SB Nation - Washington St. Cougars

COUG COMMIT: QB Connor Halliday

Nuss — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:47:29 -0000

It's been a while since we've done one of these Coug Commit features, since that little run of five commitments in three weeks back in late September to early October. But with Ferris H.S. quarterback Connor Halliday taking the Saxons all the way to the Washington state 4A championship game -- which they would lose to powerhouse Skyline -- now seems like a great time to talk about Halliday, since he committed before we started writing these features (back on June 19, according to Scout.com).

Plus, we've now got some great video to pass along, courtesy of Sean Hawkins at WSU Football Blog. We'll get to that later.

First, the measurables. Halliday is 6-foot-5 but just 190 pounds. For reference, that makes him two inches taller than Jeff Tuel, but 17 pounds lighter. (And we thought Tuel needed to redshirt to put on some pounds ...) However, the rest of the package is absolutely as impressive as Tuel's, if not even more so.

Check out the video:

I watched the game live, so I can tell you the things I noticed immediately about Halliday that were confirmed over the course of the contest:

Ferris would not have even sniffed the state championship without Halliday. Period.
Halliday might have thrown about 20 more touchdowns than he did if he was throwing to Kasen Williams as Jake Heaps does.
Heaps is pretty awesome, but Halliday's not far behind. While Heaps is clearly more polished, Halliday can make every throw Heaps makes, and in fact might have the stronger arm.
Halliday's composure is incredible. Remember this scouting report? It was all on full display, as he often progressed through reads and kept his eyes downfield in the face of Skyline's pressure.

What does this mean for WSU? It means we're getting one heck of a quarterback prospect. You can make a strong case that Halliday's probably even more polished than Tuel was before he stepped foot on campus, and that's really saying something, considering Tuel was polished enough to seize the starting job as a true freshman this past year.

Beyond that, I love the fact that he's a guy who not only has tremendous skills, but also the mentality to put his team on his back and carry them to within a game of a championship. Halliday seems like a leader through and through -- the exact kind of guy you want under center. He's not just a toolsy guy who hasn't accomplished anything.

Of course, we can't look at a guy like this without our Cougar angst creeping in, wondering if someone is going to swoop in and take away our golden boy before he has a chance to sign on the dotted line. Fortunately, Halliday seems pretty set, according to this Jim Moore piece for Cougfan.com:

Like Heaps, Halliday was also recruited by Washington but not with the same fervor. ...

"I was pretty much an afterthought," Halliday said. "You should go where you’re wanted. ... WSU showed me a lot of love, and the U Dub disrespected me."

It's strange how it worked out. Halliday used to root for the Huskies because his mom’s a UW alum. "But now I’m a Cougar through and through," he said.

The fact that Washington State has had two down seasons in a row did not affect his decision. He realizes that the Cougars were down in numbers because of poor recruiting in the past.

"I don’t care if you have Urban Meyer as the head coach, you’re not gonna win games," Halliday said. "It’ll be pretty cool once we get that turned around. I want to be a part of that."

And Halliday doesn't lack for confidence that he's going to be a part of that, either. He wants to redshirt next year -- "It’s what I want to do," Halliday told Moore. "Skills-wise I could compete at the Pac-10 level, but I don’t know if my body could hold up" -- so that he's ready to be a great quarterback for the long haul.

I concur with Halliday's assessment of his skills, and will go even one step further -- Halliday will immediately be the second best quarterback at WSU the moment he steps on campus.

The best part, of course, is that now the Cougs appear to be as set up as they can be to have good play at the quarterback position for the next four to five years. That's huge, as many a rebuild project has been short circuited by incompetent quarterback play. (Looking back, how many games do you think we would have won if Alex Brink wasn't leading the offense his last couple of years? It's really important.) While you obviously can't anticipate injuries and other issues, the Cougs have put themselves in the best position they could possibly be in after just two full recruiting classes.

And that's really all you could ask for.

AUDIO: Paul Wulff season-ending press conference, 12-1-09

Nuss — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:59:31 -0000

There have been a handful of stories circulating that wrap up the football season, most of them based on Paul Wulff's season-ending press conference with reporters. Here's the audio for you.

Most interesting to me? Two things:

He is absolutely, undeniably convinced that the team will be vastly improved next year. Given his frank honesty from day one about what our expectations should be, this gives me a lot of hope. I don't get the vibe that he's just saying it in some kind of sales pitch. I think he really believes it.
He refuses to say that there won't be changes on the coaching staff. That leads me to believe that there is/are going to be change(s) -- ones that he doesn't want to talk about in the media until they're handled behind closed doors.

As usual you can listen to the audio via the player below, or visit our podcast page for myriad subscription options. You can also find us in the iTunes directory under keyword "CougCenter." The advantage of subscribing? Besides having the audio directly delivered to your player of choice, I often upload the audio to the podcast site before posting it here.

