WIR: Breaking news and Broncos' schedule

Week in Review (WIR) feels that OBNUG has raised the bar for other WAC football blogs after this week's scoops on Orlando Scandrick's mood and the Idaho Statesman's misprint. Of course, the bar was pretty low to begin with.

• Ryan Clady's pec chooses not to participate in Combine.
• Statue of Liberty to the finals of ESPN's highlight contest. Vote!
• MySpace journalism at its finest. We approve.
• Scandrick blazes through the 40. He's fast.
• Pro Day is coming.
• Fresno's new lackey hire.
• The Brock Forsey Experience.
• Boise State's schedule is released.
• The Statesman drops the ball.
• WAC schools await impending losses.

Have a great weekend, Bronco fans. Start planning those road trips to away games. We'll have a lot more Bronco schedule coverage next week.

OBNUG WAC schedule breakdown

With the release of Boise State’s 2008 football schedule yesterday, we feel pretty good about the Broncos’ chances of running the table again. Obviously, Oregon will be a big hurdle, and traveling to Southern Mississippi will not be easy. But our two toughest WAC opponents will be traveling to Boise, so we can’t complain.

With our schedule setting up quite nicely, we thought it might be interesting to take a look at the schedules of our WAC competition to see who else might surprise. Needless to say, we are not very worried.

Fresno State

• Toughest game: The Bulldogs will get one of the nation’s best teams when Wisconsin visits Fresno. This has the makings of David Carr’s 2002 all over again.
• Weakest game: Anyone, anywhere, any time works out great when it is Toledo.
• Schedule strength: respectable

Utah State

• Toughest game: Two weeks before the Broncos head to Eugene, the Aggies travel to face the Ducks. Utah State fans are nervous about getting killed. Oregon fans are annoyed to have a I-AA team on the schedule.
• Weakest game: There are really no easy opponents for the Aggies, but playing Idaho at home at least gives them a chance at not going 0-12.
• Schedule strength: impossible, relative to their being Utah State

Nevada

• Toughest game: Two Big XII teams back-to-back will pose a good challenge for the Wolfpack early in the year. Although, after giving up 69 points to the Broncos last year, I can’t wait to see what Texas Tech and Missouri can do.
• Weakest game: The season-opener against Grambling appears to be nothing more than a chance for Colin Kaepernick to stretch his legs.
• Schedule strength: mildly difficult

Idaho

• Toughest game: After a surprising show at USC last year, the Vandals get a crack at another PAC-10 opponent when the visit Arizona. Can lightning strike twice? In the form of a loss, yes.
• Weakest game: Idaho has in-state rival Idaho State on the schedule, which can only mean that the Vandals’ audition for the Big Sky is underway.
• Schedule strength: mediocre

LaTech

• Toughest game: When the Bulldogs scheduled a game at Kansas a couple years ago, I bet they never thought Kansas would be good. Also, having an improving SEC team (Mississippi State) come to town can’t end well.
• Weakest game: We’re not sure if they made up the name Southeast Louisiana or not.
• Schedule strength: commendable

New Mexico State

• Toughest game: The Aggies visit Nebraska in an early-season lopsided affair.
• Weakest game: NMSU plays traditional rivals New Mexico and UTEP in what is otherwise known as a cop out.
• Schedule strength: boring

San Jose State

• Toughest game: The Spartans have two BCS-conference teams on the road: Nebraska, a week before New Mexico State visits the Cornhuskers, and Stanford.
• Weakest game: A WAC schedule wouldn’t be complete with competition from a lower level. San Jose State’s choice? UC Davis.
• Schedule strength: predictable

Hawaii

• Toughest game: To open the season, the Rainbow Warriors play at Florida. As if getting beaten up by Georgia wasn’t bad enough.
• Weakest game: Hawaii’s annual division I-AA opponent? Drumroll please…Weber State!
• Schedule strength: better than usual

Vote for BSU

This weekend is the last chance to vote in ESPN's Greatest Highlight. The Statue of Liberty play is up against the Miracle on Ice in the finals, so vote, vote, vote. Results will be aired on Sunday.

The Greatest Highlight [ESPN]

Pre-order BSU's 2007 team DVD? No thanks

The Bronco book store is offering BSU fans the opportunity to pre-order the 2007 Boise State football team video, which would include crushing losses, disappointing running back performances, and failed expectations. But you could never tell from the product description!

On the heels of easily the greatest season in school history, and with the buzz still prominent from the historic overtime victory over Oklahoma in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, the 2007 Boise State Football team set out to continue a recent trend of on-field success.

And then we played a BCS-conference team on the road.

Needless to say, owning this DVD is not high on our list of priorities.

2007 Season DVD [Boise State book store]

WAC schedule reaction

Putzing around the Interweb this morning, we came across lots of articles from our fellow WAC members about their schedules. The mood is decidedly upbeat, considering some of these schools will be 30-point underdogs. Here are the links:

Louisiana Tech [The News-Star]
Hawaii [University of Hawaii]
San Jose State [SJSU]
New Mexico State [Las Cruces Sun-News]
Idaho [Idaho Statesman]
Utah State [Salt Lake Tribune]
Nevada [Reno Gazette-Journal]
Fresno State [Fresno Bee]

Lies compromise Statesman website

In its haste for timely journalism, the Idaho Statesman posted Boise State's schedule without having a Bronco fan read it first for mistakes. See that monumentally important game at the end of the schedule against Fresno? Where are we playing that again?



Let the conspiracy theories begin.