Week 8

[diggitydot]

Not sure. My guess is that they wanted to use the school colors and at least had enough sense to realize that 100 yards of orange would cause convulsions.

BTW - they have to cover the field when not in use. If they don't, they end up spending hours clearing the dead bird carcasses. They think it's a body of water and dive into it. It's gross.

[Michele]

Oh the bird story is both hilarious and tragic.

[oceanchild]

I think they got some sponsorship that paid for it.

At any rate, I think using Boise State as your overrated example is ridiculous. They haven't lost any games. What more do you want from them?

ETA: Wikipedia says the athletic director did it to gain some notoriety. Just kidding.

[SoonerTexan]

They haven't lost any games. What more do you want from them?

Play a real schedule. Of course, being in a sucky conference doesn't help and I've heard conflicting accounts of what has happened when they approached/were approached by the "big guys" to play games. Still...they beat Oklahoma 4 years ago--that was their chance to try and get some good teams to play. If they really wanted to be taken seriously, they should have a tougher schedule by now. Sure, the last three years games were already scheduled before they ever made it to the Fiesta Bowl, but there is no excuse for this year. I hope they make it to the title game and get their booty kicked by a traditional powerhouse (at this point, even Oregon will do) just so the whining will stop.

[oceanchild]

As a Nevada fan, I am the last person in the world who should be defending Boise State. But it took them somewhere around the last 5 years to get any respect from the polls, so I sort of feel like they've earned it at this point. Plus, they finally got themselves bumped up to a better conference, and that conference's two best teams promptly left. They really are getting kinda screwed.

Oregon won't be in the title game, though, because USC is going to beat them on Saturday.

[SuzySunshine]

Not a Boise State fan either but I have to agree with Julia. They tried to get into a better conference and they did play Virginia Tech and beat them this year. VT isn't ranked as high as they were when they played them but are still ranked. The only real way to know will be to see what happens when they play a big name at the end of the season which is still a long ways off.

A lot can happen in six more weeks!

[diggitydot]

Hey, what's with all this Duck bashing?

[oceanchild]

Hey, what's with all this Duck bashing?

Dude, you're sitting at the top of the rankings. Comes with the territory!

[diggitydot]

Nope, according to the BCS - #2.

[SoonerTexan]

FWIW, I feel the same way about TCU, even though their schedule is a little tougher.

[Vanquisher]

Look, I am no Boise St. Fan (tater zoobs). However, Boise St. has tried for several years to play a tougher schedule. The same is true for Utah and for TCU. They all try to play tougher schedules. No one will play them. Schools in AQ conferences do not want to risk losing to schools in non-AQ conferences. It took years for Utah to get a PAC-10 invite. Years. Boise St. has even said that they will play any school, anywhere, anytime. They have never turned down a BCS school for a game that I know of. They have even said that it doesn't need to be a home and home agreement, they will travel to these schools, but schools are not willing to schedule them. They would rather that their non-conference games are to creampuff teams that no one has ever heard of and might as well be division II schools. They rely on in-conference games for their SOS, which non-AQ conferences haven't a prayer of getting.

The MWC is a decent conference. We have had nationally ranked teams for the past several years. BCS busters? Utah invented that. We went 13-0 in 2008 and soundly whooped on Alabama in the Sugar Bowl and still finished #2 in the National Championship voting to a one-loss Florida. What more could they do? Play a tougher schedule? With who?? Who wants to play us? Texas? Florida? Oklahoma? Get real. No way. Why isn't the MWC an AQ conference, and the Big Least is? Makes a whole lot of sense to me. NOT.

This is why I root for BCS chaos. It is a money-making scheme. That is all. It isn't a true measure of who really is the National Champion. You need a playoff for that. Until that happens, teams like Boise St., Utah, and TCU will be screwed. At least Utah is moving up to an AQ conference next year. Joyous occasion at our house. Merry Pacmas to all!

BYU is a joke. They have ditched the MWC and have gone independent in football and with the WCC in their other sports. They have seriously hurt their program, and they have all but killed their other sports and recruiting for them. Oh, and BYU is NOT one of the best two schools in the MWC. TCU is still there. BYU sucks so bad this year. They needed the refs to help them beat Wyoming.

[SoonerTexan]

It took years for Utah to get a PAC-10 invite. Years. Boise St. has even said that they will play any school, anywhere, anytime. They have never turned down a BCS school for a game that I know of. They have even said that it doesn't need to be a home and home agreement, they will travel to these schools, but schools are not willing to schedule them. T

Of course, being in a sucky conference doesn't help and I've heard conflicting accounts of what has happened when they approached/were approached by the "big guys" to play games.

This is what I was referring to when I said above: http://college-football.blogs.cbsspo...56338/24447857

http://www.omaha.com/article/20100118/SPORTS/701189846

I'm not sure if they've had other offers or not. Sounds like they might be a bit picky for a team who really needs these games to be considered legit.

[scarlett09]

Why isn't the MWC an AQ conference, and the Big Least is? Makes a whole lot of sense to me. NOT.

The BE Conference is probably an AQ conference because they used to have UMiami, Boston College and VaTech. Now it is just a conglomeration of teams ('Cuse, Louisville, RU, USF, WVU) who occasionally have a good season but nothing consistent. It takes some time to build up a program. BE also does not have a tie-in to a specific bowl game, whereas all of the other conferences do. I agree that the BE is definitely not known for its football. Basketball is a whole different story though!

I am on the Boise State bandwagon. I do like underdogs, but also feel as though they have been consistent and worked hard. I am all for parity and having new football powers arise and change the landscape of college football. Some programs believe they are entitled to schedule "fluff" teams, be undefeated and go to a BCS bowl. Those programs really rub me the wrong way... Oops my bias of having an alma mater that consistently had a losing record until 5 years ago is showing!!