The folks who support the Bowl Championship Series like to say it has broadened the interest in college football, making it more of a national sport than the regional game it had been traditionally.

Fair point. The old expression about broken clocks being correct twice a day comes to mind, but there is a great example of what they are talking about this weekend.

No. 11 Oklahoma State is at Oklahoma on Saturday in the latest installment of the Bedlam Rivalry. The Big 12 South has already been wrapped up by Texas, and the Sooners are trying to end an awful season _ by their standards _ on a bright note. You'd think that interest in what's going on in Norman would end in Boise City, Okla. But, actually, fans in Boise, Idaho, could be keeping a close eye on the outcome.

If the Cowboys, 12th in the latest BCS standings, beat the Sooners and finish 10-2, they would make an attractive candidate for a BCS at-large bid. Especially for the Fiesta Bowl, which is two victories by Texas from losing its host team _ the Big 12 champion _ to the national title game.

The bowls are not bound to take teams from their host conferences. But the bowls and the conferences are business partners, so they tend to look out for one another when they can.

Oklahoma State has never played in a BCS game and its fans would no doubt flock to Arizona for the holidays.

Why should Oklahoma State getting into the BCS concern Boise State fans? Because that spot might be the one that could go to the Broncos if they stay unbeaten.

TCU from the Mountain West Conference will earn one of the four at-large bids automatically if it finishes undefeated. So now it's down to three. Make that two, because the SEC runner-up _ Florida or Alabama _ is a lock.

One of the 10-2 Big Ten teams _ Iowa or Penn State _ is a strong candidate to get an at-large bid, too. Fans of the Nittany Lions and Hawkeyes also might want to keep an eye on Oklahoma State and Boise State's big Friday night game against Western Athletic Conference rival Nevada.

The Broncos are one of six undefeated teams in the nation heading into Thanksgiving, the most since the AP poll expanded to the Top 25 in 1989.

If Boise State loses to the Wolf Pack, there is little doubt either Iowa or Penn State is going to the BCS.

And if Boise State and Oklahoma State both lose, maybe that opens the door for both Pittsburgh and Cincinnati of the Big East to get into the BCS.

So in the spirit of the holiday, let's take a moment to put aside all the anger and vitriol that is usually directed at the BCS and thank those who have brought us college football's maddening postseason system for putting extra intrigue into this weekend's football feast.

(PAUSE)