All Bowl Team

There isn’t much criteria for picking who gets the nod here other than performing really well in a bowl game. I didn’t take whether or not their team won or lost into consideration unless it was really close between two players. The winner always trumps the loser. Let me know if there is anybody that you feel I have left off the list or how you feel about those that are on it.

Offense:
*QB* - Landry Jones, Oklahoma Sooners: 34-49, 429 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT in win over UConn in the Fiesta Bowl
*RB* - Ronnie Hillman, San Diego State Aztecs: 28 carries, 228 yards, 3 TD in win over Navy in the Poinsettia Bowl
*RB* - Mikel Leshoure, Illinois Fighting Illini: 29 carries, 184 yards, 3 TD in win over Baylor in the Texas Bowl
*WR* - Marcus Sales, Syracuse Orange: 5 catches, 172 yards, 3 TD in win over Kansas State in the Pinstripe Bowl
*WR* - Austin Pettis, Boise State Broncos: 12 catches, 147 yards, 1 TD in win over Utah in Las Vegas Bowl
*TE* - Coby Fleener, Stanford Cardinal: 6 catches, 173 yards, 3 TD in win over Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl
*OL* - Mike Pouncey, Florida Gators: Win over Penn State in the Outback Bowl
*OL* - Marcus Cannon, TCU Horned Frogs: Win over Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl
*OL* - Nate Potter, Boise State Broncos: Win over Utah in Las Vegas Bowl
*OL* - Michael Brewster, Ohio State Buckeyes: Win over Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl
*OL* - Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin Badgers: Loss to TCU in the Rose Bowl

Defense:
*DL* - Nick Fairley, Auburn Tigers: Win over Oregon in the National Championship Game
*DL* - Billy Winn, Boise State Broncos: Win over Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl
*DL* – Antoine Carter, Auburn Tigers: Win over Oregon in the National Championship Game
*DL* - Brandon Jenkins, Florida State Seminoles: Win over South Carolina in the Chik-fil-A Bowl
*LB* - Casey Matthews, Oregon Ducks: Loss to Auburn in the National Championship Game
*LB* - Tank Carder, TCU Horned Frogs: Win over Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl
*LB* - Owen Marecic, Stanford Cardinal: Win over Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl
*DB* - Jayron Hosley, Virginia Tech Hokies: Loss to Stanford in the Orange Bowl
*DB* - Jamell Fleming, Oklahoma Sooners: Win over UConn in the Fiesta Bowl
*DB* - Winston Venable, Boise State Broncos: Win over Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl
*DB* - Greg Reid, Florida State Seminoles: Win over South Carolina in the Chik-fil-A Bowl

Special Teams:
*PK* - Wes Byrum, Auburn Tigers: Win over Oregon in the National Championship Game
*P* – Dan Bailey, Oklahoma State Cowboys: Win over Arizona in the Alamo Bowl
*KR* - Rishard Matthews, Nevada Wolfpack: Win over Boston College in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl

There you are. It gets pretty difficult to pick offensive lineman because they don't produce stats. I just had to think about the elite defensive players that they went up against and whether or not they shut them down. Again, let me know if there was anybody I missed or if you think someone does not deserve to be on the list.

Gene Chizik Thanks God for National Championship, Humiliates Third Commandment

"First of all, I can't be more blessed to be part of a whole team like this. Man, God was with us."
-Gene Chizik, head coach at Auburn

Such blasphemy must have had over-zealous Christians all over the country gawking in disbelief and anger. Religion is always a touchy subject outside of church or any other spiritual location, community, or event. Yet it always seems to find its way into the mouths, thoughts, and writings of individuals outside of said holy situations, oftentimes at the strangest and most inappropriate moments. Obviously, this was the case for Auburn's head coach Gene Chizik moments after his team dispatched of the Oregon Ducks in the National Title Game.

Is it possible that a higher being did indeed determine the outcome of the National Championship, giving the Tigers the win? It could be. Maybe God, along with the rest of the world, was visually offended by the uniform atrocity that the Ducks were wearing, especially those Day-Glo colored cleats on their webbed feet. Maybe it was transcendent karma for the legal infractions committed by current and past members of the Oregon team. But that can't be the case. Auburn has had it's own share of problems in regards to its student athletes, namely one Cameron Jerrell Newton. His heavily documented pay-for-play scheme, for which father Cecil took the fall, is enough to level out an alleged deity-aided playing field. If not, then let's go ahead and throw in the academic cheating scandal back in Gainesville to turn the table a little more.

Or maybe God had absolutely nothing to do with football, including this game. After all, there was a tragic shooting down the I-17 just two days before. It is guaranteed that there are plenty of reasons why His aid and comfort would be needed in Tucson. How selfish and self-absorbed of Chizik to infer that God had helped his team win when there are other more pressing, more imperative matters going on so close to the stadium. Sure, he may be thankful that the Diety gave him the ability and talent to coach and his players the skill and athleticism that they have to play, but that's as far as it goes.

Vain:
–adjective, -er, -est.
1. excessively proud of or concerned about one's own appearance, qualities, achievements, etc.; conceited: a vain dandy.
2. proceeding from or showing personal vanity: vain remarks.
3. ineffectual or unsuccessful; futile: a vain effort.
4. without real significance, value, or importance; baseless or worthless: vain pageantry; vain display.
5. Archaic . senseless or foolish.
Oh, so kind of like claiming that God made your team win while ignoring the guys on the other side of the field. Really, why did Oregon even show up and try and play this one?

How about this: Auburn won because Chip Kelley made some very poor coaching decisions and his players made a few mental errors that cost them the game. How about kicking a field goal on fourth-and-goal with 2:26 left in the third quarter? How about using your time out at the end to assure that your Ducks would get the ball back with time left on the clock late in the fourth quarter? How about Cliff Harris finish the tackle on Michael Dyer and not let him scamper off for 30 more yards? As Coach Petersen of Boise State said, "One play can't lose a game, but one play can win a game." Agreed, but a number of poor plays (and decisions) can add up and eventually become too much for your team to overcome. Such was the case in Glendale, Arizona on Monday night.

There are many motives and causes for which humans strive to reach their full potential, regardless of their chosen path or direction. Division 1 football coaches are no different. A belief in God or being a faithful member of a certain religion can indeed guide someone in their preferred quest. But when it comes to individual athletic events and competitions, you are on your own. A higher entity does not choose sides or tilt the advantage one way or the other, even if you are BYU...or Gene Chizik.

Auburn Beats Oregon, Completes Purchase of BCS Championship

The Tigers of the University of Auburn outlasted the Ducks of the University of Oregon to win the BCS Championship last night in Glendale, Arizona. The final score was a measly 22-19, considering the ridiculous productivity of both offenses during the regular season. All in all, the game was a defensive battle and for those who are not football junkies like Bronco Chase, the only exciting part was at the end. Indeed, the last 3 minutes or so were as much fun to watch as anything that has happened this season. There was a beautiful two point conversion, an almost tackle that led to a 37 yard back-breaking run, and a game winning field goal. Yet again the SEC wins the title. This is their 5th in a row and as we found out yesterday, we will never hear the end of it from SEC d-bag elitist Mark May.

