NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.  Three years ago, Boise State was a fascination, a fad, the ultimate water-cooler fantasy team. Falling for the Broncos was easy after all their razzle-dazzle in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma. When a team employs the Statue of Liberty play, the hook-and-ladder and a postgame marriage proposal in the process of defeating a national powerhouse, you know you've seen something unusual. But gaining respect as a national power themselves was another matter. The Broncos don't play in one of the six major BCS conferences. They were a junior college as recently as the mid-1960s. They play on blue turf. Making a name for themselves among the big boys, truly belonging in the world of the broad-shouldered behemoths of the game, would take a bit longer. Like three years. The players who are gathered here for Thursday's BCS championship game, the Texas Longhorns and Alabama Crimson Tide, had evening bowl activities Monday that didn't allow them to watch much of Boise State's 17-10 victory against TCU in the 2010 Fiesta Bowl. Nonetheless, by Tuesday morning, they knew exactly what had happened and were totally up to date about what it might eventually mean to college football's world order. "Boise State is a great team, they have great players, and they have done a really good job, being undefeated (three of the last four regular seasons)," said Texas defensive tackle Lamarr Houston, who saw highlights of the game after returning to his hotel room. "I have a lot of respect for those guys. They have made themselves very visible." "I caught some of the game," said Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram of Alabama. "I completely respect those guys. They had a great season. They deserve everything they got." If anyone had asked Ingram's and Houston's BCS predecessors how much respect they had for Boise State as recently as five years ago, it would have been perfectly reasonable for them to reply with a furrowed brow and say something along the lines of, "Who?" "Their rise has been spectacular," said Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain, who faced Boise State in the Big Sky Conference in the late 1980s and early 1990s as an assistant at Eastern Washington. "I hope they enjoy the moment and are grateful for what they've got, which is a lot. There are great programs around the country, and it doesn't matter what level they are at. Having played against them, I know they're good. Problem is, those guys out West sometimes get lost in the media shuffle." That shouldn't happen next season. After finishing 14-0 this season, Boise State returns 21 of 22 starters and 42 of the top 44 players on the depth chart. "They won their games week in and week out," said Alabama offensive lineman Mike Johnson. "They beat eventual Pac-10 champion Oregon and got to become an upper-echelon team. They absolutely have my respect." That doesn't mean they have anyone's vote for No. 1, though, at least not among this collection of players and coaches during this week of all weeks. The No. 1 and 2 spots in the country are largely spoken for here. But Boise State would receive a lot of support for No. 3. "It is extremely hard, no matter who you play, to win 13 games in a year and to go undefeated," said Texas quarterback Colt McCoy. "Boise, what are they, 14-0 now? That is very hard to do. All the respect in the world to them, and to TCU, for making it there, too. As a quarterback and a guy who's played for four years, I understand the challenges that you face week in and week out. You're going to get everybody's best shot, and it's tough to do." Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more