SB Nation - Boise St. Broncos

In a Perfect World (Conference Realignment)

Evan Pfaff — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:30:13 -0000

by Tony Gutierrez - AP

Could a University of Houston QB be soon hoisting the Big 12 Championship trophy? (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Today the Big Ten conference issued a statement that they are exploring the possibility of expanding.

Every few years we hear the same rumblings and every few years there are articles published about what realignment would look like. But not since Penn State was admitted into the Big Ten has anything official been released. With that, below is the definitive article on the topic.

And even though this is a basketball blog, I will focus on the BCS aspect of realignment to argue my points. I will discuss basketball, though, and all points held for football can loosely translate over to hoops as well.

Currently there are six BCS conferences and those 6 all get automatic BCS-bowl bids. Those conferences are Big East, SEC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-10, ACC. Of those six, three of the conferences have enough football teams to have a conference championship game (the Big East would have enough if more of their charter schools had D1 football programs).

Part of the BCS issue is that you have some conferences without 12 schools, who don't currently have conference championship games. Adding conference championship games will ultimately help the BCS by crowing, on a field, a true conference champ. This will help with BCS bowl bids, and especially the BCS championship game. (Think of a rule where you have to at least win your division to get a BCS bid.

The other BCS issue is of the non-BCS schools and where they should lie. My realignment program take that into account.

Without further ado, after The Jump is the Big12Hoops.com Realignment plan.

MIZZOU MOVES TO THE BIG 10.

Why is this good for the Big 10? By admitting Mizzou into the Big 10, the Big 10 would secure a coveted TV market, namely St Louis. They would also get a share of the Kansas City TV market. By expanding westward, revenues from the Big 10 Network and apparel sales would grow. The Big 10 would also secure a 12^th team and legitimize a conference championship game. The divisions would be as follow:

Big 10 East: Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Indiana, Purdue, Penn State

Big 10 West: Mizzou, Illinois, Northwestern, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa

Under this scenario all regional rivalries remain in tact

Why is this good for Mizzou? The Big 12 seems to forget about schools not named Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Kansas (basketball). There is no television network, so Mizzou's games are generally only regionally shown. There is Big Monday for basketball, but that is mainly reserved for Texas and KU. Under this, Mizzou's football games could be carried on the Big 10 Network and basketball games will be tied into the Big 10 ESPN deal. All this leads to a major recruiting advantage in both revenue generating sports.

Mizzou also has a rival in Illinois that would heat up instantly and the heated rivalry with Kansas will replace the Illinois basketball and football games on the schedules. Instead of St Louis, though, the KU games will be played at the Sprint Center and Arrowhead in KC.

But what about... Iowa State? The Cyclones seem to also be a natural fit and could easily add fuel to the rivalry with in-state foe Iowa Hawkeyes. The problem is that the Big 10 gains little from that arrangement. They are already pretty entrenched in the Hawkeye State and the addition of ISU wouldn't help their regional or national reputation.

THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON JOINS THE BIG XII

Why is this good for the Big 12? The University of Houston is a large campus, in a region of Texas that is currently underdeveloped with college sports. Houston is the 4^th largest city in the country, and by planting a team there, the Big 12 will get even more Texas viewership.

The big question would be on alignment, since there will now be 5 Texas schools. My proposal is for

Big 12 "North": Nebraska, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State

Big 12 "South": Texas, Houston, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Baylor, Colorado

The division names will have to be rebranded, but adding Colorado to the South is acceptable because Coloradoans joke that there are more Texans in the state than natives.

Why is this good for Houston? Historically, the Cougars have had a good football team, and have won a basketball national championship. Having a Big XII logo on their court will increase their recruiting presence in the city and state and potentially turn them into powerhouse.

But what about... TCU? TCU would be a good choice, if they were bigger. Their 8000 student just wouldn't cut it if the conference wishes to remain the BIG 12. Houston's enrollment is approximately 30,000 students. Commuter school or not, Houston would help retain the "Big" in Big 12.

