Saturday, December 1, 2012

Boise State 5th in Modern Era with 7 Straight 10-Win Seasons

The players returning for the Boise State football team were entrusted with the keys to the legacy and with a tradition that has stunned most of the college football world outside of Idaho.  Those players came through with another 10-win season, despite losing half of their seniors to the NFL, and despite the naysayers.

Boise State ranks sixth in the history of the sport for the most consecutive 10-win seasons.  The Broncos have won 10 or more every year since 2006.  Seven straight seasons, and probably not coincidentally, as long as Chris Petersen has been coaching the team.

Florida State holds the all-time record of 14 (1987-2000) that may never be broken.  Pennsylvania (1890-1898) and Texas are second with nine (2001-2009), and Virginia Tech had a shot to tie the Longhorns but came up short this season.  The Hokies won 10 or more every year from 2004-2011.  Miami of Florida put together eight in a row from 1985-1992, while USC won 10 or more from 2002-2008, and Yale had 10-win seasons from 1888-1894.  And now Boise State has tied those two historic schools.  Boise State has more current onsecutive 10-win seasons than every other school in the nation, including Alabama, Michigan, Nebraska, and Oklahoma.  But the Sooners have accomplished something no other school has done--win 10 games in five consecutive seasons three different times.  

Interestingly enough, the 12 schools that are at the top of this list pretty represent most of the powerhouses in the history of college football.  Two teams notably absent from this group of consistent 10-game winners are Notre Dame and Penn State.  The best the Nittany Lions did was four seasons (1971-1974), while Notre Dame strung three 10-win seasons from 1991-1993.  This list pretty much sums up how great these 12 schools are.

1.    Florida State 14 (1987-2000)
2.    Texas 9 (2001-2009)
2.    Pennsylvania 9 (1890-1898)
4.    Miami of Florida 8 (1985-1992)
4.    Virginia Tech 8 (2004-2011)
6.    Boise State 7 (2006-2012)
6.    USC 7 (2002-2008)
6.    Yale 7 (1888-1894)
9.    Florida 6 (1993-1998)
9.    Princeton 6 1888-1893
11.  Alabama 5 (1971-1975)
11.  Michigan 5 (1901-1905)
11.  Nebraska 5 (1993-1997)
11.  Ohio State 5 (2006-2010)
11.  Oklahoma 5 (1954-1958)
11.  Oklahoma 5 (1971-1975)
11.  Oklahoma 5 (2000-2004)
11.  Princeton 5 (1895-1899)

'Twas the Night Before the Nevada-Bronco Game

'Twas the night
Before the Nevada Bronco game,
When all through the casinos
Not a creature was stirring,
Not even a game of Keno.

Boise State fans
Had been there in years past
But not this year,
They'd been treated like crap.

The tickets were offered
By the university with care
In hopes
That all Wolf Pack fans
Soon would be there.

The players were nestled
All safe in their beds
While visions of 2010
Danced in their heads.

And Ault in his wisdom
Left Bronco fans out
The stadium wouldn't be full,
Of this, there can be no doubt.

And there in the paper,
There arose such a chatter
Pack fans sprang from their beds
To see what was the matter.

Away to the window
They flew like a flash
Tore open the shutters
And threw up the sash.

Ault dreamed of dollars;
He'd dreamed of fans
He'd dreamed of tradition,
And all he got was empty stands.

When what
To their wandering eyes
Should appear
But a miniature sleigh
And eight tiny reindeer.

With a little ol' driver
So lively and without fault
They knew in a moment
It must be St. Ault.

Hotel owners wanted answers,
Restaurant owners too
Why had Ault not invited
Fans of the Blue.

Now dasher,
Now dancer,
Now prancer
Now vixen
On comet,
On cupid,
On donder
and blitzen.

He had a round face
And a little body
That shook when he pouted
Like a bowlful of jelly.

So up
To the housetop
The courses
They flew
With a sleigh
Full of toys
And St. Ault too.

But a closer look revealed
The identity was sealed
It wasn't Chris Kringle at all
But the Grinch--of all the gall.

He stole all the tickets
He stole the concessions
Made the stadium sound like crickets
Without even a confession.

To his sleigh
To his team
Gave a whistle
And away
They all flew
Like the down
of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim
As away he flew
Screw Boise State fans,
Screw the city of Reno too!

This Week in the BCS #11-25

#11 Oklahoma held on to beat TCU 24-17.
#12 Nebraska was humiliated by 7-5 Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship, 70-31.
#13 Florida State squeaked by Georgia Tech in the ACC championship, 21-15.
#14 Clemson does not play.
#15 Oregon State beat up on poor Nicholls State 77-3.
#16 UCLA lost to #8 Stanford 27-24.
#17 Kent State fell to #21 Northern Illinois in a close 44-37 game in two overtimes.
#18 Texas lost to #6 Kansas State 42-24.
#19 Michigan does not play
#20 Boise State escaped with a 27-21 win at Nevada.
#21 Northern Illinois won a squeaker over #17 Kent State 44-37 in two overtimes.
#22 Northwestern does not play.
#23 Oklahoma State was upset by Baylor 41-34.
#24 Utah State does not play.
#25 San Jose State does not play.