Would Boise St Play for the National Championship

What if the MWC hadn't collapsed. If BYU and Utah were in the MWC this year and Boise St (currently #4) went undefeated, would they play in the BCS championship game?

Depending on how things go, they still might have a good shot at it. IF they are 1 of 2 unbeatens left, I think they get in this year. Years of respect and a senior QB in the Heisman race could push them over the top. All depends on what happens in the SEC, Big XII, and with Stanford and Florida State.

It probably helps BSU that they don't have to play us or Utah, although they would probably beat Utah and might beat us too. If they go undefeated this year, the MWC might just produce another BCS Buster and a NC contender.



If UH gets past UW in Seattle Saturday, Nevada in Reno, and us in December, the WAC may get another BCS Buster as well.



Yes, critics will whine about SOS and them not deserving it - shades of 1984 - but they will get it. If both are undefeated, one may get the shaft. Sorry UH.



Now - if BYU goes undefeated, that undeserving UH game may be our highest ranked opponent.



We go undefeated - we BCS bust unless BSU also does. BSU would trump us too in the popularity contest if we are both undefeated.



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Lawboy wrote:
Depending on how things go, they still might have a good shot at it. IF they are 1 of 2 unbeatens left, I think they get in this year. Years of respect and a senior QB in the Heisman race could push them over the top. All depends on what happens in the SEC, Big XII, and with Stanford and Florida State.

Boise state could be undefeated and still get shut out of the BCS with any 1 loss BCS team from the SEC, Big 12, or Big 10. Those conferences have a bunch of coaches in the coaches poll who will make sure that their conference foe is 1 or 2 in the BCS poll.

True, but the BCS computer ranking takes losses into account, which generally vaults teams with no losses and ahead of those with 1 loss when close in the polls.

The argument against Boise of having a weak schedule wouldn't hold as much water if they had wins over Georgia, TCU, Utah and BYU.

If Boise runs the table this year and there are only a 1 or two other undefeated teams they'll play for a NC. Boise has proven they're no one-season wonder. I hope they make it.

Bronco has said multiple times that he things that in order to play for a BCS championship in the modern era it would take an undefeated schedule followed by a BCS bowl win followed by another undefeated season. I think Boise St. proves that this is not true.



Boise St. is probably the winningest program in the past decade. They have won multiple BCS games, had multiple undefeated seasons, and defeated many quality opponents. The BCS simply will not allow a non-AQ team to play in the BCS championship game. The formula is apparently designed to not allow it.



Boise St. could win every game they play for the next five years and not get into the championship game until they become a member of an AQ conference. Their best bet was moving to the MWC and getting AQ status for the conference. But Utah killed that possibility, and BYU followed them out.



Why isn't anyone talking about Boise St to the Big XII? If the Big XII added TCU, Boise St, and BYU it would be a very strong conference.

If BSU and BYU were undefeated, BSU would get the autobid as a conference champion and I think BYU would get an invite as an at-large.

Depends on who is the higher rank in the BCS end of season rankings. The MWC gets no auto-anything from the BCS. If a non-AQ finishes in the top 12 then they are in, regardless of which non-AQ conference they come from. Being the champion of a non-AQ has nothing to do with the selection of non-AQ teams for auto-bids.

scott715 wrote:
If BSU and BYU were undefeated, BSU would get the autobid as a conference champion and I think BYU would get an invite as an at-large.

The non-AQ autobids are determined solely by rankings. Conference championships are irrelevant. It could possibly be a factor in at-large selections though, but I suspect it would be at least a tertiary consideration after ticket sales and viewership.



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I thought you had to be a conference champion to get the non-AQ's auto-bid. In theory, BYU could be ranked #3 in the final BCS standings and be left out of the BCS if Boise won the MWC and finished #12 or higher (or #14 if ahead of another BCS conf champ). And then the BCS chose teams #4 and #5 as their at-large bids.

From http://www.bcsfootball.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;:

Automatic qualification

1. The top two teams in the final BCS Standings shall play in the National Championship Game.



2. The champions of the Atlantic Coast, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, and Southeastern conferences will have automatic berths in one of the participating bowls through the 2013 regular season.



3. The champion of Conference USA, the Mid-American Conference, the Mountain West Conference, the Sun Belt Conference, or the Western Athletic Conference will earn an automatic berth in a BCS bowl game if either:



A. Such team is ranked in the top 12 of the final BCS Standings, or,

B. Such team is ranked in the top 16 of the final BCS Standings and its ranking in the final BCS Standings is higher than that of a champion of a conference that has an annual automatic berth in one of the BCS bowls.



No more than one such team from Conference USA, the Mid-American Conference, the Mountain West Conference, the Sun Belt Conference, and the Western Athletic Conference shall earn an automatic berth in any year. (Note: a second team may be eligible for at-large eligibility as noted below.) If two or more teams from those conferences satisfy the provisions for an automatic berth, then the team with the highest finish in the final BCS Standings will receive the automatic berth, and the remaining team or teams will be considered for at-large selection if it meets the criteria.



4. Notre Dame will have an automatic berth if it is in the top eight of the final BCS Standings.



5. If any of the 10 slots remain open after application of provisions 1 through 4, and an at-large team from a conference with an annual automatic berth for its champion is ranked No. 3 in the final BCS Standings, that team will become an automatic qualifier, provided that no at-large team from the same conference qualifies for the national championship game.



6. If any of the 10 slots remain open after application of provisions 1 through 5, and if no team qualifies under paragraph No. 5 and an at-large team from a conference with an annual automatic berth for its champion is ranked No. 4 in the final BCS Standings, that team will become an automatic qualifier provided that no at-large team from the same conference qualifies for the national championship game.

Only guarantee for a non-BCS school is to finish in the top-2 spots of the final BCS rankings. If in top-12, pretty solid chance, though.

Wonder if the BCS would treat BYU as a non-AQ champion? Probably not.



I guess it's logical that the non-AQ champion would be ranked higher than a non-non-AQ champion. Either way, the only way a non-AQ champion gets an auto bid is if they are ranked 12 or higher in the BCS. Everything else is at-large.



So I was probably wrong before...being a non-AQ champ is worth something.

Hypothetical way BYU is left out:

1. LSU - BCS Champ auto bid

2. Oklahoma - BCS Champ auto bid

3. BYU - no BCS bid

4. Alabama - SEC Autobid (for losing team to BCS champ)

5. Oregon - PAC12 Autobid

6. Florida not eligible w/ SEC already having two teams

7. Stanford - Selected as an at-large bid

8. Notre Dame - ND Autobid

9. Ohio State - Big 10 Autobid

10. Virginia Tech

11. Nebraska

12. Oklahoma St

13. Texas A&M

14. Florida St - ACC Autobid

15. Mississippi St

16. Boise State - non-AQ Autobid

17. Pittsburgh - Big East Autobid



BYU could be the #3 ranked team but be left out because of the way everything else shook out.

But would be a hot ticket to as an at-large BCS team, no?



(edit) I see you have Stanford as an at-large, which would be reasonable if Luck were a Heisman finalist.

I could even see Nebraska as an at-large before BYU

Boise State has just 5 losses since the 2007 season. So, they definitely deserve it. I think if Boise State goes undefeated the BCS has to recognize that and they will go. I also think that if they did go, they would have a great chance to win. They have enough speed and athleticism to compete with anybody in the country. They also have (in my mind) the greatest quarterback in the entire nation. And, arguably, one of the best defenses in the country.

IF Boise St is undefeated they should play in the National Championship game. They have the recent history to warrant it. If they are shut out of the party with an undefeated record, a lot of talk will happen all around the country about fair practices etc.