One of my favorite things to do when looking at the stable of young talent that Chris Petersen has lured to the blue is to look at all of the other offers that those recruits can boast. I know that's not CP's style, but I am tired of the notion that Boise State can't compete with the big boys, even on the recruiting trail. I am relatively young for a Bronco fan, but I too remember showing up to games ten minutes before kickoff, buying tickets cheap on the spot, and sitting in the north end zone with my dad watching the Bronco's take on Cal State Northridge. It is amazing to think of the progress this program has made in that time span in every aspect, recruiting included. So, as my way of sticking to the haters, I thought I'd come up with a list of the so called "big boys" that offered scholarships to our guys, only for our guys to send them packing. Below is the list of each BCS school to make an offer to one of our recruits, followed by how many times they were turned down, and the players that had the pleasure to do so.

Oregon State: 3 (Santini, McCaskill, Yakoo)

Arizona: 4 (Yakoo, Collins, James, Averill)

UCLA: 2 (Averill, Yakoo *I included Yakoo despite the last minute pull fiasco)

Washington State: 2 (Averill, Collins)

Clemson: 1 (Lawrence)

Kansas State: 3 (Rhodes, Weaver, Lawrence)

Ole Miss: 1 (Lawrence)

South Carolina: 1 (Lawrence)

South Florida: 2 (Patti, Lawrence)

Tennessee: 1 (Lawrence)

Arizona State: 1 (James)

Colorado: 2 (James, Averill)

Utah: 3 (Demas, Weaver, Santini)

Iowa State: 2 (Averill, Demas)

Washington: 1 (Averill)

Cal: 1 (Weaver)

Louisville: 1 (Weaver)

Texas A&M: 2 (Fields, Weaver)

Texas Tech: 1 (Weaver)

Oregon: 2 (Fields, Demas)

Indiana: 2 (Patti, Demas)

Wake Forest: 1 (Demas)

By Conference: Pac 12: 21, ACC: 2, Big Ten: 2, Big East: 3, Big 12: 6, SEC (Including A&M): 5

Now, I'm not saying that we're competing with the Alabama's or Oklahoma's with these recruits, but there is a trend in the right direction, And if this list is possible despite all obstacles imaginable just 15 years after the days of Division 1-AA, it's hard to imagine how long this list will be in another 15 years.