As I mentioned, both of these teams had been lighting up the scoreboard all season long. Yet last night, we had a TCU/Wisconsin like final score. What happened? Auburn had a rough-ish night and Oregon's offense was stifled by Nick Fairley and company. Check out the yardage totals, they seem highly unlikely:

Auburn: 519 (265 passing, 254 rushing)
Oregon: 449 (374 passing, 75 rushing)

LaMichael James got stoned repeatedly. The Tigers did a great job shutting him down. Darron Thomas had a career night for yards and completions (27). As you can see, the yards didn't mean much. It did seem like Auburn's were at least a little more important. The biggest part was trying to keep the other team's offense off the field, and that meant eating up the clock and methodically moving down the field. Auburn just happened to do a better job at it than Oregon.

The best play of the night came from Auburn's freshman running back Michael Dyer. With 2 minutes to go, he broke through the line for what appeared to be a casual 6 or 7 yard gain. But Duck tackler Eddie Pleasant didn't finish the play. Dyer rolled over the top of Pleasant and raced down the sideline deep into Oregon territory and ended up with a 37 yard gain. Dyer's run set up the game winning field goal that sent the Tigers back to Alabama victorious.

The Ducks were held to under 100 yards rushing for the first time since September 4, 2009. Guess who they played that night. I'll give you a clue, the field that they played on was blue turf...

Here's the deal. I did not have a dog in the fight. I stated adamantly that I would be reluctantly cheering for the Ducks because anybody who plays the SEC is going to get that courtesy from me. Yet, during the course of the game, I found myself pulling for Auburn. I guess my hate for the Oregon Ducks is seeded even deeper than I had originally presumed. That's not a bad thing. I was just surprised and a little bit upset with myself. Sometimes you can't explain emotions that come out in the heat of the moment, but they are indeed your true feelings. Still, I got sick to my stomach every time ESPN showed a close up of Cam Newton's cheating face. I felt similar when Chip Kelley's arrogant crater-marked face was on my TV screen.

That leads me to this; Congratulations to the Oregon Ducks who will be named the National Champions retroactively after Auburn gets the title taken away from them due to NCAA violations. It sucks to be a cheater. But of course, the excuses are plentiful from Oregon. Read this article on ESPN. I will quote my favorite part.

'(Darron) Thomas felt it was Ducks miscues that hurt them more than what Auburn did: "I don't think Auburn stopped us from winning the game. We stopped ourselves."'

You keep telling yourself that. So here we are, everybody outside of a portion of the state of Alabama feeling let down, cheated, and unhappy with the results of the college football season. Life goes on, but not in the South when football is involved. Let's let si.com's Stewart Mandel take care of this one for us. The title is "SEC's run of titles obscures its dark side." That speaks for itself. I'm done talking about this for now.

With the victory last night, I went 5-0 in picking the BCS Bowl Games. Here are the final numbers for year:

Bowl totals: 23-12
Season total: 88-29

A great season, if I do say so myself. As far as I know, what I started this football season will continue next year. For now, it's Bronco Basketball season. I will have plenty on that. I am also preparing my all-bowl team. It will included the best players from each position that participated in the bowl season. Check back in for that. Until then, go Broncos!

Bronco Chase's Bowl Picks, 7th Edition

Now that's more like it! As you already know, I started off this bowl season going about .500. That was before I reeled off and took home the "W" in 13 of the last 14 match ups. I had won eleven in a row before LSU snapped my streak much like Boise State did to Utah. All good things must come to an end. The most important and impressive thing is that I am 4-0 in BCS games.

Anyway, I come to you today with a heavy heart, reminiscing of days past. As soon as I click "Publish Post" today, I am done with actual games to write about on my blog. The season will be over. But do not fret my friends, Leon Rice has the Bronco mens basketball team cooking up something special in Taco Bell Arena. Let us go over the recap of my last batch of picks, and then I will unveil the winner of the National Championship game tonight.

Discover Orange Bowl
My prediction was Stanford wins 24 to 21
Final score: Cardinal 40, Hokies 12






AllState Sugar Bowl
My prediction was Ohio State wins 31 to 24
Final score: Buckeyes 31, Razorbacks 26






GoDaddy.com Bowl
My prediction was Miami (OH) wins 28 to 24
Final score: Redhawks 35, Blue Raiders 21






AT&T Cotton Bowl
My prediction was Texas A & M wins 24 to 21
Final score: Tigers 41, Aggies 24






BBVA Compass Bowl
My prediction was Pittsburgh wins 31 to 21
Final score: Panthers 27, Wildcats 10






Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl
My prediction was Nevada wins 28 to 21
Final score: Wolfpack 20, Eagles 13






Batch total: 5-1
Bowl totals: 22-12
Season total: 87-29
_____________________________________

As a reminder: if the word "prediction" has stars, then it is an upset. It will look like this:

*Prediction*:

Also, I have analyzed some of the games with a write up, but not all of them. I wrote on all the bowls were WAC teams are involved and the BCS Bowls. The others just have when, where, the bowl name, who's playing, and a score prediction. Finally, I am including these bowls in my season long record.

January 10th at 6:30 PM
Tostitos BCS National Championship Game
Glendale, Arizona

(12-0, 9-0 Pac 10)
vs.

(13-0, 8-0 SEC)




Line: Auburn favored by 3
This one is for all the marbles. Two of the most prolific offenses in the history of the NCAA and two of the worst defenses ever will face off with the National Title on the line. Cam Newton, is fresh off of buying, er winning the Heisman and is playing extremely well. Oregon is led by perma-lisped, and convicted criminal running back LaMichael James. The Tigers score an average of 42.7 point per game and the Ducks put up 49.3. Defensively, Oregon gives up 18.4 and Auburn allows 24.5. On paper, this looks like a fairly easy win for the Ducks. However, Oregon’s schedule has been JV compared to what Auburn has had to go through. Cal showed the world how to beat the Ducks. It involves an athletic, powerful defensive line that can get pressure on quarterback Darron Thomas and limit James in his yards per carry. Fortunately for the Tigers, they have just that, led by the man-yetti known as Nick Fairley.

It’s too bad we couldn’t see one of these great offenses versus a great defense in TCU or Boise State. Instead we will see a fast paced, high scoring affair in which many people will wish that there was a way for both teams to lose, blow up, die, or cease to exist in some crazy way. If you can’t tell, I don’t like either of these teams. If Auburn wins, Newton will feel even more entitled than he already does and it will teach our children that cheating, lying, and being dishonest pays off as long as you are a freak athlete and can will a team to win all by yourself. Also, we’ll have to hear for another year how amazing the SEC is. That fire will be fueled for a long time. If the Ducks win, we’ll have to sit here and hear it from their ridiculous, cocky, blow-hard fans about how awesome the Ducks are. Eugene will finally be known for something else besides being the place where “Animal House” was filmed. I don’t know if I want to live in a world where Oregon fan has free reign to talk as much junk as they will if their team wins. They easily forget that this is basically the same squad that lost to Boise State two years in a row, and it is basically the same Bronco team that beat/destroyed them.

