Biggest (Friday) Game Ever?

In just a few hours, the Huskies will take on Stanford in what could be called the biggest game in Husky program history. Pundits and fans alike love to attach superlatives and hyperbole to games in order to make their articles or arguments at The Duchess stand out. Is tonight's game huge? Of course it is. But I don't think we can rush to judgement on how big a game is until AFTER it happens. Let me explain. How many times have we as sports fans looked at a mid-season game and thought, "If we don't win this game you can kiss any kind of championship goodbye!" If you didn't raise your hand where you sit or stand, you are lying.

After the Seahawks were 3-3 in 2014 I told my brother and his friend that I would take them out for drinks for a year if the Seahawks finished any better than 8-8 that season. Hyperbole. Unfortunately my brother doesn't forget a bet. As we all know, they went on to win 10 of the next 11, beat Green Bay in that game and reached the Super Bowl. Did losing to the hapless Rams on the road in week 7 derail the Seahawks chances of obtaining the #1 seed? No. But when we were 3-2 and needed a big win, I bet a lot of people said it was a "must win" game or the season is over.

My point is, we won't know how big this game is going to be until we find out what the rest of the season has in store for us. We could win this game big or small and then lose 3 or 4 more the rest of the season therefore determining that is was just a good win when it happened. We could lose this game and end up being a 1-loss Pac12 team fighting for a spot in the College Football Playoff. All I am saying is, if UW wants to be taken seriously as a contender year in and year out, we need to stop pretending that seasons rest on each "big" game that comes up on the schedule.

Don't get me wrong, the stakes are high tonight. A top-ten matchup at Husky Stadium on a Friday night (sorry commuters on any major arterial this evening) in front of a sold out crowd on national TV without any other competing games except the poor high schoolers who play on Friday nights who are really only thinking about the school dance later that night and which cheerleader to inappropriately grind on...is a big deal. Stanford has been tough against the Huskies recently. Stanford has won the last 3 matchups and 7 of the last 8 in generally convincing fashion. Two years ago at Husky Stadium was supposed to be the one that got us over the hump. Two hard hitting defenses with mediocre offenses presented UW with a chance to tough one out. Shaq Thompson was doing some surreal things on the field that season and sure enough he stripped the ball and ran it back for the Huskies only touchdown that day. But alas, it wasn't enough and another opportunity in a "massive" game went by the wayside. See, that season we were undefeated after a crappy non-conference schedule. Stanford was undefeated ranked #16 and this was supposed to show the country that despite our easy non-conference schedule, we could still hang with the big boys (sound familiar). Hang we did; but no win.

For tonight's purposes, let's hope that this game will mean something big.

On that note, here is how it shakes out. Stanford is the same tough, bruising, big bodied team they have been since they decided to take football seriously about 10 years ago (see: BFWD posts in this blog). David Shaw is a master of the big lines, few really talented skill players and nominal QB system that has sent them to the Rose Bowl and kept them in the conversation for national championship in recent years. Nothing else is all that different than most years except they have Ed McCaffrey's son (Christian), who just so happens to be the reigning Heisman runner-up and coming off a season where he set the all time mark for all purpose yards AND put up more than 300 yards against the Dawgs last year. Stopping him and keeping him inside the tackles is going to be key for the Huskies. He is obviously dangerous when he breaks free and keeping a spy on him will be crucial to winning tonight. One of the WR's is out for Stanford and their QB is just OK, which has always worked for them.

On the other end, the Huskies need to keep the offense going without dumb turnovers or not making fourth down conversions. Both the Huskies and Stanford had ugly wins last week, which these programs love and appreciate. The Huskies have a few more weapons on offense and aren't nearly as one dimensional as the Cardinal, but they have to put it all together if they want to beat the likes of Stanford. The Cardinal will be missing two of their starting cornerbacks, so it will be crucial to get quick slants and the occasional deep ball going. The UW defense is solid and needs to be better than last week, but I like going against a quarterback who can't run for an 80 yard touchdown against us. That makes this a great matchup for the Huskies and like every year with Stanford will come down to the trenches.

I do think this is a game that the Huskies can win, but somebody around here has to be the pessimist. It just doesn't seem to all add up to a program defining win tonight because of past precedent, but man do I hope I am wrong.

