Computer or Cash Register: Which Determined MW Playoff Location
The Sunday morning headline read "The Computer has Spoken" and Boise State will host the Mountain West football championship game against Fresno State.
The decision was made by ten o'clock Sunday morning before the dust had really settled on Fresno States 28-17 win over the Broncos less than 24 hours earlier.
Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson went to the computer to determine the site of the title game and the winner is Boise State. The data however points in Fresno States direction. The Bulldogs are now 25th in the AP poll and 26th according to the coaches poll where San Diego State, remember them, is 25th.
Boise State is 28th in both polls, lost 28-17 to the Bulldogs and the two teams have identical 7-1 and 9-3 records.
Some said last Saturdays game was meaningless and the decision to play the championship game in Boise simply proves that statement.
No game should be meaningless and with the win Fresno State should have earned the right to host. Had that possibility been on the line Saturday maybe Boise State would have shown a little more energy and effort. It was obvious the Bulldogs played with a chip on their shoulder and more power to head coach Jeff Tedford for getting his team in a mental frame of mind to play like the game meant something.
It seems to me if the computer had spoken clearly and the Bulldogs had earned the right to host. It seems to me the computer was interrupted by the cash register!
There is no doubt the Mountain West, who owns the right to the game, feels they can make much more money in Boise than Fresno. So maybe last Saturdays game was meaningless because when push came to shove it's all about the profit.
Boise State, a 7 point favorite last Saturday is now a 9 1/2 point favorite this week despite the 28-17 loss. If I were a Bulldog I wouldn't have to look far for momentum.
Once looking at an 11-2 record heading into a Bowl game BSU is now flirting with a 9-4 mark and another season ending bowl disappointment like last year against Baylor.
Time for Boise State to pull up on the throttle and go full thrust, I'm sure the Bulldogs will go with throttle up!