Boise Busts BCS, Sooners

In one of the wildest college football games ever, the Boise State Broncos put the finishing touches on a perfect 13-0 season by outlasting Oklahoma in a 43-42 overtime Fiesta Bowl thriller.

Despite controlling the scoreboard for most of the matchup, the Broncos allowed the Sooners to get back into the game late in the 4th quarter, culminating with a Paul Thompson pass to Quentin Chaney (and a Thompson 2-point conversion) that tied the game at 28 points apiece. On the ensuing drive, Boise QB Jared Zabransky's pass was picked off by Marcus Walker and returned for a touchdown, making the score 35-28 in OU's favor, and it looked as though the clock had struck midnight for the Cinderella Broncos. But Zabransky somehow regrouped on the fly, driving BSU down the field with under a minute to go. Facing an improbable 4th and 18 from midfield, Zabransky winged a pass over the middle to Drisan James, who cut up field and tossed an impromptu hook-and-lateral to Jerard Rabb -- who raced 35 yards into the end zone to tie the game and force overtime!

On the very first play of OT, Sooner star RB Adrian Peterson scampered 25 yards for a touchdown, and it seemed like Boise's hopes had been dashed once again. On their possession, the Broncos made it inside the Oklahoma 10 yard line, but the attack stalled at the 6 when they were unable to convert on a crucial 3rd-and-1. Facing 4th and 2, Boise pulled another trick out of their playbook, splitting Zabransky wide and lining up reciever Vinny Perretta at QB... and after rolling right, Perretta was somehow able to lob a perfect pass over a sea of Sooner defenders to TE Derek Schouman in the end zone for a touchdown!!

Down by a single point, most coaches would have kicked the PAT and forced double-overtime... but Boise State coach Chris Petersen knew that his team had come much too far to play for the tie now. On the 2-point conversion, Zabransky lined up in trips right. Taking the snap, he tossed the ball to his right -- no, wait, he kept the ball in his left hand the entire time, handing it behind his back to Ian Johnson, who saw an empty field to his left -- it was the old Statue of Liberty play! As Johnson breezed into the end zone and ended the game, the BCS had been busted wide open. "We want a shot at the National Championship," Zabransky told reporters in the postgame melee. In a perfect world, they'd get one. Instead, they'll have to settle for a perfect season -- and a victory in one of the greatest college football games ever played.