Boise! Boise! Boise! Bring in the Funk. Bring in the Bois(e)!

The Boise State Broncos slapped the NCAA and BCS and ESPN and blogger know-it-alls upside the head Monday night with a thrilling, instant classic including a hook and lateral, statue of liberty, and marriage proposal.

Boise vs. OK is the biggest story from the bowl season so far. The drumbeat for a Boise St./Ohio State, what-might-have-been game is starting to pound. Who knows? If we insist on the system we have, we’ll always have the argument. The Broncos sang some trickster rap (nice to see the Sooners on the short end of a hook and lateral after they burst Nebraska’s bubble with one in the 80s), but mostly they used their character and heart.

It was a scary game to start with. I said earlier that Auburn was a much better draw than Boise, a no-win game in the desert for any Big 12 champ. The Sooners are feeling pretty bad this morning, but only a little better had they easily won, everyone’s prediction.

If you have a little time on your hands, call the BCS and NCAA and remind them the two times they have a allowed a little dog in the fight, David has won: Non BCS conference Utah beat a below average Pitt team a couple years ago and now Boise’s big win in Glendale.

While most people will argue that we should give the little guys more of a chance — and I’m not against that — USC’s drubbing of Michigan is also key here. Ohio State barely beats a Michigan team that the Trojans dismantled. But that is only part of this story. Despite what Buckeye apologist, Kirk Herbstreit and his ESPN pals believe, OSU is number 1 primarily because it started there and played a weak schedule, beating a good but not great Texas and the Wolverines, who will dream about the USC blitz for years to come. That’s the combination you need for a national championship: Play mostly gimmes, avoid injuries, and have the TV guys think you’re the best, without any substantial proof, something no one can give us. (See “Playoff” for a solution.)

Yeah, I have a point: Two words I thought I’d never utter — Go Gators. A Florida upset of the Buckeyes means Boise State is the only undefeated D1. Then we would have plenty to talk about.

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High on the Huskers off-season to-do list has to be better tackling. The Big Red joined a number of other teams Monday often unable to stop runners in their tracks. The result can be 5 more yards, 20 more yards, and occasionally a touchdown.

We all know about our pass coverage issues, too, so here’s to addressing that, but a couple of guys at least big enough to challenge a 6’3” receiver would be nice.

I like Cortney Grixby as a punt returner. Callahan should explore that. The kids is great athlete and hasn’t complained at all after be marooned most of the season on an island with 6’5” receivers. Give him a chance to be successful.

Zach Taylor has ushered in the West Coast offense. Now it’s time to give it roots and wings.

Penultimate thought, Nebraska: At crunch time, when you have 500 plays from which to choose to make the crucial, game-saving first down, the choice better be inspired. There are 499 other reasons why.

Last thought, Nebraska: No I am not a college coach and suggest the following with that in mind: With Auburn’s safeties seeing and reacting to our swing passes all day, did we consider among the 500, something to the tight end across the middle?

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Memo to Dwayne Garrett: Great game against Michigan, but I’m going to have to block you or at least cover the kid’s eyes. Your annoying and ridiculous antics (Think TO and Chad Johnson) during on the long touchdown were out of line, showed very little class, and only perpetuate the myth for young people that to be a complete athlete, you have to be a complete jerk every once and awhile (or always — see parenthetical above). Even the gushing Brent Musberger got up in your stuff. Come back for your senior year, Dwayne, if only to learn some manners.