Yes, you’ve waited all year. As well you should have, cuz wait to you see what Brinkhater and his army of correspondents have cooked up for you………
In the coming weeks, you will read similar season outlooks from the rest of the gang. In the meantime, here are Brinkhater’s pre-season predictions for Cougar Nation as well as for the Pac-10 as a whole.
Let’s start with the Cougs!
As both Cougar and Non-Cougar affectionados SHOULD know, whenever a Cougar team returns a third-year starting QB, the results have been sterling. Since the days of Rosey, no Cougar team has won fewer than NINE GAMES when returning a quarterback entering his third campaign as a starter.
On top of that 16 year history of DOMINANCE with experience behind center, we have a bonafide 1st team All-American at wide-out, a tight end with four years of big game experience, a game changing slotback, a RB with more breakout speed than Harrison could dream of on his best day, a set of additional burners for wide-outs, plus a solid D-Line, a fast and capable group of LBs, and despite concerns, a secondary that has real potential to make good things happen all year (especially with an effective and diverse blitz package).
And, on top of THAT, we have a coaching staff who, despite recent woes, has shown the type of scheme that will allow THIS TEAM to play with the big boys—even on their home field (see the Auburn game as Exhibit A-Z which will be close and a HEARTBREAKER!).
In as many words, there is a REAL REASON to believe that this team WILL CONTEND for the Pacific 10 Conference Championship this year!
Yet, despite such optimism, there are also the CCCCCCCCCOOOLLLD hard facts that can not be denied where this group is concerned. First, despite his experience and MASSIVE upside, Little Alex has not shown that he is capable of throwing the intermediate pass. With our slate of burners, and with a running game that will be questionable to start the year, Brink will have to establish intermediate routes OVER THE MIDDLE for this team to have success. Expect most teams to mimick SC’s two deep shell to force Brink to throw over the middle against sagging LBs. It won’t be pretty.
On top of that, while the line is solid, there are GLARING ?????? at the Center position. While Yarno has supposedly simplified his schemes, Brink’s reliance on audibles as HIS STRENGTH is bound to be compromised by a rookie Center. This mix does NOT bode well for early season games—especially in tight fourth quarter situations. This “growing period” will cost us both @ Auburn and @ Stanford which will be CRUSHING to our upper division and national/BCS aspirations.
Finally, also on the gloom side, this team will PAY for a lack of kicking game, not only in the field goal department, but on kickoffs. In Brinkhater’s book, the kicking game will be responsible for not one, not two but THREE losses this year.
In as many words, this season will be a near repeat of the last two years. This COUGAR team could, and perhaps SHOULD contend for the conference title, and perhaps, a top 10 ranking. However, Brink’s weaknesses, coupled with a green OL—particularly at Center, and a poor kicking game will do this team in. And yes, IT WILL BE PAINFUL when you see what this team is capable of—especially early the game @ Auburn and against Oregon at Home.
In terms of the CRAP-10 race, Oregon, USC, and ASU will represent the cream of the crop in what will be an uneven, but competitive slate of games. Expect to see blowouts and unexpected blowouts in the mold of UA and UCLA last year, as well as UW and UA last year.
The Big Surprises? Both UCLA and CAL will suck. Ditto Oregon State, although they will clip the Cougs in Corvallis. Arizona will prove much better than anticipated.
Washington, though Terrible again, will escape the cellar, despite an abysmal 4-8 mark for the year.
Thankfully, when its all said an done, the Cougs will beat both the Quack and the Dawgs to provide a couple of moral victories to an otherwise lackluster campaign.
Now, to the standings:
Brinkhater’s Pac-10 Pre-Season Predictions
Conference Overall
Team W L W L
Oregon 8 1 11 1
USC 8 1 11 1
ASU 7 2 10 2
Ariz 6 3 8 4
WSU 4 5 6 6
CAL 3 6 5 7
UCLA 3 6 5 7
UW 3 6 4 8
OSU 2 7 5 8
STAN 2 7 4 8
Enjoy the season and the boundless coverage to come from the ONLY source for WSU football: the WSU football Blog
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