THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: Someday for Boise State, the slipper will need to be shed

The “Cinderella” story of Boise State football, nearing the completion of its second decade, sounds awfully familiar around here. 

The lovable Zags started their NCAA tourney run that same way more than two decades ago. 

Back then, if the Zags won, it was a historic and monumental victory — almost parade worthy. 

If the Zags lost, well, “nobody” expected them to win, so it was still a moral victory. 

But now, for more than a decade, the Zags have proven they can go toe-to-toe with any of the blue bloods — if fact, some consider them one of the blue bloods now — and if they lose, are generally disappointed. 

No more moral victories. 

Someday, perhaps, the Boise State faithful will feel that way too. 

MOST OF the stories stemming from Boise State’s 31-14 loss to Penn State in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals (also referred to by some as the Fiesta Bowl) likely sport the same theme: 

Little Boise State won just by crashing the “big boy” 12-team College Football Playoff, they say.

Any result — shy of, say, a 48-3 beatdown — would have been gravy. 

“Nobody gave us a chance,” the Boise party line goes. 

Nobody?  

Really?  

C’mon. 

But at some point in all this, the result is the result. 

Spare the moral victory angle. 

Boise State lost. The scoreboard said so. 

The thing is, despite the fact “nobody” thought it would happen, Boise State showed it was worthy of the moment, and could have won that game straight up.  

The Broncos didn’t need trick plays, or to face a “name” opponent with a backup quarterback. 

BSU, to a degree, kicked this one away. 

(Sorry.) 

Two missed field goals. 

A holding penalty that wiped out a touchdown, followed by an interception. 

Two fumbles by the most productive runner in school history. 

The puzzling decision by Penn State to keep the ball in its quarterback’s hands with the lead, rather than force-feed the Nittany Lions’ two standout running backs in an attempt to finish off the game. 

COUPLE OTHER thoughts here. 

Ashton Jeanty is still a beast, and the Heisman Trophy runner-up is still a threat to break one at any time, even after Penn State “held” the Boise State star to 104 yards on 30 carries.  

But, though Boise fans wouldn’t have cared, it would have seemed a bit weird if Jeanty had broken Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record.  

Firstly, the rules were different in 1988, and Sanders’ 222 rushing yards in the Holiday Bowl didn’t count, so his “official” total was 2,628 yards. And back then, teams played just 11 games in the regular season. There were no conference title games. 

This year, Jeanty and Boise State were playing in Game 14 — 12 in the regular season, plus the Mountain West Championship, plus the bowl game.  

Jeanty finished with 2,601 rushing yards in 14 games. Counting Oklahoma State’s bowl game in 1988, Sanders totaled 2,850 yards in 11 games. 

ALSO, AND this is probably a good “problem” to have ... 

But, say, thanks to the expanded playoff, Boise State qualifies for the CFP for each of the next 10 years. 

However, say the Broncos lose each of those playoff games over the next decade — some frustratingly close, like the Penn State game, but other times, BSU gets blown out. 

Would the novelty of making the College Football Playoff wear off eventually?  

Would it be better to miss the playoff every now and then, and pound some portal-ridden squad by five touchdowns in the Chicken Gizzards Bowl in suburban somewhere? 

At least, short of a national championship, Boise State would finish on a win sometimes. 

Like I said, that would be a good “problem” for the BSU football program. Most would rather say they played in the College Football Playoff, but there’s something to be said for finishing on a win. 

IN ANY event, at some point in its progression as a football program, Boise State supporters will be truly disappointed to reach this stage of the season and lose — however the game unfolds. 

No more moral victories. 

And when that happens, Gonzaga fans will nod approvingly. 

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 208-664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @CdAPressSports.