Pac 10 holes to fill in 2010

John Berkowitz — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:03:21 -0000

More photos » by STEPHEN BRASHEAR - AP

Washington tailback Chris Polk became the first Husky frosh to ever rush over 1000 yards in a single season. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

Browse more photos »

The Pac 10 proved itself in 2009 to be an elite conference with lots of parity for the first time since Pete Carroll's first season at USC. As for 2010 you can usually make a pretty good prediction on what is going to happen next year based on the previous years record, returning starters, and most importantly experience at quarterback.

If you are using that as a guide it is pretty easy to pick the Oregon Ducks as the favorite to win the conference in 2010. Overall the Pac 10 was young in 2009 and that was one reason for all the parity. Washington and Washington State like to point at youth for being a reason they will be better in 2009 but you can say that about any team in the conference next season excluding ASU and Arizona.

At first glance this is an early look at the holes that teams need to plug next season and what the reasonable expectation should be for 2010.

1. Oregon - Offense - 10 - Defense - 9

The Ducks go into 2010 as the favorite to win the conference. On offense they have everyone coming back except for TE Ed Dickson who will be adequately replaced by David Paulson. Defensively they need to replace half of their defensive line which is graduating but they do have the beef in reserve to do that. The defensive backfield will be young but a lot of those players saw considerable action this season.

The big key for Oregon is the return of Jeremiah Masoli at QB and his partner in crime LaMichael James. The Ducks should start next season in the top five nationally and be primed for a national championship run. If you are a duck fan you don't have too much in the immediate future to worry about.

2. Southern Cal - 7 Offense - Defense - 7

The Trojans lose three offensive lineman and their TE so their is some rebuilding to do up front. On defense they need to replace the entire secondary. This was a young USC team with plenty of talent on the roster which will only get better with time. The key to 2010 will be the continued development of QB Matt Barkley and the hope of some playmakers maturing around him on offense.

Pete Carroll has recruited well at USC but he didn't have any actual superstars on the roster in 2010 at key positions like he did in the past. The Trojans need a RB to emerge to compliment what Barkley will bring next season. Expect the improvement at QB to be there as usual. SC needs some serious playmakers if they are going to get past Oregon.

3. Oregon State - Offense - 8 - Defense - 9

On offense the Beavers need to replace Sean Canfield who played himself into a NFL draft pick this past season. The Rodgers brothers are scheduled to return but I could see James leaving early for the NFL. The Beavers lose only one starting offensive lineman. On defense the Beavers lose a LB and one of their CB's so they are in really good shape going into 2010 if Lyle Moevao can get a sixth year to come back and run the Beav offense.

If Moevao can get another season and James Rodgers comes back the Beavers will be very good on offense. If they don't come back I could see this team fall a couple of spots despite having an improved defense. You win with experience at QB in this league. If OSU is breaking in a new QB there will be some growing pains.

4. California - Offense - 9 - Defense - 5

The Bears only lose one offensive lineman and will likely lose RB Jahvid Best who is headed for the NFL early. No big deal because Shane Vereen is just as scary. Other than that the Bears return pretty intact on offense which means trouble for the rest of the Pac 10. On defense the Bears will loose 3/4 of their secondary, half of their LB corps and a DE so there is some rebuilding to be done.

I expect the Bears to do better on offense next season. Kevin Riley has to get better at QB with another year under Tedford. Defensively the Bears are rebuilding and that will ultimately keep them from winning the title. Tedford has recruited well over the years so he has some talent in the depth that is ready to move up to help fill holes on defense.

5. Stanford - Offense - 8 - Defense - 7

The Cardinal lose Heisman hopeful Toby Gerhart who is a huge part of their offense. He will be tough to replace. They also lose one OL and a TE so with the exception of Gerhart they return pretty much intact on offense. On defense they lose the two best players in their secondary in McNally and Sherman. They also lose monster NT Ekom Udofia and LB Will Powers.

Imagine Stanford without Toby Gerhart in 2009. How competitive would this team have been? Gerhart is a generational talent who the Cards won't be able to replace. Harbaugh continues to bring in solid recruiting classes so the Tree will be an improved team. The questions are will Andrew Luck be able to pick up enough of the slack in 2010 for the Stanford offense to be a factor? Can Stanford find an adequate replacement for Gerhart?

6. Washington Offense - 9 - Defense - 7

The Huskies lose Ossai and Homer from the offense. On defense they lose Butler and Savannah at LB plus Jones and Teo Nesheim on the DL. Jones was more of a spot starter because of injuries and the same can be said of Savannah who will petition for a 6th year.

The Huskies have some good returning at the offensive skill positions but they are in year one of rebuilding the offensive line because Sark couldn't find any to sign in year one. It will take at least two years of development until this highly rated OL class is ready to contribute. The only big question on offense is if Jake Locker will return. If he does UW should go to a bowl in 2010. If he doesn't it will set the program back a year or two.

Defensively Washington played a lot of young players in 2010. They also have a lot of talent coming in with the next class which should alleviate depth concerns. Washington will be improved on defense next season even though the losses of Teo Nesheim and Butler will be felt.