BYU AND UTAH GO TO THE PAC-10

Why is this good for the Pac-10? By including Utah and BYU into the Pac-10, the conference will have the 12 schools needed for an automatic conference championship games. Both programs have historically legitimate football and basketball programs, and they will bring their rivalry with them. Geographically, they are far enough West to warrant admission into the conference.

The division would be as follows

Pac-10 North: Washington, Washington State, Oregon, Oregon State, BYU, Utah

Pac-10 South: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Stanford, UCLA, USC

Why is this good for BYU and Utah? Both recruit well from the West, and inclusion into the conference will aid that. And by coming over as a pair (and as rivals) they bring legitimacy to the expansion eastward.

But what about... geography? The state of Utah doesn't border any states of current Pac-10 members, and that may cause some issues, but distance isn't really something the conference has ever regarded. Consider that Tucson, AZ to Seattle, WA is 1100 miles, or 400 miles farther than Tucson to Provo, UT.

ADD MORE TEAMS TO THE MOUNTAIN WEST

Why is this good for the Mountain West? As it stands under this scenario, the Mountain West is down to 7 members (the current 9, minus BYU and Utah). To get up with the big boys, the MWC needs to add 5 schools. The 5 that should move to the MWC should be: Boise State, Nevada, New Mexico State, Rice, SMU.

There is already talk of Boise coming over to the MWC, so that is a no brainer. The others are coming over as "rivals" to existing MWC schools. Nevada will face UNLV, New Mexico State will pair with New Mexico, Rice and SMU will pit against TCU is a three-way battle for Texas.

Having 12 schools will allow the conference to host a championship game, matching the winners of each division, which would be as follows:

MWC North: UNLV, Nevada, Air Force, Wyoming, Colorado State, Boise State

MWC South: San Diego State, New Mexico, New Mexico State, TCU, Rice, SMU

Why is this good for the 5 programs? The shift from either the C-USA or WAC will legitimize the programs (see the next point). All will also enter the new MWC with a foe. Everyone wins.

But what about... the MWC still remaining relatively minute as compared to their BCS brethren? Why would these schools shift from one conference to another, just for shits and giggles? See next point.

ADMIT THE MOUNTAIN WEST INTO THE BCS

Why is this good for the BCS? Controversy will mainly be avoided. By admitting the redesigned MWC into the BCS you are accepting the current BCS gate crashers. You are bringing in the current at-large schools causing heartache and giving yourself another conference champion that the country can latch onto.

Why is this good for the MWC? Why isn't it good for the MWC?

But what about... the C-USA and WAC? These two conferences are now in shambles. What to do? See next item.

MERGE THE C-USA AND WAC

Why is this good for the two conferences? Because of the success of some of their schools, and regional ability to move, the Conference USA and WAC are currently left in shambles (under this proposal). Essentially afterthoughts as they are, now they are left with 15 schools between them. They could either split them up 8 and 7 or combine forces and form a 15 league mega conference. In terms of basketball, as we have seen with the Big East, and their 16 school hoops conference, too many schools doesn't water down the pool.

But what about... regionality? The C-USA is currently a conglomerate of throw-ins from around the country. Under this plan, that would just increase to a truly national conference. The members of it would be: Fresno St, Hawaii, Idaho, La Tech, San Jose St, Utah St, UTEP, Tulane, Tulsa, UAB, Cent Florida, ECU, Marshall, Memphis, Southern Miss

Using the scenario outlined above, 18 schools will change conferences. This sounds like a lot, but as you can see many will be moving as groups and either with or to a rival.

But what about the Big East? Well, the Big East is the one conference I am leaving alone. In their football world, they are lacking the 12 members to create a championship game. But when you include their basketball members, they are a 16-team powerhouse.

One final thought. I reserve the right to claim this entire scenario null and void if Notre Dame ever decides to join the Big 10. If that were to happen, I would still endorse some shifting, but nothing to the extent of this proposal. More on that if a Notre Dame to the Big 10 rumor starts getting some legitimate traction.

Illini hold off Boise State 84-77, the quick post game

Joe Kutsunis — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 02:57:32 -0000

More photos » by Darrell Hoemann - AP

Browse more photos »

As you no doubt just watched, the Illini survived the twin terrors of a Boise State team that can score quickly and a basketball game called by the most recognizable referee in College Basketball.

