Press Box Dave Reardon

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WAC fight is an 'A' game on a 'B' day

IF life were fair, they'd crank up "Crazy Train" a little after noon on Saturday at Bulldog Stadium, while the Boise State players negotiate the Red Mile and the Fresno State fans make fun of the names of the Broncos' parents.

ESPN's GameDay crew would be on the scene, and enjoy a fine catered lunch from the Hofbrau before the 1 p.m. kickoff. Then, a nation would watch.

Not so fast, my friend.

Dan Hawkins and Pat Hill both learned a long time ago that life isn't fair. You get aced out of recruits to Colorado and USC on signing day, and then you can't get them to play you at your place. To get on TV, you have to be willing to play "anyone, anytime, anyplace," as Hill likes to say.

In the name of exposure, the Broncos (7-2, 5-0) and Bulldogs (7-1, 5-0) play Thursday. As usual, WAC commissioner Karl Benson spun it pretty (which is part of his job).

"ESPN is sending its A Team. Mike Tirico, Kirk Herbstreit. The normal Thursday night A Crew," Benson said.

Even if Mr. T is the sideline interviewer, it's still wrong that the WAC's premier teams don't get a full week to prepare for each other. But Hawkins and Hill weren't whining about it yesterday. They're used to it.

"The nature of it is, I think Pat's played a Wednesday game. We have before. Sometimes you play at 9 in the morning. That's kind of the norm."

Not really. And the Broncos missed their wake-up call for that early-riser against San Jose State last year. The Spartans nearly knocked them off, as the Broncos needed two overtimes to keep their WAC winning streak going. It's now at 31.

Everyone gets to play on TV now, but there's a price. In Fresno State's case, 15 players will miss classes on Thursday night. And because of the short week of preparation, Hill said "most of our upperclassmen" are missing at least one practice because of classes.

Regardless of Thursday's outcome and the rest of the season, Boise State will play in its home bowl after two years of venturing elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Nevada has three chances, beginning Saturday at New Mexico State, to become bowl-eligible.

If it does, the Wolf Pack could very likely end up in the Hawaii Bowl at Aloha Stadium on Dec. 24.

Kamehameha grad and Nevada receiver Caleb Spencer has a lot of friends and relatives, but probably not enough to make up for the Hawaii fans who will be home for Christmas Eve.

If LaTech qualifies with a win in its last three games, it might be out of luck. The Houston Bowl has contacted Benson because the tied-in SEC probably won't have an eligible team. But Houston would rather have any team from the ACC, which looks to have nine bowl-bound teams, than LaTech.

Fresno State is the wild card.

"Fresno State is generating a lot of attention from many bowls. That would be our goal to place them in a bowl other than Hawaii," Benson said.

The Bulldogs could end up in Hawaii, San Diego, Memphis, San Francisco, Las Vegas or Fort Worth.

As Hill always says, "Anyone, anytime, anyplace."

Especially for a bowl game.