The blue turf is always a story. It's, er, different. But how muchwould anyone care if Boise State hadn't won 56 consecutiveregular-season games on it? "College GameDay" wouldn't be setting upshop in front of Bronco Stadium on Saturday unless the team that playson so-called Smurf Turf was really, really good. As in No. 3 in thenation and might play for the national title good.
A homefield advantage? Absolutely. Bronco Stadium ain't big --capacity is officially 33,500 -- but it's darn loud. Still, Boise Statebeat Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl on green turf, and it beat TCU inthe Fiesta Bowl last January on green turf, and the Broncos got thesame positive result a few weeks back against Virginia Tech on greenturf. Those last two victories were part of a 16-game winning streak,nine of which came on boring, ole green grass.
The turf is blue, but the
team is what leaves nearly every opponent green with envy. Or is it seeing red?
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AP Photo/Corvallis Gazette-Times/Scobel WigginsThe Beavers practiced on a blue field to prepare for playing at Bronco Stadium.
"They'redarn good," said Oregon State coach Mike Riley, whose 24th-ranked squadwill try to end the Broncos home winning streak on Saturday. "They'vegot good players and they are extremely well coached. That's thebiggest factor."
Nonetheless, Oregon State this week went to great lengths to giveits players a feel for seeing blue underfoot. The school painted apractice field "reflex" blue and then dressed its scout team in thesame color.
Riley said the decision was based as much on "fun" as strategy. Andthe Beavers' players don't seem to be too taken by the notion of ablue-turf mystique.
"The turf is blue and their jerseys are blue, but there’s 11 guysover there," linebacker Dwight Roberson said. "I don’t feel like theblue turf has to do with anything. It’s a field; you play football onit. For me, it’s nothing different than playing any other footballgame.