Some notes I would be remissed not to include in this first impressions post

Mike Davis was pretty effin' good tonight 12 rebounds (6 offensive) and 16 points record his fourth double-double of the season. Those points were also fairly crucial as he made several under some extreme contention and when the game was getting a little too close there at the end.
Demetri McCamey, although he had only 2 assists and 6 turnovers is still clearly the best suited player to run the offense right now. About 90% of the "oh god" moments came tonight when he was sitting on the bench. Besides that, he contributed 23 points to lead all scorers, you know thats all.
Brandon Paul has gotten most of the praise and press of the two starting freshmen so far this season, but I want to point out D.J. Richardson tonight. He has saved alot of possessions from the crapper with his 3 point shot, and tonight's 14 points were evidence of that.
Mike Tisdale's free throws, we must always be thankful when a big man makes the free throws.
Lord help Bill Cole, who really worked his ass off tonight spelling Mike Tisdale early, and fouling out for his efforts. He played much better than his stat sheet will tell you.

Fighting Illini & Boise State preview, no time for a step back now.

Joe Kutsunis — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 19:50:31 -0000

More photos » by Brett Flashnick - AP

Browse more photos »

Mike Davis was right when he said that the Illini would have to steal two games that they were not supposed to win, the game against a ranked Clemson at LittleJohn was just such a game. A stolen win against a Gonzaga or another highly respected opponent would make up completely for Vegas.

But, this also means the Illini cannot drop anymore games to less than stellar out of conference opponents. The Illini are still 5-2 with losses to not so great teams; losing tonight to a Boise State would put the Illini exactly back where they were on Tuesday night, with a very grim record heading into Conference play. We should also not forget that counting the first half of Clemson and the second half of utah, the Illini had a streak of 4 straight halves of absolutely awful basketball.

As amazing as it was when Demetri came back into the game on Wednesday, we saw just how terrible this team can be without him around to run the offense. Demetri is going to have to stay out of foul trouble for the rest of the year, because he has become absolutely indispensable to the success of this team.

It has taken some time but Tisdale has finally come out of his shell and his playing like the scoring threat that we knew from last year. He not only scored the key points against Clemson in the closing minute, but also came away with the biggest block of the season, shutting the door on Clemson's chances to take the Illini into overtime.

Mike Davis too showed up and in a big way in the second half of Clemson. His shot is about as automatic as I have ever seen right now, but he is going to be relied upon all year as the primary rebounder for this team, if he doesn't show up inside, there is no one really that can pick up the slack.

Lastly the freshmen, this team's unknown factor. D.J. and Brandon have shown the brightest when the team is running at full speed, and when they don't have to make decisions on offense. Brandon Paul has proven that when you get a Mr Basketball from the state of Illinois on your team, you have good things to look forward to. Both of these guys played unbelievably in the second half, but were frighteningly dangerous with their hands on the ball under a full court press. The team didn't break its funk until DMAC was able to provide some stability coming down the court. Richardson and Paul are the greatest beneficiaries of the well run motion offense, and if this team has the time and poise to set them up, these freshmen are going to continue to look very good.

Because that is the biggest problem it seems for the Illini, turning the ball over, credit some of it to youth of the freshmen but some to the inability of many of the upperclassmen to react to one of their team mates being in trouble with the ball. It was their undoing in all of their troubled periods this season thus far and will more than likely be their weakness all season. When taking care of the ball, this team will be scary good this season, when not, as we have already seen, they can lose to anyone.

Oh, and we are playing Boise tonight.

Canadian Content

rbala — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:00:36 -0000

More NCAA basketball letters are signed early, Carl English is big in the EuroLeague, another look at St. Francis Xavier's Coach Konchalski's milestone and other assorted basketball news from around the country in this edition of Canadian Content.

First off, let's start by saying congratulations to St. Francis Xavier Coach Steve Konchalski for setting the all time CIS wins record with 735, and counting, passing the great Jerry Hemmings of Brandon University. He broke the record last week but it's never a bad thing to repeat a monumental feat. Canada Basketball | CANADA'S COACH K SETS WINS RECORD

For some National Team news ...