The Pick: Stanford 24, UW 21

So much new...

Mrs. Loyalist: "You know, Loyalist, now that we have a son, your college football Saturdays are going to look a lot different."
Husky Loyalist: "You're right, finally someone in this household other than me will appreciate sitting around and watching football all day, even if that other person is just learning how to put everything, including the toilet seat, in their mouth."

"Seasons change, mad things rearrange, but it all stays the same like the love Dr. Strange..." - The Fugees, How Many Mics.

Ahhhhh, it is the Saturday of Labor Day weekend and for a lot of people that means recovering from a long car ride from the day before and trying not to get mosquito bites near their private parts at their favorite (and most hated) campground. For the Husky Loyalist over the years it has meant the ushering in of the greatest 4 or so months of the year; college football season.

For our Dawgs, this last off-season brought great change to the Husky Loyal Army and the team we support, but none of those changes take away any of the pageantry that comes with the first day of the season. New coach, new QB, new RB, new TE, new...hope. The first day of the season allows you to take a look at the college football landscape and figure out how the Huskies fit into the jumbled, beautiful mess that comes with being a college football fan.

Five years ago we saw the introduction of Steve "Trust me, I am probably not a racist, maybe" Sarkisian to the UW program and with it something we hadn't had in quite some time...hope. Despite Sark's unceremonious departure from our beloved, he did turn this program around from an underachieving pile of disappointment to a perennial "this could be the year, and then it sort of wasn't" program; and we thank him for that. But it is time to move on.

Coach Chris Petersen (Don James incarnate) is here. Holy crap, I can't believe I just wrote that, Chris Petersen is the new head football coach at the University of Washington! Doesn't it feel so good to say that?!? Hope. Tons of hope. Real hope. This is change I can believe in (corny, but true).

Onto tonight's game against the artists formally known as the Rainbow Warriors. Not much to say here. We are double digit favorites on the road in the first game of the season, that is not easy to do. It means the Huskies are primed and ready to show they are here and they mean business. The Rainb.....(sorry), The Warriors are just awful. I like Norm Chow and the work he did at USC way, way back, but he has not been able to match that magic since he left there (probably because he doesn't get to cheat like he used to with USC). The Huskies are stacked in just about every position this year, which is pretty fun. A little green in the secondary, but anchored by a very talented Marcus Peters. Our O-line and D-line are stacked. Our position players are deep and talented, not much to worry about Hawaii tonight.

The biggest thing about tonight is setting a precedent for the season and showing that we can dominate on the road. Hawaii is as close to being FCS-talented for being in the FBS as it gets, but it is still a long flight, tons of distractions and the first game of the season with the starting QB sitting on the bench wondering if it was really worth it to attack people who were celebrating a Seahawks super bowl win (the answer, Cyler, is no, no it was not worth it). Despite all of the potential challenges, I think UW shows up.

So here is to change, hope and and my baby's infectious mouth.

UW beats Hawaii, 34-10.

Go DAWGS!!!

Define Important...

A million apologies to the Husky Loyal Army for my absence over the last few weeks. The Husky Loyalist has some other things going on in his life, and sometimes the most important thing in life (this blog) needs to be put on the back burner. Alas, here I am, a month later and our Huskies are in a very interesting situation. 6-3 (3-3) with the chance to upset a very good UCLA team on the road. UCLA has been so good, in fact, that despite their back-to-back losses to Stanford and Oregon (remind you of a team we know), they are sitting at #13 in the nation according to the BCS standings. This is a very solid team.

The Bruin defense is led by an outstanding foursome of linebackers which include Anthony Barr, possible All-American, and Bellevue’s own Myles Jack. Jack was a prime target of the Huskies this time last year, and while many thought he would choose the school closest to his home and a program which is on the rebound and ready for big things, instead he chose UCLA. It’s not my place to bring up any kind of Judas comparisons, because that just wouldn’t be fair to the young kid (I guess that technically counts as bringing up a Judas comparison, oops, ah well). Jack has been a great player for the Bruins all season as a Freshman linebacker. So impressive on defense, in fact, that  when UCLA was banged up at the running back position this last weekend they decided to use Jack as a running back for six plays. What did he do? Not much. Oh wait, that’s right, he went off for 120 yards and 2 touchdowns on SIX carries, one of which was on a 66-yarder for a TD.

