Could there be such a thing as bowl smack this early?

Yes, if you are Boise State and the Mountain West Conference.

Place Boise State against TCU in the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego and let these two duke it out.

It is no secret many in Boise would like to see BSU in the MWC. Plenty of folks in the MWC would also covet the addition. Earlier this season, a veteran Bronco sportscaster reported BSU coming to the MWC was a done deal which brought denials from both conferences and the school.

As late as last Saturday, MWC commissioner Craig Thompson was still scratching his head over that report.

ESPN's Mark May fanned the flames like the draft of a 747 when he proclaimed to a nationwide audience Friday night the Broncos would've lost four games if they'd played in the MWC this year.

Ouch.

A slap on the side of the head.

See, BSU is 12-0 against the MWC since the league kicked off a decade ago. That's some serious ownership by the Broncos. Even if a missed chip-shot field goal in the closing seconds by one of BYU's worst teams in 40 years (2004) would have delivered a MWC win through Gary Crowton's last Cougar squad.

Adding BSU is certainly something MWC presidents ought to look at when they convene in June. A MWC with the Broncos would certainly make a case for the league to get an automatic BCS berth when such issues are debated a few years from now.

Hearing May's edict has to be frustrating for 12-0 Boise State, a team that thrashed the lone WAC paper weight in its way, Fresno State, by a lopsided 61-10 to end the regular season on Friday.

It'll be impossible for No. 9 ranked Boise State to get an at-large BCS berth over Southern Cal or Ohio State.

The BSU hurt is this: The Broncos are two missed TCU field goals and a Brian Johnson-led last second drive in Rice-Eccles from being the automatic non-qualifier taken in the big money bowls and the first to do it twice. Instead of the Utes.

So, bring on TCU and the Broncos to prove stuff.

Back on Nov. 11, Thompson pumped up the strength of the MWC which squelched the Pac-10 this season, when asked if BSU would instantly help the league to become a BCS automatic qualifier.

Said Thompson, "My personal opinion is they probably wouldn't be 12-0. Taking nothing away from Boise State, but I don't know they would go undefeated against the top four teams that are vying for the conference championship at this point."

Back then, that would have been Utah, TCU, BYU and AFA.

Enter May and his comments Friday night. Three weeks didn't diminish his thoughts.

Broncos, that would be a challenge to your man card.