Below, you’ll find a list of all the best Nevada-Boise State posts from the past few days. Read, learn, enjoy, and possibly prevent an ulcer.

Nevada puts lots of pressure on Nevada
You can spell precision without Kaepernick
Too bad football has more than one dimension
Fear not, Boise State fans. Or, at least, fear less
Game prediction: Coming tomorrow
Gameday open thread: Coming Saturday

Check back with us leading up to the big game on Saturday for all the Bronco news you can handle, and none that you can’t.

A very astute OBNUG reader, Kyle, gave us a heads up on the following item. Some of you may have heard about the Michigan fan selling his fandom on eBay. Well, we here at OBNUG want your help in making a bid.

You can check out the auction here. A few of the things he’s willing to do are denounce Michigan, provide video of himself burning all his Michigan apparel, and fully become immersed in his new team. He’s even going to give 60 percent of the winnings to a charity of the winner’s choosing.

It’s too good to be true.

Here’s our plan. Below you will find a donate button to a PayPal account we’ve set up. We are asking you to donate one or two dollars to the cause (FYI: PayPal takes the first 30 cents of a donation as a “fee”). If you feel led to give more, we won’t fight you with that. However, with our hundreds of faithful readers, we think that we can easily raise and surpass the current bid of $182.50 from some NC State fan. Besides, Phillip Rivers went to NC State, and he’s a doofus.

Any money that we raise beyond the winning bid will be given to the same charity as the one used in the eBay auction. Also, if we don’t raise enough money to win, all the money will be donated.

So, what do you say? I’m sure we can all spare $2 for a noble cause and probably convince five of our Boise State brethren to do the same. The auction ends November 27th at 7:40 MST, so let’s get on it!

The ruler of Nevada blog Pistol Whipping the WAC (our blog bet partner this week) hits us with some knowledge on this week’s matchup between his Wolf Pack and our Broncos. And it should be noted that we hit back. Packfan answered some questions for our site, and we answered some questions for his. Safe to say, his questions were a lot tougher and more pointed:

True or false: It makes you nervous that Nevada has as much young talent starting as Boise does.

How are we supposed to answer that? Without laughing, we mean.

Head on over to PWtW for the full transcript of our answers, after you’ve had your fill of Packfan’s Nevada knowledge below. What a friendly little rivalry we’ve started between ourselves (ed’s note: we hate him with a passion).

OBNUG: Can Colin Kaepernick be stopped or can the Bronco defense only hope to contain him?

PWtW: He can be contained to a near stop, but it’s going to be at the expense of some yardage from Vai Taua. Kaepernick does appear to play differently depending on emotion, as discussed by a number of Nevada fans. For example: when sitting out against Utah St. he was visibly angry on the side lines. He then came in and ran for a long TD on his first play in, after Nevada’s offense had been stalling through the first quarter.

I guess what I’m saying is that your theory of “Colin hates the Broncos and saves his best games for them” will be tested this weekend. If he comes out like a man possessed, you are in trouble.

People in Boise are scared about Nevada’s offense and run defense. What are people in Reno scared of? Besides self-aware Keno machines.

People are afraid of QB’s who can pass to good WR’s. Sort of like exactly what you have in Boise. For a couple of years now it seems that Nevada corners have often been in position to make plays but have forgotten to turn around and intercept or knock down the ball. It’s been very frustrating to watch.

I think some fans are worried about a cheap shot on Colin. I don’t believe that will happen, though. Peterson has too much class to allow it, and I don’t believe Bronco players are dirty.

What is the atmosphere surrounding this game like in Reno at this very moment?

There are a lot of high hopes and big expectations. People are excited that the game has sold out. They are excited to be playing a Top 10 team in their home stadium. And there are a lot of people who are holding onto last year’s game coupled with the team’s recent success as hope and reason to feel like this year will be much different than 2006 when Boise celebrated on Mackay with sombreros. It feels a lot more like a big rivalry game than in recent years.

Is the Nevada defense better than San Jose State’s defense?