A little on the English in Europe. Canada Basketball | ENGLISH LEADS THE WAY IN CAJA LABORAL'S EUROLEAGUE WIN

An interview by FIBA with the San Antonio Spurs Matt Bonner on being able to suit up for Team Canada this summer. FIBA.com - Latest basketball news

And lastly, a few weeks ago I penned a piece on the little situation brewing in Hamilton regarding some former NEDA girls playing ball at a local high school. It looks like the forum post on the subject at the basketball website it began on had reached 17 pages before the site administrator seemed to have ended all additions to the thread. Well, the upshoot is that the team with the NEDA girls is headed to the city finals. Just read the last post by a rival basketball coach and remember that adults can still act like children. TheSpec.com - Sports - 'X' stars as St. Mary's march on

More Canadian players signing to NCAA scholarships in the early period ...

Jabs Newby from Toronto - Eastern Kentucky University Athletics - Colonel Men's Basketball Signs Three Recruits in Early Signing Period

Micaella Riche from Gloucester, ON - Minnesota Inks Impressive Recruiting Class - Gophersports.com

Diana Lee from Vancouver - Women's Basketball Signs Four To National Letters of Intent - Boise State

Some college and university news bits from around the country ...

Basketball a bonus for SAIT's Chiek

The Sil " Blog Archive " Marauder women sweep Kingston trip

The Sil " Blog Archive " No. 4 Marauders kick off conference play

newsdurhamregion.com | Fab-five from Ajax lead way for Durham Lords

And last but not least, our favorite east coast minor league basketball team has announced their upcoming schedule. rainmenbasketball.ca: News

BtB 2009-10 Western Athletic Conference Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:18:43 -0000

The membership of the Western Athletic Conference has to hope that the beginning of the second decade of the 21st century resembles the beginning of the first decade, and not its end. You see, the WAC skidded at the end of the "aughts," only qualifying the league champion to the 2008 and 2009 tournaments, with both teams falling at the first hurdle. (Though Utah State, conveniently placed in a Boise pod, gave Marquette a battle last season, falling by one.)

Really, the last four years of the decade saw the WAC on a bit of a downswing. Between 2006 and 2009, the conference only won one tournament game, Nevada's win over Creighton in a 7/10 matchup in 2007. Compare that to the first six years of the decade, when a league member won at least one tournament game each tournament. And in that 2000-2005 span, the only year the WAC received a single bid was 2003, when now former member Tulsa won their first round game..as a 13 seed!

The conference's two main standard bearers in the early part of this century, Utah State and Nevada, are poised to bring the WAC back to prominence this time around, but they'll be challenged by the other seven schools, particularly New Mexico State and an Idaho team that made big strides last year. More on all nine teams after the jump.

Let's start with a look at the final WAC standings for 2008-09.

Western Athletic Conference Standings

(updated 3.24.2009 at 12:09 AM EDT)

	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Utah State Aggies	14	2	30	5
Nevada Wolf Pack	11	5	21	13
Boise St. Broncos	9	7	19	13
New Mexico St. Aggies	9	7	17	15
Idaho Vandals	9	7	17	16
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs	6	10	15	18
San Jose St. Spartans	6	10	13	17
Hawaii Warriors	5	11	13	17
Fresno St. Bulldogs	3	13	13	21

Now here are my picks for the 2009-10 season, presented in reverse order.

Fresno State (last NCAA: 2001) Steve Cleveland continues to rebuild the Fresno State program, and this team should improve on the three conference wins they earned last season, even if their place in the standings doesn't change. The overall talent, led by swingman Paul George (14.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 44.7% 3-pointers) and the team's only senior, forward Sylvester Seay (15.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg), is good, but Cleveland needs a new point guard to replace Dwight O'Neil. JC transfer Steven Shepp, a 6-2 junior from Virginia, could be the answer. There is a lot of excitement in Fresno about 6-9 freshman Greg Smith, who will join Seay and 6-8 Nedeljko Golubovic (7.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg) in the frontcourt. The Bulldogs will participate in the West Coast Classic, a unique round-robin event in which they'll host Pacific and San Diego State and visit Northern Arizona and Santa Clara.

