My Sources Tell Me There's a 70% Chance That Boise State Stays in the Mountain West

One thing is for sure:

The Big East better step up to the plate and hit a home run.

Boise State's Strategic Plan 2012-2017

http://academics.boisestate.edu/strategic-plan/

Boise State Cruises to 89-70 Win Over Previously Unbeaten LSU

Those who used to love the Bobby Dye-coached teams in the 1980's, and Bronco fans who have been thrilled by the Boise State football team for so many years--there's a new team in town.

That team would be Leon Rice's 2012-13 Bronco basketball team, which tonight scored what could be a program-building 89-70 win over LSU to knock the Tigers from the unbeaten ranks before 11,210 fans at Taco Bell Arena.

Sophomore guard Anthony Drmic was sensational for Boise State, launching howitzer after howitzer to drain the net for threes, then soaring high above the rim for jaw-opening alley-oop slam dunks, including a thundering dunk over LSU's 7'3" center for his final field goal.   A dual threat like that presents major problems for the opposition, and Drmic hit for a career-high 34 points tonight.  Anthony hit six three-pointers and rolled up 19 points in the first half as Boise State built a 43-30 lead at intermission.  Clearly, Boise State played as good a first half as they could play.

Drmic continued his barrage in the second half, while Derrick Marks lit it up for 19 of his 23 points in the second half and Ryan Watkins had 12 points and a career-high 17 points in cleaning up the glass.  

But make no mistake about it--defense won this game.  It would have been a different story otherwise.  LSU built a 19-11 first-half lead when the Broncos began to get after it defensively.  Boise State stepped up the "D" several notches to bother the talented Tiger team and knock them off their game. Plus, Boise State's hustle tonight was beyond compare, scrambling feverishly for every loose ball and, led by Watkins, battling for every rebound.  The Bronco defense forced 20 LSU turnovers, 10 in each half.  Boise State's tenacity led to 13 steals, 4 each from Marks and Jeff Elorriaga.  Bobby Dye himself would have been proud.  In short, the Broncos put on quite a show tonight.

Boise State's energy led to commanding leads in 1) points in the paint (36-26), points off turnovers (30-18) and second-chance points (22-6).

After LSU had tied the game at 27 with 6:17 remaining in the half, the Broncos went on a 16-3 tear.  Kenny Buckner scored six points in a row, and Jeff Elorriaga stole the ball with six seconds left and fed Thomas Bropleh for the basket and foul.  The turn of events brought the Bell crowd to its feet and set the tone for the rest of the game.

Together with Derrick Marks' 35-point effort in the win over nationally-ranked Creighton, Drmic and Marks are just the third set of Boise State teammates to score 30 points in the same season.  The point totals are the 10th and 15th-best by a Bronco in school history.  

Corban Collins netted 19 for LSU (6-1) while Johnny O'Bryant III contributed 15 points before fouling out with 8:59 remaining.

Boise State is now 7-2 on the season and will play Idaho next Thursday at Century Link Arena.

Boise State Football Team To Host Louisville and Rutgers in 2013

It's already the best home football season in school history and we only know two conference teams that will play in Boise.

According to information we've obtained, Boise State will host the top two teams in the Big East Conference this year, Louisville and Rutgers, in 2013.  We will report more of the Broncos' conference schedule when it takes shape, but wow, what a couple of great home games!

Boise State Second Since 1900 and 4th All-Time for 10-Win Seasons

With today's win over Nevada, Boise State became the second team in the modern era and 4^th in history to win ten or more games in 10 out of 11 years.  

The only year in which Boise State did not win 10 or more games in the current stretch was 2005 when they were a disappointing 9-4.  The Broncos were 12-1 in 2002, 13-1 in 2003, 11-1 in 2004, 13-0 in 2006, 10-3 in 2007, 12-1 in 2008,12-1 in 2009 and 12-1 last season.  

Florida State is the only team in history to win 10 or more games in each year of a decade--the Seminoles did that in the 90's. The Seminoles, in fact, strung together 14 consecutive seasons of 10 wins (1987-2000).  

The only other college football teams to accomplish this amazing achievement are Pennsylvania and Princeton.  Penn won 10 games in 11 of 12 seasons from 1890-1901, with 1899 being the only year they didn't win at least 10.  Princeton won 11 of 12 from 1888-1899, with 1894 being the lone blemish during that streak.

Texas won 10 games in nine straight seasons from 2001-2009, ending that streak just last season.  Yale won 10 or more games from 1888-1896, a streak of nine consecutive years.  

Oklahoma won 10 or more games in nine out of 10 years (1971-1980) and won 10 games in eight out of nine years from 2000-2008.  The highly-successful Miami of Florida teams won 10 or more games in nine out of 10 years from 1983-1992.  Alabama had nine out of 10 years in which they won 10 or more from 1971-1980.  

