Boise St. at Virginia Tech - Possibly the Most Important Game of the BCS Era

The most important game ever in  the history of the BCS? Call me crazy , but this game has the ability to cause more consequences than any other game played since the BCS system was introduced in 1998.  The reason for this is obvious: #3 Boise St., the champion of all non-BCS schools, will take on #10 Virginia Tech, a school whose football program is considered to be one of the top programs in the NCAA.  This will be the first regular season game between a highly ranked BCS school and highly ranked non-BCS school.

The question on everybody's mind this year is this: should Boise St. be given a shot at the national title?  Despite undefeated seasons in 2006/7 and 2009/10 (both of which ended in Tostitos Fiesta Bowl victories), the Broncos have been discredited due to their relatively easy WAC schedule.  But this year, that changes.  By facing a top-ten BCS school in the regular season, people will no longer have that excuse when talking about Boise State.  Which is why, should the Broncos win this game (and go undefeated, of course), serious talks will have to take place regarding Boise St. and the National Title game.  And if they do, the consensus should land on a #1 or #2 ranking in the final regular season polls.

But why should that happen? First, this game here in Week 1 is essentially a BCS bowl game in a different venue.  The teams are in the NCAA elite, the hype is enormous, and the stakes are extremely high for both schools.  The winner of this game will be able to look toward a chance at the national championship, while the loser will have to settle for merely a conference championship. Second, Boise St. has gone undefeated twice but has failed to be recognized as a championship-caliber team.  Consecutive undefeated seasons should be enough to convince voters that this team is for real, not just a group of lowly-rated recruits with luck and an easy schedule.  Finally, I must say this: schools like Utah, BYU, TCU, Boise St., and even Hawaii have been knocking on the door of the BCS for a good couple of years now.  The BCS needs to let one of them in and there is no better time than now to do so.  The public can't and won't be satisfied with another undefeated runner-up.

The structure of the BCS could be in jeopardy if Boise St. is crowned the champion in January this season, but that isn't to say it hasn't been questioned already.  If a school from outside the BCS were to win it all, the purpose of BCS conferences would be destroyed.  This is why Boise St. at Virginia Tech is the the most important game in the history of the BCS.  It all starts here.  Boise St.'s chance at upsetting the balance begins at FedEx field today, at 8:00 ET on ESPN.  This is the game that could set off a domino effect that changes everything about college football.  Just make sure that you don't blink when it all goes down.