Let OBNUG plan your Thursday night

Yesterday, Idaho Statesman columnist Brian Murphy wrote an article calling out Bronco football fans for not being Bronco basketball fans. Specifically, he wanted Bronco Nation to attend tonight's men's basketball against Utah State as if it were some sort of obligation.

We didn't appreciate Murphy's presumptive tone, and we certainly didn't like that he was trying to plan our Thursday night. But anything Murphy can do, OBNUG can do better, so here are our humble suggestions for Thursday night activities.

1. Watch LOST.
Maybe this week we find out why the statues only have four toes.

2. Go to Dairy Queen.
Medium Oreo Blizzards for everyone!

3. Plan a road trip to a BSU away game.
Eugene is only 530 miles away.

4. Re-watch the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.
Fast-forward past the Zabransky interception.

5. Write Brian Murphy a letter.
Preferably one telling how to spend his free time.

Rivals' WAC spring preview

The good folks at Rivals.com previewed the top stories for WAC spring football, and they seem to be giving Fresno State entirely too much credit. Join the club.

The WAC has provided BCS "interlopers" each of the past two seasons – with Boise State in 2006 and Hawaii in '07 – and Fresno State could be that team this fall. Fresno only has a few holes to fill this spring. That's not the case for Boise and Hawaii.

Thank goodness WAC championships aren't won in the spring.

There were a few Bronco items in the preview article; the first is Rivals' take on one of the WAC's big position battles:

The Broncos need to find a new quarterback, with Bush Hamdan, Nick Lomax and Mike Coughlin the contenders. Still, unless the Broncos can find four new starters for their offensive line, the quarterback is going to be running for his life. Nate Potter and Matt Slater look as if they will get first shot at the tackle spots.

We liked their pick for an emerging player:

Boise State CB Brandyn Thompson: Starting CB Orlando Scandrick left early for the NFL, and Thompson – who played a lot as a true freshman last season – looks as if he'll step into Scandrick's vacated spot. Thompson was one of five true freshmen to play for Boise last season.

Plus, the whole thing never mentioned Ian Johnson once. Impressive.

WAC Spring Preview [Rivals.com]

Ranking the schedule

Every Boise State game is a treat for OBNUG. We love watching the Broncos play no matter who the opponent is. But which game are we most excited to see? Allow us to rank them.

12. Idaho Sta...zzzzzzzzzzzz
Sorry, we fell asleep just writing that. Wouldn't this game work out better if it was played instead of the final fall scrimmage? I mean, who are we kidding? That's what this game basically is anyway.

12. Utah State
The Aggies are coming to town on November 8. Consider the calendar not circled.

11. Bowling Green
Rumor has it, the Falcons will have a converted quarterback playing running back this year. Isn't that supposed to work the other way?

10. New Mexico State
There are one too many Aggies on the schedule.

9. LaTech
Bulldogs, too.

8. San Jose State
The Spartans always play us tough in San Jose. And they always play us at, like, 9:00 a.m. What's up with that?

7. Southern Miss
When we saw the Golden Eagles in person last year, they were a big, scary bunch. They will probably be even more intimidating in their home stadium, wearing all black. Bring it.

6. Nevada
Will we see another 69-67 overtime shootout? Our heart valves sure hope not.

5. Hawaii
Revenge is a dish best served by throwing things at Hawaii wide receivers in the North end zone.

4. Idaho
If this were any other school, we would have this game ranked much lower. While the Vandals don't offer us much competition, at least Idaho Week is good for a few laughs.

3. Oregon
A BCS-conference school on the road is not our idea of a good time. But going to the game and taking lots of pictures is! We'll be there for the possible upset, and we couldn't be more excited.

2. Fresno State
This game is as close as the WAC will get to a championship game, and we couldn't be happier that it is at home in the last week of the season. We have already started purging our closet of everything red.

1. National championship game vs. Georgia
Yeah, don't pretend like you didn't know this was happening. We've already put money down on tickets. Non-refundable, baby!

Tad Miller needs a job; OBNUG needs an intern

The Idaho Statesman wrote an interesting profile piece on former Boise State offensive lineman Tad Miller yesterday. The article was mainly about Miller's recovery from a knee injury and how he hopes to catch on with an NFL team this summer.

The item that caught our eye was the final paragraph:

Football is far from the only item on Miller's agenda these days. He's getting married in July, he's taking an online class to complete his degree in criminal justice and he's looking for a part-time job while he awaits word from the NFL, which holds its draft April 26-27.

It just so happens that One Bronco Nation Under God is looking for a part-time fact checker who has experience on the Broncos' offensive line. Drop us a line, Tad, and we'd love to get you in for an interview. Compensation DOE.

Miller, back from injury, works out [Idaho Statesman]

Putzier signs with Seahawks

Former Boise State tight end Jeb Putzier has signed a one-year contract to play with the Seattle Seahawks. Putzier, a six-year NFL veteran, was released by the Houston Texans last month. The Seahawks have little depth at the position with only TE Will Heller (a better blocker than receiver) on the roster.

Seahawks sign Putzier [National Post]