Win every game? SERIOUSLY?! You have a bunch of returning starters who've never had a single winning season, yet you expect them to win them ALL?!!

Well, Akey is taking the Vandals in the right direction, but a winning season in the next two years is pretty darn unlikely.

Dear BroncosFreakinRock,
Ever heard of "setting your goals high"? While it may be unrealistic, at least they are being positive and reaching for something. Think about what they've been through as a team...I'm surprised they still have kids wanting to play for them. Also, WTF are you doing posting crap at 3am? What is your profession....bartending? Wait, of course it is...you went to BSU. Troll.

The Vandals are going to surprise some teams this year. With a coach that actually cares, a team that doesn't think they deserve respect even though they didn't win a game, and a re-amped fan base that took a year to recover from the Erickson fiasco, the Vandals will do much better than last year. I am not saying they are going to win the WAC or go to a BCS bowl, but I would be very surprised if it was a repeat of last year's 1-11 showing. GO VANDALS!

The Vandals will double their wins from last year. They will win 2 games. Not too bad for a 2nd year head coach.

the Vandals have a chance to go .500, it all depends on how much progress has been made at QB and if the D-line can step it up. If they could pull .500 off after the horrible year that was last year, I'd be ecstatic.

I think people have every right to question them this year, but I hope those same people are ready to eat crow if they're wrong.

you can only go up.

And that's what this staff, team , and true fans (not bandwagons) intend to do. Sure, we aren't going to win every game, but you'd be surprised what a big heart with nothing to lose can do.

GO VANDALS!

people are going to think he's smoking dope!

Ha Ha! I absolutely love to see the Vandal supporters on here. You guys have class and rock! Winning football teams do not define a university OR a city...and I think there are some Broncos that need to be reminded of that. Boise has gotten so out of control with the Bronco f'n Nation crap. And don't even get me started on the Statesman and their complete bias of other universities in this "great" state. I was the laughing stock of my out of town friends when I told them that the big news last year in Boise was the Ian Johnson Cheerleader wedding story. Hilarity, really.
I swear if I see one more lifted, muddy 2C truck with a BroncoNation sticker, I'm going to go postal.
It takes class and pride to be a Vandal...anybody can be a Donkey. Let me just stir the pot a little more....VANDALS IN '08....O in "08!!!! Whoo hoo...this is fun.

you can't stay on the absolute bottom forever.
The only real question is can the vandies win consistently? Over the course of their history I think only the 80's and early 90's saw consistent winning seasons. The 30s-50s saw no winning seasons and they've struggled nearly every year since going D1a.
What makes it really tough for the vandies to get enough quality kids is location. Yes, I've had this conversation with UI alum alot and yes they mostly don't get it. WSU is so close that if a quality kid is recruited by both schools and is looking for a rural school experience is more likely to attend WSU due to it's being in the PAC10 and actually has a shot at national tv and national championsip. WSU also has research dollars and academics.
Focusing on facilities will help, quality coaches will help, but can those overcome the legitimate issues facing consistent vandy success(location, competition, budget)?
Sadly, I don't think so. I won't be surprised at a winning season here and there but with WSU, UM, UNR, BSU, OSU, UW as regional competition for the same recruits it will be tough to win consistently.
Akey is the best thing for your program in 10 years, Spears is not.

How did they get decent recruits back in the day? I know, I know...everything about the sport/competition is different now, but have they always had trouble finding good athletes? Just wondering cause I clearly don't know the entire history of the sport as some do.

there are a bunch of fans on both sides (Vandals/Broncos) who can't get over the college days rivalry mentality. it seems pretty silly to constantly bash a fellow Idaho team. I am a Vandal and used to do my share of Bronco bashing.....but I (sort of) grew up a bit and am secure enough in my manhood to root for the Broncos wholeheartedly except when they play the Vandals. it is exciting to me to see any Idaho team have success.....it is great for the state. I would love to see a few more of the BSU fans in Boise join me in not only rooting for the Broncos but hoping the Vandals can really start to see some good things coming out of a more consistent football program. great for the WAC too BTW......

honu started the reply but didn't quite get there.
Before moving to D1a UofI(and Boise St.) didn't compete against WSU for more than WSU's 3rd stringers if at all. They competed against the UMs, EWUs, BSUs, ISUs and MSUs of the world. They could get a good share of those guys with the academic heritage and the fact that there are far more decent (D1aa talent) players in the world that good-great(D1a talent) players. But, even then UI was a sub .500 all time winning % school. But, they had good years in the Big Sky. Also a correction, they weren't in the Pac 10, they were in the Pac 8 and it was during the 30+ years of no winning season that they got bounced out.
Now, having moved to D1a they compete directly with WSU, BSU, UW, OSU, OU, BYU, Utah, Wyoming, Utah St and Nevada for recruits. The sheer proximity of WSU is a killer for recruiting because they can't out sell the Cougs for just about anything.

It's ok Bandwagon that you don't know their history, I had to look it up one day to shut the traps of Vandies talking about the streak. Their 12 games over us pale to 30+ years in a row of not winning. The conversation gets real quiet at that point(wait for it).
I don't get the moniker bandwagon. It eludes me as to how a school is to truly grow it's fanbase without the non-student/alum fans. You have to have bandwagon fans to grow, sure many will jump off when losing and that's ok, because those that stay have added to your core fanbase.

I understand the passionate hate of one institution towards the other, but that doesn't get you guys anywhere.
To Bronco fans: stop the Zabransky trashing and move on, and realize that the WAC is the best fit for the school(look at how inconsistent the team performed last year). I'm a BSU alum, but I'm ashamed that the fans of my own school have to be given a hit on the head in order to get a reality check.
To Vandal fans: Boise State is not the only football program in the state of Idaho that has bandwagon fans. U of I's bandwagon fans refused to come out over the years until "conquering hero" Erickson returned 2 years ago. After he left, the attendence at the home games dropped the following year, including a mere 3,000 in the finale against Utah State (I understand that everyone may have been gone because it was on Thanksgiving weekend, but you get the idea). If you think your loyal to the Vandals, then why not attend their games? If you want the Vandals to win, here's a solution: HELP THEM OUT! I'm sure they would appreciate it if you actually attend their games, other than just the rivalry game, maybe even having some of you move up to Moscow would help their confidence level go up as well. And in case you were wondering, my degree is way more valuable than most of you will ever understand. Why do you Vandals downgrade BSU's education when none of their teams are violating any academic rules? Are you worried that one day BSU's education will surpass Univ. of Idaho's education?
Fix your school's problems first. You'll feel much better about yourselves in the long run.