The first moon landing.
The Miracle on Ice.
The Kennedy assassination.
Like those history-changing events, college football fans across the country know where they were the night Boise State beat Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.
Or even when Utah ran roughshod over Alabama in the 2009 Sugar Bowl in what was 'Bama's last loss.
Can you imagine what people will say if this coming January's BCS title game in Glendale, Ariz., comes down to TCU vs. Boise State?
Don't snicker. It could happen. The strides that non-BCS/mid-major/non-Big Six conference teams have made in the past few years have been unprecedented. For those outside the Big Six, let us put our hands on the TV screen, brothers and sisters, to pray it happens. The uproar would be deafening.
So just who are the best bets to bust the BCS this year? Here is the complete list of teams (with coaches poll rankings) and their odds of doing so:
Boise State
Opening ranking: No. 5
Why they could bust the BCS: C'mon. Any other team that had gone unbeaten, finished in the top five and had 20 returning starters would be a preseason No. 1. But we get it, it's a team in Boise, Idaho, so they don't get that benefit. And I don't know how he does it, but Heisman Trophy contender Kellen Moore is almost totally immune to throwing interceptions and has all the necessary weapons off of the No. 1 scoring team in the country to blitzkrieg everyone again. Don't forget, this is definitely a senior-dominated team as well. Now you see why Chris Petersen is smiling just a little bit.
Off-the-grid reason: Fridays in November. The Blue & Orange will play three straight Friday night games on national TV late in the season, giving the voters more of a chance to see them play. That'll earn some brownie points for their poll cause, granted they win.
Obstacles: OK, it's obvious that the biggest thing stopping BSU is the fact that it is a member of the WAC, a conference whose members are jumping overboard like a pirate ship wrought with scurvy. Obviously, any close game like last year's Tulsa escape or the 11-point win against Nevada will be frowned upon by the national media. Also, what if, just what if, the Broncs don't have the same kind of good fortune in the turnover department as they did last year, when they were third in the country in turnover margin?
Biggest hurdle: vs. Virginia Tech, Sept. 6. Lots of people are saying if they pass this test, the Broncos are home Scott-free. Keep in mind that Tech has been a notoriously slow-starting team the past few years. Advantage Boise.
Trap-door game: at Nevada, Nov. 26. You hear all those BCS conference snobs saying if the Broncos played in their conference they wouldn't be unbeaten, right? Well, I also don't see many SEC/Big 12/Pac-10 teams lining up to play in Reno. That's 'cause it ain't easy, people.
Odds on crashing the BCS: 2-to-1
TCU
Opening ranking: No. 7
Why they could: Once again, it's all about defense when it comes to the Horned Frogs. There are seven starters back from the nation's top defensive unit, the fourth time in 10 years that TCU has led the country on that side of the ball. Anytime you can go mano-a-mano with a great defense, you've got a chance to win every game. And don't sneeze at the offense, with four-year starting senior QB Andy Dalton leading eight other starters from a unit that set a school record in points scored. Plus they'll face a slightly easier schedule. So this team is nearly a BCS lock, right? Only question is whether it will be the BCS title game or not.
Off-the-grid reason: The intimidating line. And I mean on both sides of the ball. The O-line has four of its five starters back and who are seniors. The D-line has three of the four starters back as seniors. That kind of experience is a luxury any coach loves to have in the trenches.
Obstacles: There could be a soft side to the defense with the lack of big-time playmakers and all-new cornerbacks. All-world end Jerry Hughes is now in the bigs, as are three other NFL draftees. Other than that, overconfidence is the only other obstacle the Frogs must overcome.
Biggest hurdle: at Utah, Nov. 6. Sure, the opener vs. Oregon State is a big-time hurdle, but eventually the Beavers will need to get their feet under them as the season goes along, and they will. But the trip to Rice-Eccles Stadium is a big revenge game after the Frogs administered a 55-28 can of whoop-arse on the Utes last year.
Trap-door game: at SMU, Sept. 24. The Metroplex rivalry is an understated one, and now that June Jones has the Ponies respectable again, that short week to prepare for SMU's free-wheeling offense will make this game even tougher.
Odds on crashing the BCS: 3-to-1
Utah
Opening ranking: No. 24
Why they could: Kyle Whittingham has solidified this program to where even in a rebuilding year, the Utes won 10 games and finished No. 18 in the country. So there's no reason to expect this season to go into the tank or anything. The offense has a line and a running game that will punish anybody who dares to tighten a chin-strap and tries to stop it. But the biggest boon will be QB Jordan Wynn. He ended his frosh campaign with an MVP performance vs. Cal in the Poinsettia Bowl and looks like his tenure will ramp up significantly in 2010. And the schedule is a little easier than you think, especially catching Pitt early rather than later.
Off-the-grid reason: The special teams are special. The Utes have one of the best leg units in the country with kicker Joe Phillips (20 of 22) splitting the uprights and punter Sean Sellwood averaging 42.9 yards as a freshman.
Obstacles: Obviously, rebuilding a defense that has just three starters back is a huge ordeal. Team discipline could be an issue again as the Utes were pretty awful in the penalties department, ranking 110th. If Wynn suffers a sophomore jinx and senior Terrance Cain comes back to ignite things, a QB controversy could erupt, which is the last thing this team needs.
Biggest hurdle: vs. TCU, Nov. 6. As stated above, this is a huge revenge game and the Utes will be inspired by the home crowd. But emotion can only carry you so far and the Frogs will be a nasty team again this season, hell-bent on a national-title run.
