It seems only natural that, instead of using my first sports column to sound off on something that I've always had a strong opinion on, I'd feel obligated to begrudgingly admit something I hoped would never, ever be true.
Those blue-turf boys up in Boise are really fucking good at football.
There isn't a whole lot of room left for debate, it seems, after the Broncos' dramatic 33-30 victory over Virginia Tech on Monday night. Yeah, they blew a three-score lead, but when it mattered, the Hokies just had no answer for junior quarterback Kellen Moore and the Boise attack.
Now, this is not to imply that head coach Chris Petersen should start watching film on Alabama and Ohio State in anticipation of a national title game matchup. I wouldn't even go as far as to say that Boise deserves a shot to play for the title if they go undefeated this year.
Just because this team has legitimate talent does not mean that it plays a legitimate schedule. Aside from a clash with Pac-10 member Oregon State on Sept. 25, the remainder of the Broncos schedule is unthinkably easy. After Monday's win, ESPN reporters pointed to a home date with Fresno State and a road trip to Nevada as possible trap games.
Really?
I guess Fresno State has given Wisconsin some problems in recent years, but I doubt very strongly that many Boise boots will quake on that atrociously unnatural turf when the Bulldogs come running down the tunnel.
However, while the argument over whether or not Petersen, who holds an out-of-this-world 49-4 record since taking over the program prior to the 2006 season, should get the chance to lead his (presumably) unbeaten team into a title game can wait for a couple of months. Today, it at least has to be said that this team has the ammunition to compete with the biggest and baddest programs in the country.
Uniforms aside, this team passes the eye test. They're physical on defense, fast on offense and at times bottled up Virginia Tech's offense so thoroughly that the Hokies looked about as capable as New Mexico State (that snoozer doesn't actually show up on Boise's schedule until Oct. 2).
Coming off of a phenomenal freshman campaign that included 1655 yards (5.6 per carry) and 21 touchdowns, sophomore running back Ryan Williams managed a paltry 44 yards on 21 carries. Last year, Williams' lowest rushing total was 71 yards, and that came against Alabama, the eventual national champion, in his first collegiate game. Junior dual threat quarterback Tyrod Taylor faired better against Boise's defense, but they got consistent pressure, knocked him down in key spots and broke up several passes.
The list seems to go on and on. Not only did senior wide receiver Austin Pettis catch two touchdowns, including the game winner with just over a minute to play, he blocked Virginia Tech's first punt of the game and set up Boise's first touchdown.
Maybe the most striking play of the game was a 71-yard touchdown run by junior running back D.J. Harper in the third quarter. After he broke in the secondary, it looked as if a couple of Hokies might have had an angle to bring him down. Instead, Harper turned on the jets and ran away from everybody.
In a sport obsessed with speed, speed, 40-yard dash times and speed, the fact that nobody on the traditionally formidable Hokie defense could come close to keeping up with the backup tailback for the largest university in Idaho speaks volumes to how far the program has come.
Because the AP preseason rankings put Boise State at No. 3, it could conceivably roll through its schedule and hope that either Alabama or Ohio State, ranked first and second respectively, falters somewhere in the gauntlet of their power-conference schedules. Although the BCS is virtually impossible to figure out, it seems highly unlikely that any school could jump over BSU as long as it beats up on those WAC opponents every week.
Maybe that will happen, Moore will win the Heisman, and they can design an all-blue championship ring for Petersen to wear on his all -blue field until he bails for greener pastures. This would be cool with me if it makes the brass in leagues like the Big Ten and SEC think seriously about pushing for a playoff system in college football.
Alas, for the time being, this is a situation that is not going to disappear. People, myself included, will continue to call for either a reform in the ranking process or more consistent competition for the Broncos.
As much as I hate to admit it, even that pipe dream scenario might not stop this particular team from bringing home some serious hardware.
Do you think Boise State deserves to play for a national title? Do you love the blue turf? E-mail Parker at pjgabriel@dailycardinal.com
