How would Boise State fare against the best non-BCS teams in the country?

What if college football had a mini-playoff of non-BCS teams with the winner getting to play in a BCS bowl? Would Boise State be able to win the mini-playoff? Are the Broncos the best non-BCS team in the country, despite what the BCS standings say?

These are the questions that keep me up at night - impractical, impossible questions about things that will never happen (also keeping me up, Nick Patti vs. Joe Southwick debates with myself). For the first time in four years, I cannot say with 100 percent confidence that Boise State is the best non-BCS team in the country. I have no idea how they would fare in a tournament of fellow non-BCS teams. This is both scary and exciting. I must fetch my Gamecube and simulate this biz right now.

Here would be the eligible non-BCS mini-playoff teams. We'll say it's an eight-team bracket because eight is better than four (something the new BCS 2.0 playoff should discover in about five years).

• Northern Illinois
• Boise State
• Utah State
• San Jose State
• Kent State
• San Diego State
• Fresno State
• Arkansas State

Bubble teams:

• Tulsa
• Ball State
• Louisiana Tech
• Ohio

The thought of Boise State playing Utah State makes me queasy. Any of the top three WAC teams, really (yes, even LaTech, which only plays one side of the ball). Call me crazy or bitter, but I don't think the Broncos would have as much trouble with Northern Illinois, which is a very irresponsible thing for me to say since I have not watched one minute of any of their games this year.

How about you? Which teams do you think would give Boise State the most trouble? Would Boise State win a mini-playoff?

Share your thoughts in the comments, and vote in the poll. I'll be simming things on my Gamecube.