No. 9 Broncos unbeaten but on outside of BCS chase

In two years, Boise State has gone from buster to busted in the BCS.

The Broncos (11-0), ranked No. 9 entering Friday's regular-season finale against Fresno State (7-4), were also ranked ninth and champions of the Western Athletic Conference the last time they were undefeated at the end of a season.

That was in 2006, when they earned a spot in the Fiesta Bowl and became national darlings by rallying with a dazzling array of tricks to beat Oklahoma in overtime.

That fairy-tale New Year's night ended with Broncos running back Ian Johnson on one knee proposing to his cheerleader girlfriend on national television.

But this season has too many Cinderellas for the BCS' annual big-money ball.

"I feel bad, because we've got very, very good football teams in this country that are not members of BCS conferences," said Fresno State coach Pat Hill, a veteran of the excluded WAC. "And I think that's getting shown more all the time."

Never more than this year.

Utah (12-0), from the non-BCS Mountain West Conference, is ranked sixth in the latest BCS standings. The Utes' regular season is complete, so they will remain in the top 12 of the BCS. That's the threshold for non-BCS schools to get an invite to one of the five richest bowls.

Ball State just finished its regular season undefeated, too — but the Mid-American Conference champion is ranked 15th in the BCS.

Boise State is ranked ninth in the BCS.

The series is required to invite only one non-BCS team that is ranked in its top 12 — the highest-ranked one.

So even if the Broncos finish their third perfect regular season since 2004, and they are 21-point favorites to do so at home against the battered Bulldogs, they are more likely to go to their hometown Humanitarian Bowl than to relive their Fiesta fantasy.

If they win, the Broncos can only hope a parade of one-loss big boys lose in the coming weeks, perhaps allowing them to squeeze into a BCS spot when bowl pairings are announced Dec. 7.

Asked whether the much-maligned BCS system needs yet another tweak, Petersen said: "We'll have to look at it this offseason."

"I think the guys who direct college football are doing all they can to tweak the system to do what they can," said Petersen, who is 34-3 in three seasons leading the Broncos.