They are ranked as high as No. 2 in the human polls — No. 3 in the Legends Poll. They have won 21 consecutive games and will likely finish another regular season undefeated.

Still, however, Boise State might be feeling blue.

In the latest BCS standings, Boise State was jumped by TCU and fell to No. 4. If TCU or Utah stays undefeated, then Boise State could be kept out of a BCS bowl altogether, forget the national championship game.

Legends LaVell Edwards and Bobby Ross watched the Broncos last week against Louisiana Tech and discussed how Boise may have suffered a major setback.

Listen to the audio below from Monday’s conference call.

LaVell Edwards and Bobby Ross on Boise State

On Monday’s Legends Poll conference call, former Texas A&M coach R.C. Slocum says that much of Baylor’s success comes from their attack from the spread offense.

How does this offense compare to the other spread offenses in the Big 12?

Slocum: I watched when Leach was out there at Tech. Over all, their talent was not as good as some of the teams that they played. I think it is equalized by spreading the field. Baylor is the same way.

Why is the spread so effective for Baylor?

Slocum: One of the things that they do with that offense is they execute and do that every single day. Like Fisher DeBerry used to do at Air Force, he felt that his teams could out-execute some of the teams that he played against because they did the same thing over and over and knew exactly what to do.

You said that high schools are throwing the ball more and are bringing more experience to the quarterback and wide receiver positions in college. How has this helped to change the game of football?

Those receivers don’t care what coverage you play. They have a plan for any coverage you throw at them. The level of execution of just throwing and catching has improved tremendously, and I think that’s helping all of these teams across the country. It does give a team like Baylor a chance to go get a few good receivers. The linemen don’t have to line up and knock people off the line like we used to have to do.  If they can get in front of a guy for just a second or so, the quarterback can get rid of the ball.

Do you think Baylor can contend with Oklahoma in the Big 12 South?

You know, over the years you see teams that kind of get on a roll and get a lot of excitement. Going into Austin and beating Texas is big for Baylor. If they get their feet back on the ground and get back to work, we’ve seen week-to-week that anything is possible of happening. They probably won’t be favored to do that, but they’re certainly capable of doing it.

No. 1 Oregon and No. 2 Auburn passed with flying colors, holding their spots atop the Legends Poll. Top-ranked Oregon outlasted USC, 53-32, in the Coliseum while Cam Newton and second-ranked Auburn rolled past Mississippi, 51-31.

No. 3 Boise State defeated Louisiana Tech, 49-20, at home on Tuesday night on a national stage.

No. 4 TCU pounded UNLV on the road and No. 7 Utah survived at Air Force, 28-23, setting up a top 10 showdown next week.

“Even though TCU is in our top 5, I don’t think that they are playing with the same intensity as they did a year ago,” said former BYU coach LaVell Edwards. “And the more I watch Utah, I think they might be pretty darn good. They’ve got a really good defense, and they are really strong up front. It really won’t surprise me if they beat TCU when they play out here in Salt Lake City.”

(Click for LaVell Edwards’ full top 25 ballot)

Idle Alabama rounded out the top 5.

Michigan State and Missouri were unable to survive the weekend, suffering their first losses of the season. No. 16 Michigan State fell 37-6 at No. 14 Iowa, dropping ten spots. 15th-ranked Mizzou dropped seven spots after a 31-17 loss at Nebraska.

No. 6 Wisconsin continued its climb up the Legends Poll rankings, making its highest showing of the season.

The rest of the top 10 is Ohio State, Nebraska and LSU.

No. 22 Baylor made its first ever appearance in the Legends Poll top 25 after defeating Texas in Austin, 28-20. The Bears are tied for the lead in the Big 12 South.

No. 24 N.C. State joined Baylor in the top 25 for the first time this season — one spot ahead of No. 25 Florida State — after knocking off the Seminoles, 28-24, on Thursday night.

Click here to view the Legends Poll Top 25

In fact, Dye has his former team ranked at No. 5.

“I don’t see where Auburn is dominant anywhere other than quarterback,” Dye said on Monday’s Legends Poll conference call. “They have a good offensive line, good receivers. They’re playing well on special teams. Defensively, they’ve stopped the run year all long, but they’ve given up a lot of yards in the passing game.”

