There is tangible buzz surrounding the Louisiana Tech football program.  Winning more than one conference game will do that.  The Bulldogs, who were 1-7 in the WAC in 2006, finished 4-4 in the conference last year.  This serves as a glimmer of hope for the team and fan base that has been re-energized by the excitement brought by head coach Derek Dooley (left, Icon SMI).  Relatively speaking, things are going well with his vision of success.  The Bulldogs improved by two wins overall last year in Dooley’s first season at the helm.  Managing to win four WAC games, albeit over the four worst teams in the conference, was seen as a big step in the right direction.  A bowl game is next on the agenda…look out Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl!.  After a narrow miss in 2007, expectations are high for a program and a head coach intent on going places.

The responsibility for those expectations lies on the shoulders of Louisiana Tech’s quarterback, who until a few months ago was nowhere near a sure thing.  With the departure of last year’s starter Zac Champion, the Bulldogs were left to find a replacement between a group of challengers, including Ross Jenkins and Steven Ensminger .  "Ugh" is right.

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Appearing in the 2006 New Mexico Bowl is one of the greatest highlights in the last 10 years of San Jose State football. The fact that is seen as a sign of success explains how low the bar of SJSU football has been set.

When Dick Tomey took the coaching job at San Jose State in 2005, he inherited a program in desperate need of help. For the most part, his tenure has been marked with moderate, San Jose-style success. The nine-win season of 2006 was a high point. Many see Tomey building a slow, steady winner that can compete in the WAC for years to come.

The only problem is the definition of “compete.” The Spartans show more fight than the Utah States and Idahos of the conference, but they are rarely seen as serious contenders for a conference championship. Success by association is rather easy with the dregs of the WAC, but SJSU has a ways to go before they are consistent championship material…

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At least the Vandals didn’t go winless last year, thanks to Cal Poly.  The Mustangs, a Division I-AA school, provided the only solace to an otherwise gloomy Vandal season.  Without Cal Poly, Idaho went 0-for-Division I-A, dropping every WAC contest in the process. 

There is obviously room for improvement in Moscow.  The defense could be better.  The offense could be consistent.  The wins could be less few and far between.  But in order for that to happen, the Vandals are going to need a facelift, and 2008 will be way too soon to see any results.

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The Utah State Aggies, traditional punching bags in a conference full of punching bags, are stuck on the road to nowhere. They are languishing in the slow lane with coach Brent Guy at the wheel of their metaphorical Kia Sportage of a football program.

Two wins last season was a twofold improvement over the prior year, but no one will be mistaking the Aggies for Boise State or Hawaii any time soon. This is the best picture I could find of the Aggies.

In fact, no one will be mistaking them for San Jose State, either. Utah State has a ways to go before they reach respectability, much less contention. Similarly, they have a ways to go before they become a breeding ground for viable fantasy football options. Their offense is sketchy; their skill players are depressing. Still, with enough digging, there may be a diamond in the rough.

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