Here is the espn article
Sitting with a buddy in a near-empty bar in Birmingham on Saturday morning at around 1 a.m. CST, I kept thinking how a lot of folks in SEC and Big Ten country must feel really vindicated. One of the great dramas of the 2010 season had just wrapped up after a riveting final two hours. The case of Boise State, after so much hand-wringing and spirited debate, could finally be put to bed.
Since the middle of September, the storyline with Boise State that had seemed so different than it was for virtually everyone else in the BCS title discussion -- not whether they won or lost, but by how much they won -- played a big part in their undoing Friday night in Reno.
The Broncos were riding a 24-game win streak and looked set to take down another overmatched foe from the FBS underclass when one-loss Nevada started punching back. With BSU leading 24-7, it felt like so many of these late-night Broncos telecasts. After the season-opening 33-30 win over Virginia Tech, the Broncos had run off nine double-digit wins, eight of which came by at least four TDs.
Boise backers would dismiss the "what if" speculation about how, if the Broncos were in the SEC or the Big Ten or the Pac-10, they'd probably lose three -- no, make that four -- games because the attrition factor would trip them up. Such debate was met with doubt from many corners, including rival coaches who faced Boise and some other supposed power teams. They talked up Boise's talent and ability to execute. Why go into such a hypothetical subject? In a sport in which there is no playoff, we are relegated to the hypothetical.
But what Friday night proved was Boise's potential ability to handle the grind part of the "big-boy" schedule. And what I think so many Boise defenders overlooked wasn't just the physical attrition required to survive against bigger, tougher, deeper teams on a weekly -- or more correctly, "regular" -- basis, but also the mental attrition. There's a focus required. Your margin for error is diminished.
Boise hadn't been really tested -- not much, anyway -- until the second half on the road at Nevada.
And the Broncos wilted. For a very long time people will associate Boise going down with Kyle Brotzman missing two chip-shot field goals at crunch time, but there were so many other reasons the Broncos lost. They uncharacteristically dropped pass after pass. Their defense got out of position. They missed tackles.
The team that led the country in run defense and was in the top seven nationally in 12 of the 17 stat categories the NCAA keeps tabs on was outrushed by Nevada by a stunning 239-8 margin in the second half and OT.
Kellen Moore's big-play passing game -- which had shredded so many opponents this season as the undersized junior QB connected on a gaudy 65 percent of his passes of at least 15 yards downfield -- managed to hit on only two of seven (29 percent) of such throws against the Pack's 103rd-ranked pass D. In the trenches, where Boise has always looked like the tougher team in WAC games, the Broncos wore down.
Nevada came into the matchup leading the country in average per carry on first down. The Broncos held them to just 26 yards on eight runs in the first half, but after the break, according to ESPN Stats & Information, Nevada went for 88 yards on 15 carries on first downs (a 5.9-yard average). The Pack ran for almost twice as many yards as Boise and hit on nine of 17 third downs, compared to Boise's 4-of-10 mark.
The Broncos were a compelling storyline for the 2010 season, but they were tested three times, which isn't a lot for a BCS title contender at this point in the season. It wasn't enough for a lot of skeptics, and it mattered because this group wasn't able to handle the adversity.
This is why I say road games test the mettle of how good a team is and Boise folded to a crappy team. Imagine getting behind 24 at Bama. Just be glad they are not playing for a NC because Auburn would have lit them up so bad they may not play again. I will get you my address for my shirt. And good god dont do your stupid top 10; your opinions mean nothing since the team you talked up all season cant even win their no name conference. Boise is a joke and if they played a schedule where they had to play tough games they would fold like a chair just like a lot of other REALLY GREAT TEAMS. I would take Tenn over Boise. Look at Tenn schedule and boise would have the same record. Of course have not heard one single word from you because you got shut up last night. Boise wont even go to a BCS bowl now. Welcome to the Insight.com Bowl.
You really know your College Football.
ME
YOU
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