By process of elimination, Boise State moves in on a BCS bid.

By running over Notre Dame, Toby Gerhart moves closer to becoming a Heisman Trophy finalist.

By having both participants lose to SEC rivals, the Atlantic Coast Conference gets another lackluster championship game.

The Big Story

The BCS officials need to approach Boise State the way one might approach cough medicine. It makes you cringe at first, but in the long run it's good for you.

No matter what the bowl executives in the brightly colored jackets say, they can't be thrilled with the idea of having Boise State in the BCS _ even though it's clear that's the direction the Broncos are headed.

Bowl organizers like marquee teams, brand names with national followings. But those type of teams have spent the last month and a half playing themselves out of Bowl Championship Series contention _ with Oklahoma State (yes, calling the Cowboys a marquee team is a stretch, but hey, desperate times) being the latest.

Boise State (12-0) still has to beat lowly New Mexico State to finish its regular season undefeated, but that shouldn't be a problem

It seems only a Nebraska victory over Texas in the Big 12 title game can keep Boise State from landing the BCS at-large bid its fans have been crying for and its conference has been lobbying to get.

A Nebraska victory would send the Cornhuskers to the Fiesta Bowl, the Longhorns into the at-large pool _ where they could snatch Boise State's spot _ and create a crazy debate over who should play the SEC champion for the national title

The Western Athletic Conference hired a public relations firm to handle its "Boise State belongs in the BCS" campaign.

While some might hail the Broncos' inclusion as a victory for the little guys and a blow to the system, really this is just about the best thing that can happen for the BCS.

If the blue-turf Broncos get in, it helps BCS supporters refute complaints by detractors that the system is inherently unfair to teams that do not play in the six automatic-qualifying conferences. That it's a cartel bent on keeping the money and the power in the hands of college football's blue bloods.

What better way to shoot down that theory than a BCS lineup that does not include USC, Penn State, Miami or Virginia Tech but does have TCU and Boise State?

This will be the second consecutive season and third time overall the Mountain West will put a team in the BCS, with TCU following in Utah's foot steps.

For the WAC, if Boise State gets in, it will be the third time in the last four seasons the league has a team in the BCS.

Because of that, WAC commissioner Karl Benson has not been a vocal critic of the system.