Boise State Victory Could Be Springboard to National Title

LANDOVER, Md. -- Boise State is hoping history repeats itself. Critics of the Broncos are praying it doesn't.

Last season, Alabama opened the season by defeating Virginia Tech at a neutral site on its way to the national title. Monday, at FedEx Field, Boise State rallied past Virginia Tech 33-30 at a supposedly neutral site, although the Hokies gobbled up at least 3/4 of the 86,587 tickets.

Will the Broncos also use a season-opening victory against Tech as a catapult to the national title?

We'll have to wait and see. But no matter where you stand in the great debate -- would 12-0 Boise State be BCS title game worthy? -- there is no debating the Broncos deserve to be in the conversation after rallying past the Hokies.

"The nation is always going to doubt us just because we're from the WAC," Boise State junior defensive end Shea McClellin told FanHouse. "Every week, we're going to have to go out to the nation and prove who we are."

Playing just minutes from the Nation's Capital, the Broncos have become the epitome of America's Team. You either feel an undefeated Boise State deserves a shot at the BCS title or you believe the Broncos have no business playing for a national title with their soft conference schedule.

"We know the bulls-eye will continue to grow," Boise State coach Chris Petersen said.

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For those who want to discount the Broncos because they're from the WAC and their conference is made of a mishmash of teams not good enough for the Mountain West, consider what they did to the team picked to win the Atlantic Coast Conference.

"It was the most anticipated, hyped game I've been a part of," Boise State senior Brandyn Thompson said.

Boise State blew a 17-0 first quarter lead, then retook the lead in the third quarter, only to find itself on defense and trailing 30-26 with 5:14 remaining. The Broncos had to get the ball back one last time or they knew a huge stake would be driven through their national title hopes.

Virginia Tech picked up two first downs. Boise State then used its last timeout from its 33 with the Hokies just needing to convert a third-and-8 and the game was over.

The Broncos defense held, giving quarterback Kellen Moore and the offense the one opportunity they needed.

"It was a great feeling," McClellin said.

The offense got the ball at its 44 -- 56 yards from victory -- and with one minute, 47 seconds remaining. That seemed like an eternity for Moore, who is used to running the team's weekly "two-minute drills" at practice with only 1:30 on the clock.

"That's exactly what we practice," Moore said. "We practice that every week. You practice clutch situations. This time they gave us a little bit more time. Usually we only practice with a minute, 30 (seconds). We had about two minutes. We had a little extra time."

To Moore and the Broncos, one minute and 47 seconds was all the time in the world. All the time in the world, like the classic Twilight Zone episode featuring Burgess Meredith, only the Broncos didn't break their eye glasses -- they broke the Hokies' hearts.

Five plays and 56 yards later -- and using only 41 seconds off the clock, Austin Pettis hauled in the game-winning 13-yard touchdown pass from Moore.

In last season's perfect 14-0 season, the Broncos only trailed on four occasions. On each series after they fell behind, the Broncos answered with a score -- three touchdowns and a field goal.

The first time they fell behind against Virginia Tech, 21-20, with 6:34 remaining in the third quarter, the Broncos answered three plays later with D.J. Harper's 71-yard touchdown run.

What's the secret to Boise State's comeback success?

"Ask the guy standing behind you," Petersen said pointing at Pettis, who finished with six receptions for 73 yards and two touchdowns and blocked a punt setting up Boise State's first touchdown.

"Me and Kellen have been working on that for a while," Pettis said. "It worked a lot last year, so we're just continuing that."

Leading up to Monday night's matchup between No. 3 Boise State and No. 10 Virginia Tech, Petersen and Boise State athletic director Gene Bleymaier had repeated the same message: "We've tried to prove everyone wrong," they said. "Now we're going to prove everyone right."

So, did Monday night's victory against the Hokies prove the voters who picked them so high right or do the Broncos have to run the table to prove them correct?

"We're not talking about running the table," Petersen said. "We're talking about winning the next game. That's really what it is.

"You set your goals in spring football or fall camp and you move forward. That's the nice thing the way our goals are set. It's all about the process and all about the next game. There are too many hurdles we have to get through before you start talking about running the table and those things."

Petersen summed up the victory as "two teams trading punches and we made one more play than they did. We were fortunate to come out with a victory."

Fortunate, yes. Lucky, no. These BCS-busting Broncos are for real. And the Broncos, who are known for their trick plays, attempted exactly zero trick plays against Virginia Tech.

Moore wouldn't divulge where he would rank the Broncos if he had a vote in one of the national polls. Petersen, who has a vote in the coaches poll, was asked where he was ranking his team this week.

"Thirty-five," Petersen joked. "It doesn't really matter."

It matters to the Boise State fan who was getting the Broncos to autograph his blue and orange Nikes after the game. And it certainly matters to the Boise State fan in the south end zone, triumphantly holding up a sign that had "Big 12, Pac-10 and Mountain West" written with a check mark underneath each conference, signifying recent big wins against Oklahoma, Oregon and TCU. The only unchecked box was below "BCS title."

The question is: will that box be checked after the BCS championship is played on Jan. 10, 2011?

Brett McMurphy is a national college football writer for FanHouse. Contact him at brettmcmurphy@gmail.com or please follow at Twitter.com/BrettmcmurphY