Broncos are big Hokies fans now

So, after watching Boise State defeat Virginia Tech on Monday, are you a Hokies fan?

One group of people is - everyone associated with the Boise State program.

Now that the No. 3 Broncos have defeated the then-No. 10 Hokies, Boise State has become the biggest fans of Virginia Tech perhaps the Hokies have ever had. That's because Boise State needs Virginia Tech to run the table - or at least have a 10-2 season - so as to bolster its lower-than-low schedule strength.

There's no doubt Boise State has talent. The Broncos return all but one starter from a year ago, including their playmaking quarterback Kellen Moore. They've got heart, desire and a wildly innovative coaching staff.

But they also have a schedule that resembles the nearest garbage dump. And strength of schedule figures prominantly into the picture of the equation that decides who plays in the the BCS national championship game.

Simply annihilating the rest of the Western Athletic Conference won't do for Boise State. The Broncos not only need to beat the only two worthwile opponents on their schedule - Virginia Tech and Oregon State (whom they play on Sept 25)- they also need those teams to have banner seasons.

That means both Virginia Tech and Oregon State need to win at least nine games, if not 10. The more the Hokies and Beavers - again, providing the Broncos beat Oregon State - lose, the worse it's going to hurt an already laughable strength of schedule factor.

Actually, TCU already hurt Boise State a little. The Horned Frogs, who are also trying to be a BCS Buster, beat Oregon State in Week 1, leaving little margin for error as far as Boise State is concerned. If Oregon State loses to Boise State as well as USC, Oregon and Washington - none of which are out of the question - a five-loss Oregon State team doesn't really help Boise State's schedule strength.

And if Virginia Tech stumbles in the ACC and struggles down the stretch with road games at North Carolina and Miami, that would hurt the Broncos as well.

True, there's a lot of football to be played and anything can happen.

But you can rest assured that even though Virginia Tech is in Boise State's rearview mirror, the Broncos are going to pay very careful attention to what the Hokies do from here on out.

Their BCS livelihood depends on it.

- John Kampf