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CBSSports.com predicts Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl

In the last year of the BCS Boise State could once again find itself as a BCS buster.

By Hank Corless
BCS Logo at Fiesta Bowl, Jan. 3, 2013; Glendale, AZ, USA
BCS Logo at Fiesta Bowl, Jan. 3, 2013; Glendale, AZ, USA
USA TODAY Sports
When the Fiesta Bowl rolls around on January 3, 2014, don’t be surprised if you see the Boise State Broncos taking to the field and the stadium decked out once again in Blue and Orange. BCS Expert Jerry Palm at CBSSports is already projecting another David and Goliath showdown between Boise State and Big12 behemoth Oklahoma State. This season could mark the Boise State’s third appearance in the Fiesta Bowl over the past half dozen years.

In 2007, the Broncos earned their first trip to the Fiesta Bowl where they played in what many consider one of the most exciting games in bowl history: Boise State vs. Oklahoma, where the Broncos defeated the Sooners 43-42 in OT. Who can forget that Statue of Liberty play?

In 2010, Boise State returned to the Fiesta Bowl, this time to face off against TCU in a WAC vs. MWC matchup. Once again the Broncos got the win, 17-10, in a hotly contested battle of two mid-major programs on the cusp of football greatness.

But not everyone agrees that Boise State will go undefeated this year or that they will even win the MWC. As reported here a few days ago Fresno State could win the MW crown and end up in the Armed Forces bowl, and that in turn could send Boise State back to Las Vegas. That also appears to be the thinking in ESPN’s projections of bowl lineups.

So could a trip to Phoenix be in the cards for the Broncos as CBSSports suggests? Maybe, and it helps to start off ranked 19th in the nation. But before the Boise State fans get all giddy with the thought of it, remember that BSU will have to go undefeated once again. That won’t be an easy task with a schedule filled with tough road games to Washington, Fresno State, San Diego State, BYU and Utah State. And with a weak home schedule the Broncos will also need a couple of decisive wins over such teams Nevada, Air Force and Wyoming. If they do all that, it would be hard for the BCS gurus to deny Boise State a final shot at a BCS bowl.

For now at least, the Boise State Broncos are masters of their own destiny.

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