Boise State finishes No. 4 in both final polls thanks to a flood of Texas support Several months from now, when Bronco fans are focused on the 2010 Season of Destiny, these final rankings will be an afterthought. In the grand scheme of things, the final poll really only makes an impact on Boise State's record books and Wikipedia entries. Final rankings are nice for posterity's sake, but they don't do a whole lot for you unless you end up at the top of them. In that case, despite the disappointing final result, Bronco fans should really be celebrating such a high ranking. It is the highest finish for the football team in school history. It matches the team's highest ranking ever (Boise State was No. 4 in the BCS this season). It is roughly 70 spots higher than the n...

Television ratings for 3 BCS bowls on Fox stay same as last year, averaging a 7.9 January 4th, 2010 Tebow's finale boosts Sugar Bowl ratings for FoxNEW YORK — Tim Tebow's final game boosted television ratings for the Sugar Bowl. ...

	'Riddler' makes Boise State serious 2010 BCS contender With the Fiesta Bowl win, the Broncos finished the season 14-0 and figure to finish no worse than fourth in the final BCS rankings. • They have won 26 of their past 27 games with the only loss in that span coming to the Horned Frogs in the 2008 Poinsettia Bowl. • Finally, all but two position players listed on Boise State's two-deep chart for the game return next season, including quarterback Kellen Moore. "We'll have a decent ranking coming into the season," Boise State coach Chris Petersen said. "If we could beat the teams on our schedule, we would jump dramatically." Actually, it might not require dramatics. It seems reasonable to expect... Virginia Tech Hokies defensive end Jason Worilds enters NFL draft 4 in the BCS standings this past season, but the Hokies' national championship hopes fell short after back-to-back losses to Georgia Tech and North Carolina. They rebounded to win their final five games of the season, including a 37-14 win over Tennessee in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Virginia Tech should earn a preseason top 10 ranking, but the loss of Worilds will make it an even more difficult rebuilding year for Bud Foster's traditionally stout defense."Jason is a very talented player, but is also a very smart player," coach Frank Beamer said in a prepared statement. "He has the toughness to be successful after playing through a shoulder injury last year. We wish him a long NFL career. Texas' seniors ready to leave pressure behind This is the opportunity they believe they were robbed of by 0.128 points in the BCS standings a year ago. Alabama is in a different place. ... National title talk 4 in the BCS standings at one point in 2009. The nonconference schedule -- save for Boise State -- should give the Hokies' defense some time to work out the kinks, and they'll need it. Those defensive losses shouldn't be underestimated just because of Bud Foster's reputation. The next top two candidates would be Miami and Georgia Tech. Unfortunately for the ACC, all three programs in consideration here are in the Coastal Division. That's part of what makes it so difficult for the ACC to produce an undefeated, or even one-loss team, and the Coastal Division doesn't get enough respect in that aspect. But both Georgia Tech and Miami will have to earn their way back into the top-10... Big Ten boasts three Top 10 squads 5 in the final poll, and the Buckeyes should move up at least one spot heading into the 2010 campaign. Iowa came in at No. 7 and Penn State at No. 9. ... Penn State Live Penn State will visit 2009 BCS National Champion Alabama (on Sept. 11 in its second game of the 2010 campaign. Penn State's win over LSU helped the Big Ten become the first conference to post four bowl wins over Top 15 teams since the Big Ten did so during the 1998-99 bowl season. The Big Ten won two BCS games and the Capital One Bowl for the first time since the 2005 season. The Nittany Lions are 51-13 (79.7) since the start of the 2005 season, tied for the nation's No. 7 winning percentage over that span (with West Virginia). Penn State has won 53 of its last 66 games overall, dating to the final two contests of the 2004 season. The Nittany Lions have 13 Top 5 finis... Winning Orange Bowl could be just the start - ajc.com 9 in the BCS. A win could move the Jackets into the top five of the final poll, which would position it for a top-10 preseason ranking. Over the past 10 seasons, only two teams that won the Orange Bowl failed to crack the top 10 the following preseason. "Every game is important but this one is the last one," Tech coach Paul Johnson said. "You put a finish on this season and get a jump-start on next year. You go in there and play well, it'll give you a jump as to where you're ranked next year when you start." Johnson has made no secret that he accepted the job at Georgia Tech because he thought he could win a national championship to go with the two Division I-AA titles he won... My early top-25 for 2010 A real threat to be the SEC's second team in the BCS. 11. Georgia Tech (11-3): Reigning ACC champs will have a tough time with VaTech but should post ...