It sounds pretty crazy for a college football team coming
off a season in which they finished ranked fifth in the nation. However, the truth is that the Boise
State football players still find
themselves starting another year without any respect.
First of all, they began the year #23 while the team they
vanquished in the final game of 2007, Oklahoma,
started the year ranked ninth. After
their first victory of the season, the Sagarin football rankings dropped them
from #13 to #26.
Then you have the lack of respect for the Bronco players
themselves. Tad Miller and Jeff Cavender
have started every game in three of the most successful seasons in Boise
State history, yet neither has
received recognition from their own conference on the All-WAC team.
Ian Johnson, Ryan Clady and Marty Tadman have gotten
respect, certainly, but aside from those three, the rest of the WAC and the
country at large doesn’t think they have any
talent. Washington Husky fans believe
their team, with its huge size advantage and speed advantage will roll over the
Broncos.
Despite everything Boise
State has achieved over the last
eight years, the Bronco players must yet again “start over” and prove
themselves all over again. They have a
chance to do that this Saturday afternoon.
It would be stating the obvious to say that the team needs to make the
plays early in a hostile environment with 65,000 Husky fans attempting to make
life difficult on the Broncos. Washington
provides an opportunity to make a statement.
How good are these Broncos?