A Good Weekend for Boise State

I know, I know.

I'm not supposed to look beyond the next play. We can only control what we can control. Stop being so dang hopeful.

Hey, I got news for everyone: I'm not a Boise State coach or player. As a matter-of-fact, my football career ended in middle school when I got a concussion and my mom "encouraged" me to spend more time doing puzzles and practicing kitten husbandry. (Joke's on you, mom; those kitties scratch!)

Anyway, my unattached affiliation with calling or carrying out any plays on the field leave me with the freedom to dream out loud. And my dream is no less than this:

Only a national championship.

That's all.

Hey, my fandom has no limits! Why should it be unrealistic that I hope for the same opportunity that any other FBS team should (in theory) have? It might be a long shot, but have any of you seen Rocky lately? It's a pretty good dream to have a shot at the top, even if you don't have the same resources as Apollo Creed. My dreams wear stars and stripes over their nether regions.

Right now, the family slumbers. I sit in my family room, where the only light comes from the screen of my laptop, the dying fire, and the television broadcasting the end of Washington State's beatdown of once-proud Stanford.

I have a deal with my wife. I will wash and fold all the laundry in the house if I can spend my Saturdays in front of the television watching TV. Now, if I were under the same restrictions everyone seems to think applies to people actually involved in playing the game, I would have no reason to do this. After all, Boise State played Friday night, and they "took care of business." Week six should be effectively over for a "true" fan.

But let's be honest... we watched more, didn't we. Why?

Because it all comes back to Boise.

Stanford just scored a touchdown as the game clock expired, but it doesn't matter. Washington State wins, 42-16. Yes, the same Washington State Boise State beat 31-28. Stanford was ranked four spots above Boise State (even with the Huskies' beatdown), so this game matters to Boise State in a few ways.

The ESPN ticker informs me that Oregon State just beat Cal in overtime. Another win for Boise State.

Earlier today, I watched BYU beat Michigan State. I know this is a shadow of former Michigan State teams, similar to the hollow spectre that was exorcised by Wazzu, but every win is a proxy win for us.

If only the other "top teams" in the Mountain West could figure out what the heck they're doing. The Falcons fall from the firmament. Wind shear in Hell's Wind Farm? Sandy Ego didn't do us any favors last week, either. Don't even get me started on the bottom-dwellers. *sigh.

#9 Tennessee's luck runs out. #16 Arkansas falls to #1 (so they'll probably rise 3 spots). #17 UNC gets exposed. #10 Miami falls to a 2-loss Florida State (so watch for FSU to jump us).

Honestly, I should be dismayed at our prospects of rising in the polls, with the subjective way the pollsters selectively forget about teams that play on Friday nights.

But Houston lost, guys! 

Navy upset the top G5 team today, and suddenly, the clouds part and I'm free to dream again! I've spent the first part of the season being cautious with my dreams, afraid I would jinx myself and we'd have another Nevada game to finish the regular season. But it all comes back to me realizing my dreams and hopes have no bearing whatsoever on the outcomes of these games. The only people who need to focus on one-game-at-a-time, are those who coach and play at BSU. (P.S. If you answer to those descriptions, stop reading now and go practice!)

And yes, my dreams go as high as I will let them. I will deal with potential disappointment the way I always have (by counting all my blessings), but until then...

What's the point of flying if you can't reach the stars?

Go Broncos!