Sunday Morning Reading Room - Boise State is ready for the Fiesta Bowl, and BCS Guru says it will play Iowa

This is an abbreviated version of what I normally try to provide because I spent a lot of time actually watching games Saturday night, then had to assemble my Associated Press Top 25 ballot. That post will surface here at 12:01 p.m. on Sunday.

I'll try to share more goodies from around America this afternoon. In the meantime . . .

The BCS Guru projects an Iowa-Boise State Fiesta Bowl. That's not going out on a limb, but he's the only person named the BCS Guru.

The Guru also forecasts a trip to the Texas Bowl for Iowa State, with Navy the opponent.

If things do fall into place and the Hawkeyes are invited to the Fiesta Bowl to face Boise State, well, Iowa fans may want to send some candy or gift certificates or something to Texas kicker Hunter Lawrence, who kept Nebraska out of the Fiesta with his game-winning 46-yard field goal last night in the Big 12 title game.

Boise State fans, meanwhile, may be spending a lot of cash on Fiesta Bowl gear before the night is over, as this Idaho Statesman story suggests.

"We will have people come in and call. ... There's an immediate thirst for merchandise," said Travis Hawkes, who owns the Blue & Orange Store at the Boise Towne Square mall, which will be open until 7 p.m. Sunday. "The faster you can get it, the more you can sell."

In 2006, 400 online orders were waiting for Boise State Bookstore staff on the Monday after the announcement that BSU was playing in the Fiesta Bowl.

"We're ready for that," bookstore director Mike Reed said. He's already hired several extra employees to handle the load.

Dennis Dodd of CBSsports.com says the Fiesta Bowl would be open to a Boise State-TCU game. He writes:

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.

If it happens, it would mark the first time two non-BCS schools had met in a BCS bowl. While no one is talking for the record, Fiesta officials are intrigued about the idea of matching the two undefeated schools which, at this point, won't have a chance to play in the BCS title game.

I say it's highly unlikely. If TCU had tens of thousands hearty traveling fans, yes. But TCU has less of a national profile than any team that will be in a BCS game or will be considered for one this year.

But I could be wrong.

From Penn State territory, Rich Scarcella of the Reading Eagle has 10 Things We've Learned About Bowl Season. Included:

10. Veiled threats from the 82-year-old Godfather of College Football don't carry much weight, or Penn State would already have a BCS berth locked up.

8. Bowl officials and conference commissioners say nothing, even though their mouths move.

5. Temple and Rutgers, located about 70 miles apart, will travel to another country to meet in a bowl game.

3. Nothing says college football like the Roady's Truck Stops Humanitarian Bowl.

Finally, I'm as sorry as everyone else to hear about

the health problems Iowa men's basketball coach Todd Lickliter has been experiencing recently. Here's hoping the procedure he had this weekend sends him on his way to a swift and full recovery.