In other words, the college football landscape will either be populated with SEC elitists, jumping on their soap boxes, throwing their Bibles to the side, brandishing their red necks and farmer tans in their overalls, and through missing teeth and gingivitis infected gums proclaim the flawed gospel that is football in the South. “We live, breathe, eat, and dream this stuff year round! Nobody can stop us!” Only to make things worse, Mark May will have a fit of pleasure in his pants just as he has the last 4 years when other SEC teams have won it all. I just can’t take his seeing ugly, elitist face on my TV screen building up that conference any more than he already has. Or we will see hemp bracelet-wearing, lucha libre mask-donning, unfounded cockiness-weilding Duck honk tooting his own horn and in the most condescending way imaginable talk smack to any other team that even looks at them, all in between lengthy bong hits and making the “O” with their hands (that looks strangely similar to another sign that symbolizes a part of the female anatomy…). It will be like the d-bag boyfriend who picks fights with another dude for thinking about looking at his girl. That is Oregon in a nutshell. This is the world we live in and unfortunately, there is absolutely nothing we can do about it. So here’s to hoping that a sniper perches himself in the rafters or press box of University of Phoenix Stadium and does us all a favor.

Anyway, the game will be high scoring. I think Auburn’s defense is better than it shows on paper and what was seen against some pretty good offenses in the regular season. Nick Fairley owns LaMichael James for most of the game. The lesser of two evils here is Oregon, I guess. I will be reluctantly rooting for the Ducks in Glendale tonight. I still do not like their chances. The main reason for my decision is my complete and utter loathing for all things SEC and Mark May related. I don't know if it will be this close.
Prediction: Tigers 45, Ducks 38

Bowl totals: 22-12
Season total: 87-29

Well there we have it. Make sure you are tuned into ESPN tonight to catch this one. It should be a high-scoring affair. Sit back and relax. But make sure you check back in tomorrow to get my take on the whole shebang.

Kellen Moore=Heisman Finalist

Was there ever any doubt? I would say no. Especially since he has improved himself and his game extensively since he has come to Boise State. Seriously, it amazes me how good he is. This is a great article about Kellen by obnug's Kevan Lee. I implore you to read it.

Think about his first year, a former two-star recruit leading Boise State into Autzen Stadium, manhandling the Ducks (I hate the Ducks, by the way), going undefeated, and coming so close to beating TCU in the Poinsettia Bowl. He finished with a passer rating of 157.11.

He followed that up with another undefeated regular season, cut his interception total down from 10 down to 3, and avenged the loss to TCU by beating them on a much larger stage in the Fiesta Bowl. His passer rating improved to 161.65. I didn't think that there was any way that he could get better. I was wrong yet again.

Flash forward to the now, Kellen's junior year. He has already shattered the record books for Boise State, and he still has another year in front of him (unless you are Jesse Palmer or Mark May, of course). How does 33 touchdowns to 5 interceptions sound? He has also added another dimension to his game - the quarterback scramble. Sure, it isn't "Cam Newton" pretty, but it gets the job done. Beyond that, he is able to squirm out of would-be sacks game after game and either fire a rocket to Austin Pettis or run down the sideline for 10 yards and a first down. Amazing. At the end of the regular season his passer rating was a staggering 185.04, second only to Cam Newton.

Here are Moore's stats for his career;
97 touchdowns, 18 interceptions (10 came his freshman year), 10,528 yards, sacked 23 times (13 his freshman year), 167.93 passer rating, and a 37-2 record as a starter. That is unbelievable in every definition of the word. But think about this, Kellen is only 6 feet tall and was lightly recruited. He only had offers from Eastern Washington, Idaho, and Boise State. There are quite a few schools in the West that are now kicking themselves repeatedly for missing out on him. Their loss is obviously our gain. I contend, and correct me if you think I am wrong, that there has never been a smarter, more prepared, or more disciplined quarterback to ever play college football. There won't ever be again, either.

But there is more. Each Heisman Trophy candidate/winner has to have something more besides numbers. The Heisman Trust statement says, "The Heisman Memorial Trophy annually recognizes the outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity." Integrity, huh? That should disqualify Scam Newton and LaMichael James right off the bat. I don't want to go into detail about either, but you can google plenty of information about both of them.

Anyway, Kellen has more than proved his integrity and excellence both on and off the field. He will graduate next week (it took him just over three years to complete his bachelor's degree) with a communications degree and will stay in school to get his masters. He is also an academic all-American athlete, second team. That's not too shabby.

Think about this as well - Kellen Moore is a dying breed. In a world where a quarterback has to be a dual threat to have success, Moore has excelled in being a pure pocket passer. The only other quarterback in the nation that is even close to that is Andrew Luck. But even then there is plenty of video of Luck running down the field, trucking defenders as he goes. He is more NFL-ready and capable than Moore is, according to the "experts." No, Kellen is in a class of his own. Defensive backs are keyed in on stopping the pass, especially the long ball. Without a running threat taking snaps, they only have to worry about one thing. Yet, Moore always finds a receiver down field that he can get the ball to, even if the receiving window is the approximately the same size as a Big Gulp Slurpee from 7-Eleven. Kellen can fit it in there. How can he just sit back there, picking defenses apart? Aren't quarterbacks supposed to be able to challenge a defense in multiple ways, creating plays, opportunities, and openings with his sheer athletic ability and prowess? Kellen does not. Yet he still dissects defenses with precision and intelligence. It's remarkable.

So let me get this straight. He isn't a prototypical NFL height, weight, and pedigree quarterback (Andrew Luck, Matt Ryan). He's not your super-big, super-fast, dual-threat, freak of an athlete (Cam Newton, Terrelle Pryor, Tryod Taylor). He is his own thing. That alone is his special, intangible something that sets him as unique and qualifies him for winning the trophy. In a college football landscape where defenses, mis-perceived "lack of competition" reigns, and an ever-changing idea of what a quarterback is supposed to be are stacked against him, Kellen Moore defies all odds and rises above and beyond. Will there ever be another player like Moore to grace college football with his presence? The clear and obvious answer is a resounding "no." Kellen is unique. He is one of a kind. He is one in a million. He is every other cliché that you can think of. He is just a regular guy, Someone once said that if you didn't know who Kellen Moore was, you'd think he was the guy that comes over to help you fix your computer. Better yet,

Kellen is Kellen, Dork Assassin, the (reluctant) cool, calm, and collected leader of an amateur athlete rebellion, shattering the mold that recruit rankings, college football elitists, BCS conference schools, NFL scouts, and no-good, dribbling doubters and haters have forced upon the game itself and us as fans of it.

WAC Weekend Recap, Week 14

I cannot believe that the season is over. It has gone by way too fast, as it always does. But we still have bowl season to look forward to! The WAC got four teams bowl eligible and all of them have accepted invites to play. As you all know, the WAC Champion is actually a three way tie this year: Boise State, Hawai'i, and Nevada. That means that the Broncos have won the title 8 out of the past 9 years. That is just ridiculous. Congrats to them and good luck in their upcoming move to the Mountain West. Anyway, let's get going recapping the weekend.

