What Sark looked like the last time this game was relevant.

It will be nice to watch an Apple Cup that is actually worth a damn for the first time in quite a few years.

In this years installment of the Apple Cup, both teams come in with some momentum. In the case of the Cougs, they have become bowl eligible for the first time in what seems a very long time from the successful squads of the early 2000′s. For the Dawgs, this is a chance to get over the 7-win hump (albeit by one game) and continue to show progress for the program that Sark has built.

All too often this game has meant literally nothing for either one or both teams involved. If anything, it has become a battle for who won’t be living in the cellar at the end of the season.

The tradition from the game has been sapped a little just due to the fact the game is being played on the day after Thanksgiving, and at noon to boot. However, if it wasn’t for the TV money that is helping schools like Washington State hire Mike Leach and allowing the assistants at Washington to be some of the highest paid in the land, you have to give and take some things.

For Washington State, getting to 7 wins should assure them a bowl birth. While bowl eligble now, 6 wins doesn’t guarantee a bowl game, it just guarantees that they could be selected for one. If I was in their shoes, this is a must-win game to get to that point. Getting to 6 wins and not getting picked would be heartbreaking.

For Washington, the “Fire Sark” crowd grows with each loss in the column that piles up. Despite getting to bowl eligibiity, many Washington fans are expecting more from the program and seeing progress that goes beyond qualifiying for the Humanitarian Bowl. Unfair or not, this is an expectation that he can put to rest with a victory over the Cougars at home to get to eight wins.

I will be in enemy territory this Thanksgiving, unable to make it back from the east side of the state to be able to attend the game. I will be sitting in a probably lopsided pro-Coug bar with my Washington flag flying. It will be nice for the majority of the crowd to have a little bit more on the line than getting to anything less than six wins. It will also be nice for the Dawgs to get a victory over a team with some more momentum going for it than Oregon State.

It’s that week kids, get your colors out. Warm up the Apple Cup jokes and get ready for a game that both teams are going to be revved up to win.

I love college football.

Now before you get all hot and bothered by the title of this article, keep in mind that I want nothing more than a Bowl appearance by the Cougs.  But the more my hopes are lifted, the harder and further they can fall.  Some might call me a negative Nancy, or “not a real Coug fan.”  I like to consider myself cautiously optimistic…with a side of skepticism.

The WSU Cougars are sitting on a 3-1 record after a pair of romps against Southern Utah and Idaho.  Their defense is 13^th in the nation for points against and their air-raid offense certainly looks like it’s coming together. But in all honesty, I would expect these stats to be as such after two cupcakes.

The Cougs now face a Pac-12 schedule that has never looked more challenging.  Against other FBS schools, the Pac-12 has a blistering 21-3 non-conference record through week 4.  This week, WSU will face a very well-rounded Stanford team that averages 200+ yards on the ground.  Against Auburn and USC, the Cougs gave up a combined 434 yards rushing…let’s just say defending the run is not a forte of this Cougar D.

A few weeks down the road, Mike Leach’s squad travels to Autzen Stadium…enough said.

Essentially, what I’m saying to Cougar fans everywhere is “don’t get your hopes up just yet.” Remember 2006?  The Cougs were ranked #23 and had a 6-3 record going into Dad’s weekend against a mediocre Arizona team.  After a loss there, and two more losses including the Apple Cup, the Cougs were left out of a bowl bid.

Here are three reasons why the Cougars may NOT make it to a bowl game this year:

1.   An Inconsistent Offense

Look – any Pac-12 team can hang 40+ on Southern Utah and Idaho. I’m not impressed by those.  I am worried, however, about Halliday’s performance in the other two games.  The Cougs failed to score an offensive TD against USC.  Also, in the games against Auburn and USC, Halliday threw FIVE interceptions.  Those are Eli Manning-type stats.  Not good.  All defenses have to do is stop WSU’s passing game.  At 63 yards per game, the Cougs are dead LAST in rushing among FBS schools.

2.   A Ground-And-Pound Pac-12 Schedule

Of the remaining Cougar opponents, five teams average more than 200+ yards rushing per game.  Against “formidable opponents,” the Cougs give up 200+ yards rushing per game.  You can see where I’m going with this.  Don’t get me wrong, I think Deone Bucannon is a beast when it comes to stuffing folks for short yardage or less.  He’ll be on highlight reels for his hit against Auburn’s Corey Grant, among others.  But there aren’t 11 Bucannons out there.  And if there were, the Cougs would probably lead the NCAA in penalty yardage…

3.   My Faith in Mike Leach and the Cougs

Now before all the true Coug fans get their panties in a bunch, let me elaborate.  Last year, the Cougs were 2-1 after a couple sleepers, much like this year.  Then, they lost to a bad Colorado team by giving up 21 points in the 4^th quarter…AT HOME.  I know WSU has come a long way since then (to be as cliché as I can).  They gave a spirited effort in an Apple Cup win against a bowl-bound UW, and they just won a defensive battle against USC in the Coliseum.  And while those two wins are steps in the right direction, I’m still not convinced Leach can shake the “Coug It” legacy that still lingers in the basement of some grungy frat house on NE Colorado Street (Phi Delt reference).  Am I hopeful?  Absolutely.  But every Cougar fan knows in their brain (not their heart), nothing is a given.

Let’s face it; the Cougs have a good chance to make it to a bowl game this year.  But I’m not going to be the one scheduling my flight to the Fight Hunger Bowl quite yet.  I am the one, however, to fully accept multiple helpings of crow if the Cougs DO find their way to the post season…  And boy, will it be tasty.