It's come to this

Pee jokes. It's come to this.

The proud Boise State program has found itself in the headlines for ALL the wrong reasons this year, and last night the most surreal month that I can remember was capped off by Mark Johnson mustering all the Edward R. Murrow he could to ask quarterback Joe Southwick whether he urinated off a balcony in Hawaii. That Southwick denied it is really secondary at this point. What we know: someone (either Southwick, Nick Patti or both) peed off a hotel balcony in Hawaii in a move somewhat typical of college kids—especially when alcohol is involved. Coaches caught wind of said hijinks, suspended both Patti and Southwick from Friday's practice and then later reinstated Patti and sent Southwick home. Whether Southwick was sent home because of that incident alone is highly debatable—in my opinion, it's far more likely that he was sent home because of his reaction to the charges—charges that Southwick (with polygraph results in hand, no less) says he was framed of. So that's how Boise State's December—and really all of 2013—went from being a disappointment to being a 3 ring circus. A lame-duck interim coach, a he-said-they-said about balcony relief, a bloodless coup against a presumed team leader. Just what in the world is going on?

If, IF Southwick was framed by teammates to get him sent home—or at least take the rap for a stupid not-so-surprising bit of collegiate behavior, the question of WHY still remains. Many have wondered just what was the issue with the team this year and while injuries, Robert Prince, inexperience and attrition have all been popular theories, how about this one...NO leadership. I don't mean no leadership in the sense that the Hawaii Bowl football staff is largely comprised of short-timers, but the sense that a 5th year senior—one that fought mightily to come back from a mid-season ankle injury to get one more start was allegedly turned on by his own team and school administration. A fifth year senior, according to his account, was basically thrown under the bus by fellow teammates to protect a 3rd string redshirt frosh. How does that happen? From where I'm sitting (under a blanket, trying to keep warm) there are much bigger questions brought to light by this fiasco...and they are questions I hope Bryan Harsin and company are ready to get to the bottom of starting December 26th. Right now, it's just one more distraction, one more laughable storyline and one more reason to wonder whether Boise State even has a chance against Oregon State tomorrow night. At this point, not even the biggest homers seem to think they do.