Illinois Fighting Illini at Fresno State Bulldogs
My prediction was Fresno State wins 35 to 31
Final score: Bulldogs 25, Fighting Illini 23
Fresno State got off to a quick start in this game and then did just enough to hold off Illinois at the end to take the "W." It was 16-0 by the time the first quarter ticked away its last second. This was a big win for Pat Hill and the Bulldogs because it got them to 8 wins for the year and silenced some of their critics, at least for the moment. Illinois is a very young team and will have plenty of success here in the next few years. Both teams are going to bowl games. Illinois takes on Baylor of the Big 12 in the Texas Bowl, which takes place on December 29th. Fresno State takes on Northern Illinois of the MAC in the uDrove Humanitarian Bowl on December 18th. Let's hope Fresno actually shows up this year for their bowl game...

Nevada Wolfpack at Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
My prediction was Nevada wins 38 to 35
Final score: Wolfpack 35, Bulldogs 17
The Wolfpack was destined for a letdown after the emotions of beating Boise State the week before, and it happened. Well, it lasted for approximately the duration of the first half before pulling away and winning. Kaepernick and Taua both had huge games on the ground and were just too much for the Bulldogs. It has been an up and down season for Louisiana Tech and they will be watching bowl season from their own couches yet again. I think Sonny Dykes has something brewing down in Ruston. We will see in the next couple of years. Nevada earned themselves a date with the Boston College Eagles in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl in San Francisco on January 9th. That should be an interesting match up.

San Jose State Spartans at Idaho Vandals
My prediction was Idaho wins 42 to 28
Final score: Vandals 26, Spartans 23 (OT)
Idaho probably didn't deserve to win this game. Remember the weekend before when they were the more motivated team against Fresno State and narrowly came away with the upset? They were on the other side of things this time. San Jose State played better and actually had the lead at halftime. In overtime, San Jose State got a field goal and Idaho ended it with a touchdown. Too bad neither of these teams is going to a bowl game this year. The Vandals have 6 wins, but one came against an FCS opponent in North Dakota. Better luck next year.

UNLV Runnin' Rebels at Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors
My prediction was Hawai'i wins 45 to 21
Final score: Rainbow Warriors 59, Runnin' Rebels 21
This game went exactly as I expected it to go. Hawai'i was obviously the better team and took it to UNLV from the start. The Runnin' Rebels, however, did put a couple of touchdowns up on the board late, most likely against the Rainbow Warriors' second and third stringers. Quarterback Bryant Moniz had a modest 380 yards passing. The heavy lifting was done by running back Alex Green, who had 136 yards on 15 carries. UNLV will not be going to a bowl this year as they have only two wins to their name. Too bad. Hawai'i, however, accepted their bid to the Hawai'i Bowl about a month ago. They will take on Tulse of Conference USA and it all goes down on Christmas Eve. It should be a good one because both teams are among the highest scoring in the nation.

Oregon Ducks at Oregon State Beavers
My prediction was Oregon wins 52 to 24
Final score: Ducks 37, Beavers 20
Oregon State hung around a lot more than I thought they were going to. Of course, Oregon still came out on top, but it wasn't as pretty as some of their other wins have been. What did the Beavers in was quarterback Ryan Katz's 3 interceptions. That and the fact that they couldn't stop LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner, who rushed for 134 and 133 yards respectively. Unfortunately for the Beavers, they will not be playing in a bowl game this year. That's too bad because they are actually a good team. They just ran into some tough competition early and lost a huge part of their offense when James Rodgers went down against Arizona. The Ducks have earned their spot in the National Championship Game and will face Auburn in Glendale, AZ on January 10th. I hope no one likes defense because there won't be much of it in this game!

Auburn Tigers vs. South Carolina Gamecocks
My prediction was Auburn wins 42 to 38
Final score: Tigers 56, Gamecocks 17
Auburn absolutely pasted South Carolina to win the SEC Championship game in Atlanta, Georgia. It wasn't even a game, although it was disguised and promoted as one. Scam Newton played incredibly well, throwing for 335 yards and rushing 73 more. He is the team. Their defense can afford to gamble and basically suck because they know that Newton will just score and bail them out. The Gamecocks just had a really bad game, especially quarterback Stephen Garcia, he threw 2 interceptions. They will take on Florida State (another vanquished conference champion game opponent, this one from the ACC) in the Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia on December 31st. Maybe the Gamecocks can win in Atlanta this time around!

Florida State Seminoles vs. Virginia Tech Hokies
My prediction was Virginia Tech wins 38 to 31
Final score: Hokies 44, Seminoles 33
Virginia Tech is really good. Imagine if they would not have lost to James Madison in their second game of the season...They probably would have ended up in the Orange Bowl anyway as the ACC Champion. The Hokies became the first team in FBS history to win 11 straight games after starting the season 0-2. I hope people are noticing this. Boise State beat Virginia Tech...Tyrod Taylor is amazing. I don't understand why he isn't getting more Heisman love for all that he has done this year and what he means to his team. Unfortunately for Florida State, their regular starting quarterback Christian Ponder wasn't able to play with an elbow injury. Back up EJ Manuel threw 2 interceptions. They can avenge themselves against South Carolina in the Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia on December 31st. As I mentioned, Virginia Tech will play in the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida on January 3rd against the Stanford Cardinal.

Oklahoma Sooners vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers
My prediction was Nebraska wins 35 to 34 in an upset special
Final score: Sooners 23, Cornhuskers 20
I really don't like Oklahoma, mainly because their coach Bob Stoops is a giant d-bag. Anyway, they managed to hold of Nebraska and score enough points to earn the win. I will give them credit for that. For the second year in a row, the 'Huskers fall short of the Big 12 title and are on their way to the Holiday Bowl. It's hard to pick an upset special when all the favored teams win. Oh well. Nebraska will face the Washington Huskies, whom they slaughtered earlier in the season in Seattle 56-21. The Holiday Bowl takes place in San Diego on 30th. Oklahoma will play Connecticut in the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona on January 1st. Let's see if Stoops can finally win a BCS Bowl Game. Here's to hoping he doesn't.

Record coming in: 57-16
This week (including Boise State's win over Utah State): 8-1
Total: 65-17

The regular season has ended, as you may have heard. I will be picking winners for all 35 bowl games. The first one takes place on December 18th, which is a Saturday. Look for the picks on either the 16th or the 17th. Make sure you check back in tomorrow and the rest of this week for more Boise State information. Let's go Broncos!

Weekend Picks, 11th Edition (14th Week of the Season)

As some lesser version of normalcy returns to the Treasure Valley and to Bronco fans world wide, we find ourselves smack dab in the middle of another week that ends with a Boise State football game. The worst part for us is that we are down to only two more contests this season. The best part is that there are some really good games on this weekend, many of which I will feature here in an attempt to pick winners and losers. Let's just call it "Championship Saturday" and get on with it!