(Click here to see Pat Dye’s ballot)

Auburn (8-0, 5-0 SEC) debuted at No. 16 in the Legends Poll in the third week of the season and has steadily climbed up the rankings to No. 2 this past week. But Dye says the Tigers still have a lot to prove.

“Auburn still has to play Georgia and Alabama,” said Dye. “Georgia has four losses, but right now, they’re playing as well as anybody in our conference. I’m not going to pass judgment on Auburn until they play Georgia and Alabama.”

Much of Auburn’s success has come from a newcomer at the quarterback position, Cameron Newton. Newton has taken the nation by storm and appears to be the Heisman frontrunner at this point in the season. Against LSU, Newton carried Auburn on his back, rushing for 217 yards and two scores — passing Tim Tebow on his way to eclipsing the single season SEC rushing yards record.

“They have got a hell of a lot going for this football team that championship teams have,” said Dye. “Of course, the quarterback is the catalyst for all of it.”

If the Tigers move past Mississippi this weekend, Dye says that Auburn should be ready to take on Georgia in a few weeks. The Bulldogs have won four straight in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry, and Dye says Auburn should be hungry.

“Auburn’s got one advantage,” Dye added. “They do play Georgia in Auburn. They still have to travel to Tuscaloosa, which is hard in itself. But I don’t think Alabama is playing with the same mojo as last year, particularly defensively. I’m not saying it’s impossible but it’s going to be tough.”

Dye firmly believes that the SEC championship still goes through Alabama. Even though Bama was knocked off earlier in the season by South Carolina, it still controls its own destiny in the conference. But Dye isn’t counting Auburn out.

“If they go through this thing and finish out undefeated, then I’ll say they’re as good as anybody in the country,” he said.

He may not have had direct influence, but Missouri coach Gary Pinkel played and coached for James before taking over at Mizzou.

“Gary’s got an excellent kicking game right now,” James said on Monday’s Legends Poll conference call.  “It’s not flawless, but it’s better than most. He can throw the ball. He’s got excellent receivers and a good quarterback. And last year, they were one of the younger teams in the nation, so they’ve got a lot of guys back.”

Pinkel’s eighth-ranked Mizzou team is off to a 7-0 start and jumped nine spots in this week’s Legends Poll. James says that Missouri’s defense is as sound as the offense, but he sees one potential chink in the armor.

“Gary’s biggest problem is the running game,” said James. “It’s not a problem in the red zone, but at the other end of the field. It scares me coming out of the red zone on their own end because he has to throw down there a lot. That’s what hurt him against Nebraska last year.”

Arkansas legend Frank Broyles says that Missouri’s schedule may be the biggest reason for their 7-0 start.

“The Big 12 plays four games before going into their conference schedule,” Broyles said. “They’ve played three conference games and Alabama has played six. Because of the SEC’s television package, they have to play conference games earlier in the season. That’s not the way we used to schedule — we used to schedule more like the Big 12. I think that definitely helps (Big 12 teams’) rankings.”

James agreed.

“There’s no question he’s had a really good schedule, and he’s got a better team than he probably ever has,” said James. “Oklahoma was a marquee win for him, but it’s going to get tougher in the next couple of weeks.”

The Ducks’ offense was a subject of discussion on Monday’s Legends Poll conference call. Listen to Don James, George Welsh and Bill Mallory’s comments about Oregon.

Welsh on Oregon offense

• James says LaMichael James is one of the best running backs in the country.
• Welsh says Oregon is the best team at faking hand-offs in the spread.
• Mallory says Oregon’s tempo is what makes the offense tick.
• Welsh likens the Ducks’ offense to the ole Florida State no-huddle offense.

Quarterback Cameron Newton and Auburn ran past LSU, 24-17, on Saturday. Auburn rushed for 440 yards in the game — 217 of which belonged to Newton.

“That kid (Newton) has energized this whole program,” said former Auburn coach Pat Dye. “He is an absolute load to tackle, but he’s faster than almost anybody on the field.”

(Click for Pat Dye’s full top 25 ballot)

The Tigers received two first place votes.