If Jake Locker doesn't come back the Huskies would fall to eighth in my early predictions. Not much of a fall but the difference between making or not making a bowl game in 2010 unless a miracle happens at QB.

7. Arizona - 5 Offense - Defense - 4

The Wildcats lose WR Terrell Turner, FB Chris Gronksowski, and most of their offensive line. On defense they lose half the defensive line and all three of their starting LB's. They also lose two starters in the secondary.

Thank god for Nick Foles and Nic Grigsby because this team is going to need them next year. Arizona and ASU are really the only team in the conference doing a major rebuild from an attrition standpoint next season. If TE Rob Gronkowski returns it will be another big plus.

8. UCLA - 8 Offense - Defense - 7

The Bruins lose FB Chane Moline, WR Terrance Austin, and TE Logan Paulsen on offense. Defensively they lose the Bosworth twins and Reggie Carter at the LB spots. Alteraun Verner is always leaving at CB. You can count on Rick Neuheisel to continue bringing in new talent from the recruiting trail. There are some losses on defense but the Bruins have the talent to fill the holes coming back or coming in. T

The big questions are on offense. Can the Bruins develop an adequate starting QB to go along with an adequate running game in 2010. It all starts on the offensive line. Has Rick built up enough talent and depth here to make a difference on the OL in 2010?

9. Arizona State - 2 Offense - Defense - 5

The Sun Devils are in trouble unless Dennis Erickson can plug some major holes immediately. On offense they lose three starting linemen along with the TE, WR's, RB, HB, and QB. As bad as they were on offense maybe starting over is a better idea.

On defense they lose DE Dexter Davis, LB Travis Goethel, LB Mike Nixon, and 3/4's of the secondary. The defense was the only spark the Devils had last year so this is a major area of concern.

Erickson starts 2010 on the hot seat for the first time as a college coach. He really needs to hit the JV trail this off season to have a chance to get this team near .500 in 2010. I don't think he can get it done in the time he probably has left. Breaking in a new QB won't help matters.

10. Washington State - 8 - Offense - Defense 9

On offense the Cougars lose QB Kevin Lopina, RB Dwight Tardy, C Kenny Alfred, and TE Tony Thompson. On defense they lose LB Andy Mattingly and Safety Xavier Hicks.

The good news is that everyone who matters is coming back. The bad news is that really nobody on this roster matters at this point. WSU needs a massive influx of talent to climb out the basement. Wulff needs to put together a remarkable recruiting class this off season or he isn't going to make it out of Pullman alive next season.

Pac-10 Weekly Wrap - Washington stays on top

Nuss — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 06:47:53 -0000

Welcome to the latest edition of the 2009-2010 Pac-10 Weekly Wrap, which looks at the state of the conference's hoops featuring my personal power rankings and analysis of the state of each team. It's a day late (we'll usually do it on Monday), but hopefully worth the wait.

The last week was better for the conference than the first couple, but not by a whole lot. On to the rankings and recaps. Guess who's climbing the charts?

1. Washington

Rank last week: 1
Record: 5-0

Nine days between games made for a rusty Washington team against Montana, their only game of the week. The Huskies escaped the Griz with a four-point win after trailing much of the game. I wouldn't read too much into this game, as Montana is a pretty decent Big Sky team with some nice talent.

Bright spot: The Huskies absolutely shut down Montana's best player, Anthony Johnson. He's a Pac-10 talent, and that should be as encouraging as anything. They nearly let the other guys beat them but that can be tightened up. This team still has the potential to be very good defensively.

Question mark: Who is going to lead this team? Quincy Pondexter looked superb through the first four games, but disappeared against Montana's zone. If he wants to be the man, he's got to assert himself in all situations. That's something they've got to sort out before Pac-10 play.

2. California

Rank last week: 2
Record: 4-2

I guess there's really no reason to move them down, given the results: a pair of blowout wins over terrible competition. But I did consider moving them down because Harper Kamp is likely to miss the rest of this season, and Theo Robertson is still on the shelf. This week will tell us a lot -- they really ought to handle New Mexico, Iowa State and Pacific pretty easily if they're as good as everyone wants to think they should be. We'll see.

Bright spot: Despite the loss of Kamp and with a woefully thin front line, the Bears have been one of the best defensive rebounding teams in the country. Hard to believe that didn't make more of a difference against Syracuse and Ohio State. One has to think it'll start making a difference soon.

Question mark: What in the world is their front line rotation going to look like the rest of this season without Kamp? That'll be a huge issue.

3. Arizona State

Rank last week: 3
Record: 6-1

Close loss to Duke combined with two decisive wins -- over a depleted LSU and Arkansas Pine Bluff -- all away from home solidify the Sun Devils as the third best team. However, I'm not sold they can stay here. They were eventually overwhelmed by the Blue Devils' talent, and their win over the Tigers had as much to do with LSU running out of gas as anything else.

