain West we'd have a better shot, but they don't want us.
If I do regular updates, it will probably be closer to bi-weekly. Let's see if I can come up with interesting topics that people would like to read. If anyone has suggestions I'm all ears.
that should be on an About page somewhere...
tear up some broncs next year on the smurf turf!!
is 12 months to early for a little smack talk? :)
GO BEAVERS!