Yes, right now in Week 11. It’s hard to say are they better now than San Jose when the Spartans played Boise. If you asked that question during that week, the answer would have been no. Taking the entire season into account, the answer would have to be no based on statistics. Nevada’s defense has played solid along the front line all year and the numbers are not just a result of teams passing all game long. The secondary absolutely has struggled badly at times.

Could you, Packfan, do a better job as a Wolf Pack cover corner than whoever is doing the job currently?

Absolutely not. Well, if I jammed the receiver at the line hard, maybe I could at least alter their route….uhhh, NO I could not.

Talk to us about Vai Taua. Why is he good? Where was he before? How do you pronounce his last name?

Vai is a tremendous back. He runs hard, and has a bit of shake-and-bake to him, but doesn’t dance around behind the line. He picks a lane and goes. He’s got a low center of gravity and doesn’t often go down on first contact. He helps to sell the fake very well on the option keep.

Last season he came in thinking that college football would be like high school football and he could just cruise though. He left the team, then realized what a bad move he was making and talked Ault into letting him rejoin the group. He got into a few games and then got injured and was out for the rest of the season. With the job Luke was doing and the injury and the issues to start the season, he just wasn’t that big a part of the offense.

His last name is pronounced Tao (like the nightclub in Vegas) ah. Taw-a.

Word association:

• Pistol. Explosive
• Lippincott. Leader
• New Mexico State. Embarrassing
• Prepubescent quarterbacks. Moore
• Ian Johnson. Team player
• Jeremy Avery. Potential
• WAC championship. 2009
• Poinsettia Bowl. Maybe
• Humanitarian Bowl. Hurricanes
• Chris Ault. Lil General
• OBNUG. Hilarious / Fun

Read more: Pistol Whipping the WAC [PWtW]

AwfulAnnouncing.com has been alerted.

Read more: ESPN2 picks up Boise State - Nevada [Bronco Beat]

A mini-firestorm erupted on the Boise State campus and in the local papers yesterday when Boise State legend Marty Tadman made a claim in USA Today that student-athletes might choose majors for reasons other than their education value. Start bunching your shorts, Gene Bleymaier.

???I think we all take offense to it,??? Bleymaier said. ???The implication is 100 percent wrong.???

Tadman was interviewed months ago for a story that appeared this week in USA Today about the number of college athletes who choose or are pushed toward easy majors. After a lengthy personal interview with Tadman, the reporter chose to use only a single quote from him, never minding its context. According to Tadman, the quote was taken from a point in the interview when he was asked about the flexibility of certain majors.

“You hear which majors, and which classes, are the easiest and you take them,” Tadman says. “You’re going to school so you can stay in sports. You’re not going for a degree. ??? It’s a joke.”

Makes sense to us, but then again, we’re prone to believe anything Tadman says or has said or ever will say.

The kerfuffle over Tadman’s comments wasn’t so much over the fact that his quote was erroneous, but rather over the impression it might give about Boise State. Even though every other school in America deals with the same issue of getting student-athletes to care about being students, the fact that Tadman’s picture was plastered on the article might send the wrong message about BSU.

Do we blame Tadman? Of course not. We blame USA Today, and those stupid pie graphs they put in every single section of their paper. Seriously, who needs to know how many Top Ten finished Jeff Gordon has in the month of October since 2001? We don’t.

The quote wasn’t even all that bad. It is common knowledge that a lot of athletes aren’t in school for their education. They’re in school for sports or chicks or free booster swag. And assuming that a major like communication is easy is not that far off, either.

Plus, the whole ordeal put Tadman back in the news, which made us all sorts of whimsical.

We like having a reason to talk about him other than our never-ending man crush.

Read more: College athletes’ studies guided toward ‘major in eligibility’ [USA Today]
Players react to Tadman’s comments [Press-Tribune]
Boise State: Athletes aren’t steered to easy majors [Statesman]

Boise State 42, Nevada 40: It’s difficult to pick against Boise State since it’s undefeated, but there’s a revenge factor here that’s going to make this one of the more exciting games of the weekend. Last year, these teams played four overtimes in Boise and Nevada’s been thinking about it ever since. But I think the Boise State defense comes up with the last crucial stop.

