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The sentiment about Boise State has essentially been the same for years.
And with the Broncos ranked No. 3 — their highest ranking in team history — ahead of college football’s traditional powers like Florida, Texas and Oklahoma, there’s been plenty more bellyaching this season that they don’t belong.
After all, Boise State is … gasp … a team playing in a non-Bowl Championship Series conference. Ignore that it has twice in the last four years capped undefeated seasons with Fiesta Bowl wins.
Nevermind that the Broncos are tied for the nation’s longest winning streak at 15 games with last season’s national champion Alabama or that they have the nation’s highest winning percentage since 2000.
Yet with its 33-30 comeback victory against No. 10 Virginia Tech on quarterback Kellen Moore’s 13-yard touchdown pass with 1:09 remaining, Boise State once again proved it belongs Monday night, perhaps now more than ever before.
And these once plucky Broncos aren’t so cute and cuddly anymore regardless of them playing in the top-heavy Western Athletic Conference. In fact, college football’s powers ought to be downright worried when they wake up this morning.
With Boise State’s toughest remaining game at home against No. 24 Oregon State on Sept. 25, the BCS’s nightmare scenario of a team from a non-BCS conference playing in the national title game for the first time is as real as ever.
“We knew how much was at stake for us,” said Boise State senior wide receiver Austin Pettis, who was on the other end of that game-winning TD.
Of course, this was a no-win game for Boise State. If the Broncos won, their skeptics would say they beat an overhyped team from the lackluster Atlantic Coast Conference. And had they lost, they obviously would have been labeled as overrated.
Sure, Boise State looked sloppy at times Monday night and blew a 17-0 first-quarter lead.
But college football’s opening week wasn’t exactly picturesque.
Florida, Texas and Oklahoma all had their shares of struggles. None of those teams played a top-10 opponent like Virginia Tech, in what was essentially a home game for the Hokies.
“Give Boise State credit,” Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said. “They did a nice job coming back.”
Of course, Boise State doesn’t belong. Forget about Moore, the Heisman Trophy front-runner, who by his own account had just played “OK” until leading the Broncos’ game-winning drive.
When his team took over at its own 44-yard line and trailing 30-26 with 1:47 left after stopping Virginia Tech on a critical third down that could have ended the game, he was admittedly nervous. But also excited — after all, his team practices the same scenario with 1:30 left each week.
“We had a little extra time,” Moore said.
That’s vintage Moore, who on an off night finished 23-of-38 passing for 215 yards with 3 touchdowns and no interceptions.
“I just try to stay as calm, cool and collective as he looks,” Boise State cornerback Brandyn Thompson said.
Boise State coach Chris Petersen even went as far to describe Moore's chance to win the game in its final minutes as "tailor made" for the junior.
“He’s kind of in his element there when we’re going fast and there’s a lot of chaos going on,” Petersen said. “He’s a very calm guy.”
And frankly, Moore isn’t concerned whether beating Virginia Tech changed the perception about Boise State.
“I don’t care,” he said.
But Moore has a different opinion about respect for Boise State. And so should the rest of college football.
“You should gain a little respect beating Virginia Tech out here,” he said. “You’re basically playing a road game. You’re having a heck of a game with them just fighting back and forth.”
But remember, Boise State doesn’t belong. Try telling that to Pettis, who had 6 catches for 73 yards with two touchdowns. After being popped on a 15-yard reception he made in the first quarter, he stood up and handed the ball to Virginia Tech defensive back Davon Morgan, who flipped it away in disgust.
That was after Pettis had already ripped a page out of Virginia Tech’s famed Beamer Ball with a blocked punt in the first quarter to set up his first touchdown catch on an 8-yard pass from Moore.
“There’s not a more clutch player in the country than Austin Pettis,” Petersen said. “He’s spectacular. He’s just going to make plays whether he’s on special teams or at wide receiver. He’s as good as they come.”
Try telling Virginia Tech fans, who probably made up 80 percent of the sellout crowd of 86,857 at FedEx Field, that Boise State doesn’t belong. They roared when the Hokies ran on to the field to Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” but trudged out after the loss like they were leaving a funeral.
“I don’t think you take anything away from Boise State,” Beamer said. “They did a nice job.”
Afterward, Petersen (in his typical coachspeak) did his best to quell talk that his team just might be the story of college football right now.
“We’ve got a long, tough, hard season and the bullseye will continue to grow,” Petersen said.
That’s the way it is for a national championship contender. And while the BCS title game’s crystal football trophy was on the sideline Monday night, Boise State players claimed they didn’t even see it.
After all, those who belong hardly worry about such.
