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Boise State is no small potatoes

Sporting News, The, Oct 11, 2004 by Matt Hayes

It's that damn turf. If it weren't so blue, so unusual and so, so cheesy, maybe--just maybe--anyone who knows anything about college football wouldn't smirk at the thought of Boise State. You know, the team that plays on the field where a bird once died because it flew directly at the artificial turf, thinking it was a pond?

Keep laughing, pal. Now open your eyes while we bring things into focus.

Boise State has the nation's longest winning streak at 16 straight and counting.

Boise State has won 29 of its past 30 games.

Boise State has won 20 straight WAC games.

Boise State has led the nation in scoring the past two seasons and is No. 3 four games into this season.

So while we take a deep breath in anticipation of this weekend's smorgasbord of games, let's finally recognize one of the nation's best programs while it sits home on this High-Stakes Saturday and prepares for next week's game against--gulp!--Tulsa.

"I'm not apologizing for who we play" says Boise State quarterback Jared Zabransky.

When you really think about it, why should he? Why should Boise have to defend itself, the winning streak or anything else associated with this hidden gem tucked beneath the shadow of the Rocky Mountains?

So there are Texas high school stadiums more impressive than the 30,000-seat facility on this picturesque campus, and yeah, the Broncos play in a God-awful conference where at least two programs probably should be shut down or moved to Division I-AA.

But exactly what does that have to do with the fact that Boise hung 53 points on Oregon State six days after the Beavers blew a game at defending co-national champion LSU? I'll tell you what it means: The Broncos would've gone into Death Valley in Baton Rouge and dusted off the Tigers that day. I'm not using A plus B equals C; I'm using two things the good Lord gave us all: eyes.

Watch this team. Watch Zabransky, who looks like Alexi Lalas and plays with passion and the urgency to prove himself on every play. Watch fiery defensive tackle Alex Guerrero, who would be a national star if he played at LSU. Watch nose guard Andrew Browning--who is listed at 6-0, 270, but I swear is no more than 5-10, 255--blowing up plays because he just works harder than the 300-pounder across from him.

Yet the Broncos are scoffed at because they're a non-BCS team that plays in the WAC, and their schedule isn't as tough as BCS teams', and if they played a BCS schedule they'd be 5-6, and their players just aren't as good as Oklahoma's, Georgia's or any other BCS team's. While we can't wait to break down this week's huge Big Ten matchup of two teams destined to score a combined 13 points, Boise is getting ready to play San Jose State, Tulsa, SMU or Nevada.

See, that's why they suck/

One moment, please, for an unbiased opinion from UNLV coach John Robinson, who led some of the best Southern California teams in history: "I don't know much about the WAC, but I know I don't want to play Boise."

That's just it. If everyone knew more about Boise, its perfectionist coach Dan Hawkins and his castoff players Pac-10 teams didn't want--then can't believe they passed on a few years later--it would be easier to say this team is a lock for the Fiesta Bowl. Every week, the Broncos are peppered with noise about their undeserving status and the reality of their place in the pecking order of college football. And it just doesn't affect them.

This football machine continues to churn out victories and filter out BCS distractions while adhering to Hawkins' credo: Bigger isn't better; better is better. Here's a guy who actually is embarrassed he makes more money (upward of $500,000 per year) than any state employee in Idaho. A guy who says he would be just as personally satisfied staying and coaching at Boise all of his life--he pulled out of the running for the Oregon State job two years ago--or picking up tomorrow with his wife and joining the Peace Corps.

"We'd be just as happy to run an orphanage in South Africa," Hawkins says.

And we joke about the blue field.

Mark Twain once said, "Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you wish."

The fact is, Boise State is one of college football's best programs at any level. We don't need High-Stakes Saturday to see that.

We just need to open our eyes.

Crashing the party

The Fiesta Bowl likely will take a non-BCS team if one qualifies
because of the national attention and television ratings it would
bring. The top BCS-busters and their odds of cashing in:

Team            Odds    Pack your bags for Tempe If ...

Utah             5:1    Have you seen the balanced Utes play--and
                        their remaining schedule? If I had any guts,
                        the odds would be 2:1.
Boise State     15:1    A secondary exposed by BYU can right itself in
                        time for an October 23 game against Fresno
                        State and quarterback Paul Pinegar.
Louisville     250:1    If the Cards upset Miami-that's a big if--they
                        must win at Memphis (which beat Louisville by
                        30 last year) three weeks later.--M.H.

Boise State is no small potatoes

Sporting News, The, Oct 11, 2004 by Matt Hayes

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