Hawai'i (last NCAA: 2002) The Warriors return just about everyone from last year's 8th place team, including 6-7 F Roderick Flemings (16.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg), who will be a serious contender for WAC Player of the Year. The only significant loss is that of G Kareem Nitoto, one of coach Bob Nash's primary stoppers, who transferred to UC Riverside. His departure could hurt the conference's third-ranked defense. Flemings will get some help on the offensive end, as JC transfer Jeremy Lay arrives to help carry the load at point guard, as returning starter Hiram Thompson battled injuries in '08-09. Providence transfer Dwain Williams will also be eligible. He averaged 11 points and 2 assists a game as a Friar and was the team's best foul and three-point shooter. 7-0 Brazilian JC transfer Douglas Kurtz woll help bolster a frontline that returns 6-9 senior Bill Amis, who averaged nearly 11 points and 7 boards a game last year, and 6-8 Lithuanian senior Petras Balocka (8.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg). The Warriors will anchor the Christmastime Diamond Head Classic, where they will face Southern Conference favorite College of Charleston before facing either SMU or UNLV, both former conference-mates in their second game. The Rainbow Classic has been converted to a four-team round-robin. UH will face McNeese State, Northern Colorado, and Southern Utah in that event.

Louisiana Tech (last NCAA: 1991) Kerry Rupp's team actually finished the year ranked only behind Utah State in the WAC's total defense table, giving up abour 63 points a game. Unfortunately, they only managed to score about 63 points per game, despite featuring three players who averaged in double-figures. That meant the Bulldogs finished rock bottom in the league in scoring and with a 6-10 league mark. As all three of their leading scorers--senior sharpshooter Kyle Gibson (16.1 ppg), 603 senior Jamel Guyton (11.8 ppg), and former LSU standout Magnum Rolle (12.2 ppg, 7.2 rpg) are all back, Tech has an excellent shot at improving their scoring totals. Rupp just needs some of his other players, such as sophomore guard Olu Ashaolu (5.3 ppg) and senior forward David Jackson (5 ppg, 3.5 rpg), to step up their production. 5-11 JC transfer DeAndre Brown, who was named the top junior college player in Texas last season, is another possible answer. If La Tech can find some more points from somewhere, they could really surprise.

San Jose State (last NCAA: 1996) Like La Tech, the Spartans won 6 WAC games last year. They should win a few more this year if their star, Washington transfer Adrian Oliver, can stay healthy. The 6-4 guard averaged over 17 points a game in the 18 games he was able to appear in when healthy. Coach George Nessman will have to find a replacement for his team's third leading scorer of a year ago, senior forward Tim Pierce (11.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg). The frontline returnees, 6-9 C.J. Webster (12 ppg, 6.5 rpg), who earned an extra year of eligibility, and 6-10 Chris Oakes (8.2 ppg, 7.6 rpg), are a formidable unit. They'll be joined by 6-8 JC transfer Moses Omolade. Junior Justin Graham, who averaged more than 8 points and nearly 5 assists a game, will partner with Oliver in the backcourt. 6-3 senior Robert Owens (7 ppg), a 38 percent three-point shooter will also see plenty of time this year. In an interesting scheduling quirk, Oliver will get to play on his former homecourt on November 20. The game in Seattle is the Spartans only one scheduled against a Pac-10 opponent this season.

Boise State (last NCAA: 2008) The Broncos followed up on their 2008 WAC title and NCAA appearance with 19 wins and an appearance in the College Basketball Invitational. To make the postseason for a third straight season, coach Greg Graham will have to replace three key performers. most notably Mark Sanchez, the Broncos' leading scorer (13 ppg) and rebounder (7.2 rpg) last time out. The frontcourt will still be strong without Sanchez, as 6-9 C Kurt Cunningham (10.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg), 6-9 F Ike Okoye (8.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg), and 6-7 Paul Noonan (10 ppg, 3.6 rpg) return. They'll be joined by 6-7 JC transfer Daequon Montreal, who averaged nearly 16 points and 9 boards a game at the College of Southern Idaho. The offense is in good hands with PG Anthony Thomas at the helm. He averaged 9 points a contest last year while setting the Broncos' single-season record for assists. BSU could use another backcourt scorer, however, with returnees Justin Salzwedel and La'Shard Anderson being the best hopes. The Broncos travel to Illinois this season and play in a round-robin event at Montana, which also features North Dakota and Loyola Marymount.

