Nos. 9, 10, and 11. That’s where Boise State, Utah and TCU are respectively ranked in this week’s AP poll. At the end of the season, whichever of these three teams is ranked highest will most assuredly find itself playing in a Bowl Championship Series bowl.
So when Utah and TCU meet this today, they will be playing for more than just being the front-runner in the Mountain West Conference championship race. The Horned Frogs and the Utes will be battling for a shot to play on the biggest stage in college football.
While Boise State is ranked ahead of both Utah and TCU in the AP poll, the BCS poll has Utah ranked ahead of both teams. Utah is No. 8 in the BCS standings, with Boise State at No. 10 and TCU at No. 12. However, expect these numbers to change drastically in the next few weeks. For one, many of the teams in the top seven have upcoming games against each other. Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State all have games against one another. Alabama and Florida are on a collision course to meet in the SEC title game as well.
These teams are all going to shuffle around, and some might even drop out of the Top 10 if they suffer more than one loss. There is no debating that each of the three non-BCS teams is still in the hunt from a rankings standpoint. There are too many upcoming games where top teams will face each other for there not to be a lot of movement in the polls.
What makes Thursday’s game such a huge deal is the direct implications that it will have on TCU’s and Utah’s AP and BCS rankings. While Boise State has leapfrogged the two Mountain West schools in the AP poll, the winner of the TCU-Utah game will most likely jump back ahead of Boise State. Boise State is not likely to sway a lot of voters with their game against Utah State this week, no matter how big the margin of victory.
Boise State doesn’t have a game remaining on its schedule that will impress anybody. After Utah State, the Broncos will face Idaho, Nevada and Fresno State. In comparison, TCU has Thursday’s matchup against No. 10 Utah and a game against Air Force still remaining on its schedule. Utah will have games against No. 11 TCU and No. 17 BYU to add to its résumé.
Whoever comes out on top in Thursday’s game will be in the driver’s seat come BCS selection time. Boise State’s weak schedule is only going to hurt them as time goes on. Meanwhile, TCU and Utah can make some big jumps in the polls if they turn in impressive performances in their remaining games, particularly because today’s game is on national television and won’t be competing against any other NCAA football action. Utah, as well as TCU, is in control of its own destiny when it comes to a BCS bid. Boise State will have to hope that both of these teams lose before season’s end.
Never has a MWC game held such huge importance for both teams and unlike the Big 12 or the SEC, games like this don’t come around these parts too often.