(4)Boise State May Unfortunately Make Their Final Statement Tonight in Tulsa

The (4)Boise State Broncos play tonight at 4-1 Tulsa in what may end up being their last big game of the season (unless Idaho can keep it rolling until the last game of the conference slate). The Golden Hurricanes have a tough defense and a playmaking receiver (Tennessee transfer Slick Shelley), two things Boise State hasn't faced since they dismantled Oregon. If Boise St. wants to play in the National Championship, the Broncos need to win this game impressively and then become Tulsa fans for the rest of the year. The Broncos could make a case for the bid if they finish undefeated with wins over the winners of both the Conference USA (which could be Tulsa if they win their showdown with Houston) and the Pac-10 (a conference that Oregon currently leads). If Fresno State wins out, Boise State's blowout victory over the Bulldogs will also stand out. Boise State ran the Dogs off the field while Wisconsin and highly ranked Cincinnati nearly loss to them. Boise State has established themselves as the premiere mid-major program in college football, but if they want to take the next step towards contending for a national title, they must take on a more aggressive scheduling mentality. They could actually take a few pages from the Fresno State playbook by adopting their "anybody, anywhere" mantra. Unlike Fresno, who competes with heart, good coaching, and a few star players (i.e. running back Ryan Mathews), Boise St. has the overall talent to beat teams like Wisconsin and Cincinnati. They may have to go out and schedule them. Boise State is fielding a national championship contending team that is only playing a Fiesta Bowl contending schedule. Thus, they find themselves in the precarious situation of rooting for teams like Oregon, Tulsa, and Idaho to win out in order to make the argument that they are playing formidable opponents. However, there is one thing to add to this conundrum, NO ONE WANTS TO SEE BOISE STATE ON THEIR SCHEDULE! I applaud Oregon for actually putting them on the schedule, but who else will be brave enough to do it after watching the Ducks get throttled two years in a row. In fact, this may be the program's real problem.