Idaho (last NCAA: 1990) First-year coach Don Verlin led the Vandals to 17 wins last year (they won only 38 total games in the previous five years), a sweep of archrivals Boise State, and a win over Pacific in the College Insider Tournament. Thanks to the eligibility of a player who left that very Tiger program, Idaho could very well improve on their 9-7 league finish this season. Steffan Johnson, who was last seen earning a spot on the all-Big West first team during his junior year in Stockton, will team with 6-2 senior Mac Hopson (16.4 ppg, 5.9 apg) and 6-4 Kashif Watson (10.3 ppg) to form perhaps the best backcourt in the league. The frontcourt, led by 6-9 Marvin Jefferson (9.1 ppg), 6-6 Brandon Wiley (8.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg) and 6-7 Luciano de Souza (8.5 ppg) is solid, but could stand to increase its scoring. 6-8 Luiz Toledo, who averaged 13.6 ppg at St. Francis Xavier University in Canada, could end up being another inside scoring option for Idaho.

Nevada (last NCAA: 2007) Assistant David Carter takes over for Mark Fox, who left for a BCS conference gig (Georgia). The Wolf Pack underwent some roster changes in the offseason. Most notably, 6-6 F Malik Cooke (9.6 ppg. 6.2 rpg) transferred and 6-8 F Ahyaro Phillips got kicked off the team, but the two leaders of the team, 6-9 Luke Babbitt (16.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg) and 6-3 Armon Johnson (15.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg) are back. The two Reno products can't do it all by themselves, though. Carter expects to get more out of returnees Brandon Fields, who averaged 9.4 points per contest coming off the bench last year, Jerry Shaw (7.4 ppg, 4 rpg), and Dario Hunt (3.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg). The fact that two recruits, highly-regarded Devonte Elliott and Jerry Evans, Jr., couldn't get eligible hurts. 6-9 Serbian F Marko Cukic is eligible, though, and he'll see plenty of action. Nevada has another tough schedule lined up, with games atUNLV, VCU, Pacific, and North Carolina lined up, to go along with home tilts against Houston, Portland, and games at the Christmas week Las Vegas Classic against BYU and either Nebraska or Tulsa.

New Mexico State (last NCAA: 2007) Coach Marvin Menzies brings everyone back from a team that led the WAC in scoring last season. Unfortunately, the Aggies were the bizarro Louisiana Tech, finishing dead last in defense. Still, NMSU won 9 games last time out, and if they can get more stops they'll be a serious postseason threat. Four Aggies averaged in double-figures last year, starters Jahmar Young (17.9 ppg, 4 rpg), 3-point specialist Jonathan Gibson (14.1 ppg), and inside force Wendell McKines (12.1 ppg, 10 rpg), and reserve Troy Gillenwater (12.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg). Pass-first PG Hernst Laroche (5.8 ppg, 4.3 apg) will lead the offense.

Utah State (last NCAA: 2009) Despite losing WAC Player of the Year Gary Wilkinson (17.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg) and marksman Stavon Williams (6 ppg), the Aggies are again the favorite thanks to who returns. Stew Morrill's backcourt is led by two players who can do a little of everything, Jared Quayle (13.1 ppg, 6 rpg, 3.7 apg) and Tyler Newbold (9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.2 apg). Jaxon Myaer may see more time this year with the departure of Williams, especially as he's also an effective three-point shooter. In the frontcourt, 6-7 Tai Wesley (12 ppg, 6 rpg) is back while JC transfer Nate Bendall, a 6-8 forward who averaged over 14 points and 6 boards a game for last year's NJCAA champions, Salt Lake CC, is expected to replace Wilkinson. 6-6 freshman Tyrone White may see some time on the wing to help stretch defenses. As usual, the Aggies will be challenged by their in-state rivals, as they visit Utah and host BYU. They also travel to Northeastern and host a four-team round-robin that features Cal State-Fullerton, Morehead State, and Weber State, three teams who will challenge for their respective league crowns.

