Boise State, after slotting in behind Oklahoma and Oregon in the initial BCS standings despite lofty poll rankings and a 59-point decimation of New Mexico State, managed to maintain its position at third after a bye. One Bronco Nation Under God provides some essential analysis:
Bye week is a tougher opponent than New Mexico State
So Boise State beats a team by 59 points (NMSU) and falls in the poll. They don't play anyone and they stay where they are. Transitive property: WAC games are easier than bye weeks.
That's not entirely fair to the poll voters, who likely are also considering that Boise State's wins haven't been as impressive as those by Auburn and Oregon thus far. But it's definitely hysterical.
It just gets "easier" for the Broncos, too: they have no more arduous byes left, play in each of the next six weeks, have an odd Tuesday night game against Louisiana Tech tonight, and only play one more ranked team, Nevada. Meanwhile, TCU, which trails Boise State by .0013 points in this week's BCS standings, must travel to Utah and gets two of those menacing byes to boost their strength of schedule.
Once again, it appears that Boise State needs help, and lots of it, to truly bust the BCS.