Oregon held its spot at No. 1 in the poll — receiving 17 first-place votes — after a 60-13 thrashing of UCLA Thursday night.

TCU dropped a spot to No. 4 and one-loss Alabama moved up to No. 5.

No. 6 Michigan State and No. 7 Utah received their highest rankings of the season.

Oklahoma fell seven spots to No. 12, following a loss to Missouri. Mizzou moved up nine spots to No. 8.

Wisconsin and Ohio State round out the top 10.

No. 24 Mississippi State moved into the Legends Poll top 25 for the first time this season.

Click here to view the Legends Poll Top 25

Oregon has taken over the top spot for the first time in the Legends Poll’s six-year history. In fact, Oregon finds itself No. 1 for the first time in any college football poll. The Associated Press reported on Twitter that Oregon is the 43rd school to be ranked No. 1 in its poll.

“Oregon’s offense is difficult to stop,” said former Washington coach Don James. “It’s hard to find the ball and they spread you all over. Their quarterback (Darron Thomas) has a couple weeks to get healthy. That’s good because they need him.”

(Click for Don James’ full top 25 ballot)

Former USC coach John Robinson says it’s difficult to know how good Oregon’s defense actually is. But he says the top-ranked Ducks will still be tough to beat.

“I think in the Pac-10 you automatically get 35 points, you get a bonus,” Robinson joked. “There are almost no games where both teams score in the 30’s.”

(Click for John Robinson’s full top 25 ballot)

Boise State continued its climb up the Legends Poll, reaching its highest ever ranking at No. 2. The Broncos will need continued support from teams in the AQ conferences in order to reach and maintain the top spot in the rankings. Former Georgia Tech coach Bobby Ross says that the Broncos would present a challenge to any team in the country.

Another non-AQ team, TCU, jumped two spots to No. 3 this week. The Horned Frogs made their highest showing of this season, and second highest ever since a No. 2 ranking last year.

Auburn followed TCU at No. 4 — its highest ranking in any poll. The Tigers came in at No. 5 in both the USA Today Coaches’ and AP polls. The Legends Poll voters say Auburn quarterback Cameron Newton is one of the best players in the country and gives the Tigers a chance to beat any team in the nation.

Oklahoma rounded out the top 5 after a 52-0 victory over Iowa State.

Alabama remained at No. 6 followed by LSU at No. 7. LSU travels to the Plains to take on fourth-ranked Auburn next weekend in an SEC West showdown.

No. 8 Michigan State is the only remaining undefeated team in the Big Ten and moved into the Legends Poll top 10 for the first time this season.

Utah was ranked No. 9 and Wisconsin vaulted back into the top 10 after knocking off top-ranked Ohio State. The Buckeyes fell to No. 11.

No. 22 Texas and No. 23 USC moved back into the top 25 after short stints outside of the Legends Poll.

No. 24 Virginia Tech made its first appearance in the Legends Poll this season, coming off five straight wins.

Florida fell out of the Legends Poll top 25 for the first time ever after suffering its third-straight loss — a home loss to Mississippi State.

Click here to view the Legends Poll Top 25

Ohio State — the nation’s newest No. 1 team — was knocked from the unbeaten ranks by Wisconsin, 31-18. No. 4 Nebraska saw their title hopes dashed by Texas. The Cornhuskers offense was anemic, gaining just 77 yards on the ground and 202 total.

Now the big question is: Who is No. 1?

Second-ranked Oregon (6-0, 3-0 Pac-10) has made a case for the top spot all season long. The Ducks offense is in the top 10 in most statistical categories and is No. 6 in total offense. Their defense has been good enough to garner a No. 1 ranking for Oregon.

Skeptics would say that Oregon should not be ranked ahead of No. 3 Boise State. The Broncos have beaten the Ducks twice over the past few seasons and essentially have the same team in place. Chris Petersen’s squad has passed every test this season, including beating perennial ACC-power Virginia Tech and a stingy Oregon State team. However, Virginia Tech didn’t help Boise’s cause by losing to an FCS team, James Madison, and Oregon State fell for the third time last night, 35-34 in double overtime to Washington.

