If I may, I'd like to borrow a page from Peter Griffin's book and let you know what really grinds my gears.
Lots of things, actually. But, mainly, blanket generalizations and people who use a hope or a wish as a legitimate reason to make their claims. Doing a little research never hurt anyone.
What's my point? I'm getting there. But first, let me set it up properly.
Don't tempt me.
As I watch the 2014 football season unfold (one I'm really enjoying, by the way), I can't help but ponder on what has happened to the Broncos in the past couple of years.
Boise State went from BCS-busting Cinderella to washed up chump that clings to past successes faster than a Devan Demas 40-yard dash, according to clueless outsiders without a lick of knowledge or understanding.
How quickly the Broncos were dethroned while the likes of Fresno State (lol) and Utah State (double lol) were crowned.
Death. Taxes. Boise State winning football games. Take it to the bank. Tell your friends about it.
It's not going to change.
It's crucial to recognize, however, the fact that some things are indeed different. This is not the same BSU team that won a couple of Fiesta Bowls. And that's fine. As much fun as it is to cream every team we play, the aura of college football is that of challenge and emotion. Let's play on Saturday (maybe on Friday, in our case) and enjoy the ride.
I am forever grateful for what Chris Petersen did at Boise State and for what he meant to the city and the program. That will never change. He built the indoor practice field and new facilities by the sweat of his brow for heaven's sakes.
But let's be clear, Petersen was not an infallible football god. I'm as guilty as the next person when it came to propping him up as such. It's interesting to look back and see that was not the case. Yes, Pete made mistakes.
And with his departure came the idiot parade. It was one ridiculous argument after another as to the "true" reason for his departure. Allow me to address the one that bothers me the most.
Petersen "saw the writing on the wall" at Boise State and left while the going was good. He saw that Boise State was on a downward trend and bailed.
Are you serious? Are you really that naive? Such logic is as fallacious as a Jameis Winston explanation.
Boise State's final two seasons under Petersen were far from spectacular. In fact, many aspects were downright putrid. He's as much responsible for that as he is the Fiesta Bowl years. Don't take the good and heap praise on him only to ignore or dismiss the negative in order to support your argument.
And let's not forget one of the greatest college quarterbacks in the universe played for him during the glory years. Petersen's recruiting at that position was suspect at BSU (Remember, Justin Wilcox brought Kellen Moore to Boise).
Petersen must have had a crystal ball because the only writing on the wall he saw was Joe Southwick's name trickling down a Hawaiian hotel balcony.
Or his own shortcomings at Boise State that came creeping back to haunt him.
Or his own shortcomings at Boise State that came creeping back to haunt him.
And that's the key. A head coach is only as good as his assistants. Once Justin Wilcox, Bryan Harsin, Marcel Yates, Mike Sanford and Co. left, that was it. Their replacements under Petersen were subpar, to say the least.
Robert Prince, anyone?
With Harsin leading the way, the Broncos will continue to out-recruit its peers and win. It will be near impossible to replicate Petersen's 4-year run with Kellen Moore, but Boise State is not "slowly fading away," as some claim. Just look at the team's overall record: 399–153–2.
Oh, and only two coaches have ever had losing records with the Broncos, and one of them wasn't even around for a full season (Houston Nutt in 1997 was 5-6 and Tom Mason was 1-9 in 1996).
Claiming Boise State is done as a successful and even dominant program is uneducated and lacking in historical perspective and knowledge. No, the Broncos aren't going anywhere, despite anyone's wishes or desires disguised as evidence.
Neither am I.
