Boise State University

[cygrads]

Remember when BSU was a factor. A few years after conference realignment and they missed out on getting in a Big 5 conference you never hear anything about them. I realize they aren't as good as they have been in the past but still hardly any coverage. This could have been ISU if the Big XII would have collapsed.

 

[Skidoosh]

I wouldnt have known NDSU won a national championship until we played them. If it aint D-1 power 5, the large majority of people couldn't give a rip.

 

[iowa_wildcat]

No, Iowa State would have joined the Big East and be constantly wearing out airplanes, even more than West Virginia does now.

 

[3TrueFans]

I wish we could be a flash in the pan some time. I'd take a few years of national attention and then a slide back into mediocrity no problem.

 

[cygrads]

No, Iowa State would have joined the Big East and be constantly wearing out airplanes, even more than West Virginia does now.

I forgot about the Big East - it would have been better for the Big East if the Big XII would have folded.

 

[besserheimerphat]

The thing about Boise is when they were getting all the recognition a few years ago, they were blowing out everyone - from 2008 - 2011 there were only a handful of games that they won by less than two scores. Many games were 40+ to <20. Think about what they actually accomplished from 2008 - 2011: a record of 50-3, with an average score of 42 - 15. Those three losses were to #14 TCU by 1 point, at #11 Nevada by 3 points, and #7 TCU in a BCS bowl by 1 point. Meanwhile they had wins over #19 Georgia by 14, #16 Virginia Tech by 3, #11 Oregon by 11, #6 TCU by 7 and #10 Oregon by 13. That is absolutely an elite resume in my mind even with the "weak" conference schedule. I can't imagine that the blue bloods of college football would have fared any better against the same schedule over that stretch.

In 2012 they still went 11-2, but the two losses were to unranked teams and their victories were much more competitive games in a Mountain West conference that no longer included TCU, BYU or Utah (but they have played BYU the past couple years in non-con). Then last year was the first time in a long time that they failed to get double digit wins, going 8-5 and getting blown out against #25 Washington. While conference realignment has probably had some effect, I think they've faded from national consciousness because they just aren't nearly as good as they used to be.

 

[HFCS]

Various MWC teams and/or BYU will continue to surface as occasional powers unless the power 4/big ten split is somehow truly crippling. There is a huge chunk of the country that only had one nfl team and two PAC 12 teams. Plus an entire west coast that only has 8 power conf teams.

 

[CyFan61]

I forgot about the Big East - it would have been better for the Big East if the Big XII would have folded.

My guess is we'd have a conference of:

Baylor
Cincinnati
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State
Louisville
TCU
UConn
USF

And they would have rolled with the nine team conference playing 8 football games and 16 basketball games. It would have been right on the border of a major/mid-major conference with the SEC, ACC, Big Ten, and new Pac-16.

Think the ACC would have taken West Virginia instead of Louisville.

Once the Pac went to 16, this conference would be next in line for raiding if the SEC dived into the ACC for two more, as the ACC would then come here to fill back up (Louisville and UConn ripe for the plucking). Same for the Big Ten (KU would be constantly lobbying for this invite). It would have been even more unsteady than the current Big 12 with less money. Maybe we'd end up throwing invites at schools like Boise State, BYU, UCF.

 

[awd4cy]

My guess is we'd have a conference of:

Baylor
Cincinnati
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State
Louisville
TCU
UConn
USF

And they would have rolled with the nine team conference playing 8 football games and 16 basketball games. It would have been right on the border of a major/mid-major conference with the SEC, ACC, Big Ten, and new Pac-16.

Think the ACC would have taken West Virginia instead of Louisville.

Once the Pac went to 16, this conference would be next in line for raiding if the SEC dived into the ACC for two more, as the ACC would then come here to fill back up (Louisville and UConn ripe for the plucking). Same for the Big Ten (KU would be constantly lobbying for this invite). It would have been even more unsteady than the current Big 12 with less money. Maybe we'd end up throwing invites at schools like Boise State, BYU, UCF.

That's one nice basketball conference.. but football, woof.

