Tom Scott = Fresno State fan?

Tom Scott's "Scott Slant" is often an interesting read...except when it is just plain wrong.

Scott's Tuesday entry recapped the ESPN.com story by Ivan Maisel about the WAC's biggest questions headed into the offseason. And instead of tackling the subject of Maisel's outrageous claim of Boise State "rebuilding," Scott took offense to the assertion that no WAC team is suited to crash the BCS again.

If Fresno's one loss isn't to Toledo, and the Bulldogs run the rest of the table, they could still go BCS-bustin'.

(Disappointed sigh.)

Forget, for a moment, the fact that Scott does not throw his endorsement behind a loaded Boise State squad. In order for Fresno to "run the rest of the table," they would have to beat the Broncos in Boise. Not as easy as it sounds.

Thanks for the complete lack of faith, Tom.

Every return to the brickyard is triumphant [Scott Slant]

Thursday: Links with self-confidence

Story of the day:

Get rid of the redshirt [ESPN.com]

Big XII commissioner Dan Beebe has proposed a plan to give all college football players five years of eligibility by getting rid of the redshirt. Too little, too late for Marty Tadman, we're afraid.

Beebe said that college football differs than other sports because of the widespread practice of redshirting freshmen.

"The thought would be why we would give them an extra year in that sport," Beebe said. "But you're talking about a sport with more redshirts than any other sport. And it's a sport where youngsters play a physical, very tough game with a lot of hard practices."

We couldn't agree more with this proposal. The only question is what would the fifth year of eligibility be called? Freshman, sophomore, junior, senior...gentleperson? Re-senior? Esquire? Hopefully, Beebe has an answer.

Other links:

Respect for the hook-and-ladder [ESPN.com]
The top coaching decision in BCS history is Circus. No. 3 is Statue Left.

Chris Petersen cracked the Top 10 defining BCS coaches [ESPN.com]
We are also ecstatic that June Jones did not make the list.

Ian Johnson: captain of longevity [Dave's blog]
Yes, it does feel like Johnson's been around forever.

Do not get in a car with Gerald Alexander [Fight Fight BSU]
New conferences for college football [Minister of Information]

OBNUG Hall of Fame podcast

We are taking this Hall of Fame business pretty seriously. How seriously? Podcast serious!

Behold the first ever OBNUG podcast! Nick and I sat down to dish on Marty Tadman, Fiesta Bowl rankings, and listening to Idaho Sports Talk in hell. We presented the case for the induction of Tadman's Fiesta Bowl performance (click here for more), and then we got bored and talked about other stuff.

Technically, it is not the greatest sounding podcast. I sound like I'm in a wind tunnel, Nick sounds like he's yelling, and the letter "p" might burst your eardrum. Give us time; we'll get it right.

Enjoy and don't forget to vote for Tadman's Fiesta Bowl performance!

HOF Discussion: Marty Tadman's Fiesta Bowl Hide Player | Play in Popup | Download

Democracy fails; Idaho voted No. 1

Looks like Robb Akey just found himself a recruiting tool.

The Idaho Vandals, all one win and eleven losses of them, are the number one team in the nation, according to a poll at collegefootballpoll.com. Curse those computer macros!



We're fascinated to see the Vandals on top, and we are equally surprised to find Utah State at number two. Talk about a scintillating BCS Championship game!

Wednesday: Links with youth

Story of the day:

Scandrick outperforms expectations, first round picks [FOX Sports.com]

The rave reviews on former Boise State CB Orlando Scandrick in the Dallas Cowboys' minicamp continue to flood in. This time, FOX Sports' John Czarnecki tells us that Scandrick was the best rookie corner in camp.

Scandrick, a fifth-round pick from Boise State, out-played Mike Jenkins in a recent mini-camp.

Jenkins was a first-round pick by the Cowboys. Maybe now the local media will stop asking Scandrick if he regrets turning pro early.

