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Fifth-ranked Boise State defeated the Air Force Academy 37-26 earlier today, finishing out a game that never should have been so close. Kellen Moore and the offense looked solid, but the defense allowing 26 points was unusual.
Now, as the Broncos continue to roll, watch for their BCS Championship hopes to begin to die off. With powerful teams like Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Alabama and LSU all ranked above them, it will be extremely hard to break into the top four considering the rest of BSU's opponents.
With that in mind, the Broncos also need to watch their backs. The Badgers take on a tough Michigan State team later tonight, and with a win there Wisconsin could jump above Boise State in the BCS standings.
Stanford also takes on a ranked opponent tonight, fighting it out with the No. 25 Washington Huskies. A strong win there would convince voters they belong in the Top 10, yet shouldn't change anything in their ranking.
Clemson finished out a strong game against North Carolina, scoring 58 points. Boyd and the offense performed admirably, putting up huge numbers on a decent Tar Heel defense. The Tigers shouldn't be able to encroach on the Broncos' position at No. 5 until they take on a strong South Carolina team in their regular season finale.
While OU and Alabama face off later tonight against unranked Texas Tech and Tennessee, Oklahoma State and LSU's victories earlier today help solidify the rankings of teams above Boise State.
Air Force is one of the stronger teams in the MWC, but BSU should have had no problem defeating them at home. The close game today might represent a weaker team than we initially thought existed up in Idaho, and could make an impact in the USA Today Coaches Poll (one-third of BCS rankings input).
A blowout by the Badgers could represent a huge problem for the Broncos in the polls. Michigan State looked extremely strong against Michigan last week, defeating them easily, and the Badgers showing up a team that looked brilliant just last week at home would have a huge effect on the voters.
Wisconsin proving themselves in East Lansing will make a win all the more meaningful.
The Broncos will lose their No. 5 position if Wisconsin takes down the Spartans. The computers haven't been kind so far to Boise, ranking them No. 6.
Wisconsin's high rankings in the Harris and Coaches' Polls should stay high with a win, while the computer rankings will improve and give them that extra boost needed to jump the Broncos in the overall standings.
Unfortunately for the Broncos, their weak schedule and lack of ranked opponents will hurt them for the rest of the year. Expect Boise to run the table but end up ranked the lowest of the all the undefeated teams, possibly around No. 6.
Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/903477-boise-state-predicting-the-broncos-bcs-ranking
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