This guy doesn't like Boise State too much either.
Last year Auburn took home the trophy after a controversial season. Did I like them? No. Do I think they cheated? Yes. However Boise State has had allegations against their recruiting too. Auburn's first test of the year was Mississippi State. This year the Bulldogs have fallen on some rough times, but last years team wen 9-4, beat Michigan in the bowl game, and finished the year in the top 25. Next they played another team that made it to a bowl game in Clemson. Clemson didn't have the best season, but at least made it to a bowl game. After they had to play (then) #12 South Carolina, who ended up being the SEC East champion of last year. That's 3 weeks in a row with high quality games. Boise State's lucky if they get 2 quality games in a whole regular season. Auburn had a close encounter with another bowl bound Kentucky a couple weeks later followed by another game with the #12 ranked Razorbacks. The week after they played #6 LSU. That's 4 top 25 teams played in 8 games. That's not even mentioning the classic they had with Alabama in the Iron Bowl, then manhandling South Carolina in the SEC championship game, followed by the National Championship against Oregon. Eight of the 14 games Auburn played were against top 25 teams, and 9 of 13 games in the prior to the national championship against teams that were going to a bowl game.
Last year Boise State played 4 teams who were ranked in the top 25. Virginia Tech (who lost the next week to FCS' James Madison), Oregon State (who didn't even play in a bowl game last year), Nevada (who the Broncos choked against), and Utah (who was overrated all year and playing with a backup QB). It's not a question of whether or not Boise State is good enough. But whether or not they deserve it. Last year I don't think anyone can argue that the most definitely didn't. This year, Boise has one decent win against Georgia. Georgia lost the next week as well against an underachieving S. Carolina team, and is currently ranked number 22 in the latest BCS standings. Other than that, they don't play another ranked team all year, and seldom play a team with a winning record. They don't deserve to even be in the conversation with the other 3 teams in the top 4. If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best, and in college football, the best will beat the best on a constant basis.
Now let's take a look at other "great" teams Boise State has produced. In 2009 Boise State won the Fiesta Bowl over TCU. Who did they play before that? Good question. We would have to go all the way back to the first game of the year. They played Oregon who went on to be the Pac-10 champions and would lose in the Rose Bowl to Ohio State. So they did have 1 quality win in the regular season. Other than that the most points they gave up were 35 against the La. Tech Bulldogs. While the big teams are beating down top 25 competition, big bad Boise goes and picks on San Jose State and Bowling Green. Even if they do have the same talent, they should have to earn it just like everyone else does. In 2009 Boise didn't earn it. (Alabama who was the national champion that year, played, and won 4 games against teams in the top 9.)
"Well what about 2006? We beat Oklahoma that year!" argues the diehard Bronco fan. But the question is, what did they do to earn the right to even be on the same field as Oklahoma? I know that wins over Sacramento State, Wyoming, and on the road at bitter, bitter rival Idaho are impressive...but that doesn't cut it for me, or for anyone with a brain. You can't do nothing the entire regular season, and expect to have the same benefits as a team who plays a death march of a schedule to get there. This has lead me to my point.
She woulda said, "no" if they had lost.
Any team that doesn't play in an AQ conference, with the BCS system in tact is going to have a tough time getting where they want to go because of a weak schedule. That wasn't the case with the 2008 Utah Utes. Boise State usually opens the season with a game against a big team at a neutral site. The 2008 Utes opened the season with a true road game against the winningest program in college football history, and won. A few weeks later, a 5-0 Utah team plays against an Oregon State team that had just knocked off the number 1 team in the nation, USC. Utah beat them too. Oregon State finished the season 9-4 and in the top 25. After Oregon State, Utah played TCU (who was ranked 11 or 12 depending on the poll), and beat them too. Finally the Utes, to solidify another BCS bid, played the number 14 ranked BYU Cougars, and won again. 4 quality wins in the regular season. That's more quality wins in 1 regular season, than Boise State has had in this regular season, '09, and '06 combined. After a great regular season, Utah went on to play a team that thought they should be playing in the national championship in Alabama, and Utah destroyed them. They didn't have a close game like Boise State's games against Oklahoma and TCU.
This is what people do when they win 31-17
Utah proved they had a deserved to be there and they proved it in the regular season. Boise State has never done that and they won't do it again this year but they'll still make it to a BCS game. The 2008 Utes proved they belonged, when Boise still hasn't had more than 1 quality wins in a regular season in a looooooooong time. Down with Boise and all other teams who don't deserve what they get.
At least A-Town understands me.
Follow me on Twitter @crackalacka22
I like it but you're such a homer
ReplyDeleteI am a homer. But it's all true. ;)
ReplyDelete