By Matt Hayes

updated 11:10 a.m. ET Aug. 18, 2010

Florida coach Urban Meyer, who votes in the USA Today coaches’ poll, says he’s ready to vote Boise State No. 1 should the Broncos eventually deserve it.

“It’s all speculative at this point because none of us know how the season is going to play out, and frankly, because I’ve got a team to prepare for the season,” Meyer told Sporting News. “But if Boise State is the best team in America at the end of the season, you better believe I would vote them No. 1. If they deserve to play in the BCS championship game, they should play in it.”

The question of Boise State’s poll worthiness is one close to Meyer’s heart: His 2004 Utah team was unbeaten—but received no poll support to play for the BCS national championship. Meyer said recent BCS bowl success of Boise State and Utah has started to sway the thinking of coaches voting in the poll, which accounts for one-third of the BCS rating system (the Harris Poll is one-third, as is the average of six computer polls).

Boise State, which plays Virginia Tech at FedEx Field in Washington, D.C., to begin the season, was ranked No. 5 in the preseason coaches poll. Meyer said he had Boise State “very high” on his preseason ballot.

Boise State's other tough nonconference game is Sept. 25 against Pac-10 heavyweight Oregon State in Boise. The rest of the schedule, including eight games in the WAC, shouldn't pose a threat. The Broncos have won 16 straight WAC games, and are 31-1 under coach Chris Petersen in conference games.

“I don’t think coaches will use conference affiliation against a team,” Meyer said. “I don’t think those conference stereotypes exist as much anymore. When you look at what the non-BCS teams have done in the big bowl games, it’s hard to ignore. If they are unbeaten and they deserve it, I think coaches will vote them No. 1.”

Boise State and Utah both are 2-0 in BCS bowls.

Boise State beat Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl to cap an undefeated 2006 season, and beat TCU in last season’s Fiesta Bowl.

Utah completed its unbeaten 2004 season with a rout of Pittsburgh in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl, and dominated Alabama in the 2009 Sugar Bowl for another perfect season.

Non-BCS schools have two losses in BCS bowls: Hawaii was blown out by Georgia in the 2008 Sugar Bowl, and TCU lost to Boise State.

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