All together Boise St fans: BOOMER! SOONER!

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)

OK, now you can go back to hating the BCS.

Thursday

No. 3 Texas (minus 21) at Texas A&M

Longhorns crushed Aggies last year, but lost previous two meetings … TEXAS 42-24.

Friday

No. 2 Alabama (minus 10) at Auburn

Tide snapped six-game losing streak to Tigers last year … ALABAMA 28-14.

Illinois (plus 20 1/2 ) at No. 5 Cincinnati

QB Tony Pike gets start for Bearcats … CINCINNATI 41-28.

Nevada (plus 13 1/2 ) at No. 6 Boise State

Wolf Pack averages 373 yards rushing, tops in nation … BOISE STATE 45-35.

No. 8 Pittsburgh (pick’em) at West Virginia

Panthers’ Bill Stull is most improved quarterback in country … PITT 27-17.

Saturday

Florida State (plus 24) at No. 1 Florida

‘Noles porous D make Tim Tebow’s last home game one long farewell party … FLORIDA 44-17.

New Mexico (plus 44 1/2 ) at No. 4 TCU

One-win Lobos against undefeated Horned Frogs … TCU 58-3.

Georgia (plus 7 1/2 ) at No. 7 Georgia Tech

Bulldogs coach Mark Richt feeling some heat … GEORGIA TECH 37-28.

No. 11 Oklahoma State (plus 9 1/2 ) at Oklahoma

Dear Sooners, Best of luck from your pals at Boise State … OKLAHOMA 27-21.

No. 14 Virginia Tech (minus 15 1/2 ) at Virginia

Cavaliers coach Al Groh’s last game? … VIRGINIA TECH 35-17.

No. 15 Clemson (minus 3) at South Carolina

Happy days in Death Valley … CLEMSON 24-17.

Arkansas (plus 3 1/2 ) at No. 17 LSU

Razorbacks have won two straight in battle for Golden Boot … ARKANSAS 27-24.

No. 22 Utah (plus 7 1/2 ) at No. 18 BYU

Utah has won five of seven in the Holy War … UTAH 28-27.

No. 19 Miami (minus 5 1/2 ) at South Florida

Game is far more important to Bulls … USF 28-24.

No. 20 Mississippi (minus 6) at Mississippi State

Rebels coach Houston Nutt has won 10 straight against Bulldogs … MISSISSIPPI 28-21.

No. 23 North Carolina (minus 6) at N.C. State

Wolfpack trying to salvage disappointing season … NORTH CAROLINA STATE 28-21.

UCLA (plus 13) at No. 24 Southern California

Trojans trying to make Holiday Bowl push—sounds strange, huh … USC 24-14.

Rice (plus 29 1/2 ) at No. 25 Houston

Owls’ second-to-last in nation in pass defense. Uh-oh … HOUSTON 60-14.

Last week: 17-4 (straight); 10-10 (vs. points).

Season: 198-49 (straight); 118-109-4 (vs. points).