Boise State sets itself back 20 years by dealing with defensive end Byron Hout "internally"

AP/Idaho Statesman/Darrin Oswald

Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount threw a punch heard around the world Thursday night on the blue turf of Bronco Stadium in Boise in front of a less-than-thrilled and volatile capacity crowd. That would be the players, coaches, and phalanx of security watching the post-game "handshake" unfold.

Further, you had to wonder what would happen to Boise State defensive end Byron Hout, who uttered the taunt causing Blount’s right cross in the first place.

In the end, we heard nothing but crickets. Instead of manning up, like Oregon did, not only suspending Blount for the season but the postseason as well, Boise State chose the road less traveled--unless your name is Dr. Tom Osborne of Nebraska--and it sure as hell didn’t make all the difference.

Bronco fans should be thankful that the Boise State administration wants to win another Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and parade Idaho's capital city around in commemorative T-shirts, because if Hout were at any other D-I school--or if the Broncos weren't in the BCS picture after winning 19-8--he would have been suspended for certain.

Hout should thank his lucky blue stars that he’s a Bronco, because his taunting of Blount was totally uncalled for.

In the replay, you can clearly see Bronco head coach Chris Petersen trying to intervene while Hout is shooting his mouth off, and that’s commendable. But it's not enough.

The whole thing started after last year’s Bronco win in Eugene, when Blount said Boise State would be given an “ass-whuppin” at Bronco Stadium. Since then, both sides treated this game like a bowl game and it all boiled over in the postgame melee.

But doing nothing about Hout’s actions, while Blount essentially loses millions of dollars, potentially-- because the Doak Walker Award candidate's NFL Draft stock will drop on account of his actions--is flat out wrong.

It’s not like Boise State couldn’t suspend the guy. After all, their schedule is filled with cream puffs and fluffy pastries. You know, persons possibly related to the same spineless individuals who came to the conclusion that Hout’s taunting was okay.

Also, the children watching the madness go on know it’s okay to taunt somebody after a Little League football game, because if Hout got away with it, why couldn’t they?

And while it’s not okay for Blount to do what he did, the egregious error committed here is by Boise State, who could have taken swift action but instead decided to handle the matter “internally.”

It brings me back to when Dr. Osborne was still coaching at Nebraska and dealt “internally” with a running back named Lawrence Phillips, a player who had all the potential on the field but also had a few personal issues, drug problems and a bad temper.

Had Oregon handled Blount’s actions internally, there would have been an outcry, with people calling for new head coach Chip Kelly’s head, among others. Anti-violence groups would have picketed each Ducks game until the heat got too hot for Kelly.

That’s the same kind of thing that should happen at Boise State, but it won’t, for various reasons too controversial to discuss here and too painful--even in this day and age--to digest.

How odd that the strange blue turf in Boise brought out the best in college football once upon a time, but is now looked upon like any other program doing whatever it takes to win games. Will the Mountain West Conference want them now? I'll bet Commissioner Craig Thompson is looking at this situation with rolled eyes.