SMQ: Why Florida State vs Alabama football was the most meaningless game of 2017

4. No. 3 Boise State vs No. 10 Virginia Tech in Landover, MD (2010)

Back in 2010, Boise State was coming off its second Fiesta Bowl victory and another 14-0 campaign. They entered the 2010 season all the way up at No. 3 in the nation, and had a showcase game against preseason AP No. 10 Virginia Tech.

Kellen Moore threw for 215 yards and three touchdowns, outdueling the Hokies’ Tyrod Taylor. Virginia Tech engineered a second-half comeback, but the Broncos won thanks to Moore late scoring strike to Austin Pettis with just over one minute left to play.

What happened next for both teams?

Boise State remained up in the top three for the next few months. Until losing in Reno to No. 19 Nevada in November, the Broncos racked up a 10-0 record to start the regular season. Chris Petersen’s team continued to hover just below a BCS championship spot but never was able to actually break into the top two.

For Virginia Tech, the losing had just begun. The following week, the Hokies dropped three spots to No. 13 ahead of their contest against FCS James Madison. Then the Dukes came to Blacksburg and dished out an even bigger upset than the Boise State loss. Only after falling to 0-2 in the standings did the Hokies drop out of the polls.

But they only stayed out for five weeks. Just as soon as they stopped playing smaller schools, Virginia Tech reeled off 11 straight wins to capture the ACC title over Florida State. The loss to Nevada, on the other hand, forced Boise State to share the WAC title with the Wolf Pack as well as Hawaii.

What did it mean by the end of the year?

It either meant everything or absolutely nothing for the Broncos. Boise State probably would not have been anywhere near a BCS championship position without knocking off the eventual ACC champs. The win burnished their already-stellar credentials. But the win over Virginia Tech ultimately meant nothing by December. Mountain West champion TCU finished undefeated and earned an invite to the Rose Bowl instead of the Broncos.

The Hokies finished with one more loss on its record than Chris Petersen’s team from their duel. But the ACC victors ultimately fared better than Boise State despite that head-to-head defeat. Entering the bowl season, Virginia Tech had climbed back up to No. 12 in the polls and the BCS standings. Despite still ranking behind Boise State, the Hokies earned an automatic berth in the Orange Bowl as ACC champion.

Thus it could be said that the opening game was doubly meaningless. The victor was punished for losing to a ranked Nevada team in overtime, while the loser was rewarded despite a second tumble to the FCS Dukes. The loser had an automatic berth in a BCS bowl waiting. The winner was forced to watch other teams play in major bowls.