Boise State and TCU Screwed Over?

For the past few years Boise State has been one of the best football teams in the NCAA. Since 2002 they have posted a record of 83-8 including 2 perfect seasons in 2006 and 2009. Despite their amazing record and great accomplishments they are routinely snubbed when it comes to the BCS. The reason for this is because of the strength of their schedule. Many people feel that the WAC is an inferior conference and that Boise State just beats up on weak opponents. Even the amazing 43-42 win over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl in 2007 did little to help their cause.

TCU is another school that is often left out of the conversation when discussing elite teams in the NCAA. Over the past 2 years TCU has won the Mountain West Championship twice and has gone 23-1 over that stretch. Like Boise State they suffer from a 'weaker' schedule and so when it comes time for the BCS computers to do their thing they are left out.

This was the year it was supposed to change. Both TCU and Boise State went undefeated and would earn BCS bids against high profile schools and prove that they were elite teams who could hang with he big schools.

Then they got screwed over.

Boise State and TCU will square off at the Fiesta Bowl on January 4th. How does a BCS bid equate to them getting screwed? Because instead of playing a school like Florida or Cincinnati and proving to America that they are legit they must now face each other where they will prove nothing other than 1 'weaker' team is better than the other.

If Boise State had gotten to play Florida and TCU had gotten to play Cincinnati they could have changed things for next year. They could have proven that they are legit teams and maybe gotten some stronger opponents to come play them but alas they will now play each other instead.

For those of you that don't know the way NCAA teams schedules work is that the teams themselves go and find opponents to fit their schedule. This is why many big schools start off their season against a Division II school, in order to get rid of any rust and ensure everyone knows the system. If Boise State and TCU want to be taken more seriously they will need to play better opponents which will only happen if they beat better schools like they had the chance to do in a BCS game.

Schools like Alabama and Florida won't play a team like TCU or Boise State because they are afraid they might lose and they already have enough difficult games within their own conference that they don't need anymore against outside teams. Thus TCU and Boise State are forced to play weaker competition and hope for a shot to prove their worth come January. It is a vicious cycle and one that will only end with continued success.

I am really looking forward to this game as Boise State's offense is unreal as is TCU's. It will be a national showcase for these 2 great programs and will hopefully help them in the long run as their continued exposure is sure to bring on challengers from the major conferences.

Having said that I can't help but think about what could have been if these two teams had been paired up against some bigger schools. Could their be a "changing of the guard" as Joe Rogan likes to say? Or would the elite schools prove they are elite and show the nation why both TCU and Boise State are often left out of the BCS?

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