We’re in the middle of August, and that can only mean one thing.

Forget the baseball pennant race, the scorching weather or trips to the beach.

The real story is that college football teams around the country have begun their training camps, and in just a few weeks we’ll be kicking off yet another crazy season.

Wherever you go — be it Tuscaloosa, Ala. or Pullman, Wash. — optimism reigns supreme. Every team shares a clean slate and visions of bowl-game glory — even if that team won just a single game last year after having its worst season in school history.

And yes, I am talking about Stanford.

With the arrival of Jim Harbaugh last January, a previously morbid and deflated program got exactly what it needed: a young and energetic coach with an impressive track record (Harbaugh led the University of San Diego Toreros to back-to-back 11-1 seasons). He is a brash, unabashed and loud kind of guy — just the coach that Stanford Football could use after its apathetic 2006 campaign.

And after all, with the dire nature of last season, it was only fitting for the Cardinal to hire a new coach with the old moniker of “Captain Comeback” from his playing days.

Within his first few weeks at Stanford, Harbaugh promised to bring an “enthusiasm unknown to mankind” to the once-dead program. And so far, he’s kept to his word.

Just a few months into his tenure, Harbaugh made national headlines when he stated that USC head coach Pete Carroll would be leaving the program in the next year or two, which Carroll vehemently denied before issuing a tongue-in-cheek challenge to Harbaugh.

“If he’s going to make statements like that, he ought to get his information right,” Carroll said to the Los Angeles media. “And if he has any questions about it, he should call me.”

Harbaugh responded not so tongue-in-cheek, however: “We bow to no man. We bow to no program here at Stanford University.” Those are words you don’t hear too often from the coach of a team that just went 1-11.

But Harbaugh didn’t stop there in making headlines. In May, he made comments to the San Francisco Examiner about the storied University of Michigan football program. Harbaugh went to school at Michigan and played for the Wolverines.

“The [Michigan] athletic department has ways to get borderline guys in and, when they’re in, they steer them to courses in sports communications,” he said. “They’re adulated when they’re playing, but when they get out, the people who adulated them won’t hire them.”

Needless to say, both former Michigan players and coaches were incensed by his comments.

Like him, love him or hate him, you simply can’t ignore Jim Harbaugh.

Some of the statements he’s made are immature, speculative and possibly straight-up incorrect, but they’re all refreshing compared the comatose personality of Walt Harris — who haunts many of my sleepless nights.

Call Harbaugh’s tactics cheesy, tacky or even lame and you’re probably right. But it’s the best for thing for the current state of the program.

Harbaugh understands exactly what Stanford needs after a season like 2006: an injection of adrenaline and — as he would put it — “enthusiasm unknown to mankind.”

Under Harbaugh, the Cardinal has talked the talk. But it’s a whole different thing to walk the walk. In looking at the returning roster from last season, things might not be as bad as they seem for a team that went 1-11 last year.

The one positive from the season-long debacle was that a boatload of freshmen saw significant playing time. Play-making wide receiver Richard Sherman, hard-nosed running back Toby Gerhart and the athletic Austin Yancy all saw more action than freshmen usually do.

Also back are senior receivers Mark Bradford and Evan Moore, two incredibly talented players who have been slowed by injuries. Throwing to them will be fellow senior T.C. Ostrander, who showed signs of poise and ability after taking over for Trent Edwards midway through last season.

And if it matters, the Cardinal put up a good fight in the Big Game, hanging with Cal for four quarters. If Harbaugh is able to channel a performance like that for every game this year, things might not be so bad.

Questions still abound, however, and the fact remains that this is nearly the same Stanford team that went 1-11 last year. One thing is certain, though: we’ll soon find out just how well Harbaugh can back up his talk.