 

[CyCrazy]

My guess is we'd have a conference of:

Baylor
Cincinnati
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State
Louisville
TCU
UConn
USF

And they would have rolled with the nine team conference playing 8 football games and 16 basketball games. It would have been right on the border of a major/mid-major conference with the SEC, ACC, Big Ten, and new Pac-16.

Think the ACC would have taken West Virginia instead of Louisville.

Once the Pac went to 16, this conference would be next in line for raiding if the SEC dived into the ACC for two more, as the ACC would then come here to fill back up (Louisville and UConn ripe for the plucking). Same for the Big Ten (KU would be constantly lobbying for this invite). It would have been even more unsteady than the current Big 12 with less money. Maybe we'd end up throwing invites at schools like Boise State, BYU, UCF.

If this happens count me out. KU would not stick around for this anyway.

 

[awd4cy]

If this happens count me out. KU would not stick around for this anyway.

Would they have a choice?

 

[Omaha Cy]

The thing about Boise is when they were getting all the recognition a few years ago, they were blowing out everyone - from 2008 - 2011 there were only a handful of games that they won by less than two scores. Many games were 40+ to <20. Think about what they actually accomplished from 2008 - 2011: a record of 50-3, with an average score of 42 - 15. Those three losses were to #14 TCU by 1 point, at #11 Nevada by 3 points, and #7 TCU in a BCS bowl by 1 point. Meanwhile they had wins over #19 Georgia by 14, #16 Virginia Tech by 3, #11 Oregon by 11, #6 TCU by 7 and #10 Oregon by 13. That is absolutely an elite resume in my mind even with the "weak" conference schedule. I can't imagine that the blue bloods of college football would have fared any better against the same schedule over that stretch.

Boise State had 6 players drafted in 2012, and another 3 in 2011. That's a ton of NFL talent. Based on the level of opponent in the MWC, I bet a lot of those guys saw action very early at Boise. That really puts their 2008-2011 era in perspective with just how much talent they had on the field.

Kellen Moore played from 08-11 and he wasn't even drafted. Who knows how many more Boise guys were undrafted FA's that got serious camp looks or eventually made rosters.

I'd be interested to watch a 30 for 30 about Boise and that era as we'll probably never see another run like that from a non P5 conf team.

 

[Acylum]

That's one nice basketball conference.. but football, woof.

Hell it's better than the B10.

 

[jbindm]

Boise State had 6 players drafted in 2012, and another 3 in 2011. That's a ton of NFL talent. Based on the level of opponent in the MWC, I bet a lot of those guys saw action very early at Boise. That really puts their 2008-2011 era in perspective with just how much talent they had on the field.

Kellen Moore played from 08-11 and he wasn't even drafted. Who knows how many more Boise guys were undrafted FA's that got serious camp looks or eventually made rosters.

I'd be interested to watch a 30 for 30 about Boise and that era as we'll probably never see another run like that from a non P5 conf team.

Peterson jumped ship at the right time. Not so sure about the landing spot, but I think he saw that he had taken that program as far as it was going to go. Great run at Boise State but with the new playoff system I don't think we'll ever see another non P5 program crash the party.

 

[Rural]

BSU did wonders for their school with their win against the Sooners in that bowl game.

Resourceful, never say die, and helped cement the "Big Game Bob" meme.

 

[jdoggivjc]

What killed Boise St football was a "Lack of Institutional Control" penalty levied against the football team. The football team's violations by themselves would have likely garnered only a slap on the wrist (recruits got meals and beds from other athletes while visiting), but whatever it was the women's tennis team did as well as some of the other teams caused the football team to get smacked down with 3 years probation, lost 3 scholarships/year, and had number of fall practices reduced. Not to mention Chris Petersen finally decided to cash in what he previously did at BSU with a job at Washington.

The glory days of Boise St football are over.

 

[SpokaneCY]

I wish we could be a flash in the pan some time. I'd take a few years of national attention and then a slide back into mediocrity no problem.

Right now our claim to fame is being on the lists of programs with no success. But based on the OP, bad publicity is better than no publicity?

Not sure I feel that good about being the worst program (maybe Kansas CURRENTLY) in good (NOT great) conference.