Idaho Vandals Continue to Climb in National Polls

It's not easy being a college football coach at any level. No matter where you are or how many resources you may have, there's always someone bigger or with more resources. The game used to be decided on the field, where one team's athletes competed against another's. 

However, today it's about not only recruiting players but keeping your own players. As we've profiled, the University of Idaho lost several of its talented star players this year.

The Vandals didn't move on to the NFL, they moved on to schools that have NIL deals that pay players. Football at any level is a physically demanding sport, a fact that often goes unnoticed. As much as most of us would say we'd play for free, the reality is money makes the pain go away.

Vandals Coach Jason Eck has engineered another remarkable accomplishment. Two weeks ago, the team took Oregon to the limit. This week, the Vandals beat Mountain West powerhouse Wyoming.

The Vandals' ability to compete against the Cowboys is a testament to Coach Eck and his staff. The Vandals were the laughingstock of the FBS and FCS until the Eck Show came to Moscow. A coach's job is to win games, but Eck has done the most with the least resources.

The national media has noticed Moscow's favorite team's success. CBS Sports reports the team is ranked fourth in the nation at the FSC level. The Vandals trail #1 Montana State, #2 South Dakota State, and #3 North Dakota State in the latest rankings.

The Vandals will take one of last year's playoff teams, Albany, at the Kibbie Dome.