Posted by ESPN.com’s Graham Watson
Boise State learned the hard way this week that style points do matter.
Despite defeating Louisiana Tech by 10 points, the fact that the game was close -- a two-point margin in the second half -- hurt the Broncos in all of the polls.
"That's how it always is when we play," Boise State coach Chris Peterson said after the Louisiana Tech game. "It's never good enough, but it's good enough for us. We are going to try to do better next week and just go from there."
With no games against ranked teams remaining, Boise State likely won’t pass an undefeated TCU team, which plays No. 16 Utah this weekend.
The Broncos are in desperate need of a big game and there isn’t one in sight.
The Broncos have contests against Idaho, Utah State, Nevada and New Mexico State remaining. Of those teams, only Idaho and Nevada have winning records and neither has a tough enough strength of schedule to provide a big boost in the computer rankings.
Meanwhile, several teams surrounding Boise State have big games remaining. With the exception of Texas, every team above the Broncos in the BCS standings has at least one game against a ranked opponent left. Of the four teams in the top 10 below the Broncos, USC and Iowa both have ranked teams to play.
Because of strength of schedule, Boise State could continue to fall in the BCS standings regardless of whether it keeps winning.
In a perfect world, the results on the field would be enough.
Yes, Boise State played a weak schedule this year, but an undefeated season is not unusual for this team. It’s had three undefeated regular seasons since 2004. Boise State is a model of consistency that doesn’t get rewarded for doing all the things the BCS asks of it.
Petersen has said multiple times that he has faith in the system. The same system that put them into the BCS in 2006, but left them out in 2004 and 2008. However, that faith doesn’t seem to be reciprocated. Boise State needs to win its final four games decisively, especially since three will be on national television.
While Boise State might not have the pressure of playing a ranked team, it does have the pressure of trying to achieve the right amount of points and the right margin of victory to make an impression on voters.
This is Boise State’s stretch run and last chance to show that it's better than its schedule.
Boise State learned the hard way this week that style points do matter.
Despite defeating Louisiana Tech by 10 points, the fact that the game was close -- a two-point margin in the second half -- hurt the Broncos in all of the polls.
"That's how it always is when we play," Boise State coach Chris Peterson said after the Louisiana Tech game. "It's never good enough, but it's good enough for us. We are going to try to do better next week and just go from there."
With no games against ranked teams remaining, Boise State likely won’t pass an undefeated TCU team, which plays No. 16 Utah this weekend.
The Broncos are in desperate need of a big game and there isn’t one in sight.
The Broncos have contests against Idaho, Utah State, Nevada and New Mexico State remaining. Of those teams, only Idaho and Nevada have winning records and neither has a tough enough strength of schedule to provide a big boost in the computer rankings.
Meanwhile, several teams surrounding Boise State have big games remaining. With the exception of Texas, every team above the Broncos in the BCS standings has at least one game against a ranked opponent left. Of the four teams in the top 10 below the Broncos, USC and Iowa both have ranked teams to play.
Because of strength of schedule, Boise State could continue to fall in the BCS standings regardless of whether it keeps winning.
In a perfect world, the results on the field would be enough.
Yes, Boise State played a weak schedule this year, but an undefeated season is not unusual for this team. It’s had three undefeated regular seasons since 2004. Boise State is a model of consistency that doesn’t get rewarded for doing all the things the BCS asks of it.
Petersen has said multiple times that he has faith in the system. The same system that put them into the BCS in 2006, but left them out in 2004 and 2008. However, that faith doesn’t seem to be reciprocated. Boise State needs to win its final four games decisively, especially since three will be on national television.
While Boise State might not have the pressure of playing a ranked team, it does have the pressure of trying to achieve the right amount of points and the right margin of victory to make an impression on voters.
This is Boise State’s stretch run and last chance to show that it's better than its schedule.
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