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Tulsa plans to follow Boise State's model

TU's Willie Carter running by Sam Houston State's Cameron Jenkins (30) in Tulsa. STEPHEN PINGRY / Tulsa World

 
By JOHN KLEIN Senior Sports Columnist
Published: 10/12/2009  2:23 AM
Last Modified: 10/12/2009  3:58 AM
Go to John Klein's Blog


Tulsa coach Todd Graham has made no secret of his plan to copy Boise State.

Where he wants to take TU is where Boise State has already gone.

The Broncos have become a national power by following a simple blueprint: play important games against important teams and win them.

Tulsa has one of those important games against an important team on Wednesday. It just so happens to be against Boise State.

The Broncos, ranked fifth in the nation and hoping to be more than simply a BCS buster, come to TU for what many consider their last real test of the regular season.

There is already speculation about whether Boise State, saddled with the WAC schedule, can get enough computer points to break through into the national championship game if it goes unbeaten.

Most experts say no.

But the Broncos will be a huge favorite to get back into a BCS bowl if they get past Tulsa on Wednesday night.

"We don't even pay attention to the rankings," Boise State coach Chris Petersen said in a Friday teleconference. "It's not even something we talk about for one second because they don't mean anything. At the end of the season it means something.

"The only thing we're paying attention to is Tulsa. It's a moot point right now."

Petersen said it doesn't matter to him where the Broncos are ranked. He said fifth or 35th doesn't matter right now.

Well, he's wrong about that. If you are not in a BCS league, then where you rank is vitally important.

You have to be ranked in the top 12 at the end of the season to have a shot at a BCS bowl game. It is the difference of playing in a game like the Fiesta Bowl, where Boise solidified its reputation in 2007, or the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala., where TU has played the past two years.

Teams in BCS conferences have a built-in advantage. Their champion gets an automatic bid. The quality of teams in the better BCS leagues, such as the SEC and Big 12, generate better computer numbers and more attention from poll voters.

Most games played by Boise State in the WAC or Tulsa in Conference USA are virtually ignored by the national media.

That's how you get a Wednesday night game. The Broncos and Hurricane desperately need national attention any way they can get it.

When you get that attention, you have to do something with it. Boise State is a prime example of a football program that took great advantage of its moment in the spotlight.

In the 2007 Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma, the Broncos pulled off one of the most stunning upsets in recent history, and in dramatic fashion.

The victory, and the way Boise won, put the Broncos solidly in the national spotlight. They've remained there by winning games against quality BCS teams the past few years, such as sweeping a home-and-home against Oregon.

Still, Boise State is not an unbeatable giant among the non-BCS league teams. In the last two years, Boise State has lost bowl games to East Carolina and TCU.

It all goes back to that victory over Oklahoma. That made the reputation.

"It didn't go away fast and people were continually talking about it for quite a while," Petersen said. "All of that was certainly positive.

"The year after we were trying to move on to the next season and all everyone wanted to talk about was that. That was hard, but it helped this program in a lot of ways."

It is one thing to win a signature game, such as that Fiesta Bowl victory over OU, but it is another thing to maintain that level.

A year ago, East Carolina opened the season with two headline-grabbing victories over No. 17 Virginia Tech and No. 8 West Virginia. Then, the Pirates stumbled during the mid-portion of the schedule.

This year, Houston has already beaten three teams from BCS leagues (at fifth-ranked Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and at Mississippi State) but was smoked by Texas-El Paso.

In other words, non-BCS league teams like Boise State have to win those few moments in the national spotlight but they must also be perfect in their league.

Boise State has done those things. That's why the Broncos are a good measuring stick for the Golden Hurricane.

"Take care of things we can control and play good football," Petersen said. "Then, we'll be playing somewhere good against a good opponent at the end of the season."

That's where Tulsa would love to be.

By JOHN KLEIN Senior Sports Columnist

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COMMENTS 
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13 comments have been made for this team so far. Tell us what you think below!
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Report Comment
zephyr, Tulsa (10/12/2009 5:20:19 AM)
Why is the BCS even considered legal? The courts and Congress need to eliminate the exclusivity they have created.
Report Comment
mgsooner, (10/12/2009 8:42:14 AM)
Socialist!
Report Comment
tulsa97, (10/12/2009 8:48:57 AM)
Competition is not socialism. Love how that word gets thrown around when we have to fight for competition. The BCS is a dictatorial regime.
Report Comment
'50s Man, (10/12/2009 8:51:59 AM)
The seldom used antitrust laws are still on the books. Bring 'em on!
Report Comment
SS_Hippy, Tulsa (10/12/2009 9:09:37 AM)
Gaudy uniforms; almost as bad as the Denver Broncos throwback unis yesterday.
Report Comment
mgsooner, (10/12/2009 10:01:54 AM)
Yeah those uni's are terrible. I don't know whose idea that was but they need to be retired permanently. Also if you'll look closely at the picture above it looks like that Sam Houston State defender has a real handful
Report Comment
Lance-a-lot, Tulsa (10/12/2009 10:08:04 AM)
I puked when I saw the Bronco's uniforms, they were that nauseating.
Report Comment
mgsooner, (10/12/2009 11:06:59 AM)
I do like the Patriots' Steve Grogan era model, however.
Report Comment
Ash, Houston (10/12/2009 12:24:50 PM)
"Tulsa coach Todd Graham has made no secret of his plan to copy Boise State."

Golden Turf?
Report Comment
Kilgore.Trout, Tulsa (10/12/2009 1:38:29 PM)
Camoflage your players is a good idea. Solid Gold colored uniforms played on gold colored turf the exact same color.

No team should play Boise State on that field until Boise State has white uniforms at home games.
Report Comment
Footballfan54, (10/12/2009 8:12:49 PM)
Should Oregon, or any other team with Green uniforms have to wear white at home. I think too much is made of the Blue turf. Let's face it, BSU has had a solid program. Lets hope Coach Graham has the same success that Boise State has had.
Report Comment
FUTURE WORLD, Tulsa (10/13/2009 1:45:32 AM)
This game is winnable for the hurricane. Just go out and play like champions adn see what the score is at the end of the 4th quarter.
Report Comment
Sniper, Honolulu (10/13/2009 1:41:53 PM)
This is going to be an interesting game. These two teams have a lot in common. Both have to fight for every little thing they get. Nothing comes easy. I think there is probably a lot of respect on both sides for the other. I wish I could be there to watch it in person. I'll be watching from across the ocean on ESPN. BSU 42 TU 28.
 

 
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