Bright spot: The Sun Devils are proving that there still is some talent left in the wake of the departures of James Harden and Jeff Pendergraph. Derek Glasser has been especially impressive -- not bad for a guy who was originally supposed to be a walk-on at USC.

Question mark: Just because there's still talent doesn't mean everyone has been replaced. The Devils have been one of the worst defensive rebounding teams in the country so far, even giving up 44.5(!) percent offensive rebounding to Arkansas Pine Bluff. Yeow.

4. Washington State

Rank last week: 5
Record: 6-0

How far can Klay Thompson carry the Cougs? That will likely be the question going forward. The Cougs face their toughest stretch of the early season, including trips to The Kennel and Manhattan, Kan.. This will either be a big boost to the team, or put them in a postseason hole they'll spend all season digging out of.

Bright spot: Did you know that Reggie Moore has a 133 offensive rating? That's really, really good. He is just simply not playing like a freshman.

Question mark: What's going to happen on a night when the other team takes Klay away? Who will score? There are options, but nothing proven. We might find out tomorrow night.

5. Arizona

Preseason rank: 4
Record: 3-2

Wisconsin and Vandy are both good teams the Wildcats lost to last week, but they needed overtime to beat Colorado. Could have been a really bad trip to Maui without the win over the Buffs. When we say the Cougs will go as far as Klay Thompson can take them, we could say the same about Nic Wise and the Wildcasts.

Bright spot: Wise looks as if he desires to be the man for UofA. Good thing, because it's a young team that needs a strong leader.

Question mark: The Wildcats gave up an absurd amount of free throws in Maui. Aberration, or sign of things to come?

6. Oregon

Preseason rank: 7
Record: 4-2

Think this is too high after losing back-to-back games against Portland and Montana? That loss to the Pilots doesn't look nearly as bad anymore, and the loss to Montana might not either after the Griz nearly beat Washington, too. Obliterating Montana State was good.

Bright spot: Michael Dunigan is back. The Ducks really need him, and are going to continue to need him. He provides an advantage up front in a a conference more or less devoid of big men.

Question mark: The Ducks play three games in two weeks. Can they stay sharp, especially with upcoming games against quality opponents such as Missouri and St. Mary's on the docket. For the second year in a row, it looks like the Ducks might be a victim of scheduling too aggressively.

7. Stanford

Preseason rank: 8
Record: 4-3

Beat Virginia -- we don't have to tell you how far that goes in these parts -- and take Kentucky to overtime? Perhaps we underestimated Johnny Dawkins and his merry band of scholars.

Bright spot: The Cardinal have the same thing going for them that the Cougs do -- a great scorer who can explode on any given night. Landry Fields is averaging 23 points and 9 rebounds. That's good.

Question mark: We're still not sure we actually believe the Cardinal are for real. Can their nonexistent front line really be that small of a factor.

8. Oregon State

Rank last week: 10
Record: 2-3

After the public flogging we gave the Beavers last week, they came up with a nice win over George Washington. Nice job for OSU.

Bright spot: They survived yet another horrible offensive performance to beat GW. This is going to be a constant struggle for the Beavers all year long.

Question mark: Three of the Beavers' five games have been played at 68 possessions or more. What the heck? That's way, way too fast for that team. Perhaps some of their problems come from that.

9. USC

Preseason rank: 9
Record: 2-2

Beat Coppin State, lose to Nebraska. Not a lot to learn here again.

Bright spot: The Trojans are still shooting the ball well -- 28th nationally in 3-point percentage.

Question mark: For as well as they're shooting the ball, they're dead in opponent 3-point field goal percentage.

10. UCLA

Preseason rank: 6
Record: 2-4

What the heck is going on in Westwood? Can't win a game in your own tournament? Your starting center is transferring? Wowzer. If Ben Howland squeezes a berth out of these guys, it'll be considered his greatest coaching acheivement.

Bright spot: They beat Princeton. Yay!

Question mark: Too many to count. Way too many.

Week Thirteen BlogPoll Ballot Draft

T Kyle King — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:00:16 -0000

When compiling this week’s BlogPoll ballot, I paid no attention to last week’s top 25 (ergo, you should ignore the arrows) and I did not consult any other person’s or organization’s rankings, so the fault for what follows is mine and mine alone. I began by cobbling together a list of all BCS conference teams with records of 9-3 or better and all mid-major teams with records of 10-2 or better. This list came to twenty teams, so I went back and added in the six BCS conference clubs with 8-3 records. In so doing, I overlooked nine BCS conference teams and independents with 8-4 records, as well as five mid-majors with 9-3 records. I remain open to arguments in favor of any of these teams, but the first draft of my ballot reads as follows:

Rank	Team	Delta

1	Alabama
2	Florida
3	Texas
4	Cincinnati
5	Boise State	1
6	TCU	1
7	Oregon	2
8	Ohio State	2
9	Iowa	2
10	Georgia Tech	3
11	Virginia Tech	1
12	Pittsburgh	4
13	LSU	7
14	Miami (Florida)	1
15	Southern Cal	6
16	Oregon State
17	Penn State	4
18	Houston	4
19	Oklahoma State	4
20	West Virginia
21	California	2
22	Nebraska
23	Brigham Young
24	Wisconsin
25	Central Michigan
Last week's ballot

Dropped Out: Clemson (#14), Mississippi (#17), North Carolina (#18), Stanford (#24), Temple (#25).