 Look, I am very happy with the personnel at the University of Washington, we have a solid team with a bright future, but if we are going to start winning Pac-12 North division titles anytime soon we have got to lock down local talent like this guy. Having said all that, I don’t think Jack will be a factor on offense today. Yes, he was effective last week, but it was a gimmick, and we will be ready for it. Plus, even 18-year-old kids slow down after that much playing time on both sides of the ball. I don’t see UCLA pushing Jack into a situation where he ends up not being effective on either side of the ball. That just leaves star QB Brett Hundley. This guy is pretty dangerous as well. He doesn’t line up on the other side of the ball as well like Jack, but he is enough to handle on offense. He has the size and speed of a Marcus Mariotta, but without the weapons around him. I feel like he can either put up monstrous numbers against us, or do nothing at all. Nothing in between that, trust me.

Our defense has really come together this season despite a couple of blips (see fourth quarter against Oregon and not showing up against ASU) and can shut down a good QB like Hundley. Our offense really does seem to be clicking, don’t you think? You know the kind of clicking when you are playing beer pong and the cups look bigger and bigger while the ball gets smaller and smaller, and the girl watching is getting more and more impressed with your ability to not only drain shots but also come up with witty comments like “it’s not how you make the shot, it’s what you do with it when you put it in”. I really like this offensive system the Huskies are playing in and it makes the team as a whole better. It will be tough to get behind those linebackers, but Sark will have something ready for them.

I have mentioned in the past how it appears the Huskies have way too many “direction of the program” games, I am sorry, that’s just where we are at. Sitting at 6-3 when we could or should be 7-2 stings and it has come down to a game like today that tells us whether or not we are close to beating good teams on the road and finishing in the upper echelon of the Pac-12. Lose, and all of a sudden we are looking at a very strong possibility of ANOTHER 7 win regular season, that just can’t happen with this team at this point. Win, and in my eyes it makes up for either the Stanford or Arizona State loss and it gives you the confidence to go into Corvallis next week and finish this season on a 5 game win streak and 9 wins (assuming we beat WSU, I mean, come on). It’s possible. It has to be possible, because that is what Sark and his team have told us.

Expectation and reality have often been adversaries when referring to the Huskies, why can’t we have a season where the expectation of a 8/9 win season plays out? It’s what the players deserve, it’s what the coaches deserve and Dawgfather dammit it is what the fans, the Husky Loyal Army, deserve. Come home in three weeks against Wazzu with something to play for. Show us and the nation we haven’t wasted nights crying with 14 beers around us and cheese dip clinging to the end of our socks while your wife debates whether or not to sleep at her sister’s place. Let us know that all this passion, all of this love for the Huskies, means something. 

Look who's coming to lunch...

What has been your favorite response to, "we are gonna make it a decade on Saturday"? I mean, don't you just hate this team and their fans so much? We understand the Cougar Complex, it is simple for us to understand that they don't have a lot to celebrate in the middle of nowhere so when there is any kind of success (like, a first down kind of success), then they freak out and bring the incoherent "in your f*****g face" comments. With the Ducks, there is just something about the way the team conducts its business and who their fans are that make you just want to pour gasoline all over your body and look for the first smoker wearing one of those Oakley sweatshirts Duck fans love so much. Phil Knight is like the dad of that rich kid you hated so much growing up. You know, the kid that got any and everything he wanted and his rich dad wasn't around very much so he made up for it by buying him the coolest crap. And then you finally meet the dad and he is the cockiest little punk you have ever met. That's what Phil Knight is like to this team, and this team is that stupid son that everyone loves until you get to know him. For instance, I have a lot of friends spread out across the country and they love the Ducks and their uniform crap and all that. But if you are in the Pac-12 or moved into the Northwest and started to get to know the Ducks and their fans, you know you hate them (enough of the metaphors and analogies for now). The reason this rivalry is so heated is because there seems to be such a difference in the type of people associated with either program. I am not saying that Husky fans are not without dumbasses, trust me, there are quite a few out there unfortunately. Whereas the Cougar fans are like that annoying little brother who you tolerate, Duck fans are like your wife's ex-husband; you just don't like anything about them. Everything they do just pisses you off and most of the time you can't even pinpoint why it pisses you off.

