Boise State Prez Says Goal Is AQ Status in BCS

The Big East is expected to invite Boise State's football program to join a reconfigured conference as soon as next week, but that might not be the best move for the Broncos at this time.

"I don't have any idea right now ... of who's going to be in, who's going to be out" in the Big East, Kustra told The Associated Press. "And so if anybody asked me today, if anybody invited me today, I wouldn't know what I was getting invited to."

Kustra spoke to the AP prior to the fifth-ranked Broncos' inaugural Mountain West Conference game at Colorado State on Saturday. The Broncos (5-0) bolted the Western Athletic Conference to join the MWC this year.

Joining the Big East in football would require Boise State to find a home for its other sports because MWC Commissioner Craig Thompson said Friday night that Boise State was either all in or all out.

The Big East is in flux and a conference official told the AP that conference leaders are slated to vote Monday on doubling its exit fee to $10 million, which will clear the way to invite six new members.

Along with Boise State, the league also wants to invite Air Force and Navy as football-only members and Conference USA members Central Florida, SMU and Houston to join in all sports.

"It's really an unsettled time," Kustra said. "We have a number of options, one of which is staying right where we are, working through this Conference-USA merger of sorts and finding ways of getting better TV coverage and perhaps even working toward an AQ conference status. ... and while we love where we are, we'll keep all the options on the table. I think that's what my responsibility is as president."

Staying in the Mountain West, which is teaming with C-USA to form an association stretching from the East Coast to Hawaii, until the dust settles from all this conference realignment might be the best route for Boise State.

"I've been very vocal about my thoughts regarding the BCS and when they organize in 2013, I hope there's a way to deal with some of these inequities," Kustra said. "But in the meantime, it seems like our responsibility is to get as close as we can to AQ status as we can.

"And that's the reason why we're not just shutting down any interests from others who ask us questions about what are your future plans? Our future plans are to do whatever we can to work out a better TV arrangement, get on more TVs in more living rooms and at the same time work toward AQ status."

Kustra said another move would take time.

"We are not on any kind of urgent timetable," he said. "We really enjoy where we are and it's important for us to take advantage of the rest of this season. I mean, let's face it, if we take care of the rest of this season, we're going to a postseason bowl, a BCS bowl. And that's not exactly too shabby an existence in the year 2011."

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AP College Football Writer Ralph D. Russo contributed. Follow AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton

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Fitzpatrick: Bills have bonded over underdog status

Ryan Fitzpatrick has no problems being called a gunslinger by Kurt Warner, who says he sees a bit of himself in the Bills’ quarterback.

Fitzpatrick happens to play the role of likable underdog quite well, because he’s easy to root for. As Charles Davis pointed out, it’s Fitzpatrick’s toughness that makes the rest of the Bills want to follow.

Fitzpatrick, though, has more in common with many of the Bills’ key offensive players than meets the eye. As a former seventh-round pick, he’s one of a core group — along with Fred Jackson, Stevie Johnson, David Martin, Brad Smith, Donald Jones, Marcus Easley, and Scott Chandler, to name more than a few — who were middle- and late-round picks, weren’t picked at all, or were given up on by another team. Fitzpatrick said on “NFL Total Access” on Wednesday that bond has made a difference.

“Most of us were either on teams before that didn’t want us or didn’t get drafted. It’s a unique circumstance,” Fitzpatrick said. “You really don’t get that on a lot of teams, but everybody is so willing to work and put the effort in to go out there and play well on Sunday. We’ve bonded over the fact that maybe we’ve had to work a little bit harder to get to where we are, to get the opportunity we have right now, and we’re looking to take advantage of it.”

Fitzpatrick said he can sense the newfound optimism in Buffalo, and no question the Bills are one of the feel-good stories of the early season. We’ll see how long the momentum lasts.

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Week 14 power rankings: Status quo at the top

1.) Saints – I’m sticking with the champs.

2.) Patriots — No one in NFL has more quality wins.

3.) Falcons — Another workmanlike victory.

4.) Steelers — Troy Polamalu with huge plays two weeks in a row.

5.) Ravens — They don’t lose to inferior teams under John Harbaugh.

6.) Eagles — Gonna have too much offense and pass rush for a lot of teams to deal with.

7.) Chargers — Raiders get whacked, Matt Cassel has emergency surgery and they’re right there, again

8.) Colts — Must-win game vs. Jacksonville. Gonna have hands full with that run attack.

9.) Jets — As poor on offense as I figured they’d ultimately be, and I smell another loss this weekend.

10.) Giants — I don’t count them out by any means.

11.) Jaguars — Have the type of power run game to beat the Colts and take this division.

12.) Bears — That was pathetic and frankly what I expected — a full-scale beatdown. Over-rate this outfit at your own peril.

13.) Chiefs — I’m putting them here assuming Cassel is back soon. If he misses another game, though, pressure is gonna mount.

14.) Packers — Cannot afford to lose Aaron Rodgers for even a half with their weak run game. They’re in deep trouble now.

15.) Cowboys — Much improved over the past eight weeks, even in defeat.

16.) Bucs — There’s something about Josh Freeman.

17.) Rams — Remain in driver’s seat in worst division in football.

18.) Bills — I’ve said it before — love their fighting spirit.

19.) Browns — They blow games like that and it adds intrigue to coaching situation. Never thought I’d be saying so soon they need a healthy Colt McCoy.

20.) 49ers — Alex Smith leads them to a division title in Dec/Jan???

21.) Vikings — Need to put the Brett Favre era behind them.

22.) Raiders — Turnovers killed them, again. Allow 31 points in second half. Another crushing loss.

23.) Texans — Should be a fair amount of transition there this offseason.

24.) Seahawks — No one does the blowout losses like Seattle. Yikes.

25.) Titans — If nothing else, I think Chris Johnson finishes strong.

26.) Dolphins — Offense lacks any punch.

27.) Lions — Big win for them.

28.) Cardinals — If they went with a new QB every week they might just have made playoffs in NFC West.

29.) Redskins — So Rex Grossman might be the answer, eh? Ooooooooh-kay. Alrighty then. Could make a salient argument this team in worse position than Jim Zorn’s 4-12 bunch from 2009.

30.) Broncos – Getting dominated by a Cards team that lacks a QB like that, in your first game under a new coach? So much for a bump.

31.) Bengals – It is inconceivable to me they start Carson Palmer next year.

32.) Panthers – They won’t win again this season.

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Packers QB Rodgers Won’t Practice All Week; Status Not Known for Sunday Night

It looks more and more like the Packers will go into their critical Sunday night game without QB Aaron Rodgers. At least if having to practice to play is in anyway involved.

Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says that coach Mike McCarthy said that it’s very doubtful Rodgers will practice this week and that a decisioin on his status won’t be made until Saturday.

McCarthy said that Dr. John Gray said it was out of the question for Rodgers to practice on Wednesday and Thursday and that his chances for Friday are “slim to none.” He said he would not let the importance of the game affect his decision on whether to play Rodgers.

Backup Matt Flynn will get all of the practice reps in team drills this week and will go through an intense week of preparation so that he is fully prepared to play. Practice squad quarterback Graham Harrell may be signed to the 53-man roster, but a decision would not be made until Saturday.

In addition to not being able to practice, Rodgers will not be allowed to attend meetings or go through film study until cleared by the doctor. He did neither on Wednesday.

McCarthy said he had not talked to Rodgers Wednesday, but spoke with him extensively earlier this week.

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