New article for Boise State student media.
Coming into this college football season, many experts and college football enthusiasts predicted the Alabama Crimson Tide to repeat as national champions. As well, most also agreed that this would be the year that Boise State would overcome their non-AQ status and reach the national championship game. Who would have guessed that by season's end both would be well out of contention?
Honestly, the season has been worst than being out of contention for both teams; it has been a failure.
Alabama, sitting on three losses in SEC conference play, finished fourth in the SEC West. Some predicted that Alabama would lose some games due to their strength of schedule, but no projections that I saw had the Crimson Tide with more than two losses. The South Carolina game was gut-wrenching due to the desperation of the four quarters of play. With the SEC West title on the line, the trip to Baton Rouge proved desolate as well with Alabama falling to the LSU Tigers.
The biggest blow to the self-esteem and season arrived in the form of the Auburn Tigers. The hated, despised, and dethroned program was seemingly in the gutters of SEC play, only to arise – Phoenix-like – on the wings of a controversial star football player, Cam Newton. As the season progressed, Auburn kept winning while Alabama seemed to falter. The season was left hanging on one game, The Iron Bowl.
A win for Alabama would have proven that Auburn as a program had not recovered to Alabama's standard, that they did not deserve to be a national championship football team, and that they did rely on one player and an easy schedule. Up 24-0 in a packed, raucous stadium, everything looked to be proven. Three quarters later, missed opportunity and some unfortunate events had become Alabama's downfall as the crowd witnessed the the worst possible sight, Alabama failure and Auburn prevail. However, it was worst than the drought of the early 00s. It was role reversal from being the dominant team in the state and country to giving that position to your rival the following year.
As for Boise, failure hung on the loss of one game. In a neck-and-neck race with TCU, Boise was in prime position to break into the national championship game with a win over ranked Nevada and an Oregon/Auburn loss. Although it is said that games do not come down to one or two plays, Boise kicker Kyle Brotzman – who is one of the greatest collegiate kickers of all-time – barely missed two easy field goals en route to an unthinkable upset.
What I can not imagine, as an Alabama fan, is how much this loss means to the Boise State program. Of course, Alabama was riding an impressive winning streak dating back to the loss against Florida in the '08 SEC Championship game before losing to South Carolina. The difference coming off of an Alabama loss is that they will maintain their ranking and prestige among the football universe. On the other hand, a loss for Boise State, even if to ranked Nevada, disbars the school from legitimacy moving forward in that college football season and even the next.
The best portrait for the meaning of this loss for Boise State lies in the faces of the two notorious fans at the end of the game. Hands over their heads, wide-eyed, and completely shocked, they watched as the pillars of success had fallen. Since Boise's destined win against Oklahoma in '06, Boise had steadily built their case for a national championship bid. Through undefeated seasons and consistent, dominant performances, they had reached the threshold. Last year they were shorted to third by two BCS powerhouses in Alabama and Texas. This year, they might as well had been entering the threshold.
In college football, it is shown that with prestige and power, a program can survive any major hurdle (Virginia Tech vs. James Madison, Michigan vs. Appalachian State). However, the opposite can be said for non-AQ teams such as Boise State and TCU. If TCU does not achieve a BCS national championship bid this year, it may be any non-AQs last chance for a championship since many of their 'powerhouses' are moving onward to BCS conferences.
This leaves you, Boise, in a tough spot. With BYU, TCU, and Utah all deserting the Mountain West to join other conferences, what else can you prove? As an Alabama fan – who would much rather be debating a potential Alabama/Boise State matchup in a championship – I know that it is tough to swallow a lost championship as I witnessed firsthand in 2008. What I have not witnessed is years of success and consistency mean nothing due to the outcome of one game.
As this season ends and a new one is ever-approaching, I wish you luck in the Mountain West and begin to build that Tower of Babylon (BCS) again. You are now the non-AQs only chance at receiving greatness.
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