2010 Regualr Season: #3 Boise State at #10 Virginia Tech

Proof in the Pudding:

After defeating Oklahoma in his first year as a Head Coach, Chris Petersen was faced with rebuilding a team that had lost most of its starters, including QB Jared Zabransky. During the offseason, Petersen would offer a scholarship to a little heralded, sub 6'0" HS QB who had just set state records while playing QB for his Dad in Prosser, Washington. Electing to Redshirt the true frosh, Petersen would start Taylor Tharpe in the 2007 season.

Tharpe would lead the Broncos to a 10-3 record, losing to Washington 24-10 at the beginning of the year, and then to Hawaii 39-27 at the end of the year. Tharpe led an ill fated Bronco comeback bid against future All Pro RB Chris Johnson and the ECU Pirates in the Hawaii bowl, losing 41-38 after being down 31-14 at the half.

In 2008, the QB from Washington Petersen had found, was ready to start as a Redshirt Freshman. Kellen Moore opened the season with a win in Autzen Stadium, defeating the Oregon Ducks 37-32. The Freshman phenom would guide BSU through an undefeated season, but lose to #11 TCU in the Poinsetta Bowl 17-16 after throwing an interception in a potential game winning final drive. Moore blamed himself for the loss, despite having a good overall game/season, and worked especially hard in the offseason on his already high capacity for dissecting defenses and pinpoint ball placement.

In 2009, Oregon came to Boise angry, and ready to show the previous year was just a fluke. Kellen Moore and the Boise St. Broncos would go on to thoroughly dominate Oregon start to finish, winning 19-8 in a game that wasn't nearly that close. Moore would guide the Broncos to a 14-0 perfect season, defeating #3 TCU in the Fiesta Bowl 17-10.

Now, it's 2010, and Boise State is preseason ranked #3 in the country. Petersen and Moore have transformed the Broncos from cute Cinderella to blatant threat and are hungry for national recognition. Petersen receives an 11th hour bid from the #10 ranked Virginia Tech Hokies, who hold National Championship ambitions, to play at FEDEX stadium in Va. Tech's own backyard. Moore and the Broncos would accept the challenge and face the adversity head on.

The 2010 Hokies would eventually finish undefeated in ACC play and get blown out in the Orange Bowl by Stanford in a game in which Va. Tech was much much better than the score showed. But on September 6, 2010, the Hokies were ready to use the Broncos as a stepping stone to larger aspirations. The fans could taste blood in the water even before the game began, showing up 88,000 strong to Boise St.'s 8,000. The game would set a, then, ESPN record for television views. This would prove to be the most hostile environment the Broncos had faced since Autzen two years previous as half the nation had become overnight Hokie fans, praying for a Va Tech win that would finally silence this insubordinate upstart to CFB's tradition reigned supremecy.