Friday, December 3rd at 8:15 PM

(6-5, 4-4 Big 10)
at

(7-4, 5-3 WAC)

The Bulldogs have had a pretty disappointing season. They have lost three games in conference (to Boise State, Hawai'i, and Nevada) and narrowly scraped by bottom-feeding Idaho last weekend at home. Have they mailed it in yet? It is sure looking like it. That's too bad because they have a feisty Fighting Illini team coming into Bulldog Stadium and then a bowl game to look forward to. It's sad that it took Fresno State almost 8 full quarters of football before they finally got an offensive touchdown in the books. Running back Robbie Rouse has tapered off and quarterback Ryan Colburn is still an average player. Illinois on the other hand, has played spoiler a couple of times in the Big 19 and are doing pretty well considering their preseason (complete lack of) hype. Fresno should win this game as long as they show up and play up to the level that they are capable of. They are at home after all. This pick is based entirely on me banking that they will decide to play.
Prediction: Bulldogs 35, Fighting Illini 31

Saturday, November 4th at 1 PM

(11-1, 6-1 WAC)
at

(5-6, 4-3 WAC)

Can anyone say "trap game?" After pulling off the biggest win in school history last week over Boise State, the Wolfpack must travel to Ruston, Louisiana to take on a decent Bulldog team. How sad would it be (for them) if they lost? This has all the makings of a let down game. Nevada still has their heads back in last Friday, celebrating and reminiscing on the elation of the overtime victory. Yet somehow they have to focus on the now and prepare for a scrappy Louisiana Tech squad that almost always plays tough at home. Combine that with the fact that they need this last victory to become bowl eligible and you have a very determined Bulldog team on you hands. The Wolfpack is ripe for a loss. But will it happen? I am not ready to pick that upset. I think that Nevada is talented enough that they could afford to sleepwalk through part or all of this game and still win. It will be closer on the scoreboard than it should be for that reason.
Prediction: Wolfpack 38, Bulldogs 35

Saturday, November 4th at 3 PM

(1-11, 0-7 WAC)
at

(5-7, 2-5 WAC)

The Vandals were so close to upsetting Fresno State last weekend. Had they done that, all that would have remained between them and the Humanitarian Bowl would be the lowly Spartans. Unfortunately the Bulldogs came alive in the last minute to seal the win for themselves. Now all Idaho is left with is pride. Do they have any? Do they have what it takes to save some face against San Jose State? I would think yes. Although, Spartan quarterback Jordan La Secla had a career game last week against Louisiana Tech, throwing for 496 yards. This match up has the potential to be close and San Jose State could even pull off the upset, depending on the state of mind of each team involved. Just like Fresno State, I am depending on the Vandals to be ready and prepared mentally for this one. That and the Spartans really suck.
Prediction: Vandals 42, Spartans 28

Saturday, November 4th at 8:30 PM

(2-10, 2-6 MWC)
at

(9-3, 7-1 WAC)

The Rainbow Warriors have clinched at least a share of the WAC title as they finish up the season out of conference. It has been a great season for Hawai'i as they have reverted back to the Timmy Chang/Colt Brennan days of passing the ball all over the yard. Uncharacteristically, they have also found a running back using Alex Green. He is a big kid and gains yardage in decent-sized chunks. It will be a tough task for the Runnin' Rebels to try and stop Green, quarterback Bryant Moniz and his two great receivers. This is the same UNLV team that got smoked at Idaho earlier in the season. In other words, this game isn't going to be close.
Prediction: Rainbow Warriors 45, Runnin' Rebels 21

Saturday, November 4th at 1 PM

(4-7, 2-5 WAC)
at

(10-1, 6-1 WAC)

We will be able to tell just how amazing of a coach Chris Petersen is after this game is over. The Broncos are coming off on a devastating loss on the road at Nevada and are still trying to recover emotionally. How they come out and perform on Saturday will be a sign of how well Coach Pete has prepared and taught them during practice this last week. I think you will see a more humble, more focused Boise State squad that picked up a valuable lesson in Reno. The defense will have to stop the Aggies' dual threat quarterback Diondre Borel as well as that beast of a running back known as Derrvin Speight. I would like to see the defense shore up a lot as well as see the offense possess the ball a lot longer than they did in the second half last Friday. This should be a great senior day game and the Broncos should win fairly easily. I want to see all the seniors that don't get to play very much out there to start the game. That would be cool. Kyle Brotzman better get the biggest standing ovation in the history of Bronco Stadium for all that he has done in his 4 years at Boise State. Anything less than that would be a travesty.
Prediction: Broncos 52, Aggies 13

Saturday, November 4th at 1:30 PM

(11-0, 8-0 Pac-10)
at

(5-6, 4-4 Pac-10)

The Civil War is upon us yet again as College GameDay rolls into town. Too bad this year's game features on team that is having a hard time winning consistently. That would be the Beavers. They started off the year playing two very tough road games against TCU and Boise State, both of which they lost. In fact, with the exception of at Arizona, they play very poorly on the road. It doesn't help that they lost a huge part of their offense when James Rodgers went down earlier in the season. On the other hand, Oregon is living large and has dominated most of their opponents, especially in the second half. D-bag Coach Chip Kelley has his Ducks playing very well and are one win away from their first ever bid to play for a National Championship. All that stands in their way is in-state rival Oregon State. This game is in Corvallis, which is a huge advantage for the Beavers. Too bad that won't be enough. I see it being close in the beginning before the Ducks pull away, just as they have most games this season.
Prediction: Ducks 52, Beavers 24

Saturday, November 4th at 2 PM
SEC Chamionship Game

(12-0, 8-0 SEC)
vs.

(9-3, 5-3 SEC)

As you all know, Cam Newton has been ruled eligible to play by the NCAA for ludicrous reasons that are not known to normal man (I won't go into it here, just click this sentence and read my previous post about it). What that means is that Auburn has the best play maker in the country at their disposal. Look for him to make lost of amazing runs and throws on Saturday. The first time the Tigers played the Gamecocks this season was in week 4 at home and Auburn overcame a deficit (what's new) to pull out the win 35 to 27. South Carolina has been playing over their heads basically all season and there is no reason to think that they will stop now. Quarterback Stephen Garcia has played pretty good for most of the season and has found his play-maker Alshon Jeffrey often. Expect that to be the bread and butter for the Gamecocks on Saturday. With Newton at the helm, I just don't see him letting the Tigers lose, especially with the National Championship game waiting for them.
Prediction: Tigers 42, Gamecocks 38

Saturday, November 4th at 5:45 PM
ACC Championship Game

(9-3, 6-2 ACC)
vs.

(10-2, 8-0 ACC)

The Hokies have been on a tear in the ACC after opening up 0-2 for the season. They have gotten progressively better as each game has gone by. The Seminoles lost at Oklahoma early in the season and had a hiccup against the two teams from North Carolina, but have played very well and consistently all year long. This should be a great match up as Florida State tries to contain Tyrod Taylor and the stable of running backs that Virginia Tech send out. The Hokies have to contend with Christian Ponder and his great receivers. An Orange Bowl berth is at stake for both teams. Whoever loses will be stuck elsewhere.
Prediction: Hokies 38, Seminoles 31

Saturday, November 4th at 6 PM
Big 12 Championship Game

(10-2, 6-2 Big 12)
vs.

(10-2, 6-2 Big 12)

The Sooners knocked off in-state rival Oklahoma State on the road last Saturday to earn their spot in this game. Quarterback Landry Jones is playing very well and has a great group of receivers and running backs around him, namely Ryan Broyles and DeMarco Murray. The Huskers hope to have quarterback Taylor Martinez back and ready to play so as to have all of their weapons on the field. A berth in the Fiesta Bowl is on the line and I would expect nothing short of an amazing game from both teams. Nebraska's defense was given their black shirts back this year from rageaholic head coach Bo Pelini and are ranked 8th nationally in total defense. That will bode well for them. I think it happens for the Huskers, unlike last year.
Upset Special!!!!
Prediction: Corn Huskers 35, Sooners 34

Record coming into this week: 57-16

So there we have it. I picked all of the WAC games as well as all of the BCS conference title games. It should be a great weekend for college football fans. Make sure you check back in tomorrow and take a gander at my Weekly PTW! Let's go Broncos!

