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Boise State Will Not Make The BCS Title Game Because Computers Hate Them

The first official college football BCS rankings came out on Sunday and Boise State ranks third. But, as is often the case with the BCS, looks can be deceiving.

As this logic-driven piece by Pete Thamel describes in today’s New York Times, the odds of the Broncos making it to the title game are very, very slim even if (or when, depending on how you look at it) they run the table and finish the season undefeated.

The same can also be said for Texas Christian University, who, ranked 5th in the BCS standings, has even less of a chance of making it to the title game. No matter how highly ranked they may be, the computers do not (because they cannot) look upon the Broncos or the Horned Frogs with the same adoring fervor as most of the media and the public finally do.

The “computer poll” which makes up 1/3 of the BCS’ “system,” is going to eloquently screw the blue-field barons from a chance at history.

Thamel pontificates, with help from an independent B.C.S. analyst, that Boise needs teams to keep dropping like it’s 2007 to even have a chance at making the “title” game.

“A similarly dizzying flurry of upsets would be needed because the computers are weighed heavily toward teams from the power conferences, Palm said. Because the computer formulas rely so heavily on strength of schedule, Palm said he gave Boise State only a 50-50 chance to make the title game if it were the only undefeated team in college football.”

Enough is enough. Who cares if they’re from Idaho? Who cares that they play on a blue field? They last lost a game on December 23, 2008, by one point against, you guessed it, TCU. That’s their only loss in the last 3 years. They beat teams from the power conferences over and over again. They are worthy.

And if you haven’t seen Boise State play, they’re worth a watch. They’re physical, they’re fast, and they’re fearless.  Their quarterback, Kellen Moore, probably has a better chance of winning the Heisman than his team does at winning the national title. But, again, the computers couldn’t even tell you that Moore throws left-handed.

In a dream world, Boise State will go undefeated (again), win their BCS bowl game (again), and finish the season atop the rankings. Then, perhaps the BCS will at least change, if not institute a playoff. In reality? College football is all about the Benjamins. And that, no matter how many times Boise State goes undefeated, will never change.

Image via Getty5