Trap-door game: at Notre Dame, Nov. 13. Let's suppose that the Utes manage to out-race Pitt in Week 1 and pull the W vs. TCU in the first week of November. A stretch, sure, but plausible. This trip to South Bend would then become one of those games that Brian Kelly would want to use to put his stamp on Irish program.
Odds on crashing the BCS: 10-to-1
Houston
Opening ranking: NR (No. 2 in "receiving votes")
One thing is for certain: QB Case Keenum and the Cougars will put up plenty of points. (US Presswire)
One thing is for certain: QB Case Keenum and the Cougars will put up plenty of points. (US Presswire)
Why they could: Obviously, that dude that goes by the name of Case Keenum makes anything possible for this team. Like a fast-break, run-and-gun basketball team, the Coogs could be content just simply outscoring people like crazy. Three returning 1,000-yard receivers will certainly intimidate anyone, as will world-class sprinter Tyron Carrier's kick returning (four TDs last year). Also keep in mind, none of the teams on the Cougars' slate are really equipped defensively to stop an offense like the one Keenum and Co. bring to the gridiron. Let the stat-padding begin.
Off-the-grid reason: New defensive mindset. After finishing last season ranked No. 111 in total defense, coach Kevin Sumlin tapped former Dallas Cowboys assistant Brian Stewart to become his defensive coordinator. So if there is even small improvement to this year's stop troops, it'll be a huge help to Houston's chances at a big-money bowl.
Obstacles: Again, that flailing defense was horrible last year and only returns five starters for 2010. Inconsistency, blown assignments and poor fundamental tackling were the biggest reasons for the Cougars finishing with four losses and many bruised egos. Oh, and non-conference trips to UCLA and Texas Tech are big stumbling blocks as well.
Biggest hurdle: at UCLA, Sept. 18. The game against the Bruins will be a tough W, of course. But the good news is that the Cougars catch them between games vs. Pac-10 rival Stanford and a trip to Texas. So this is actually a trap game for the Bruins.
Trap-door game: at Southern Miss, Nov. 20. Let's be honest, last year proved that any game could be a trap for these guys, especially with that defense. But this one is the biggest challenge, especially considering Houston scored with 21 seconds left to escape with a 50-43 win last year vs. the Eagles.
Odds on crashing the BCS: 25-to-1
Navy
Opening anking: NR (No. 13 in "receiving votes")
Why they could: Yes, we're talking Navy here. Don't blink on these guys, because first off, gone from the schedule are road trips to Ohio State and Pitt, which sunk them in the first month last year. Plus, he may not be Case Keenum-like, but you try stopping QB Ricky Dobbs. His 1,000-plus yards both passing and running are Exhibit A in the case for Navy pulling off a stunning run to 12-0. Also, the Mids are as tough a team to prepare for as any in the country, with that weird hybrid/triple-option offense and scrappy, get-underneath-their-pads style of defense.
Off-the-grid reason: Discipline. Discipline. Discipline. The Midshipmen just don't beat themselves. Not at all. That's why they were the least-penalized team in college football last year -- not that you would expect anything less from a military academy.
Obstacles: OK, OK, the fact that AD Chet Gladchuk has already signed a contract for Navy to appear in the Poinsettia Bowl is one big obstacle. But don't you figure if Navy is available to crash the BCS, it would find a way to get out of it? Consistency is the other snagging point here. Navy always has shown a propensity of dropping a game or two that it shouldn't.
Biggest hurdle: vs. Notre Dame, Oct. 23. Can you believe it is the Irish that are on the wrong end of a losing streak in this series? Wow. The Irish eyes won't be smiling going into this game in East Rutherford, N.J. They'll be blood-filled angry men.
Trap-door game: at Air Force, Oct. 2. Always a great battle, these two went to OT last year before Navy escaped. This time around it's in Colorado Springs and the Falcons are pretty sick and tired of that seven-game losing streak at the hands of Navy.
Odds on crashing the BCS: 60-to-1
Others to watch
These teams aren't quite up to BCS-busting standards yet, but in this college football world wrought with parity, you never know.
BYU
Pluses: Bronco Mendenhall is 43-9 in his past four seasons, never having lost more than two games each year. A solid line will protect whoever takes over at QB and should provide for a very necessary balanced offense.
Minuses: The schedule is brutal, with a rugged September of Washington, Air Force, Florida State and Nevada way too tough to navigate. An all-new backfield will need to be cultivated as well.
Fresno State
Pluses: History has shown that when Pat Hill's teams return an experienced QB and O-line, it's a good omen. The schedule is challenging, but not its usual Fresno-like impossible. The defensive front seven returns nearly intact.
Minuses: It has been a while since Fresno was a factor nationally and that defensive front was a sieve for opposing running games. First-round draftee Ryan Mathews' departure leaves too big of a hole in the offense.
Nevada
Pluses: Senior Colin Kaepernick is possibly the most dangerous quarterback in the country and has eight other returning starters with him. If the Pack can pull a stunner vs. Cal in September, who knows ... Boise visits in November.
Minuses: The defense can't stay as bad as it was last season, ranked 96th in the nation and giving up 200 points in their five losses. The Wolf Pack's penchant for early-season struggles haven't helped much either.
Middle Tennessee State
Pluses: The main reason the Blue Raiders make the watch list is a schedule that is quite manageable. Beat Troy and upset Georgia Tech to start October and an unbeaten season is possible. Dwight Dasher is one of the most underrated QBs in the country.
Minuses: A Sun Belt team? As a BCS buster, really? Well, if anyone can do it, Middle Tennessee can. But it will be a tall order, especially since the Raiders are 0 for 4 vs. Troy in Rich Stockstill's four years in Murfreesboro.