Weekend Picks, Special Turkey Day Edition (13th Week of the Season)

Happy Turkey Day everyone! Make sure you go back and look at yesterday's post in which I let you all know about the things that I am grateful for. But for today, we have an extra special weekend pick off! There are tons of good games and I am going to choose winners for all three big games that are happening tomorrow. That is six ranked teams in three games. I have mentioned this before, but there is absolutely no reason why you should even leave your couch tomorrow. With that said, let's get on with it and pick some games for this holiday weekend!

Saturday, November 27 at 1 PM

(8-3, 6-1 WAC)
at

(2-9, 1-6 WAC)

The Rainbow Warriors took care of business last week against the San Jose State Spartans in blow out fashion. In fact, the only team in the WAC that they can't beat is Boise State. Anyway, Hawai'i is bowl eligible and has already accepted an invite to play in their home town Hawai'i Bowl. Quarterback Bryant Moniz was named offensive player of the week after throwing for 560 yards against the Spartans. The team would still like to improve their record. New Mexico State on the other hand, has absolutely nothing to play for other than pride, which can sometimes be a great motivator. They are anemic offensively and suck on defense. What else is there to say about them? Better luck next year Aggies. This game won't be close.
Prediction: Rainbow Warriors 45, Aggies 14

Saturday, November 27 at 6 PM

(4-6, 3-3 WAC)
at

(1-10, 0-6 WAC)

Louisiana Tech finds itself on the cusp of bowl eligibility. All they have to do is win their next two games, including this one. Unfortunately for them they finish the season at home against a Nevada team that will be pissed off after getting blown out by Boise State (a little foreshadowing for later on in the post). The Bulldogs have some athletes, there is no doubt about that. They recruit in the talent-saturated south. They have improved greatly this season and should be even better next year. They can not play their best game and still beat the lowly Spartans. Not only is San Jose State the worst team in the WAC, they are also up for consideration for worst team in the country (Akron currently holds the title with a 0-11 record). This game will not change that.
Prediction: Bulldogs 35, Spartans 17

Saturday, November 27 at 8 PM

(5-6, 2-4 WAC)
at

(6-4, 4-3 WAC)

This game is very intriguing. On one hand, you have an Idaho team that is fighting to become bowl eligible after pulling out an impressive win over Utah State last week. On the other hand, Fresno State just got absolutely shellacked at Boise State last week and is still hurting. They are going to a bowl game, but would like to finish strong and save some face. Which Bulldog team will show up? The one that nearly upset Nevada or the one that embarrassed itself in Boise? By the same token, which Vandal team is going to show up? The decent squad that beat the Aggies last week or the one that laid down and died against Colorado State earlier in the season? Both quarterbacks will need to play much better than they have been. A little defense wouldn't hurt either. Fresno State has the skill and athletes to take Idaho to the woodshed, but only if they want it. That's why this match up is intriguing and tough to pick a winner for. Who wants it more?
Prediction: Bulldogs 35, Vandals 28

Friday, November 26th at 8:15 PM

(10-0, 6-0 WAC)
at

(10-1, 5-1 WAC)

It is finally here! We have all been looking forward to this game with child-like anxiousness. That excitement took a bit of a nose dive when the Wolfpack lost to Hawai'i, but has since built back up nicely. Nevada is ranked 19th and Boise State is 4th. Let's look at this match up logically and rationally, breaking it down into comparisons between positions and units.

Kellen Moore > Colin "Bird Leg" Kaepernick
Enough said. Our guy can throw, there's can't He can run, ours kind of can. Good thing that's what running backs are for.
Vai Taua > Doug Martin
This is only true because the Wolfpack use him a lot more than the Broncos use Martin. Personally, I would take either, but Taua gets the nod due solely to the fact that he gets the rock early and often.
Bronco Defense > Wolfpack Defense
This was the easiest one to choose. Boise State is much better than Nevada on defense by a long shot.
Boise State Offense > Nevada Offense
It is close, but the Broncos are more balanced and therefore get the nod.
Boise State Special Teams = Nevada Special Teams
Normally, the Broncos excel on special teams, but this year has been a bit of a downer, especially on kick off coverage. So there is no way to say which one is better than the other.
Boise State Coaching >>>>>>>>>>> Nevada Coaching
Do you think I put enough emphasis in this one. Chris Ault is known for choking in big games. Chris Petersen is known for excelling in big games and seizing the moment. Besides that, Coach Pete has his players more than prepared mentally every single week this season. There is no reason to believe that this won't happen again this week.
Boise State Intangibles > Nevada Intangibles
Bear with me here. the Broncos are playing for a BCS Bowl bid, possibly the National Championship Game, their final WAC title, pride, and respect nationally. The Wolfpack are playing for a share of the WAC title, at home, a chance to upset one of the best Boise State teams in history, and a Humanitarian Bowl berth. Who do you think has the upper hand here? That's what I thought.

Out of seven categories, Boise State holds the clear edge in 5 of them, breaks even on one, and gives up one to Nevada (as I said, the only reason I put Vai Taua over Doug Martin was due to the amount of work he gets. Both running backs average the same amount of yards per carry at 6.2). Looking at it that way, you would think that this game won't be that close. But Nevada always seems to find a way to hang around with the Broncos. Still, this is a different Boise State team, having improved considerably on both offense and defense. The defensive unit is playing lights out. Kaepernick better be scared, Taua as well. The Wolfpack will gain some yards and score, but it won't be close to enough. The only way I see Boise State losing is if they meltdown completely. Trust me, that won't happen.
Prediction: Broncos 49, Wolfpack 24

Friday, November 26th at 5 PM

(7-3, 4-3 Pac-10)
at

(10-0, 7-0 Pac-10)

The California Golden Bears have given the nation a blueprint to beat the Oregon Ducks and their potent offense. They key is to have the athletes to execute it. The Wildcats have those kinds of athletes and will be looking to try their hand at it. Unfortunately for Arizona, the Ducks have had two weeks to tweak and change their offense enough to combat that blueprint. I still think that this will be a very good game, and I would even go as far as to say that Arizona has a chance to pull off the upset. As long as their quarterback Nick Foles can play well and their defense can give them a chance, they could take this one. But, it is at Autzen Stadium in Eugene and Oregon is really good. Their defense still leaves a lot to be desired, but if you can outscore your opponents then you tend to win (right Auburn?!). The Ducks are still in the driver's seat for a National Championship and it is going to take a lot to knock them off. I don't think the Wildcats have quite enough to get it done.
Prediction: Ducks 51, Wildcats 35

Friday, November 26th at 12:30 PM

(11-0, 7-0 SEC)
at

(9-2, 5-2 SEC)

Here we go! The Iron Bowl in all its glory. This will be the best one in years. Auburn's embattled quarterback Cam Newton is the best player in college football. He has single-handedly beaten LSU, South Carolina, and Arkansas by himself. The Tigers' defense is not that good, but Newton and the offense has been able to outscore everybody so far, averaging 42.8 points in each contest. The Crimson Tide has one of the best defenses in the nation, giving up only 12.8 points per game. Something here has to give. Also, Alabama's offense isn't too shabby in its own right. Auburn is playing for a berth in the National Championship Game, while Alabama could still make it to the Sugar Bowl. Even if the Tigers lose, they could win the SEC Championship Game against South Carolina and still find themselves ranked 1st or 2nd in the nation. This should be a great game. I have to give the edge to Alabama solely because it is at Bryant Denny Stadium.
UPSET SPECIAL!
Prediction: Crimson Tide 35, Tigers 34

Well there we have it! This should be a great weekend of college football. I am getting excited/nervous/anxious for the Nevada game on Friday. Make sure you come back tomorrow and take a gander at my Weekly PTW. Let's get it done Broncos!

