Battle of unbeatens tempting for Fiesta Bowl

It’s late Saturday night.

Texas has beaten Nebraska for the Big 12 championship, securing its place in the BCS title game, Boise State has taken care of business against New Mexico State to go 13-0, and Texas Christian is enjoying a day of rest, having finished off its 12-0 regular season.

Bowl officials are huddled in offices all across the country. In Scottsdale, the yellow jackets of the Fiesta Bowl are having a hot debate:

Should they think business first and match up Iowa vs. Boise State? Or should they go outside the box, bypass the Hawkeyes with their first pick and wind up with TCU vs. Boise State, two nontraditional powerhouses that can’t get a sniff of the BCS title game?

Here’s how it would work: The Sugar Bowl, with the first at-large pick because the SEC champion is in the national title game, takes the SEC runner-up, whether that’s Florida or Alabama.

The Fiesta Bowl, picking second because it lost its Big 12 tie-in with Texas, chooses TCU. The Orange Bowl has the third pick and is expected to take either Penn State or Iowa.

With the fourth pick, the Fiesta chooses Boise State.

Of course, the scenario goes to pot should Nebraska upset Texas in the Big 12 championship game and receive the automatic invitation to the Fiesta Bowl. But, c’mon, what are the chances of that happening?

Now, the Hawkeyes’ lure is strong. Amazingly, Iowa never has played in the Fiesta Bowl, so there’s a good chance the entire state will leave for the week and spend money in Valley hotels, restaurants, etc.

If you had a choice, where would you spend New Year’s Eve: Iowa City, Iowa, or Mill Avenue?

Here’s the thing about the Hawkeyes, though: They’re a Big Ten team. They play BORING football. They’ll put you to sleep faster than a tryptophan overload on Thanksgiving.

Even if Boise State’s entire offensive line promised to get down on their knees and propose to their girlfriends after the game, the television ratings would suffer.

Boise State and TCU, on the other hand, has a natural hook — which unbeaten team is better — and several juicy subplots.

How will the Broncos’ offense, ranked No. 9 in the country, move the ball against the Horned Frogs’ defense, ranked No. 2?

Can Boise State coach Chris Petersen top the trick plays he drew up against Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl?

And is TCU coach Gary Patterson a future candidate for the Arizona State coaching job?

The downside of a TCU-Boise State game is that neither team likely will travel as strong as Iowa. From a purely business perspective, it’s the less desirable matchup.

Thankfully, the Fiesta Bowl never has been afraid to challenge the norm. In 1982 it became the first bowl game to crash the New Year’s Day party reserved for the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl.

Five years later, because it had no conference affiliations, it was able to give the nation No. 1 Miami vs. No. 2 Penn State in prime time. The 1987 game remains the most watched college football game of all time.

At this point, we’re not sure what the Fiesta Bowl will do. We’re guessing bowl officials don’t know, either.

But if we had a vote, it’s simple:

Give us the Battle of the Unbeatens.