Let’s hope a certain poor Western football fan doesn’t awaken from a 12-year coma today. The shock and dissolution may stop his heart.

Joe Blow-Topperfan drifted into unconsciousness following a 4-6 season. The following spring, then-President Thomas Meredith threatened to dissolve the entire program.

But football on the Hill survived – and even prospered.

Impending pigskin apocalypse gave way to annual visits to the Div. 1-AA playoffs and – brace yourself Joe – a national title.

Former coach Jack Harbaugh established a winning culture that hasn’t experienced a losing season since 1995.

The Board of Regents, the same governing body who barely spared the football program in a 5-4 vote in 1992, approved a $33.5 million Smith Stadium renovation/expansion last year to be funded through a tuition increase.

Finally, the football program will move into a modern facility most of Western athletics already enjoys.

After winning the 2002 national championship, Harbaugh handed the whistle to his defensive coordinator David Elson, and the winning continued.

Now Elson faces centennial celebration-sized expectations as he enters his third year with a veteran squad.

Junior quarterback Justin Haddix grew into a winner though his freshman and sophomore seasons as the Toppers’ starting signal caller.

A combined 18-7 record, two play-off appearances coupled with rumors of a promotion to Division 1-A and the multi-million dollar Smith Stadium makeover, the fall of 2005 comes with pressure that could break a barometer.

Haddix and a healthy senior running back, Lerron Moore, will bear most of the pressure, but the offensive line will have to keep the backfield clear. With two freshmen (Andrew Campbell and Chris McConnell) and a sophomore (Greg Ryn) joining seniors Bill Hewig and Erik Losey on the starting offensive line, the Toppers will miss All-American Buster Ashley and all-Gateway Conference Ryan Thomas.

The young line will have to take advantage of their only true patsy on the schedule tonight when the Division II West Virginia Tech Bears visit Smith Stadium at 6:30 p.m.

After the inevitable dismantling of the Bad News Bears, Western has just over a week to prepare for Part III of the renewed Battle of the Bluegrass series with visiting Eastern Kentucky.

An off-week and a road loss at defending SEC-champion Auburn will follow Kentucky’s directional school showdown.

Western’s bus trip to Auburn will be the first venture away from the comforts of home for the Toppers.

The road hasn’t been nearly as friendly as Smith Stadium for the Toppers in the Elson Era and threatens to dampen expectations. While their home record is nearly perfect (11-1), road games have been more of an early-1990s-like struggle with a 7-6 mark.

With only three of the Toppers’ final nine games scheduled to be played at Smith Stadium, recent trends will have to halt.

The recent success and returning skill means Western football will have to operate with winning expectations.

So please, keep Joe in your thoughts.

Michael Casagrande is the Herald sports editor and columnist. Reach him at sports@wkuherald.com.