A lot of things in life are overrated.

Homework, for instance, is entirely overrated. I go to class, I pay attention, I take notes, but giving me busy work on top of class just doesn’t help anyone.

Speaking of homework, Facebook is another overrated fact of life. I’ll admit I’m on the thing all the time, but it really serves no purpose in life. Well maybe besides completely distracting me from said homework and selling football tickets.

And on that note, paying $200 to see a single football game is definitely overrated. Sorry, but paying $200 for a single game (as Facebook is telling me a certain football game is going for) is outrageous. Throwing a party and watching the game from a TV would just be a better idea at that point.

Speaking of overrated things, there seems to be a lot of talk lately that the Boise State Broncos are an overrated football team, falling to the No. 4 spot this week.

Let’s just say I thoroughly disagree.

While they still need to prove themselves on the big stage against the likes of an Alabama team, Boise State has proved they’re a team not to underestimate.

With a quarterback who is right at the top of the Heisman Watch list and a defense that has held it’s opponents to a total of 303 yards on the ground through four games – that’s about 76 yards per game – the Broncos have the strength to play with the big teams.

They opened their season driving in the final minutes to a game-winning touchdown over Virginia Tech. They started out dominating the first half, but the Hokies gave them a fight – a test – to prove they’ve got the talent to come back and win a big game.

But a week later skeptics started to question whether the win over Virginia Tech was really all that impressive considering Virginia Tech proceeded to lose what should have been a sure win to James Madison 21-16.

Don’t get me wrong, that did put a question mark on how remarkable the win over Virginia Tech was. But I remember watching that game thinking how strong and mature Boise State looked even in their first game. With 21 of 24 starters returning from last year’s undefeated team, it’s not surprising they’ve already found a rhythm and a sense of confidence on the field.

In their third game against Oregon State they didn’t dominate the game as most experts anticipated they would. The Broncos made some mistakes, but it’s better to have those mistakes now and fix them, rather than later when they’re playing a team when it can make the difference between winning and losing. For an example of this scenario please refer to the fourth quarter of the Bears/Packers game when Brian Urlacher forced a fumble giving the Bears the football on the Packers 46 with 2:18 left or just imagine 18 penalties for 152 yard – that’s a field and a half. Yes I’m still bitter. But Boise State hasn’t shot themselves in the foot yet.

Yes, they weren’t incredibly impressive against the Beavers, but the Broncos have had that game where things didn’t go so smoothly, they can work on out the kinks and continue to prove they’re top five material.

Despite falling a spot in the polls this week behind a rolling Oregon team, Boise State isn’t too concerned. Dominating New Mexico State this past weekend 59-0, Boise State just needs to keep winning games and continue to show they deserve to be on the national stage.

Arguably they don’t have as tough of a schedule as Alabama or Ohio State, but at the same time a team who has outscored their opponents 180-60 in only four games shouldn’t go unnoticed. While they’re still making news in the top five, questions are starting to pile up as to whether or not they belong there.

So what can the Broncos do to prove they belong there? First they have to finish the season undefeated. And they can’t simply just win games, they have to win games big. They need to blow out their opponents, it’s really the only way they can get credibility playing week after week in the WAC in the national spotlight. With their schedule the only other challenge they face right now is against No. 21 Nevada, but if they really are a No. 4 team it shouldn’t be a problem. And I don’t believe it will be.

After another undefeated season, the Broncos have to either play in the National Championship game – which unfortunately for this to happen, Ohio State and Oregon will both have to lose a game at the very least, so it’s really out of Boise State’s control.

Proving they’re one of the best will be a season-long process for this team. They have to play their game – play it all out – and be patient with the rest of the league to take notice. If in the end they are beat out for the National Championship game, then they absolutely have to win their bowl game and again put up a huge fight.

I don’t doubt the Broncos will finish the season strong again, and I honestly think they’re strong enough to go head to head against the like of Alabama in a national championship game.

It’s time Boise State is remembered more than just for their blue field.