BOISE - Wrap your head around this - the Boise State Broncos, fresh off what many called a lackluster win at Tulsa, are 4th in the first BCS rankings of the year! It's the highest the Broncos have ever been ranked in the BCS at any time of the year and we're just six weeks into the season. The BCS rankings determine which college football teams play in the big money bowls at the end of the year, and even in the national championship game. It's still probably impossible for the Broncos to get to the title game, but right now they're definitely in line for a BCS bowl berth. They just have to keep winning. Another key for the Broncos to getting to a BCS bowl is to stay ahead of all other non BCS teams, because only the highest-ranked squad gets the automatic bid. The closest team to Boise State right now is TCU. The Broncos must stay ahead of the 8th ranked Frogs if they want to make it to a BCS bowl. The last time the Broncos went to a BCS bowl was the Fiesta Bowl in 2006. If they want to go again they need the help of the BCS rankings, the first of which came out today Sunday. Boise State's first opponent of the year, Oregon, was getting plenty of respect - they check-in at 11th. Three other non BCS teams with losses also make the Top 20: BYU, Houston and Utah.
The Broncos' incredible ranking is somewhat surprising, considering their close win over an unranked Tulsa team on Wednesday. But Coach Pete said right after that game was over that the team doesn't care about point spreads and he was sure justified today. A few more poll notes for you, Boise State is ranked 4th in the BCS, despite being ranked 5th in all components to the BCS ranking. Some may attribute that to flaws in the BCS, but really it's because there's no unanimous number 4 team with USC pulling an 11th ranking from the computers. The Broncos are at Hawai'i this Saturday, here on Channel 7. And how about the Idaho Vandals? They're getting more and more national respect with 27 votes, or points, for them in the Harris poll, 8 votes from the Coaches and 4 votes from the AP. Of course, all this poll respect for the Vandals comes after their 35-23 win over Hawai'i last night at the Kibbie Dome, where Idaho became bowl eligible thanks to more than 80 rushing yards a piece from Princeton McCarty and Demaundray Woolridge. Woolridge scored 4 touchdowns, but McCarty says he doesn't mind letting his teammate finish off drives. Demaundray, Princeton, and the 6-and-1 Vandals play at Nevada this coming Saturday. Here's a quick look at the top 25 ranks in the BCS. 1. Florida (6-0)
2. Alabama (7-0)
3. Texas (6-0)
4. Boise State (6-0)
5. Cincinnati (6-0)
6. Iowa (7-0)
7. USC (5-1)
8. Texas Christian (6-0)
9. LSU (5-1)
10. Miami (Fla,) (5-1)
11. Oregon (5-1)
12. Georgia Tech (6-1)
13. Penn State (6-1)
14. Virginia Tech (5-2)
15. Oklahoma State (5-1)
16. Brigham Young (6-1)
17. Houston (5-1)
18. Utah (5-1)
19. Ohio State (5-2)
20. Pittsburgh (6-1)
21. Wisconsin (5-2)
22. Arizona (4-2)
23. West Virginia (5-1)
24. South Carolina (5-2)
25. Kansas (5-1)