Utah State is my pick, and they'll hold the WAC's auto bid in my 2009-10 Final Preseason Bracket, which I will release on November 9. Of course, the big question is whether the conference can manage multiple bids this season. The talent is certainly there at the top.

To wrap up this preview, here is my preseason All-WAC team, featuring the best returning players from last season.

Preseason All-WAC Team

Player of the Year: Luke Babbitt, 6-9 F, So. (Nevada)

Remainder of the Team
Roderick Flemings, 6-7 F, Sr. (Hawai'i)
Mac Hopson, 6-2 G, Sr. (Idaho)
Adrian Oliver, 6-4 G, Jr. (San Jose State)
Jahmar Young, 6-5 G, Jr. (New Mexico State)

Poll

Who is your pick to win the WAC this season?

Boise State

2 votes

Fresno State

0 votes

Hawai'i

1 votes

Idaho

6 votes

Louisiana Tech

2 votes

Nevada

4 votes

New Mexico State

2 votes

San Jose State

0 votes

Utah State

1 votes

18 votes | Poll has closed

Broncos and Hokies in 2010

umass09 — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:00:10 -0000

This past Thursday it was announced that Boise State will play Virginia Tech in 2010. The game will be held on October 2 at FedEx Field in Washington.

The Broncos will receive $1.25 million to play the Hokies, which will complete there out of conference schedule in 2010, which also includes: Toledo, Wyoming and Oregon State.

I think this is solid move on the Broncos part. It will give them more respect for playing a consistently solid ACC team and will bring more national attention to Boise State and the WAC. Hopefully, this is just another stepping-stone for the ‘little guys’ to get some recognition and a sign as to why the BCS needs to change.

Boise State to the MWC?

umass09 — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:07:42 -0000

In a push to be more appealing to the BCS and a possible automatic bid, the Mountain West is considering adding a tenth team to the conference. Obviously, this makes sense and could definitely help out the MWC in getting that automatic BCS bid.

Unfortunately, for the WAC, the team that the MWC might be looking at is Boise State. This move would make sense geographically and would bring another dominant team to the conference. Aside from helping out their push for an automatic bid, the addition of the Broncos would lead to some good mid season football matchups in the MWC.

We would possibly get to see Boise State vs. TCU and Boise State vs. Utah. This move would bring even more credibility to a conference that has been pretty consistent recently.

Two problems that I see stopping this move from happening. First, would be the WAC would not want to lose such a good team. Second, we know this move would benefit the MWC, but how much of an improvement is it for the Broncos?

#18: Boise State at Fresno State. The Most Anticipated Games of 2009!

ibleedscarlet — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 03:00:18 -0000

Boise State comes to the Valley in '09

The Game: Boise State Broncos at Fresno State Bulldogs

The Location: Bulldog Stadium, Fresno, California

The Date: Friday, September 18, 2009 at 9:00 PM (national television coverage on ESPN)

FSU vs. USC in '05: The game that won Reggie Bush a Heisman he'll have to give back someday....

Why to Watch: Remember when Fresno State was the next big thing in college football. They took Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart to the max in 2005, and became the nation's darlings. But since then it's been Boise State that has captured the nation's hearts. Starting with it's 2006-07 Fiesta Bowl victory, followed by Ian Johnson's proposal to his girlfriend on national TV, BSU became the new "it" team as far as non-BCS conference teams have gone. This year Boise State and Fresno State both have the talent to be the BCS buster, and this game will go a long way towards determining which of these teams has a shot at a big payday come next January.

For previews of each team and predictions, read on after the jump.....

History: Fresno State and Boise State has become the game to determine the WAC championship for the most part, and Boise State tops the series thus far. BSU holds a 7-4 record in the 11 meetings between the teams, and the Broncos have won 7 of the last 8 against the Bulldogs. The only victory: a 27-7 Fresno victory in November of 2005. Fresno State is 3-3 all-time against Boise State at home.

