Is this some kind of official statement naming Broncos are the baddest team in the land? No.
Is this a declaration that the Boise State will put together another perfect season? No.
Is it even a prediction that Boise's going to pummel Virginia Tech in its season opener? No.
But it is an argument that the Broncos should be ranked No. 1 in the official preseason polls. Actually, let's call it a demand for justice.
It'll be weeks before the official polls are released, but in unofficial rankings, Boise is coming up short.
Athlon Sports placed Boise State fourth, behind defending national champion Alabama, Ohio State and Southern Cal in its preseason top 25.
Lindy's Sports has a better opinion of the Broncos, ranking them second only to the Crimson Tide. Ditto for ESPN.com's Mark Schlerath, who gave Boise the No. 2 spot behind Alabama in his post-spring rankings.
No. 2 is great — epecially for a so-called "mid major." But the Broncos deserve better.
The Case for Boise State
Boise State went 14-0 in 2009, capping the season with a 17-13 Fiesta Bowl victory over then-No. 3 Texas Christian. The Broncos entered that game ranked No. 6 in The Associated Press poll, and finished fourth in the final poll.
From that team, Boise returns 21 of its 22 starters. and 23 of 24 if you count kickers. The only starter the Broncos lost was a great one — cornerback and first-round NFL draft pick Kyle Wilson. But one has to believe that if any school from a "power conference" returned all but one starter from an undefeated No. 4-ranked team, there'd be no question about it being ranked No. 1 in the following year's preseason poll.
Quarterback Kellen Moore, who's put up astounding numbers in his first two college seasons, is back. So are fellow all-conference performers like running back Jeremy Avery, receivers, Austin Pettis and Titus Young, offensive tackle Nate Potter, defensive tackle Billy Winn, safety Jeron Johnson and linebacker/safety Winston Venable.
A perception about Boise is that it lacks the depth required to compete in a power conference. But head coach Chris Petersen rotates heavily, especially on defense, and a hefty number of subs are back also. One is linebacker J.C. Percy, who ranked second on the team in tackles to Johnson last season.
The Case Against Boise State
It's the same criticism that's been reflected since Boise emerged on the national scene. The Broncos play in a mid-major conference and don't face the same level of competition as an Alabama, an Oklahoma, an Ohio State, a USC, a Miami or even a TCU.
Yet the Broncos are 49-4 in four seasons under Petersen, and were pretty successful under Dan Hawkins before that (53-11 in five seasons). During those two stints, Boise proved ti can compete with more renowned schools, defeating the likes of Oklahoma, Oregon, Oregon State, Brigham Young and TCU.
But also during that span, the Broncos have lost to Boston College, Loustville, Washington, Oregon State and TCU as well as conference rivals Fresno State and Hawaii. If compelled to compete against the schedule of a BCS school, would Boise still be a powerhouse?
Skeptics also note that BSU does not regularly bring in high-profile recruits. Its 2010 recruiting class was ranked only No. 97 in the nation by Scout.com. It was No. 60 in 2009, No. 64 in 2008 and No. 57 in 2007.
If Not Boise, Then Who?
Boise State's roster might not be the greatest ever assembled. But if the Broncos aren't ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll, then who should be?
No. 1 Alabama looks terrific, but the Tide lost eight defensive starters, including stars Rolando McClain,Terrence Cody, Javier Arenas and Kareem Jackson. And despite the heroics of Heisman Trophy-winning running back Mark Ingram, 'Bama's strength last year was its defense.
Ohio State finished fifth in last season's final poll and most of its cast returns. But among the departed players are safetes Kurt Coleman and Anderson Russell, defensive end Thaddeus Gibson, three members of its defensive tackle rotation and offensive tackle Jim Cordle. That's considerably more than what Boise lost.
TCU should be tough again, but it lost its best defensive player in end Jerry Hughes, not to mention linebacker Daryl Washington, starting cornerbacks Rafael Priest and Nick Sanders, and running back Josph Turner.
Other Contenders
Oklahoma? A serious national title threat after an injury-ravaged 2009. But there's no Sam Bradford, no Trent Williams, no Gerald McCoy and no Jermaine Gresham. Those four were all picked in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft, and three were among the first four selections.
Oregon could have been a consideration, but star quarterback Jeremiah Masoli was booted from the team due to off-field problems. Texas will be strong, but Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley have moved on, as have defensive standouts Earl Thomas, Sergio Kindle and Lamarr Houston.
USC does boast a talented roster, but Taylor Mays, Damian Williams, Joe McKnight, Charles Brown and Everson Griffen are no longer around. And the Trojans are ineligible for the postseason thanks to NCAA violation. Iowa is eligible — and dangerous — but the Hawkeyes will be missing defensive stars Pat Angerer and Amari Spievey, not to mention tackle Bryan Bulaga and most of the offensive line.
It's often assumed that the larger schools can replace stars more adeptly than Boise State. That might be true. But in 2010, the Broncos have few stars to replace.
Luckily for Boise, legitimacy will be less of an issue after this season. The Broncos are joining the Mountain West Conference in 2011.
Jon Matsune - Jon Matsune is a free-lance writer based in Northern California. He has 25 years of experience in newspaper journalism, mostly as a sports ...
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