2013 Season Preview

Well, you probably thinking to yourself, "Loyalist, isn't it a little bit too late to be coming out with a season preview the night before the season is supposed to start?!?" A valid question. But I say to you, do we really know what our team is going to look like in Spring, early Summer, or even after Fall camp? Here we are about 24 hours away from kickoff for one of the most important Husky campaigns we have seen in years, and you tell me whether or not what we found out at 10:00pm on August 29th, 2013 has any relevance on how the season could play out. If you don't know what the announcement was, you were probably on vacation or slipping on your toe shoes when the announcement came out last night. Needless to say, a certain All-American will not be playing in tomorrow's Boise State game. Some of you out there say it was fair, others say unfair. Some say it will make a huge impact on the game, others say he didn't have very much impact on the bowl game against Boise State last year, so he won't matter tomorrow. That is why you do a season preview the day before the games start. Regardless, we are in for an incredible season of football, a new stadium, and hope that Husky football is back. Here is my game by game breakdown of what I think will transpire this 2013 college football season.

Quack, Quack, that was whack...

It has now been a full day since learning about the "sanctions" brought on by the NCAA against the University of Oregon Ducks....I am still angry. On a day we saw DOMA stripped down, Aaron Hernandez arrested for murder, and one of the craziest days at Wimbledon in history, I figured the football Gods would give us a program-destroying recommendation that would shock the world. Instead, the only people who are shocked are Oregon's rivals (and most importantly the Husky Loyal Army).

When Oregon recommended a slap on the wrist, I figured it was a slap in the face to the NCAA who have given out harsher penalties to babies wearing the wrong colors at a diving meet. Yesterday we learned that Oregon football would lose two scholarships, go on three years of probation and lose a score of recruiting visits (an amount that Oregon didn't even use all of last year). And the coup-de-grace, the clincher, the biggest joke of the investigation and its outcome? FORMER coach Chip Kelly is not allowed to coach college football for the next 18 months............really, I'm not joking.

The biggest punishment handed down to Oregon who have cheated for the duration of their "Duck Dynasty" is to not allow their former head coach to give up millions of dollars and return to college football in the next 18 months. Nice work, NCAA. I have generally defended the system that regulated college athletics, but this may have brought me to the other side. After seeing how badly they treated USC, somewhat deservedly so, how badly they messed up the University of Miami investigation, and how they handled the misguided attempt at punishing Penn State; we now have this.

I am not sure there was a single Oregon fan who was disappointed in the findings. In fact, I bet you a million bucks there were thousands of Mallard fans who were ready for much worse sanctions and were going to tell us why it was stupid that their team was getting punished for something every other school is doing. The owner of the "Ducks Dominance Dlog" (which I just made up) would have said something along the lines of, "Bro, we are banned from a bowl game?!? That's dumb. Alabama recruits 45 bros, and only keeps 25 of those bros after spring practice, and nothing happens. God Kelly reaches out to someone for help, a disciple, and we can't go to a bowl game? I'll be in my trailer home if you need me."

This doesn't change anything when it comes to being rivals with Oregon other than we have yet another reason not to like this program. In fact, when we finally beat Oregon this year in our new stadium, we will know that there were no asterisks or anything else that could take away from a potentially monumental win. There is nothing we can do about it, this is a final ruling, but this gives us plenty to think about going into a season that could change everything for the Huskies.

GO DAWGS!!!

Spreads are out.....not too bad.

One of the most exciting elements to start the lead up to the college football season (which is already just 82 days away) is the release of the spreads for each college football game. It is almost completely unfounded, irrelevant, inaccurate and pretty stupid if you think about it, but at the same time really awesome. The spreads themselves have zero impact on the games, but it reminds all of us loyal fans that football is just over the horizon and thus begins the "summer season of projection". That's really all these spreads do, but isn't it fun? Every fan across the country is happy, sad, angry, confident and sometimes indifferent about each of the spreads for their respective favorite team. While I was listening to the radio yesterday and heard some of the spreads for the powerhouses across the country, which for some reason did not include the Huskies, I thought about the opportunity the Huskies are being presented for this season. We have great talent, great coaching, a new stadium and buzz going into this season, and the opportunity to turn some heads. Here are my thoughts on all of these spreads:

Oh, Oregon, thank you for being you.....

