Ball State, huh.
We're going to need a minute.
/punching a wall, /sobbing quietly into our hands, /eating our feelings
There. All better.
If Ball State is to be the Broncos' bowl competition (as Humanitarian Bowl execs have ordained it), we are almost pretty sure maybe that we can get behind that. Possibly.
You see, accepting Ball State as an opponent is like accepting a Ford Focus as your first car. There are bigger and better cars available, and you feel that you are entitled to, let's say, a Mustang or a Jetta. But when it gets right down to it, your best option for whatever reason is the Ford Focus. And hey, it has an adjustable steering column and a rear spoiler! That's cool. You guess.
Ball State is the Ford Focus of Bronco Nation. There are bigger and better teams out there that we fans would like to see our Broncos play. A BCS bowl sure would be nice, especially against a school like Texas. Even the Poinsettia bowl with a MWC runner-up like TCU would be an excellent option. Yet, for whatever reason, we find ourselves being talked into Ball State. Hey, they have an undefeated record and Nate Davis at quarterback! That's cool. We guess.
Truthfully, the Cardinals are exponentially better than the eighth best ACC team. If Boise State is to stay in the H-Bowl, better that they face Ball State than Wake Forest or, perish the thought, Maryland. We could do a lot worse than Ball State, and history has proven that the H-Bowl has done a lot worse than Ball State.
And really, what's not to like about the Cardinals?
- They are undefeated. There are not many scenarios wherein the Broncos could face an undefeated team in their bowl game. Doing so would at least help create a somewhat clearer picture of non-BCS superiority once the season ends.
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Jason Whitlock is their biggest fan. The outspoken ex-ESPN and current FOX Sports writer attended Ball State and has routinely trumpeted their cause throughout the year. If you're in the mood for a particularly stirring account of the Cardinals' season, check out this article. At the very least, maybe he and David Augusto could start a media rivalry that would end with Whitlock eating Augusto. - David Letterman went there. And he's famous.
- Nate Davis is one of the hottest QBs in America.
- Brady Hoke is one of the hottest coaches in America.
The Cardinals play great team defense; they are disciplined, well-coached, and tough; they overcame the loss of their best offensive player (Dante Love); they, um, well ...
That's all we've got.
For some people, the reasons we listed might be enough to get excited about the "Undefeated Non-BCS Showdown." For us, we can't help but see a no-win situation for the Broncos (they win: so what, they played at home; they lose: so what, they were overrated), a deal with the devil to get the Cardinals here that may end up hurting the school down the road, and our very own, Top Ten team getting rewarded for an undefeated season and national recognition by playing in the same bowl that a 9-3 Jared Zabransky BSU team lost.
In other words, we don't have a problem with driving a Ford Focus. We just wish it could leave the driveway.