With Thanksgiving over, and Christmas rapidly approaching, it is time that the masses were spoon fed another heaping pile of Flynn’s Column. And what’s on my mind this holiday season? The same thing that many of you are considering: trading the Washington State Cougars with the Western Athletic Conference for the Boise State Broncos. The reason for this is several-fold: the Cougars suck, Pullman Washington is an awful place to play, and the Bronco’s have outgrown their conference.

Let’s face it, the Cougars are simply outmatched in the Pac-10. In 115 seasons, the Cougars have averaged a losing season, winning only 48% of their games. In addition, many consider this year’s Cougar team to be the worst football team in the history of the Pac-10—quite an accomplishment considering some of the teams seen in Corvallis. While it usually provides the other Pac-9 teams a reliable win and a chance to get some of their second- and third-string players some game time, it seems more appropriate for these teams to have a real match-up, not just a scrimmage. In fact, the Pac-10 might as well just cancel all WSU games, and give everyone an extra by week.

Now, some may say that a state like Idaho just isn’t large enough to fit in with the rest of the Pac. Yet, consider that WSU calls Pullman, Washington home. Pullman, located in the far-eastern portion of Washington state, has a population under 25,000, making the entire city about the same size as the student body of its competitors. In addition, has anyone seen a game played in Pullman? The temperature is always hovering around freezing, with rain and/or snow coming down. It’s miserable. By comparison, the weather and population of Boise are much more respectable.

Unlike the Cougars, the Bronco’s have thrived in their current location. They are undefeated at home against conference opponents, have won their conference 6 of the last 7 years, have never lost a Division I-A bowl game (the Cougars haven’t been to a bowl game since 2003), and have gone undefeated twice in the past three years. They are an incredibly exciting team to watch, as anyone who saw the 2006 Fiesta bowl can attest to. However, their conference is holding them back. Being stuck in a non top-tier conference, Boise State doesn’t get the respect they deserve (e.g. 2006). They are considered a second-rate team, despite their consistently strong performance. Sure, they most likely wouldn’t run the tables in the Pac-10, they would be much better matched against the teams of the Pac-10 than WSU, and vice-versa.

Lastly, the Blue Turf. It’s what Bronco stadium is known for, and it would bring something interesting to the conference. In addition to novelty, it’s been killing Canada geese that mistake it for a lake and try to land for several years, helping to rid the world of a filthy pest.

It’s time to strengthen the Pac-10. It’s time to do the right thing for both the proud Bronco’s, and the pathetic Cougars. These two teams trading conferences is not only in their respective best interests, it will also make both the Pac-10 and WAC more competitive and more exciting. If you support this, I urge you to join the Facebook Group "Trade WSU for BSU".

# posted by Andrew @ 11:31 AM