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The original was posted on /r/cfb by /u/karmew32 on 2024-03-25 19:58:19.
As many of you may know, Boise State in 2010 suffered one of the most devastating losses in CFB history when they lost at #19 Nevada in 2010. For a refresher of the context, Boise State was in the top 5 of both major polls in the preseason, unheard of for any mid-major. They returned most of the starters from the previous year’s team that finished #4 in the nation with a Fiesta Bowl win over TCU.
They were #3 in both major polls and #4 in the BCS, projected to jump TCU in the BCS with a win at Nevada. They led 24-7 before Nevada went on a 24-7 run to tie the game. Kellen Moore had a Heisman-esque moment with this bomb to Titus Young, setting up Brotzman for a FG attempt that would put Boise State a home win against 4-7 Utah State away from the Rose Bowl.
But of course, Brotzman missed (though it’s argued that the FG was actually good and Nevada’s short FG posts made it look otherwise) and missed from 29 in OT. Nevada won, and the best Boise team any of us will probably ever see was relegated to the MAACO Bowl.
But the loss could’ve been even worse. Had Auburn lost earlier in the day (which it looked like would happen before this fumble turned the tide of the game), Boise’s loss would probably have cost them a national title appearance. They would’ve played Oregon, who they swept a home-and-home with the prior two seasons. The game would’ve been in Arizona, the site of both of their prior major bowl wins. Taking these into account, Boise probably would’ve been favored to win despite being a mid-major team.
Where would it rank in CFB history in terms of devastation? I’d personally put it alongside the 1998 Big 12 Championship Game and the 2007 Backyard Brawl, possibly even exceeding those two.