No. 7 Auburn put 65 points on the board against No. 13 Arkansas. But their defense allowed 43. The seventh-ranked Tigers may have faced the toughest schedule of the top teams so far, but the schedule gets tougher for them, as No. 9 LSU comes to town next weekend.

ESPN’s Brad Edwards is reporting that Oklahoma will be No. 1 in the season’s first BCS standings tonight. The Legends have not been high on the Sooners. Oklahoma (6-0, 2-0 Big 12) has been up-and-down all year, squeaking out wins over Utah State and Air Force while thumping Florida State, Texas and Iowa State. The remaining schedule favors the Sooners, and they may not face a real test until the Big 12 championship game.

No matter what teams comes in at No. 1 this afternoon, the rankings are sure to change again in the coming weeks. That’s what makes this sport so exciting.

Amidst the turmoil and the upsets, one thing remains constant: The Legends Poll voters continue to watch and discuss the top teams week after week, making them the most informed pollsters in the country.

The Broncos are constantly being ruled out of the National Championship conversation because of the conference they’re in, but the Broncos have all the qualities of a big time school that, in a traditional power conference, could compete for a title. At least that’s what Legend Bobby Ross thinks.

“They have the same type of speed, the same type of physicality and the same type of toughness that any other big time college football program has,” said Ross on Monday’s conference call. “They have skill people who are equivalent to anybody in the entire country.

“The big thing that stood out with me about Boise State, is the way they played Virginia Tech. People of this section of the country have always had a lot of respect for Virginia Tech because of their toughness, their physicality, the way they play the game. Boise state was every bit as physical, if not more.”

The Broncos’ are getting it done both offensively and defensively this year; ranking fifth in total offense and second in total defense nationally, both ahead of No. 1 Ohio State.

The offense is potent at all positions, especially at quarterback.

“In Kellen Moore, they have one of the more accurate passers in the country,” Coach Ross said. “He’s a lot like [Sam] Bradford in Oklahoma. He’s not as big, has about the same type of mobility, but his accuracy is pretty much the same.

“He can throw the football very accurately in any type of pass—it wouldn’t matter if it was the deep out, the come back, the long throw—he can do it all.”

Moore leads the nation in passing efficiency, but he isn’t exactly carrying the team on his shoulders; he gets a lot of help from his teammates.

“In my opinion, they have one of the best wide receivers in the country in Pettis. He’s a big kid. He’s about 6 feet four inches tall. He’s about 210-215 pounds, and he can do it all. He can catch the ball—I’ve even seen him throw one for a touchdown off of a reverse. He’s just an outstanding athlete who gets very little attention, quite honestly,” said Ross.

The offense isn’t exclusively aerial, though.

“They had three backs that could run the football,” added Ross.
A kid named Martin, the tough kid, they had Avery, the speed-type guy, and a bigger type back that they used just some of the time.”

The Boise State running backs are averaging around 225 rushing yards per game, 15th in the NCAA.

“Offensively, I thought there might be a weakness up front, but that wasn’t the case,” Ross said. “They weren’t as big as some football teams might be, and I thought that would probably be the difference-maker in terms of separating. But believe me, they play very well. They’re very well coached, they execute extremely well.”

On the other side of the ball, the Boise State defense is just as dominant as its offense.

“That was as quick of a defensive line that I have seen all year long,” Ross said. “They’re very quick, they’re very physical they have good size, and they get after it. The secondary is the same.”

But at the national level, the doubts about the Broncos persist, despite their unblemished record and their impressive stats.

The coaches and players in the Boise State organization march on towards a second straight season undefeated and stake their claim for the national championship.

“They never seem to have a letdown in the way they play a football game, which I think is another real credit to their coaching staff,” added Ross.

“I think they’re doing everything that they have to do. They don’t have control of [their schedule] right now, and it is a weak one, but they’re doing in that schedule what they are supposed to do.

“They played two teams that have been ranked in the top 10 to top 20, and they’ve beaten them both. One was on a neutral field, which was really a home field for Virginia Tech and the other one was at home against Oregon State. So they’ve done everything that they have to do, and things haven’t changed.”

But every college football season has surprises, and the recent Alabama loss has opened up the national title race. Ross says if the Broncos are able to “do what they’re supposed to do,” then the nation will have to include them in the conversation.