Murphy: Boise State-TCU debate sure to heat up

HONOLULU - At some point, maybe even today, the pollsters who control too much of college football's fortunes are going to weigh in on the No. 1 debate in the Treasure Valley and the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

Who you got - Boise State or TCU?

Before Boise State - ranked No. 4 in the Bowl Championship Series standings - took the field late Saturday night against Hawaii, the Broncos' chief competitor for a spot in one of college football's five biggest bowls made a major statement.

TCU, ranked No. 8 in the BCS standings, drilled No. 16 Brigham Young 38-7 in Provo with ESPN's College GameDay in town. The Horned Frogs, who have been steadily climbing in the rankings, are sure to get another bump today when the myriad rankings (Associated Press, USA Today, Harris and BCS) are revealed.

That Boise State crushed Hawaii 54-9 will only add to the equation. Outside of a rash of fumbled snaps, including one that led to a Hawaii safety, the Broncos were nearly perfect as Kellen Moore threw five touchdowns and the defense forced six turnovers (three fumbles and three interceptions) through three quarters.

While most of the nation is consumed with who is No. 1 - and after Saturday's slate it is tough to tell if it's Florida or Alabama or Texas - Boise State fans are more concerned with another battle: Who will be the top-ranked non-BCS team?

Distinguishing between Boise State and TCU at this point is getting more and more difficult.

Both got help from vanquished non-conference foes Saturday, as Oregon continued its post-punch hot streak and Clemson, which TCU beat, upset No. 10 Miami.

Both won conference games with ease, though the Frogs' victory against nationally ranked BYU will hold a little more sway. Most voters were probably sound asleep by the second quarter of the Broncos' game at Hawaii. That is, if they even were watching it in the first place.

The polls will be scrutinized more than ever, as the difference between going to the BCS and, say, the Poinsettia Bowl is millions of dollars. And not just for the team that goes. The Mountain West or the WAC stands to gain monetarily from the inclusion of one of their teams in the BCS.

With the coaches' ballots secret, what's to stop Mountain West coaches from moving the Broncos down and the Frogs up? Or WAC coaches from doing the exact opposite?

Given how close the teams are, a change of a few votes might be enough to shift the balance of power.

How long until TCU's 17-16 victory in last year's Poinsettia Bowl becomes a major talking point for commentators who favor the Frogs?

"That's out of our control. What we can control is winning these six or seven games we have left," Boise State nickel Winston Venable said. "We know our next opponent. If we don't get by them, we're out of the picture. We'll go game by game and inch by inch."

There is, of course, one other possibility.

The dominance of both teams - and the lack of sizzle from many of the other highly ranked teams in the country - is opening the door for another conversation: Why not both?

"You need to solve that for us. I don't know," Boise State coach Chris Petersen said.

Said TCU coach Gary Patterson to ESPN.com after Saturday's game: "If we could win out and Boise could win out, you'd have two teams that are pretty good football teams, this might be one of those years that this might get done.

"Obviously, that's not how (the BCS) does things, but if we were to ever do things for the right reasons, maybe it might get done."

With the political pressure that Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah is threatening to apply to the BCS, it might be the perfect time for the BCS to open its doors to both teams.

Brian Murphy: 377-6444