On November 6, 2010, No. 3 TCU visited No. 5 Utah. This was back when both were members of the Mountain West Conference (they are now part of the Big 12).
It was a rarity, a top five matchup between teams from outside the so-called power conferences. TCU, led by quarterback Andy Dalton, won big that day, 47-7, but the headline of Sports Illustrated’s story the following week offered a grim reminder of how college football went about its business.
“Does it matter?”
Well, every game matters in some way, but that certainly wasn’t the case in pursuit of a national title. TCU would finish undefeated, but would not receive a bid to the Bowl Championship Series title game (Auburn defeated Oregon, 22-19). TCU got to play (and win) the Rose Bowl as a consolation.
Fourteen years later, there is a real playoff, with twelve teams and access to leagues like the Mountain West. It’s just in time for what may be the most consequential and anticipated non-power conference game ever.
Boise State at UNLV at 10:30 PM ET on Friday night.
Boise is 6-1 and ranked 17th nationally. UNLV is 6-1, but not in the polls. This isn’t close to a top five matchup, but it offers something more important: a step toward winning the Mountain West title and earning the automatic bid reserved for the best team from the so-called ‘ Group of Five’. ‘competitions.
Does it matter? Oh, it matters. That’s why the media is so excited about it, UNLV is opening additional parts of Allegiant Stadium to meet ticket demand and CBS Sports Network is expecting a boost in ratings.
“It’s obviously a big moment,” UNLV coach Barry Odom said Monday of what may be the biggest game in school history. “We know how important this match is. … High level of excitement, not just from our team or our athletic department, but from the city of Vegas.
The 12-team playoffs offer automatic bids to the five highest-ranked conference champions. Since there are only four “power” leagues – ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, SEC – that means there’s room for the best of the rest, if you will.
That access to the play-offs is a welcome game changer, far removed from the traditional teams and competitions. It’s not that anyone thinks Boise State or UNLV will win the national title, but just the chance to reach the playoffs adds incalculable excitement, purpose and credibility to their seasons and programs.
“That’s what we work so hard for and that’s why guys come to UNLV to be a part of games like this,” Odom said.
In the NCAA basketball tournament, a successful season is defined differently by different schools — like making March Madness, or pulling off an upset, or reaching the Sweet Sixteen. Winning it all is not the end all be all.
In football it will be the same. And it doesn’t just apply to these two.
Both Army and Navy are still in contention as undefeated contenders in the American Athletic Conference. That’s especially true if one or both can beat Notre Dame (Saturday’s Midshipman game against the Irish has playoff implications for both plows). That simply wouldn’t have happened in the past. Washington State, Memphis and Liberty all have trails as well.
Too much college football is managed through the spreadsheets of television executives, but the sport is at its best when it is a truly national pursuit.
Critics of the playoff expansion have argued for years that it would make college football’s regular season lose meaning.
While it’s true that a single loss will no longer end a team’s season (and that was only occasionally the case), there’s no sign that the games between top programs are played with less intensity or have the fans’ interest lost.
Last Saturday, CBS became the first network to ever broadcast two games (Alabama-Tennessee and Georgia-Texas) on the same day that drew more than 10 million viewers. The ratings and attendance are up everywhere, and we haven’t even gotten to November’s free-for-all month yet, let alone the actual playoff.
The regular season is different, but in this case it’s not that the game means less, it’s that more games matter more.
Even an October clash out west that will feature not only Boise’s Heisman candidate Ashton Jeanty, but also UNLV stars like wide receiver Ricky White and return man Jacob De Jesus.
“This will be an absolute heavyweight fight…” Boise State coach Spencer Danielson said. “We all know this is a big game. It’s a big opponent. It takes place in a large arena.”
With real, big stakes. Nothing has been taken from the big schools; this is an addition to the sport as a whole.
“That’s what you dream about as a player, as a competitor, as a coach, to be in this situation and have this opportunity,” Odom said.
Fourteen years after a top-five showdown that had everyone questioning its relevance, this Mountain West matchup undoubtedly matters.