Nebraska won 10 or more in all but one year from 1993-2001.  Harvard was able to win 10 or more in all but one year from 1886-1894.

USC won 10 or more games every year from 2002-2008 but could not put together a streak of eight out of nine.  Florida has had 12 seasons since 1991 of 10 or more wins but has never had more than seven out of eight.  For all of its storied tradition, Michigan has never been able to achieve a better streak than seven out of eight years (1971-1978).  Penn State’s best streak was six out of seven from 1968-1974.  

Boise State 6th All-Time with 7 Straight 10-Win Seasons

The players returning for the Boise State football team were entrusted with the keys to the legacy and with a tradition that has stunned most of the college football world outside of Idaho.  Those players came through with another 10-win season, despite losing half of their seniors to the NFL, and despite the naysayers.

Boise State ranks sixth in the history of the sport for the most consecutive 10-win seasons.  The Broncos have won 10 or more every year since 2006.  Seven straight seasons, and probably not coincidentally, as long as Chris Petersen has been coaching the team.

Florida State holds the all-time record of 14 (1987-2000) that may never be broken.  Pennsylvania (1890-1898) and Texas are second with nine (2001-2009), and Virginia Tech had a shot to tie the Longhorns but came up short this season.  The Hokies won 10 or more every year from 2004-2011.  Miami of Florida put together eight in a row from 1985-1992, while USC won 10 or more from 2002-2008, and Yale had 10-win seasons from 1888-1894.  And now Boise State has tied those two historic schools.  Boise State has more current onsecutive 10-win seasons than every other school in the nation, including Alabama, Michigan, Nebraska, and Oklahoma.  But the Sooners have accomplished something no other school has done--win 10 games in five consecutive seasons three different times.  

Interestingly enough, the 12 schools that are at the top of this list pretty represent most of the powerhouses in the history of college football.  Two teams notably absent from this group of consistent 10-game winners are Notre Dame and Penn State.  The best the Nittany Lions did was four seasons (1971-1974), while Notre Dame strung three 10-win seasons from 1991-1993.  This list pretty much sums up how great these 12 schools are.

1.    Florida State 14 (1987-2000)
2.    Texas 9 (2001-2009)
2.    Pennsylvania 9 (1890-1898)
4.    Miami of Florida 8 (1985-1992)
4.    Virginia Tech 8 (2004-2011)
6.    Boise State 7 (2006-2012)
6.    USC 7 (2002-2008)
6.    Yale 7 (1888-1894)
9.    Florida 6 (1993-1998)
9.    Princeton 6 1888-1893
11.  Alabama 5 (1971-1975)
11.  Michigan 5 (1901-1905)
11.  Nebraska 5 (1993-1997)
11.  Ohio State 5 (2006-2010)
11.  Oklahoma 5 (1954-1958)
11.  Oklahoma 5 (1971-1975)
11.  Oklahoma 5 (2000-2004)
11.  Princeton 5 (1895-1899)

'Twas the Night Before the Nevada-Bronco Game

'Twas the night
Before the Nevada-Bronco game,
When all through the casinos
Not a creature was stirring,
Not even a game of Keno.

Boise State fans
Had been there in years past
But not this year,
They'd been treated like crap.

The tickets were offered
By the university with care
In hopes
That all Wolf Pack fans
Soon would be there.

The players were nestled
All safe in their beds
While visions of 2010
Danced in their heads.

And Ault in his wisdom
Left Bronco fans out
The stadium wouldn't be full,
Of this, there can be no doubt.

And there in the paper,
There arose such a chatter
Pack fans sprang from their beds
To see what was the matter.

Away to the window
They flew like a flash
Tore open the shutters
And threw up the sash.

Ault dreamed of dollars;
He'd dreamed of fans
He'd dreamed of tradition,
And all he got was empty stands.

When what
To their wandering eyes
Should appear
But a miniature sleigh
And eight tiny reindeer.

With a little ol' driver
So lively and without fault
They knew in a moment
It must be St. Ault.

Hotel owners wanted answers,
Restaurant owners too
Why had Ault not invited
Fans of the Blue.

Now dasher,
Now dancer,
Now prancer
Now vixen
On comet,
On cupid,
On donder
and blitzen.

He had a round face
And a little body
That shook when he pouted
Like a bowlful of jelly.

So up
To the housetop
The courses
They flew
With a sleigh
Full of toys
And St. Ault too.

But a closer look revealed
The identity was sealed
It wasn't Chris Kringle at all
But the Grinch--of all the gall.

He stole all the tickets
He stole the concessions
Made the stadium sound like crickets
Without even a confession.

To his sleigh
To his team
Gave a whistle
And away
They all flew
Like the down
of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim
As away he flew
Screw Boise State fans,
Screw the city of Reno too!