The Alabama Crimson Tide (12-0) have beaten eight Division I-A teams with winning records, including the 11th-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies (9-3), the 13th-ranked LSU Tigers (9-3), and the Mississippi Rebels (8-4), yet the Tide’s only close calls have come in heated rivalry showdowns with the Tennessee Volunteers and the Auburn Tigers, both of which are 7-5.

The Florida Gators (12-0) have beaten seven Division I-A teams with winning records, but the Sunshine State Saurians’ best victory was over Louisiana State, which is the second-best victim ‘Bama has bested. The Texas Longhorns (12-0) have taken down only five opponents who are above .500 and their best win was over the 19th-ranked Oklahoma St. Cowboys (9-3). As we shall see, the Pokes’ credentials are somewhat suspect, so the ‘Horns are a decidedly shaky No. 3 in my view.

I awarded the No. 4 spot on my ballot to the Cincinnati Bearcats (11-0) due to the fact that Brian Kelly’s club has bested the 16th-ranked Oregon St. Beavers (8-3), the 20th-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers (8-3), and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (8-3). All told, six of Cincy’s Division I-A triumphs have come against teams with winning ledgers.

The Boise St. Broncos narrowly edged out the TCU Horned Frogs for the No. 5 ranking, but it was a close call because the two teams’ resumes are so similar. The two mid-major mammoths arrived at 12-0 by virtually identical routes, as both clubs have beaten one Division I-AA opponent at home (UC-Davis for Boise State and Texas State for Texas Christian), one 6-6 squad on the road (Hawaii for the Broncos and Wyoming for the Frogs), five teams with winning records, and five teams with losing records. Each has beaten a 1-11 team at home (BSU defeated Miami (Ohio) and TCU defeated New Mexico) and each has taken advantage of four opponents with four or fewer wins.

The Horned Frogs’ second- and third-best wins (over the Utah Utes and the Clemson Tigers) were superior to the Broncos’ second- and third-best wins (over the Nevada Wolf Pack and the Fresno St. Bulldogs), but Boise State’s triumph over the seventh-ranked Oregon Ducks (9-2) carries considerably more weight than Texas Christian’s victory over the 23rd-ranked BYU Cougars (10-2), so the Broncos sneaked by the Frogs . . . barely.

(I would add at this point that Texas and Texas Christian have beaten the same number of Division I-A teams with records above .500 and that the Longhorns’ triumvirate of wins over Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, and Missouri clubs with a combined 25-11 record is comparable in quality to the Horned Frogs’ trio of triumphs over BYU, Utah, and Clemson outfits with a cumulative 27-9 ledger. Texas and TCU share only one opponent in common; the ‘Horns traveled to Laramie and beat the Wyoming Cowboys 41-10, whereas the Frogs traveled to Laramie and beat the Wyoming Cowboys 45-10. Texas allowed 13 points in a narrow win over the Oklahoma Sooners at a neutral site game played in Dallas, while Texas Christian went on the road and throttled a Brigham Young team that allowed 13 points in a narrow win over the Oklahoma Sooners at a neutral site game played in Arlington. There is a compelling case to be made for the proposition that the Longhorns are not the top team in the Lone Star State, or, at least, are not noticeably distinguishable from the other contender for that title.)

Oregon laid claim to the No. 7 ranking ahead of the Ohio St. Buckeyes (10-2) in spite of the fact that the Big Ten champions have the better collection of victories over winning teams: Ohio State beat Iowa, Penn State, Wisconsin, and Navy, while the Ducks defeated Southern California, California, Utah, and Arizona. The Buckeyes were dragged down by the fact that they lost to two teams, including the Purdue Boilermakers (5-7), that both were beaten by Oregon.

The Iowa Hawkeyes (10-2) landed one notch behind an Ohio State team to which they lost a close contest on the road. Iowa ended up ahead of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (10-2) not on the basis of wins, but of losses. In the victory column, the Hawkeyes and the Engineers are comparable. Both have ten wins; both claimed four of those victories by a touchdown or less; both beat one Division I-AA team and three Division I-A teams with winning records. On the whole, the Ramblin’ Wreck’s top three triumphs (over Virginia Tech, Clemson, and North Carolina) arguably are better than Iowa’s (over Penn State, Wisconsin, and Arizona), but the Hawkeyes lost a couple of close ones to an 8-4 team at home and a 10-2 team on the road. The Golden Tornado lost a close one to a 7-5 team at home and a thumping to a 9-3 team on the road.