The Breakdown: My colleague Anshey here at ProtectRturf has already covered Boise in depth (Oregon Ducks at Boise State Broncos), and here's what he had to say:

The Broncos are an offensive football team. They've made their living being offensive innovators, and Chris Peterson is no slouch, having compiled a 35-4 overall record as head man at BSU. While the Broncos lose all everything RB Ian Johnson, as well as WR Jeremy Childs, they return outstanding QB Kellen Moore. Moore had almost 3,500 yards passing in '08, and 25 TDs. They've got an up and coming WR in Austin Pettis, who was their 3rd option in '08. With the top two WR's gone, and a big game to start the season in Bronco Stadium, listen for Pettis' name all game long. Moore will be throwing to him early and often. WR Titus Young, an explosive deep threat for the Broncos, should also be in the mix often in this game. Boise State returns 6 on offense, and 5 on defense in 2009.

But don't sleep on the Broncos defense either. The Broncos will rely mostly on a 4-2-5 defensive alignment that will maximize their defensive back usage as they return four starters from last season. Cornerback Kyle Wilson passed on the NFL for another year in college, and is one of the surest tacklers in the game. Prepare to hear his name and number a lot on Saturdays this year (and probably on Sundays next year). Kyle Brotzman is an absolute stud on special teams and will provide BSU with an advantage over almost every team in the kicking/punting department.

"WHOSE NEXT?!?!"

Fresno State under head coach Pat Hill has always claimed to "play any team, any time, anywhere", and that's no different this year. Along with the conference game against Boise, FSU will play at Wisconsin, at Cincinnati, and at Illinois. That's a pretty daunting task, but with a few breaks, and wins against those teams, there will be no argument against FSU in a BCS bowl game, if not the National Championship. But let's not "crown their asses" just yet. Fresno loses star quarterback Tom Brandstater to the NFL, and has an open QB competition going on to see who his successor will be. Early reports look like Ryan Colburn or Derrick Carr (yes, David Carr's brother), will have the inside track on the job, which will be made easier by the return of WR's that can stretch the field in WR Seyi Ajirotutu and Chastin West. Fresno State has one of the best groups of RB's in the nation, and will rely on a committee (ala USC) between Ryan Mathews, Lonyae Miller and Anthony Harding. The defense is the spot that needs some improvement though. The defense recorded a measly 18 sacks last season, and ranked 108th in the nation in tackles for loss. That won't get the job done against a Boise State team that loves to spread you out, and run it down your throat....and then will take advantage and take it deep. For Fresno to win, they'll need to get consistent pressure on Kellen Moore and take him out of his comfort zone. Expect a loud, boisterous crowd that will add to the razzing of Moore.

Interesting/Fun Facts: When you think of elite programs, you usually jump immediately to USC, Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, and Ohio State. Well, make sure that you put Boise on that list. BSU has the nation's best home field advantage over the last decade (64-2), the nation's highest winning percentage, 3 unbeaten seasons, a BCS bowl win, the nation's highest scoring average, AND is boasts the 8th highest winning % of any college football program. EVER. Just make sure that you mention BSU next time you and your friends discuss the best teams in college football.

The Prediction: For argument's sake I'd love to pick against Chris Peterson and the Broncos, but I just can't. The offense is just too good, and the defense will force 2-3 interceptions from Fresno (no matter who the QB is). Boise expects an undefeated season, and anything less will be a disappointment. They should have a win under their belts already against Oregon, and should have the talking heads around the country abuzz with BCS buster talk. Give me the Broncos in a close one at half, that gets away from the Bulldogs late.

Boise State Broncos 34 Fresno State 21

Look out for game #17 tomorrow......

The Top 25 Games, so far:

#19: Penn State @ Michigan State

20. 9/7 - Cincinnati @ Rutgers
21. 9/3 - Oregon @ Boise State
22. 9/19 - Cincy @ Oregon State
23. 11/21 - OSU @ Michigan
24. 10/17 - USC @ ND
25. 12/12 - Army vs Navy

Poll

Who will win this match-up?

Boise State

115 votes

Fresno State

96 votes

211 votes | Poll has closed