BOISE -- We are in the final weeks of the college football season and this is the time of year the bowl speculation begins to shift into high gear.
All of the college football experts are assuming TCU will be handed the automatic non-BCS ticket, which leaves the question -- what are the chances that BCS history will be made this season and two non-BCS teams will get it?
Turns out -- pretty good!
Fifty-fifty – that’s what the odds are for Boise State, according to foxsports.com's Peter Schrager. And he isn’t alone.
Here are six bowl prognostications from major college football Web sites:
ESPN's Mark Schlabach and Bruce Feldman both give the Broncos the green light to face the Big-10's number 2 team -- either Iowa, Penn State or Wisconsin at the Fiesta Bowl.
Fox Sports is also in agreement, as well as CBSSports.com and Scout.com.
The one publication that disagreed was Rivals.com who has USC in the BCS mix, but three losses likely have them out of the mix.
We talked with Schrager about the stars beginning to align for a possible return trip to the Fiesta Bowl for Boise State.
“With USC losing on Saturday, with Miami losing Saturday, with Notre Dame losing on Saturday and Boise just keeps rolling, I think they are as attractive an option for the Fiesta Bowl's second "at-large" bid and it’s probably going to come down to them and Oklahoma State or Georgia Tech, and I think Boise State is as intriguing as any of those options," said Schrager.
Schrager says he was the first to say at the beginning of the season that there would never be a time that two non-BCS teams could crack the big money bowl series, but now he and many of his colleagues have changed their tune!
"I think it’s a 50-50 shot here. They need a little help but the argument is there. If any year there was gonna be two non-BCS teams in the BCS bowl picture, this is the one," said Schrager.
Again, all of it hinges on the Broncos remaining unbeaten and getting just a little more help.
“Let’s spell out where that help needs to come from.
Oklahoma State with a win over Oklahoma in Norman on the final game of the year on Thanksgiving weekend would make a strong case for the Fiesta Bowl at 10-2.
How ironic is it that Bronco fans Fiesta Bowl fate could once again involve the Oklahoma Sooners? This time they'll be rooting for the Sooners!
And, then the ACC championship game. If a three-loss Clemson team upsets Georgia Tech to get the automatic berth, a two-loss Georgia Tech would likely bump the Broncos. That game is on December 5th..
So most are now saying if Oklahoma and Georgia Tech take care of business, then the Broncos are as good as Glendale, Arizona bound.
Of course, all this could be thrown out the window if the unlikely happens. That is if either BSU or TCU loses.
Here's a look at what's still on tap.
TCU only has two regular season games remaining against Wyoming and winless New Mexico.
Meanwhile, Boise State still has three games left. Utah State in Logan and back home for Nevada and New Mexico State.