Can Boise State Pass TCU by the End of the Year?

The answer is; yes. Yes they can. Obviously they have to win out and do it in convincing fashion. A blow out of Fresno State on Friday is a good start, but then they have to travel to Reno for a match up with the Wolfpack that is yet again looking like it will be a fantastic game. The final game of the year is at home against a terrible Utah State Aggie team and I am not worried about it at all. That means that we, as Boise State Broncos fans, have to do our part and more to cheer the team on to victory.

With that said, we all know that the BCS Rankings were released on Sunday and the Horned Frogs stayed in third. However, the Broncos cut their lead in half and have positioned themselves to jump in front by season's end if everything goes right. As easy as that sounds, it is much more complicated. One of my favorite blogs is obnug.com. It's ran through sbnation and you can write your own fanshots and read all the blogs and information on it. It is quite amusing oftentimes and also very informative. On the subject of BCS Rankings and where Boise State may end up, one of the followers (named MyDadTeachesatBSU) created a very educated post about the computers and how they work. Read through it here, probably more than once so as to take in as much as you can. I will take some parts that I find interesting and shed my own personal light on them.

Richard Billingsley's computer is ridiculous. The whole system where you only get points if you win, and you get more if it is deemed to be a "good win," is asinine. It does not take anything else into account, including how your opponents do in their past and future games. MyDadTeachesatBSU tells us "Billingsley's computers are not retroactive, meaning that he does not adjust point totals based on performance after a game is played, so Utah's loss to ND did nothing to hurt TCU, even though their large lead is based almost entirely on that win." That sucks. In the end, the writer gives us only a 10% chance of getting ahead of TCU in this particular computer. Lame.

Kenneth Massey's seems to be pretty fair. His numbers are based on a strength of schedule system. That means that with one game left for TCU (against a terrible New Mexico team), they have less to help themselves out than Boise State, who has three games left, one of which is a top 25 program in Nevada. "If Fresno can beat Cinci, VT keeps winning, and Baylor loses to Oklahoma, we will pass TCU in the Massey rankings." Good enough for me. Come on Hokies!

There is seriously something wrong with Jeff Sagarin's computer. The fact that it has Boise State ranked 12th is off the chart absurd! It is based on the performance of opponents and yet seems to take no account for what the team in question actually does on the field, other than saying "W" or "L." Just like Massey, we need Virginia Tech to win out, take the ACC Championship game, and for Baylor and Utah to continue to bite the dust. Fortunately, there is a good chance that exactly that happens.

Then there is Peter Wolfe. His disparity in what Boise State and TCU are ranked is preposterous. As MyDadTeachesatBSU tell us, "From what I have read and what I can tell, his rankings are based mostly off of performance against expected performance. So if you win a game you were supposed to win, then it doesn't do much for you. This is bad for BSU because we are supposed to win every game." While I agree with that, I want to add that TCU is supposed to win all of their games as well. But if it really is based on performance against expected performance, then why are the Broncos ranked so low compared to the Horned Frogs? According to this, Boise State has actually done better against the spread than TCU has. Something is definitely wrong with the Sagarin and Wolfe computers. This just adds fuel to the anti-BCS fire, especially since Wolfe is so secretive about his equations and logarithms that determine the rankings.

As I have mentioned, Boise State got a huge boost when they jumped TCU in the human polls on Sunday. But remember, those polls only account for 1/3 of the BCS standings. I also need to point out that only three of the six computers have Virginia Tech ranked, and that is keeping the Broncos so low in many of them. If the Hokies keep winning, including in the ACC Championship Game, all six will show them and it will boost the Broncos up even higher. Nevada being ranked so highly is great as well, as long as Boise State beats them. There is one last thing to add; the highest and the lowest computer rankings are thrown out for each team and they remaining four standings, coupled with the human polls, are averaged out to get the BCS Rankings (absurd, I know). The writer on obnug.com says, "If we are ahead in 3 computer polls and close in the other 3, then the voters will ultimately determine who is the highest non-AQ team, and since we just jumped them and we have 3 games left against better competition than their last game, I would say that we have about a 70-90% chance of finishing ahead of TCU." I like those odds. On the comment section of the same post, TheRooster13 gives us this;

"So let’s guess where TCU and BSU will end up in each computer.

(…in the order listed above.)
BSU: 4, 4, 4, 5, 9, 6
TCU: 5, 3, 5, 6, 8, 4

Taking out the top and bottom for each team we end up with
BSU: 4, 4, 5 ,6
TCU: 5, 5, 6, 4

I’m totally guessing here, but my point is, it doesn’t really matter which school is ahead in more computers, what matters is the relative position."

My conclusion; Boise State wins out and ends up third in the BCS Standings at the end of the season. If Auburn or Oregon lose, Boise State finishes 2nd. If both teams lose, we still finish 2nd, being jumped by LSU. If this is the case, the Broncos will play in the National Championship Game against either Auburn, Oregon (oh please yes!), or LSU. All I'm saying, is that this is for real folks. There is a definite possibility that this could happen. Enough teams behind the Broncos have lost and taken themselves out of consideration that we find ourselves on the cusp of a possible NC Game berth. I never thought it would be possible given the bias against non-AQ teams. We still need a little bit more of that chaos, but it could happen. Don't get your hopes up to high, but cheer for who we need to win, and against who we need to lose.

Also, did anyone see Kellen's pistols after the long bomb to Titus? Priceless!


This week is going to be a little different as far as my posts are concerned. Since I will be in Boise Friday getting ready for the game, I will not be able to put up anything. That means that instead of doing my Weekend Picks on Thursday, I will do them on Wednesday (which happens to be tomorrow!). Naturally, that means the Weekly PTW will be up on Thursday instead of its normal Friday spot. So check back in tomorrow and get yourself ready for the weekend!

Boise State's Naughty List

So, as the season continues along past the half way mark, Boise State's current bowl outlook is as murky as it ever was. Hawai'i has already accepted an invite to the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl, and with TCU jumping the Broncos in the BCS Standings, there are still plenty of possibilities as to where they will end up playing. These possibilities range from the Humanitarian Bowl to the National Championship, along with multiple teams that could end up being their opponents. There are many groups, individuals, teams, and entities that are doing their best to keep the Broncos in the worst bowl game against the worst team possible. In the spirit of Christmas, I have decided to make a "Naughty List" of these evil people. Boise State fans loathe them and I will provide an explanation for each. They are in order of their evilness, level of Bronco hatred towards them, and their state of suckiness. In no way am I making this personal (unless I state that it is personal). I just want everybody to know where they stand and how terrible they are. Enjoy!

