While most Horned Frog fans are probably complaining about Boise State University getting a little, um, “help”, from the refs against tenth-ranked Virginia Tech University on Monday, few are really realizing how this Boise State win is awesome for TCU down the road.

Thanks in large part to the Boise State win, for the first time in BCS history, two teams that are not in a BCS automatic qualifying conference are ranked among the top five in the nation.

Heck, some polls have them higher than football powerhouses like University of Texas, University of Florida and the University of Oklahoma. This is huge.

Yes, Boise State is ranked higher than TCU. Yes, the Broncos have a better shot at making it to a national title game. Yes, I understand that we all think TCU should be in that No. 3 spot. But that’s not the point.

The point is that the pollsters are finally realizing that teams don’t need to be in a major conference in order to be a great football team. Four out of the past five seasons have featured at least one team from a non-automatic qualifying conference playing in a BCS bowl game.

With the exception of the 2008 Sugar Bowl, the BCS breaker was victorious. This year will probably feature another party crasher, but this time it will mean something completely different.

If Boise State or TCU make it to a BCS bowl game, especially a national championship, it would be illogical for anyone to think that either team is just another Cinderella story. An appearance alone would prove that these teams will be resilient and threatening for quite a while.

Boise State, TCU and any other future BCS busters will have well-earned targets on their back. Perhaps the Southeastern Conference or the Big 12 Conference will finally muster enough courage to attempt a marquee regular season, non-conference showdown. Anyone else up for a Boise State and University of Alabama gridiron smackdown? Another Horned Frogs vs. Longhorns game, perhaps? Somewhere, Lee Corso’s head has just exploded.

Beyond that, let’s remember that Boise State is joining the Mountain West Conference in 2011. While expansion and change is abundant in the MWC right now, this new rivalry will be something that everyone will want to be a part of.

With that, the next thing that needs to be discussed is the insane national exposure that would come about8212;and stay about. Boise State has slowly been fighting for the national spotlight and a national title chase will be the catalyst that throws everything over the edge.

TCU has the lovely advantage of piggybacking Boise and proving itself twice as quickly. The exposure and publicity will be astounding for both schools.

Last year was a big deal when both the Horned Frogs and the Broncos made it to the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. If they both make it to a BCS bowl again, it’s going to permanently cement the idea that non-BCS teams can compete with the big dogs. If the Broncos didn’t beat the Hokies of Virginia Tech on Monday, they probably would have lost their chance at competing in a BCS game.