Wins over No. 14 Miami (Florida) and No. 22 Nebraska enabled the Gobblers to overcome three very respectable losses and claim the No. 11 ranking for VPI, while the Pittsburgh Panthers (9-2) staked an admittedly shaky claim to the No. 12 spot with victories over Rutgers, Navy, and South Florida. Both of Pitt’s losses came in close contests on the road, but the Panthers’ early-season setback to the N.C. State Wolfpack (5-7) gives me pause and I very well might be persuaded to drop Dave Wannstedt’s club.

The Bayou Bengals’ three best wins were over a trio of 7-5 teams (Georgia, Arkansas, and Auburn), but their losses to Alabama, Florida, and Ole Miss are forgivable, so Louisiana State sneaked ahead of the Miami Hurricanes (9-3). A convincing win over Georgia Tech, a recent triumph over the South Florida Bulls (7-4), a previous victory over Oklahoma that acquired new luster in the Bedlam Battle, and a trio of losses to teams with at least eight wins apiece vaulted the ‘Canes ahead of the USC Trojans (8-3), who are hanging onto narrow victories against Ohio State and Oregon State while otherwise relying upon name recognition to make us forget about a stumble against the Washington Huskies (4-7) and blowout losses to Oregon and Stanford.

The Beavers ended up behind the Men of Troy thanks to the head-to-head result of the two teams’ Pac-10 meeting in Los Angeles, but wins over Cal and Stanford continue to keep Oregon State in contention. Despite boasting a 10-2 record, the Penn St. Nittany Lions deserved no better than a No. 17 ranking because Joe Paterno’s club has beaten the Northwestern Wildcats, the Temple Owls, and no other Division I-A teams above .500 while being beaten soundly by both Ohio State and Iowa.

I know lots of folks don’t think the Houston Cougars deserve to be ranked, but the Cougs are a refugee from a traditional Southern power conference and a division champion who got to 10-2 by beating a Division I-AA opponent, skating by four Division I-A foes by seven or fewer points, beating the Mississippi St. Bulldogs (5-7) in Starkville, and taking advantage of five teams with losing records. Houston sounds to me a lot like Georgia Tech, but, whereas an ACC division champion would finish fourth in the SEC East, a Conference USA division champion would finish in the top half of the Big 12 South, at least judging by the Cougars’ wins over Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. Those key non-league wins allowed Houston to overcome the problem of having lost on the road to the UTEP Miners (4-8).

For obvious reasons, the Cowboys remained one spot behind the Cougars, but a better set of losses (to Texas, Houston, and Oklahoma) allowed the Pokes to stay ahead of a West Virginia unit that fell to Cincinnati, South Florida, and Auburn before boosting its resume by beating Pittsburgh in the Backyard Brawl.

The California Golden Bears (8-3) suffered their three setbacks to teams with eight or more victories each, but none of those losses came in close contests and Cal’s wins over the Stanford Cardinal (8-4) and the Arizona Wildcats (7-4) are the only bright spots in a resume weighed down by the presence of triumphs over Division I-AA Eastern Washington, the Washington St. Cougars (1-11), the Maryland Terrapins (2-10), and the Arizona St. Sun Devils (4-8), the latter of whom the Berkeley Bears barely beat.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-3) won the Big 12 North after tackling a non-conference slate straight out of the Sun Belt. The Big Red Machine beat Arkansas State, Florida Atlantic, and Louisiana-Lafayette but defeated only one team all year with a ledger better than 7-5. The ‘Huskers came up short against the Iowa St. Cyclones (6-6) in an offensively moribund contest, so Nebraska clings to a No. 22 ranking while patiently awaiting its loss to Texas.

Brigham Young does not deserve to be ranked, but I had trouble finding another team to rank 23rd, so the spot went to a Cougar club that lost lopsided affairs to Texas Christian and the Florida St. Seminoles (6-6). Narrow wins over Utah and Oklahoma are about all BYU has to its credit, but those victories are better than the Wisconsin Badgers’ triumphs over Fresno State and Northern Illinois. Those are the only two teams over .500 to have fallen to Wiscy in the course of the Badgers’ 8-3 autumn.

The Central Michigan Chippewas (10-2) slipped into the No. 25 spot ahead of Rutgers because the State University of New Jersey beat a pair of Division I-AA teams and the Chips at least sneaked by the Michigan St. Spartans (6-6) on the road. Also, unlike the Scarlet Knights, they didn’t lose to the gender-neutral Syracuse Orange (4-8).

You should by all means feel free to offer constructive criticisms, heartfelt feedback, and thoughtful arguments for the inclusion or exclusion of particular teams. For what it’s worth, I watched the Ball State-Western Michigan game on Tuesday and the first half of the Texas-Texas A&M game on Thursday before devoting my Friday to flipping back and forth among and between the Cincinnati-Illinois, Alabama-Auburn, Colorado-Nebraska, Pitt-West Virginia, and Boise State-Nevada games. My Saturday was spent bouncing around between the Clemson-South Carolina, Mississippi-Mississippi State, Florida-Florida State, and Miami-South Florida games before I settled in for the Georgia-Georgia Tech game.