News has just come out in the last 24 hours that the University of Oregon football program has recommended it should go on two years worth of probation and strip one scholarship away each year for the next three years. I really am not sure how to take all of this in. My first reaction was, "THANK YOU FOOTBALL GODS, JUSTICE HAS BEEN SERVED!!!" Seeing the Ducks in this unenvious position really does make me feel good deep down inside. I know the Huskies haven't been angels when it comes to NCAA regulations in the last couple of decades, but the timing of the Ducks success and this investigation just make this feel so slimy and blatantly egregious. I mean, there has got to be a direct correlation between the Ducks going from the middle of the Pac-10 to national title contenders year and year out, all while committing to questionable recruiting practices.

As the recruiting dust settles.....NICKNAMES!!!

Another year of recruiting has more or less come to a close and you have to feel good as being part of the Husky Loyal Army. Great class. Really, really good class. Besides Daeshon Hall being as cool as the guy at the gym who wears those shoes with toes, we more or less closed the recruiting season landing in the top 20 nationally with all of the major recruiting sites. In fact, we landed as the number 14 team according to Scout.com, pretty freaking good. And, most importantly, we are ahead of the Ducks in most experts eyes and the #2/#3 Pac-12 team as well. Yes we lost Hall. Yes we couldn't steal Nico Falah (see my comment regarding toe shoes). Yes Eddie Vanderdoes teased us right up until 5:00pm. And yes the Robinson Twins turned out to be as loyal as Bill Clinton (you know, goes away for a little...but comes home when he realizes he'll make more money if he sticks with his first). BUT, there is a lot to be excited about with this class. Awesome defensive line class, amazing group of receivers, solid offensive line pick ups and a QB of the future. There has not been a lot to be excited about with Husky football over the last few months, but this is where it turns around. A veteran team with a favorable schedule and a great crop of players on their way in with a new stadium. This is starting to feel pretty good.

It's beginning to look a lot like Ve-gas

There just seems to be a different feel in the air this year compared to last. The Huskies will be playing a highly ranked Boise State team in a lesser bowl than last year's carpet burner. The likes of Robert Griffin III have been replaced by Joe Southwick....who? The defense's are taking center stage for two teams more recently known to have a tough time stopping my high school's JV team (which went 2-7 this year). And all this coming off of a bitter loss to the in-state rival, compared to last year's triumphant victory at would soon be the Dawgs new home at the CLink.

We be bowlin'...

The Huskies finished the season 7-5, good enough to land into the bowl madness that comes about each December and January. No, we aren't playing on New Year's Day or even the weekend leading up to what used to be considered the greatest day for college football each year. But, considering the meltdown that occurred in Pullman this year, heading off to Vegas playing against a ranked Boise State team is not half-bad.

No words to describe

This is the most challenging and depressing blog post to date, and could be one of the toughest I will ever have to do. There are not many words to describe how it feels three days after one of the most frustrating and embarrassing losses these Huskies have ever seen. High expectations, heavy mismatch, overwhelming momentum, a blown lead and much more describe what could have been and what ended up not being. As a longtime UW fan I have gotten used to disappointment, it kind of comes with the territory and is what makes Husky fans who they are (which is very special). But this one seems tougher for a lot more reasons than "we should have beat our rival". What hurts so bad is looking at what this season could have represented. Eight, maybe nine, wins, a decent bowl game, great play from a backup running back, a complete 180 from our defense, hype and momentum going into next year and, finally, something to be proud of. What do we have now? Seven wins, maybe eight, likely against Navy in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, a loss to the G-D Cougars, a fire brewing underneath Coach Sark's seat as head coach, possible recruiting setbacks and a bunch of angry fans. Not exactly what we were hoping for heading into our new digs on Montlake next season.

