A quick reference guide to the '08 football season

Ours is an age of too much information. Maybe you've noticed, if you've tried buying car insurance or choosing a cell plan lately.

So in the spirit of simplicity, I have pared down the data from the state's Division I football teams and compiled it into a clear, easy-to-read format.

Don't fret over details; I've already done that for you.

Forthwith is everything you'll need to know about Football 2008, in a modest, manageable and slightly random summary.

COACHES TO WATCH: That's easy. You need to watch all of them.

Each has an intriguing storyline.

BYU's Bronco Mendenhall is as hot as a Las Vegas parking lot. Two straight championships will do that. A third title would vault him into contention for a job at a high profile school like Washington, Iowa, Syracuse, Minnesota or Arizona.

He might even become the state's next Urban Meyer, choosing from among several lucrative offers.

And just like Meyer, he has a first name that plays well in the headlines.

Mendenhall isn't likely to stay in Provo forever, nor has he said he would. One ESPN.com columnist rated him the top non-BCS coach in the country.

The most interesting BYU story, though, might be his reaction if the Cougars struggle. When things go south is where flexibility and resilience go on display. Whether he has those qualities is hard to say, considering he hasn't had much adversity.

There's a good chance he'll land another job before we get the chance to find out. Fifty miles north, there's Utah's Kyle Whittingham, who is an enigma, wrapped in a conundrum, wrapped in a Rubik's cube, wrapped in a fake blitz.

In other words, he's a hard guy to read.

On one hand, he's gold in the post-season, having won all three bowl games since becoming a head coach. On the other hand, he hasn't finished higher than third in the conference — and it's not a terribly tough conference.

A third straight loss to BYU and/or another mediocre conference season will leave Whittingham vulnerable. A terrible year will leave him jobless.

In any case, if he gets to a bowl game, don't bet against him.

Meanwhile, Utah State coach Brent Guy's contract runs through the 2009 season — but that doesn't necessarily mean his job does. Named the nation's worst team by Sports Illustrated, the Aggies say they are making progress. They did win their final two games of '07.

Still, with games this year against Utah, BYU, Oregon, Hawaii, Boise State, Nevada and Fresno State, the odds of breaking .500 aren't good.

In fact, they're downright remote.

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