Other links:

Boise State rebuilding? Hardly [Bleacher Report]
Who do people think BSU is? Hawaii?

You can't put a price on blue turf [Idaho Statesman]
But $817,000 sounds about right.

BCS or playoffs? There is only one right answer [ESPN.com]
Forde says playoffs, freedom. Maisel says BCS, slavery.

Not everyone likes blue turf [Fight Fight BSU]
Hawaii's new TV contract [Honolulu Advertiser]

HOF nominee: Marty Tadman's Fiesta Bowl

To vote for Marty Tadman's Fiesta Bowl, use the poll on the sidebar. Voting will take place through the weekend, and nominees need 70 percent of the vote to gain induction.

Was the OBNUG Hall of Fame built with Marty Tadman in mind? Quite definitely, yes.

Anyone who spends five minutes with us knows that we are enthralled with Tadman up to and over the point of obsession. We feel that he was one of the greatest Boise State players of all-time, and he is a close, personal friend (in the alternate reality in which we live). Tadman's heroics over the course of his career speak monuments to his ability, leadership, and smarts, and picking just one Tadman moment for our first OBNUG Hall of Fame class was difficult.

But not impossible.

The Fiesta Bowl was one of the greatest moments in Boise State history, and it was fitting that one of Boise State's greatest players had one of his biggest games. Tadman showed up when it counted most, and without him, our collection of Fiesta Bowl t-shirts would be much less cool.

His solid, all-around play served merely as context for his two spectacular, timely, heads-up interceptions. The first stopped a drive; the second gave the Broncos breathing room (Jared Zabransky, obviously, hates breathing room).

After the Broncos jumped out to a 14-0 lead, Oklahoma started its comeback. The Sooners cut the lead in half, and on their next drive, they looked poised to strike again. Tadman, however, had other ideas. He picked off Oklahoma QB Paul Thompson in the end zone to kill the drive.

Later, with the Broncos holding on to a 21-10 lead midway through the third quarter, Tadman struck again. A Thompson pass headed for the flat was tipped by Korey Hall and picked by Tadman, who ran untouched into the end zone. The pick-six gave Boise State its biggest lead of the game, and it put the Broncos in great position to win.

Tadman's Fiesta Bowl picks were things of beauty, and his overall play spearheaded an aggressive, unheralded defense. The beauty of Boise State's victory was not in the trick plays or gimmicky offense. The real value was that the Broncos belonged on the same field as a Big XII team in every facet of the game.

We have Marty Tadman to thank for that.

Tuesday: Links with patience

Story of the day:

Fiesta Bowl needs our help [ESPN.com]

Once again, the greatest D-1 moment in Boise State history is having its value determined by ESPN.com visitors. The Worldwide Leader has a poll up right now to decide the best BCS bowl game, as part of their week-long look at the non-playoff system.

During its first decade of existence, the BCS provided many memorable games that had no championship implications. What college football fan can forget Boise State's trickery against Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl or Michigan edging Alabama in overtime in the 2000 Orange Bowl?

We're a little upset that they even put a game like Michigan-Alabama in the same sentence as the Fiesta Bowl. In fact, other than the peak of Vince Young's career in the Rose Bowl versus USC, there are no other serious contenders in this group of games. There really shouldn't even be a discussion.

Regardless, we voted at least seventeen times last night.

Other links:

ESPN.com writer is an idiot [ESPN.com]
The Fiesta Bowl as the third-best BCS game? Get real.

Ian Johnson poster boy for manly crocheting [Iowa State Fans]
Also, poster boy for national television engagements.

Merritt close to qualifying for U.S. Open [Idaho Press-Tribune]
Must...fake...interest...in...golf.

Montana State expanding stadium [Dailey's Bottom Line]
Is it wrong to be jealous of a 1-AA school?

Boise State in the H-Bowl again?! [College Football News]
Being the fourth alternate for the New Mexico Bowl doesn't make things any better.