Go ‘Dawgs!

Klay goes for 43 as Cougs win Great Alaska Shootout

Grady. — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 21:11:34 -0000

NCAA Basketball Stats

ESPN.com Recap

UPDATE: I thought I'd throw in a couple of thoughts now that I've had time to actually see the game (Thanks to FSN for a replay this afternoon).

A lot of you might be wondering how Klay did it. Simply, he shot the lights out. He made shots when he was open, and he made shots when he wasn't so open. San Diego's defense was faulty at times, leaving Klay wide open on a couple of occasions. That was an especially egregious offense late in the second half, when everyone in the arena knew who the hottest man on the floor was. Nevertheless, this performance had more to do with Klay playing a spectacular game than the Toreros playing poor defense. Remember, San Diego is a team that prides itself on solid defense, and has had some tough battles with Gonzaga since Bill Grier left the Zags to become their head coach.

Most of Klay's damage was done on jump shots. 24 of the points came from threes, but Klay also displayed a turnaround jumper inside the arc that is virtually indefensible. He didn't have to be overly aggressive getting to the rim; he was shooting so well that he just didn't have to do it. Or get to the foul line for that matter, where he only had three points.

Klay's 43 sets the record for a single game in the Great Alaska Shootout, of which he was named the MOP. It was also the Cougars' first tournament win as a team in the G.A.S.

One of the things the Cougars had trouble with, at least in the first two games of the shootout, was burying their opponents with a prolonged scoring run. Tonight, it wasn't an issue, and I believe it had a lot to do with the Cougars locking the game down on defense. With 17:12 left, this was a close game, with WSU leading 43-41. By the time the clock hit 2:24, the Cougars went on, if you can believe it, a 43-10 run to blow the game wide open. A lot of it had to do with tough interior defense. Almost nothing underneath the basket was getting by DeAngelo Casto, Abe Lodwick and the Cougars' taller guards. The Toreros had some open perimeter shots, but they were few and far between, and when they did they couldn't capitalize.

And, of course, the Cougars had Klay Thompson.

Player of the Game: Klay. Thompson. 43 points on 16/24 shooting (8/13 3pt, 3/4 FTs), 5 boards, 4 assists, 2 steals.

Unsung Hero: Reggie Moore. The only other Coug in double figures had 16 points on 5 of 6 shooting. He also contributed 5 assists, 2 boards and 6 steals.

Play of the Game: Klay came off a screen to bury a three with 2:58 to play, giving him the single-game scoring record in the Great Alaska Shootout. It also put the Cougars up 84-51.

It was over when... With 7:40 left, Reggie Moore poked the ball free from San Diego's De'Jon Jackson and into the arms of Xavier Thames. Thames returned the favor by firing an outlet pass to the streaking Moore, who took it the distance for a dunk. The Cougs led 72-49 and erased any USD hopes for a comeback.

Stat of the Game: The Cougs' offensive efficiency rating of 137.6 is the highest its been in a single game since kenpom.com started cataloging the stat in 2003. Oh, and San Diego is only the 58th best team in the nation for defensive efficiency this season.

102nd Apple Cup: Washington 30, Washington State 0

Grady. — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 20:41:08 -0000

This game also happened yesterday.

Cougars vs Huskies Recap

Player of the Game: Reid Forrest. Our over-utilized punter had 7 boots for 277 yards, a long of 50 and 3 kicks downed inside the 20.

Unsung Hero: Xavier Hicks. Picked off Golden Boy Jake Locker and returned it 13 yards.

It was over when... Washington RB Chris Polk dove into the end zone to make it 20-0 with 6:11 to go in the third.

Play of the Game: Well, we didn't score, so... the Hicks INT.

Stat of the Game: The Cougars were unable to get any closer to the end zone than the Huskies' 33 yard line.

Grading the Game

John Berkowitz — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 16:09:31 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

12 days ago: Washington's Chris Polk, left, runs as Washington State's Alex Hoffman-Ellis gives chase in the second half of an NCAA football game Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009, in Seattle. Polk led all rushers with 130 yards. Washington won the annual Apple Cup, 30-0. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Browse more photos »

Enter this one into the record books as a big win for Washington. Sure the Cougars are terrible but any win is big for a team that didn't have one last season.

Quarterback

This was the first time all season we saw the real Jake. You know the Jake Locker who can win a game with his feet as well as his arm. I have seen him run better and I have seen him pass better in the past. That being said the return to health that has harnessed him since the Oregon game was good to see.

Grade A minus

Running backs

Another solid perfomance by Chris Polk who becomes the first Husky freshman to run over 1000 yards in a season. No asterisk on this one since he got it done in eleven games. Paul Homer made his first appearance as an offensive threat since the ND game. One wonders why Sark hasn't used that weapon until now.

Grade A minus

Receivers

Too many dropped balls stalled the offense in the first half of this one. As a unit this may have been one of their more questionable games since mental errors dominated just about everyone's performance.

