It's been a rough last couple of weeks for the Idaho Vandals.

A couple weeks ago, the Vandals were picked to finish 11th - last - in the Sun Belt Conference in football this season.

Last! In the Sun Belt!

Then, last week, Idaho State football coach Mike Kramer - a former Vandal player - dissed his alma mater's football program, saying it was ignoring top-notch recruits in its own state.

Also last week, it was reported the Vandals and Boise State aren't going to play each other in men's basketball this season for the first time in 45 years.

What in the name of Dennis Erickson and Don Monson is going on here?

FIRST, KRAMER.

Earlier this month, he told Boise radio station KTIK that the Vandals have "abandoned" the state of Idaho in recruiting.

"The U of I has walked away from guys good enough to play for them, and they're playing for us now," Kramer said, according to a blog by Tom Scott on KTVB.com. "And we're winning games." Kramer added the Vandals should be playing in the Big Sky in football. "As an alumnus, as a four-year starter there, they have lost their footing in the sport of football," Kramer said.

We'll cut Kramer a little slack, because Idaho State was awful for years before he showed up, and with Kramer at the helm (along with a little help from an assistant coach named Matt Troxel), the Bengals have gotten better. Whether they're ready to challenge Eastern Washington and the Montana schools for Big Sky supremacy remains to be seen.

Idaho State's roster lists 32 players from Idaho, including local products Jeremiah Hazard (Coeur d'Alene High) and Tucker Louie-McGee (Lake City).

Idaho has 15, including incoming recruits Zion Dixon (Lake City) and Cade Coffey (Lakeland).

Could some of Idaho State's in-state recruits have helped the Vandals? Maybe. But probably more painful for the Vandals are the in-state recruits who chose Boise State instead - such as current Broncos Chase Blakley and Drew Berger of Coeur d'Alene High, and, a few years back, Byron Hout of Lake City.

Idaho and Idaho State haven't played since 2008, when the Vandals won 42-27 in Moscow. ISU last beat the Vandals in 1995 - Idaho's last year in the Big Sky, before the Vandals moved up to Division I.

WHEN HE was coach at Idaho a few years back, and the question of playing Boise State in football would come up Robb Akey's response was, "It's up to us to make it a rivalry."

When one team dominates the other, like Boise State has the Vandals in football for the past decade and a half, it's hard to justify the two teams continuing to meet - even if both teams reside in the same state.

When last they met, in 2010 in Moscow, Boise State beat Idaho 52-14, and the Broncos could have scored a lot more if they wanted to - there was that big of a difference between the teams.

Yes, Boise State is playing Idaho State this year, but the Bengals aren't asking for a return game, and they'll get a nice check for the experience of playing on the blue turf.

Idaho won't play Boise State unless it's a home-and-home series, and the Broncos don't feel the need to return to Moscow.

But in basketball, the teams are a lot more competitive. Yes, Boise State has won the last six meetings, but only by an average of 7 points. Idaho last beat Boise State in the 2009-10 season, winning 79-55 at BSU in the two teams' second-to-last season together in the WAC.

After Boise State joined the Mountain West, the two teams played once a year for each of the last four seasons - the first year at the Idaho Center in Nampa, the last three at CenturyLink Arena in Boise. BSU won all four, by between 3 and 11 points.

If Boise State is dumping the Vandals because playing Idaho isn't helping BSU's RPI - the Vandals have been in the 200s the last two seasons - that would make some sense. A higher RPI, and perhaps Boise isn't relegated to an NCAA play-in game on the opponent's' home court, as was the case in March with Dayton. The Broncos have improved to the point where NCAA positioning matters. Boise hasn't released its complete nonconference schedule for this season, so it will be interesting to see which "powerhouses" the Broncos scheduled that would do them more good than playing Idaho.

But at least they can't say it's because it's no longer a competitive game. However, that doesn't help the Vandals this season.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter@CdAPressSports.