It's still early, but Boise has stated its case

There will still be those who don't believe Boise State belongs in the national championship debate, even after Monday night's 33-30 victory over Virginia Tech. And that's a shame. Because the Broncos won a road game - let's not kid ourselves about a neutral site - over a ranked opponent Monday night, and they have all the tools: a potent offense, a clutch quarterback, a stifling defense, great special teams play and brilliant coaching.

Virginia Tech has the same checklist, minus a little bit of the Broncos' experience. Defensive coordinator Bud Foster's young unit needed one quarter to get on track. But that one quarter - and a questionable late hit call - were enough for the Broncos to clear what should be their biggest hurdle of the season.

And therein lies one of the main criticisms of the Broncos: Your toughest game shouldn't be your first. But if you are by far the best team in your league, all you can do is to put two ranked teams on your nonconference schedule and hope for some help in moving up the rankings. The No. 3 Broncos, whose only remaining significant test appears to be Oregon State at home Sept. 25, will be scoreboard-watching this Saturday as No. 1 Alabama plays Penn State and No. 2 Ohio State faces Miami.

There is no question it is easier for Boise State to go undefeated than, say, it is for Virginia Tech. The Western Athletic Conference, which Boise will abandon at season's end for the Mountain West, is not as strong, top to bottom, as the ACC. But there's also no question that the ACC is not all Miamis and Virginia Techs. The Hokies have some easy nonconference games, just as Texas has in the Big 12 and Ohio State has in the Big Ten.

If Boise State played its toughest game Monday night, so too did Virginia Tech, more than likely. As of today, the biggest game remaining on the Hokies' schedule is Nov. 20 in Miami. A lot can change, of course. We don't know yet what to expect from North Carolina. Georgia Tech will work out all its kinks this weekend against my alma mater (Kansas). The truth is, on Sept. 8, there is a lot we don't know. But it's certainly unfair to characterize Virginia Tech's remaining schedule as the Slough of Despond and Boise State's as the yellow brick road.

It's worth remembering just how hard it is to go unbeaten in any sport, in any conference, in any region of the country. Unbeaten teams seem to attract the best efforts of their opponents. Unbeaten teams can sometimes get caught up in the pursuit of perfection and come unglued. Boise State has proven it can avoid the pitfalls and put together a perfect season, but never before with so much of the nation watching, at least that part of the nation that can find Idaho on a map.

The Broncos' performance Monday night seems to indicate some converts. They moved from fifth to third in the USA Today Coaches Poll. Boise State had one first-place vote in the Associated Press preseason poll; this week, it got eight. The Buckeyes, while remaining in second place, had just four, and Boise State closed the gap a bit. If Ohio State beats Miami Saturday, however, it likely will restore the distance between place and show.

Another indication that respect for the Broncos has ratcheted up: The Hokies didn't take a big hit despite the loss, dropping just three spots on the poll, to No. 13. It would be interesting to know what would have happened if Virginia Tech had hung on for the victory. Would the Hokies have gotten a big bump and would Boise have dropped like a stone?

Regardless, Hokies fans and Broncos fans should be rooting for each other's teams. It makes Boise State's win more impressive if Virginia Tech goes unbeaten the rest of the way; it makes the Hokies' close loss look better if Boise State does the same. Strength of schedule is no longer a separate component of the BCS poll, but it is an element in the six rankings that make up the formula's computer portion.

And anyone who wants to trade the BCS system for a playoff should be jumping on the Broncos' bandwagon as well. If Boise State can run the table, it's the best argument yet for why the BCS is so flawed and unfair.

There are still a lot of detractors who say that, because of its WAC pedigree, Boise State doesn't deserve a shot. I don't buy that. College football lost its right to yammer about tradition when it spent the summer tearing itself up and putting itself back together again, sort of. The BCS allowed its conferences to strip each other for parts; it can't cry foul, then, when an upstart wants to crash its party.

For just a moment, forget all the polls and permutations and playoff arguments. Forget the trick plays - none of which was in evidence Monday night - and the blue turf. Put aside your biases and your alma mater and your traditional way of thinking about college football and admit it: Boise State is a damn good football team. Whether the Broncos are good enough to win the national title or not, they've earned the right to be in the discussion.