Campus Confidential

By Adam Abramson

What did the Fiesta Bowl teach us?

Here are some potential answers:

1. It actually a refresher on why I love college football. Boise State didn’t do anything crazy after a first down. The wide receivers didn’t flip the ball in the face of the defender after a big catch. The defensive tackles didn’t fake an awkward jump shot after a sack. They were just excited to be there. You could see the players looking at the faithful on hand to watch, pointing to them after big plays. After watching a season of stupid personal fouls, unsportsmanlike conducts, cheap shots and a brawl, it was refreshing to see Boise State’s positive attitude from top to bottom in that game. (Actually, I thought Oklahoma showed a lot of class in the game as well, so kudos to the Sooners.)

2. Boise State’s success against Oklahoma is very reminiscent of George Mason’s success in the NCAA Tournament last year. In both cases, the coaching staffs were able to put together classes of kids and mold them over the years. Coaches don’t have to worry about who’s going pro early this year or next year.

3. You can take chances at the smaller schools and innovation works. I heard Bob Davie on the radio today talking about risky it was for Boise State to run that fourth down halfback pass to score in overtime and the trick play on the hand off. He wondered how coach Chris Petersen could face his team if those plays didn’t work because he hinged the game on a trick instead of his talent. I have to respectfully disagree. What did Boise State have to lose in that game? The Broncos came out, socked OU in the mouth and said: “We belong here.” If those plays didn’t work, would you have said “See, told you a team from the Mountain West has no place in the BCS?” No, I don’t think anyone would have forgotten the other 60 minutes played. If they lost on a trick play, Petersen would have walked in the locker room and said “We gave them hell and showed everyone we belonged in a BCS game.”
   

Adding the fifth game was a good move because it gives a team like Boise State the chance to showcase its program and its abilities against a traditional BCS school. I also think it shouldn’t end there. Who’s to say Boise couldn’t play its way into the BCS Championship game, given the chance? Be careful before you speak, because not many gave the Blue Turfers a chance going into Monday night’s affair (including me).

The unorthodox schools are starting to make their presence felt on the national scene. We had Boise this year, TCU was No. 14 in the BCS last year, in 2004 Utah finished No. 6 and stomped a very average Pittsburgh team (Boise was No. 9 in the BCS that year) and Miami of Ohio finished 11th in the BCS in 2003.

Because I don’t see a playoff coming any time soon, it’s only fair we give a mid-major team (sorry for the predominantly basketball term) a chance to line up against someone from the SEC, Big 12, Pac 10, etc. The fifth game makes this more feasible, so I can live with it...I guess.

I was in a bar on Thursday night when they showed a replay of the game. Everyone knew what was coming, yet the bar still erupted on Boise’s trickery to win the game. It was, by far, the most entertaining game of the year.