Apple Cup

The question has been asked quite often this last week, is the Apple Cup as relevant as it used to be? I think that has got to be the dumbest question out there right now, and I feel like I should not even address it. But, alas, I have an obligation to the Husky Loyal Army to talk about the things that are out there. Yes. The answer is yes. The Apple Cup represents the battle between UW vs WSU, the Dawgs vs. the Cougs, good vs. evil, east vs. west, city vs. farm, smart vs. whatever they are. In the past this game has had some meaningful consequences to bowl games, and even more specifically the Rose Bowl, but it has always transcended those consequences. For the longest time the Dawgs would try to hold off their pesky little step brother from the other side of the state in the last game of the season before heading to a great bowl game, and those were the roles. But more than that it was a game that represented a whole season. Both teams go into the Apple Cup 0-0 and are trying to win a one-game playoff championship series.....that's it. Leading up to the game, each side of fans tries to make the other look stupid by bringing up past embarrassments, stereotypes, recent proud successes and most importantly, pointing out who won the last Apple Cup (if your team won, easy enough, if your team lost, you try and discount it as much as possible). That is the fun of the Apple Cup. Each side thinks the other is delusional and often it leads to bar fights and, now, Facebook status squabbles. What a great tradition. Who cares how bad the Cougars are this year and most every other year. They don't know that when they step on the field against their hated rivals who win more than them, it doesn't matter. When a team is playing from a lower position they have nothing to lose, and the Cougars have made a living playing from that viewpoint and it has hurt the Huskies on several occasions....you gotta love it.

Say bye-bye to the CLink

Today will mark the last game at the Clink for the Huskies in this season of transition. CenturyLink has actually been pretty friendly to the Dawgs throughout the season, and has been welcome turf after rough losses on the road. Yes, that game against USC was incredibly frustrating, so was the San Diego State game for that matter, but, UW has beaten two top 10 teams this season at home, and has the chance to go 5-1 at home, which is very good. It's been weird. The band has become somewhat irrelevant, tailgating has been God awful and the fan base has been a little less than loyal. Students needed to take shuttles to the game after getting hammered at their homes first, and alumni have not enjoyed the extra few miles down I-5 for the commute.

With all that said, here we are in a very winnable game, despite what Vegas says, and a chance to be 6-4 (4-3) with two games on the road against the worst teams in the conference. It really depends on how the team finishes and which bowl game they are fortunate to go to in December, but it has been a throwaway type of season. Lots of things to look forward to and a few highlights, but otherwise it has been really frustrating up to this point. Blowout losses, a tough home situation and an infinite amount of injuries. 8 wins is still 8 wins, and I think the fan base will be content at the end of the year, but seeing what kind of squad we'll have for next year is what gets me excited.

Tonight we will have to contain one person, and one person alone. Star Lotulelei. He is a beast in the middle and really clogs up things. The run game has been the surprise of the season, but we are going to have to keep most everything to the outside and have a solid game from Keith Price, which hasn't really happened this year. UW is a much better team overall so I have a lot of confidence going into this game, but the boys need to have their focus, this one is big.

Go Dawgs!!!

The Big Game....(no, not that one)

The Huskies are set to kick off against the Cal Bears in about three and a half hours, and I feel a familiar thought moving from the back of my brain to the frontal cortex as I start typing this latest post. "This game will determine if the program has taken a step" or "UW has not been able to win on the road, does it all change after tonight?" or "the Huskies are better than Cal, can they prove it" or "this is the most important game on the Huskies schedule all year". All of these questions and thoughts are apt to describe how the Husky Loyal Army is feeling going into tonight.

Leave it to the Beavers

Monday morning over the last few years has been reserved to looking back over the weekend and thinking about what could have been. You wake up and think about our beloved Huskies losing another game they could have and should have won, and then get hit below the belt by remembering that the next day, Sunday, the Seahawks would lose another close game. This has been the life of the Seattle sports fan for quite some time. But look at us now. Monday morning you woke up in your Husky pajamas, looked at your UW alarm clock and dried off in your Harry the Husky bath towel thinking, "We just beat a very good Oregon State team that was ranked #7 in the country!!! Who cares if the Hawks lost, they'll be alright because they are pretty darn good football team, too." You then walked over to your sink and picked up your toothbrush that has a UW logo on it, and while brushing came to this realization, "The Huskies are 4-4 after a really tough first 8 games, and things are looking pretty good from here. Might we sneak back into the Alamo Bowl despite losing three weeks in a row? Yes we can! Yes we can!" After eating breakfast you decide it just seems like one of those work days where a traditional tie is not going to do it, so you pull out that tie that is either purple with gold stripes, or the one that has the huge UW logo in the middle of it. Why are you wearing that today? Because we are proud of our team that played so well on Saturday and you want to show the world that you are a Husky fan, a proud Husky fan, and you are LOYAL to these dawgs.