She would.

Read more: Picks of the week: beyond the Holy War [ESPN.com]

Politics are a sticky matter. A political debate can easily ruin the mood of a party. Emotions flair and tempers rage all over stuff that probably won’t affect our day-to-day lives. Your thoughts on Obama aside, I think we all know the guy knows how to make a splash. On Election Night Eve, he did a rather mundane, cookie cutter interview with Chris Berman on Monday NIght Football. Well, mundane and cookie cutter until he threw this little nugget in. Yep, he just hit on the most controversial sports issue of our time, a college football playoff.

At the time, I think most of us brushed it off. I mean, this was a guy that we’d all seen numerous times now doing what he does best - public speaking. I figured this was just another calculated and well thought out move to tug on the heartstrings of the American people. I laughed it off, said “well done, sir,” and tried not to get too excited. That was all until the past Sunday in his interview with 60 Minutes.

Finally, a politician that didn’t just make a promise pre-election and let it fall to the wayside after he’d won. This interview was on 60 Minutes, I remind you. I think the last time I saw sports mentioned on 60 Minutes was maybe the Dennis Byrd story years ago. There was no reason for him to expound on the question. He could have easily blown it off, but there he was laying out his “plan” for a college football playoff. He’d obviously put some thought into this.

Deadspin had a great post up earlier this week on how a college football playoff could work. It’s much more pro non-BCS than even I had hoped. Basically, the six conference champs from the BCS schools would get in, plus the top two ranked non-BCS schools. And, yes, that would include Notre Dame, too. No more special rules for them. As Mr. Clay Bennett so eloquently puts it:

This isn’t 1940 and tiny Midwestern private schools don’t get to call the shots for the entire country anymore. Join a conference and shut up.

I couldn’t have said that any better myself.

Of course, many people are coming out and decrying Obama’s comments and saying that he’s got more important things to worry about than a college football playoff. That’s true, but how much time could this take? Just drop a few cryptic statements here and there and threaten the NCAA with some anti-trust lawsuit. It’s not like he needs to have a three-day summit with the college presidents or something.

Also, let’s stop this whole “the BCS is better for college football than a playoff” nonsense. If this was truly about the game, people wouldn’t be making a big deal about it. But it’s not about the game, it’s about the money.

Let’s get to the games. I was hoping last week’s lack of good matchups on paper would lead to some upsets. Yeah, that didn’t happen.

(2) Texas Tech at (5) Oklahoma (-7)

I’m really surpised to see that Okahoma is giving 7 points to Texas Tech this week. Texas Tech has been dominating. They’ve proven that they can score at will against anyone they’ve played. Is Oklahoma’s defense better than Texas’? Maybe. I still don’t see how there’s any way that Oklahoma will cover this. I’ve got too much faith in Mike Leach (plus, I really enjoy when his name is thrown around for the big time coaching positions instead of Coach Pete’s).

Pick: Texas Tech

(14) BYU at (7) Utah (-7)

Ah, the game we’ve been waiting for. Another “marquee” Mountain West clash that nobody will see. Yes, this game will be broadcast on The Mtn., which means you’ll have to trek to a sports bar or a friend’s house that has satellite. For some reason, Comcast can be a freaking sponsor on their website but can’t carry the stupid network down here in Nashville. Apparently I’m only supposed to want to watch teams from my region. Aren’t we at a point with technology where we should be able to access any game that is televised? If I can do this through the internet, why can’t I do this through my TV? This makes no sense to me. Also, if Utah finds a way to escape this game, give them a stupid BCS game. They would have earned it. I do think, however, that BYU will be playing spoiler.

Pick: BYU

(15) Michigan State at (8) Penn State (-14.5)

Michigan State has climbed up to No. 15 this week. Did this surprise anyone else? I was curious how this happened, so I checked out their schedule. They have not beaten a single ranked opponent. They lost to their only ranked opponent (Ohio State) and to a disappointing Cal team. Good thing they play in that tough Big 10 though to boost their strength of schedule. I think Penn State wins this game, but 14.5 points seems too high.

