Fiesta eyeing TCU-Boise matchup

Provided Nebraska doesn’t throw a wrench into the works by upsetting Texas in the Big 12 Championship game, non-automatic qualifiers TCU and Boise State are looking square in the face of berths in a BcS bowl.

And, according to an online report, they could be looking at each other square in the face across the line of scrimmage come January.

CBS Sports.com‘s Dennis Dodd is reporting today that the Fiesta Bowl would be open to matching up the two unbeaten squads -- provided the Broncos “hold off” New Mexico State -- in their BcS game.

While nothing is certain, Fiesta officials were favorably considering such a matchup this weekend based on attendance and television appeal. The Fiesta’s interest in the game shot up recently when it realized the potential TV ratings appeal of such a game.

One concern for Fiesta officials is how TCU will travel if they decide to go with a Horned Frogs-Broncos matchup.

TCU, as noted by Dodd, struggled to sell out home games this year even in the midst of an unbeaten run that saw the Horned Frogs rise to No. 4 in the country.

That concern could be mitigated, however, by how well Boise State traveled in 2007 for their school’s historic Glendale matchup with Oklahoma.

All that being said, I would personally prefer to see the two schools matched up with BcS conference teams, if for nothing more than to afford the non-AQs the opportunity to further drive home the point that the top rung of their respective conferences -- at least this year -- are at or near the same level as most of their Big 6 brethren.