8.
Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors
The team that came out of nowhere has evolved into a force to be reckoned with. The same can be said for their suddenly stingy defense. They feasted on Idaho turnovers and converted them into short-field scores. The Rainbow Warriors come into Saturday's game at Bronco Stadium with their high-flying, pass-happy offense, boasting a 5-0 WAC record and are at 7-2 overall, only losing to USC on opening night and a tough game at high-altitude Colorado. They will do their best to take out Boise State. If they do, they will most likely win the WAC championship and will definitely knock the Broncos out of National Championship and BCS Bowl discussions. Guess who the last WAC team to beat Boise State was? Yep, the Rainbow Warriors. This is why we, as Bronco fans, hate you Hawai'i. Please lose on Saturday.

7.
Utah Utes
The most over-rated team in the country is now a legitimate threat to jump Boise State in the BCS Rankings. How in the world are they ranked 5th in the country? Suddenly we see them right right behind us as their showdown with 3rd ranked TCU comes to a TV near you in just a few days. The winner will be looking good in the eyes of the computers and voters. Somehow Boise State fans hope that they can beat the Horned Frogs and yet lose to BYU (I don't see the latter happening). The Utes have not played anybody remotely close to being a decent team yet and still they find themselves high enough in the rankings to be considered National Championship contenders. This is why we, as Bronco fans, hate you Utah. Is there anyway both teams can lose?

6.
TCU Horned Frogs
It seems like we just can't get away from the purple clad folks from Fort Worth. Two years in a row as bowl opponents and then they jump us in the BCS rankings. Analyst Jerry Palm does not expect it to stay like that, but we just can't shake them. Their game with Utah on Saturday is huge for many programs nationally, including the Broncos. We beat them last year, how can they be ahead of us when they are essentially the same two teams? Don't tell me that you can't use results from last year to decide how things will be this year. The whole rankings, especially preseason, are based on last year. If they win out, they could get a spot in a BCS Bowl ahead of Boise State, just like last year. This is why we, as Bronco fans, hate you TCU. My head hurts...

5.
Voters
The reason why poll voters aren't higher on the list is because they are at least still keeping the Broncos in the picture. Still, jumping Oregon over Boise State was a travesty for which I will have a very hard time forgiving them. The same thing I said about TCU applies to the Ducks. Boise State moved from 2nd to 3rd in the coaches poll for blowing out an opponent. What would happen if they played a somewhat close game? It seems that no matter what, the voters will do their best to keep us just out of reach of the NC game. Thais is why we, as Bronco fans, hate you voters. Your bias is insulting.

4.
Oregon Ducks
They are a great team, there is no doubt. But something about them just rubs me the wrong way. It probably has a lot to do with how arrogant and condescending Chip Kelley is as he attempts to compensate for his lack of manhood. We know you are a great squad, but don't run up the score as you look around, making sure the nation sees how many points you can throw down in a game that was decided two quarters ago. A quote from Mr. Kelley after the USC game; "I'm not into messages, just winning." Right. You're a d-bag. Once they play somebody with a decent defense on the road I think they might be given a run for their money. Meanwhile their ridiculously pompous fans continue to gloat and also wave their "six-footers" around the message boards and blogs. The Ducks are in the driver's seat to play for the crystal football come January 10th. The fan reaction would be hideously egotistical and unbearable. This is why we, as Bronco fans, hate you Oregon Ducks. Please lose and go back to where you belong in the polls.

3.
Craig James
This one is personal. I googled his name in Google Images and a whole bunch of pictures of James Bond came up. How inaccurate and ironic is that? Somehow a wimpy, annoying, and butt-ugly loser from Jacksonville, Texas become a self-glossed voice of reason and elitism? Probably the same way his tool of a son single-handedly got Mike Leach fired from Texas Tech for allegedly locking him in a shed when he was concussed. Apparently, d-bagness runs in the family. He constantly gives Boise State its lowest ranked vote and then does nothing but trash them on ESPN in the rudest, most egotistical way that he possibly can. Good thing he thinks he's way more influential than he really is. Still, being on ESPN carries some weight and he could hurt the Broncos' chances of getting to the National Championship. This is why we, as Broncos fans, hate you Craig James. Please somehow get seriously maimed with at least permanent damage to your vocal chords.

2.
Mark May
This one is also personal. I'm not sure what he is doing in this picture, but it is similar to what he does to the head honchos who run the BCS system. If you were to poll Boise State fans and ask them who is the most anti-Bronco, hated, elitist, and rude d-bag of them all, Mark May would win hands down. It wouldn't even be close. When it comes to keeping the little guy down and stomping on his face with an elitist, egotistical boot, MayDay is leading the way. Whether he is demeaning any accomplishment that Boise State achieves or having an huge "O" in his pants over the SEC, everything he does, lives for, or says is an attack on Boise State. It makes it worse that he is teamed up with perma-lisp grandpa Lou Holtz, who actually tries to defend the Broncos. May just demeans him as well. It's like he's picking on your grandfather, kicking your puppy, and making inappropriate advances at your mother all at the same time when he talks. He is that bad. If ever there was a time when I contemplated suicide it was when Mark May and Craig James both appeared on my television set at the same time. I'm surprised May's massive ego-laden head fits on camera by itself. He has much more influence than James does, and his anti-Boise State lifestyle is enough to sway many people and voters away from the Boys in Blue. This is why we, as Bronco fans, hate you Mark May. You're lucky we don't know where you live.

1.
The BCS Rankings/Computers
Again, this is very personal. The only reason that the BCS takes number in my Naughty List is because it is comprehensive of many of the things that have already been discussed, but also has its own set of terrible qualities that make it even worse. It's like the worst traits usually spread out amongst many people combined into one hideous conglomerate of blinding horror. As I have mentioned many times, it was created as a way to benefit the power conferences and traditional schools, something that is plainly evident today, even as upstart programs are becoming as good or better than said traditional power universities. It involves computer rankings that rate strength of schedule, opponents' strength of schedule, oponents' oponents' strength of schedule (etc.), conference status and rank, how hot the girls at the school are, and how many students like Neapolitan ice cream (I may have made up the last two). All of this combined creates some ludicrous formula that spits out numbers that rank the teams. It's retarded, I know. But it is all part of a system that somehow decides who will play for the National Championship. I found this comic and it is so true about the BCS and how it is now;

Gross, huh? With a combination of voters, computer rankings (which are as ridiculous as a palm tree in Minnesota), big conference bias, elitist trustees, and absolutely no involvement from the NCAA, somehow schools are ranked and rated. It is a beauty contest in which schools from the WAC and Mountain West have absolutely no shot of winning. In every possible way that those in charge can come up with, non-AQ schools are left out in the cold week in and week out. They will be jumped by less-deserving "power conference" schools left and right. Boise State, TCU, and Utah are constantly getting screwed. For this reason we, as Broncos fans, hate you BCS Rankings/Computers. You are as outdated as my 1992 Plymouth Acclaim. We hate you.