Grade C plus

Offensive Line

The WSU defense gave these guys way too much trouble in the first half. Washington eventually wore down the Coug D who were on the field way too much. this group needs a better perfomance next week if Washington is going to give Cal much of a game.

Grade C plus

Defensive Line

The return of Cameron Elisara elevates this group a couple of notches. Darion Jones played most of the way and like Paul Homer who I mentioned above you have to wonder why UW didn't use him more this season. It was a great game by this unit overall but you have to facor in they were playing the worst offensive team in the BCS.

Grade A

Linebackers

As usual the play of this unit was solid and it was good to see Trenton Tuiasosopo get some meaninful playing time again. cort Dennison continues to play strong in the absence of EJ Savannah. Mason Foster and Donald butler were all over the place.

Grade A

Secondary

Jason Wells played a great game and the entire secondary was seldom challenged during the game. The young corners seems to be getting more comfortable out on the wings or was that just the competition they were playing against?

Grade A

Special Teams

Erik Folk was 3 for 3 and Nate Fellner once again served notice that he will be a force over the next three years. He had the hit of the day on a KO return that knocked a Cougar out of the game.

Grade A

Coaching

Sark finally let Jake run and we are all happy for that. Despite that the offense is still a work in progress still looking to click on all cylinders in a single game. Give Sark credit for getting his team fired up for this one and Nick Holt for guiding his defense to its first shut out as the Husky DC.

This game highlights how much work still needs to be done for next season to keep this team growing but you come away with the feeling that this staff will get it done.

Grade A

Poll

Who was the Apple Cup MVP?

How about those Apples...UW crushes WSU 30-0

John Berkowitz — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:46:15 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

12 days ago: Washington coach Steve Sarkisian, right, holds up the Apple Cup trophy as Gov. Chris Gregoire, center, and school president Mark Emmert look on after the team beat Washington State in an NCAA football game Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009, in Seattle. Washington won the annual Apple Cup, 30-0. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

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Washington's defense pitched the first shutout in the Apple Cup since 1968 as the Huskies stomped the Cougars 30-0 which stopped a two game losing streak in the series.

Despite the win and the goose egg this won't go down as a pretty one for the Huskies. The same type of problems that have plauged them most of the season on offense persisted throughout the game. Dropped balls, inaccurate throws, and some funky routes by the receivers helped keep Washington in check more than the Cougars did in the first half. Washington only led 13-0 at the half due to two first half drives ended in Erik Folk FG's.

Jake was 16 of 28 for 196 yards and one TD yesterday but the offense really never started moving till he jump started it with his feet. Locker rushed for 94 yards on 10 carries which helped ignite the Husky running game which picked up a total of 265 yards.

Chris Polk became the first Husky frosh to rush for over 1000 yards in a season. Chris picked up 130 yards and one TD on 25 carries. Demetrius Bronson had three for 33 but a late fumble wiped out another TD opportunity deep in Cougar territory as the game was winding down. Curtis Shaw even got in the act with a couple of late carries for ten yards.

The stars of the game from the Husky perspective were the defense which held the Cougars to only 163 total yards. The Cougars went through all three QB's on Saturday and all were knocked out of the game by viscous Husky hits from time to time. WSU QB's were a combined 14 for 32 for only 116 yards. The Husky defense sacked the Cougars five times and picked up two turnovers. The Cougs never got a running game going and were limited to only 47 yards on the ground. In 12 offensive possessions the Cougars never got inside the Huskies' 33-yard line.

"It's always a goal to take quarterbacks out of the game,'' said defensive tackle Cameron Elisara. "And we had two out today and we were putting hits on them. It felt great to be able to put a hit on someone. And it really hurts a team to put their leader out.''

The Huskies move to 4-7 overall and 3-5 in Pac-10 play. They finish the season next week against California at home in Husky Stadium.

OPEN GAME THREAD: Washington State vs. Nicholls State

Grady. — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 01:20:12 -0000

WSU

Moore
Capers
Thompson
Lodwick
Casto

NSU

Bose
Carter
Iles
Hunter
Ward

Nicholls State is from Thibadoux, Louisiana. They are the Colonels, but unlike Sanders do not fry up delicious, crispy fried chicken. They are 0-6, having just lost to Alaska-Anchorage, and having played poorly throughout most of their other games. Yet Vegas only has the Cougs on the board as 14 point favorites, so hold your horses if you're expecting total domination.

Player to watch out for: Anatoly Bose. The 6'6", 200 lb. guard/forward out of Australia is a matchup problem for the Cougars and Nicholls State's leader in points and minutes. If the Cougars are upset tonight, expect him to play a big role.

X-Factor: DeAngelo Casto. Can the Cougar big man shake off a couple bad rebounding games and secure the defensive boards? Can he score enough to take the pressure off Klay Thompson and Reggie Moore? We'll find out.

The Cougars win if... They dominate FT rate against a less athletic squad, and keep the rebounding battle at least even. If they can't do that, they'll need another hot shooting night by Klay to advance to the finals.