How we beat the Beavs? It's on the fans

Need all the help we can get tomorrow against the Beavers. Oregon State comes into tomorrow's game inexplicably ranked #7 in the latest BCS rankings after starting the season 6-0. Quite possibly the biggest surprise of this college football season, the Beavers have remained unbeaten after hosting Wisconsin and beating BYU on the road in Provo. A win on the road against Arizona has looked good or bad depending on the week, and that's about it for big wins. Outside of those three wins, this team may be the most overrated of any team in the country. In fact, if you measure this team up against any other in the top 10, you would have to wonder why Oregon State is even there to begin with. Yes, going 6-0 is not an easy thing, even with Oregon State's relatively easy early slate. The real test, I think, begins with UW at the CLink tomorrow. Last time the Beavers came into Husky territory it left Husky Stadium with its tail between its legs after failing to convert a two point conversion, unnecessarily, in overtime.

Bear Down? Hopefully Not.

Before the season started Husky fans looked at the Stanford game as the most important game in determining how far this program has come along since the days of Keith Gilbertson and his run-run-pass-punt offense and the disappointing days of Tyrone "Coach Rone" Willingham. Halfway through the season the Huskies are 3-3, and, on paper, just about where people thought they would be. However, if you've watched every game, you know that this team should be better than the record would indicate, and the potential for success has not been achieved in any way conceivable, minus the Stanford game. UW beat Stanford, a win that fans thought at the beginning of the season meant this team is on its way back. But after a bad loss at Oregon and a disappointing performance against USC at "home", we Husky fans are scrambling a little bit.

Coach Sark's Speech Today

What would I say to the Huskies in the locker room if I were Coach Sark today?

"Men, I believe in you. I believe we are the team we want to be. Today is a new day, and we are embarking on a one game season that will begin and end today. Play your hearts out today, and win today's championship game, because there is just one. Now that we got that out of the way, let me tell you what I really think. I think we are better than this team. They are a pack of cheats, and they will always be cheaters. Trust me, I used to be a coach there. If I showed up at a recruits house without a stack of cash, I would've been fired as soon as I got back to campus. They are overrated, they lack depth and they are immoral. Stanford beat them, they have struggled against a couple of weaker teams, and let me tell you what, gentlemen, we are not a weak team. We are the University of Washington, we play with pride wearing the purple and the gold. 1990......Todd Marinovich.... "All I saw was purple..." Just think about that when you take the field today. We are the God Damn Huskies, and we do not get pushed around by these soft, long-haired, prissy, Hollywood pansies of a football team. Fight for tradition. Fight for our fans and for this city. Make them bow down..."

Coach Sark, if you are reading this right now, use this speech. It will mean a victory for the Huskies against USC. Thank you.

Go Dawgs!!!

Speaking of the black out....

I have been tossing this idea back and forth in my head for quite some time about the Huskies, "How do I feel about the boys changing up their uniforms so often?" I have to admit that I am a traditionalist, so I have a really hard time seeing anything other than gold helmets, purple jerseys and gold pants at home, or gold helmet, white jerseys and gold pants on the road. Now, I am not so far out there as to not realize the appeal of changing things up ever so often, but after what we saw last year with the different combos (i.e. the all whites, and the white helmet, and the black pants on the road) I am ready for the "tradition" of Husky football to get back on course. This last Thursday against Stanford was a lot of fun to watch, and the blackout of uniforms and the people in the stands played out very well when all shades of black converged on the field when the clock ticked down to :00. Here is a look at the promotional picture from last week's blackout game....

 

Courtesy: Olugbenro Ogunsemore

I wasn't terrible excited about the look until I saw the crowd show up in similar colors, but I think there would have been a bigger impact, for me, if the Dawgs were wearing their traditionals. Maybe I am crazy, but I would just like to stay as far away from the "Ducks" look as I possibly can.

What do you all think? Let me know by commenting below.