The biggest news to come out of the bowl season? The mid-majors can play.
The Little Guys finished 3-5 against BCS conference schools in bowl games. But four of the losses were by eight points or less; two by a point. BYU (11-2) became BYU again, but who would have forecast the Cougars beating Oregon by 30? Hawaii (11-3) tied the school record for victories and has a Heisman favorite if Colt Brennan sticks around.
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| Amazingly, winning the Fiesta Bowl was the second-best event for Boise's Ian Johnson on Jan. 1. (AP) |
Let's face it, though, I wouldn't be writing this unless a certain Idaho school hadn't shocked the nation on Jan. 1.
So let's settle this Boise State argument now.
The question is not whether the Broncos can play. What more do you have to see? Boise State beat two ranked teams, one of them in the top 10. That's one more top 10 victory than Notre Dame scored.
Don't blame Boise for its WAC schedule. Chris Petersen and the Broncos rose above their conference brothers to get enough talent to beat BCS conference schools.
The question is whether a team like Boise deserves a shot at a playoff. That has already been answered. It would have to be included, given the new access points (automatic qualification with a top 12 finish; top 16 if it finishes higher than a power conference champion).
And if they're in, they've got a chance.
Twenty-two years ago, BYU beat a 6-5 Michigan team to clinch the national championship. Boise beat Big 12 champion Oklahoma, ranked No. 7 at the time. Are you telling me they couldn't do that again a week later against an LSU or Southern California?
I asked Ohio State's Kirk Barton while in Arizona if Boise could "play."
"They can," he said. "They beat Oklahoma. Oklahoma is Oklahoma. ... It's part of the 85 scholarship thing. You can't hoard all the guys. You've got to let some of them go. Some of them turn out to be better than the ones you take."
If we have to, we'll play the progression card: Boise beat Oregon State which beat USC which beat Arkansas which beat Auburn which handed Florida its only loss.
A national championship is coming for The Great Unwashed, those non-BCS leagues, and it's coming soon. It's just a question of whether the college football establishment can handle it.
The 2004 Boise team that went undefeated featured no NFL draftees. Former coach Dan Hawkins told me last week he believes nine or 10 Broncos will land on NFL rosters from this 2006 team.
Boise led Oklahoma by 18 on a neutral field. It won despite being outweighed on the defensive line by 30 pounds. That's coaching and guts.
BYU in 1984 was an anomaly. Boise State in 2006 is leading a revolution.
Best bowl moment
Or why the only reality TV is live televised sports ... this one has to go to Ian Johnson's proposal to his cheerleader girlfriend moments after Boise State's Fiesta Bowl win.
"The thing that made us feel good about it is we were on the platform at the trophy presentation and I see Ian on the JumboTron on one knee," Chris Petersen told the Los Angeles Times. "I'm just hoping it is his girlfriend and not some cute cheerleader that he got caught up in the moment with."
Best place to be
The greater Phoenix area. Three games. Ten days. Three great stories. One coach out of work.
From Dec. 30-Jan. 8, the Fiesta Bowl folks hosted the Insight, Fiesta and BCS title game.
If you'll recall, Minnesota blew a 31-point lead to Texas Tech in the Insight. Two days later Gophers coach Glen Mason was fired.
Two days later, Boise used three trick plays to upset Oklahoma.
That was just the beginning after Ohio State's Ted Ginn Jr. returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown in the BCS title game. Taking that and the end of the Fiesta into account, in a span of 17 plays lasting 1 minute, 26 seconds fans saw six touchdowns and two two-point conversions.
Yes, it was fun to be in the Valley of the Sun. The area saw the nation's only undefeated team, the national champion and Mike Leach crying in his postgame interview.
Winners
JaMarcus Russell: Halfway through the season, the LSU quarterback was an enigma. After a spectacular Sugar Bowl performance, J.R. might be the No. 1 pick in the draft.
Florida: Miami and Florida State should be afraid, very afraid. Urban Meyer is young, energetic and ready to dominate the state for years to come.
The Big East: 5-0 in bowls, three in the top 10 at one point, a BCS bowl win. A big-time BCS conference again thanks to Rutgers, West Virginia and Louisville.
USC: Lose to two unranked teams, lose Dwayne Jarrett to the draft, lose Pete Carroll's full attention (to Wayne Huizenga), beat Michigan. Become preseason favorite in '07. Not a bad rebuilding year.
Alabama: Lose Rich Rodriguez. Lose the Independence Bowl. Finish below .500. Lose the fan's faith. Get Nick Saban. Sometimes you just live right, especially if you pay $4 million per year.
The new coordinators, by the way, will be making $500,000 each.
Pac-10: Made a case for being the second-best league in the nation. The new nine-game conference schedule makes it one less patsy for each team to play.
USC and Cal were top 10 quality. Three teams won 10. Nine of 10 teams won at least five games.
Sun Belt: Three teams finished at least .500 (that's a huge accomplishment for this league). Troy won eight games. Rick Stockstill is a rising star at Middle Tennessee State.
WAC: Boise was the nation's only undefeated team. Hawaii won 11 and had the best quarterback (statistically) in the country. San Jose State won nine three years after almost giving up the sport. The WAC was 3-1 in bowls. The only loss was Nevada by one point to Miami.
Rice: First bowl since 1961.
Rutgers: First bowl win in 137 years of football.
Losers
Big 12: 0-14 in non-conference games against ranked teams, 3-5 in bowls. Every team lost at least three games.
ACC: Miami and Florida State are stuck in neutral. There was that ugly brawl but, oh, remember Florida International started it.
Wake Forest was a great story but when Wake wins the ACC, the ACC is down.
Georgia Tech quarterback Reggie Ball: Bad quarterback, bad student (flunked out in December), bad character. When sophomore Taylor Bennett threw for 326 yards and three touchdowns against West Virginia in the Gator Bowl, Jackets fans were asking, "Where has this guy been?"
The Notre Dame myth: Two years and Charlie Weis' best "win" is a loss to USC.
Ohio State's offensive line: The common cold should be renamed "Boone," in reference to the draft created by Florida defenders as they breezed past Buckeyes left tackle Alex Boone.
Michigan: Authorities are still trying to determine if Michigan actually arrived in Pasadena. DNA samples are being examined.
Polls: The AP gets a pass because media are paid to evaluate and interpret. But what are the coaches doing ranking undefeated Boise sixth? Don't ever tell us again it's all about winning. No, fellas, it's all about taking care of your friends.
Five predictions for '07
• Charlie Weis will take a serious look at
the NFL. The question is whether we (the media) will find out.
• Darren McFadden will win the Heisman -- and maybe the Davey
O'Brien, too.
• There will be a bit of
interest in the LSU-Alabama game.
• QB
Mark Sanchez will make a serious run at the starting job at USC.
• We're still not done with 2006 coaching changes. There's still a
scandal out there somewhere that will get someone fired in '07.
Breakthrough teams in '07
Hawaii: Should have beaten Alabama. Almost beat Boise. Did beat
Arizona State and Purdue.
TCU: You hear it every year, but we
really mean it this time.
Indiana: Two words: Kellen Lewis and
Terry Hoeppner.
The Carolinas: North Carolina and N.C. State
each have new coaches. East Carolina is coming off its first bowl in
five years. Clemson has the talent to win its division. South Carolina,
too.
Kentucky: Rich Brooks is Lazarus. Led Cats to first bowl
win in 22 years.
UCLA: Beating USC is a positive.
Rice:
Wise to extend Todd Graham through 2012 after the Owls' first bowl game in 45
years.