Pick: Michigan State

Fresno State (-3) at San Jose State

Fresno State gets tuned up for their “Biggest Game of the Year” next week with a game against San Jose State this week. Fresno State is coming off an uninspired win over New Mexico State last week. San Jose State has lost two straight to Louisiana Tech and Nevada. This is really a toss up. When in doubt, I’ve learned to never trust Fresno.

Pick: San Jose State

Louisiana Tech (-6.5) at New Mexico State

Louisiana Tech has a nice little three-game winning streak that started with their upset of Fresno State. This is a direct correlation to the benching of Taylor Bennett. New Mexico State continues their tailspin to nowhere. Who else had Hal Mumme first in the office pool of WAC coaches to be fired? Brent Guy was a huge upset.

Pick: Louisiana Tech

Idaho at Hawaii (-23.5)

Idaho ends their season with their own mini bowl game with their trip to Hawaii this year. It’s a good thing that Akey has the mustache to protect his upper lip from those harmful UV rays. We all know Idaho is going to lose this game. I mean, half those kids probably haven’t seen the ocean before. The question is by how much will they lose?

Pick: Hawaii

(9) Boise State (-6) at Nevada

Yes, Nevada has been improving. Yes, Nevada’s running attack has been good. Yes, they are probably the 2nd best team in the WAC. Yes, it was a close game last year. None of these things change the fact that Boise State has been outright dominant this year. Nevada is one dimensional and good defenses shut down one dimensional offenses. The gap between Boise State and the 2nd best team in the WAC is much wider than the gap between the 2nd best team in the WAC and the worst team. This 6-point spread is insanely low, but I’ll take all of my pretend money and gladly take Boise State in this matchup.

Pick: Boise State

Last Week (2-5), Overall (54-35-1)

Media fight! The Statesman’s Brian Murphy posted on his blog indisputable evidence that Doug Martin did, in fact, “Hammer” the Vandal logo last Saturday when he led the team out before the game, contrary to what Tom Scott reported. Murphy then passive-aggressively called out Scott in what we can only hope leads to some epic staredowns at the media buffet in Reno on Saturday. This is one of many reasons why we want media passes.

Marty Tadman is in the news today. We’ll get to that later. Here are the links:

Kaepernick no longer a mystery [Gazette-Journal]
However, where he found such skinny football pants is still up in the air.

Let’s hear it for fear-mongering! [Press-Tribune]
In case you hadn’t heard, the Nevada offense is hitting on all cylinders.

Hunter White kind of looks like an old man [Times-News]
Or was that not the point of the story and accompanying photo?

Bronco punt return unit is officially scary [Statesman]
Let’s see the Nevada media turn that into some scary propaganda for Pack fans.

Vandal - Bronco fan fight surfaces on YouTube [Statue Left]
Brian Murphy and Tom Scott are taking notes.

Yes, Boise fans can’t help but be a little paranoid [PWtW]
It’s more of a constant state of paranoia, really.

Ball State stays undefeated [Yahoo]
Feel free not to care.

Broncos get job done with no-name defense [Gazette-Journal]
Funny. We know every single defensive player’s name.

ESPN elected to pick up the broadcast early this week. It will carry the Boise State television feed.

Our only hope now is that the Reno Gazette-Journal is playing history’s worst practical joke.

Read more: No TV decision until Thursday [Gazette-Journal]

Really, as Bronco fans, we have no other options. If Boise State wins its final two games, they could very well be left out of the BCS picture thanks to an undefeated utah. Considering that Saturday’s game versus BYU is the Utes’ last chance for a regular season loss, Bronco Nation has some pretty clear cheering responsibilities. How does BYU’s fight song go again?

We even went so far as to research how exactly one becomes a BYU fan. For those interested in finding out, we’ve compiled the following primer.

• You must sing your “Woohoos.”

• You must easily buy into conspiracy theories.

• You must be able to chug a can of Schweppe’s gingerale.

All in all, being a BYU fan sounds right up our alley. At least it’s not going to be as difficult as being a Utah fan.

Watch: BYU at Utah, Saturday, 6:00pm MT, The Mtn.