-Dan
Category Archives: Huskies Football
Apple Cup – Rap Edition
Filed under Huskies Football, Uncategorized
Bowl Talk…Knock On Wood
Forgive me for discussing this, because I know without an Apple Cup win, none of this matters, but I just can’t help it. It’s been too long since we could entertain legitimate bowl talk, so allow me to put the cart ahead of the horse (did I get that right Matt?). Also, I doubt very much if anything written on this blog can jinx the football Gods.
2 weeks ago, in a previous post I stated
If UW beats UCLA and Cal, and Oregon and Stanford handle their remaining games, the Huskies will be playing for a Holiday Bowl bid in the Apple Cup on 12/4. Believe big!
Well, heading into the Apple Cup, everything has followed this script perfectly. And with a win on Saturday, the Washington Huskies will be invited to either the Holiday Bowl (Thursday, 12/30, 7 pm) or possibly the Alamo Bowl (Wednesday, 12/29, 6:15 pm). Either scenario would be terrific, and it couldn’t have happened without the Huskies climbing towards 6 wins, and also some good fortune in what has been a crazy 2010 season.
Let’s remember, the Alamo Bowl and Holiday Bowl are slated to be represented by the Pac-10 #2 and #3 teams respectively. In most years, 9 or 10 wins is usually required to play in either game. But this is no ordinary year. For starters, the conference is ultra competitive, and the fallout has been an unusually low number of bowl eligible teams. In addition, Oregon is undefeated and likely headed towards the championship game, which means they won’t fill any of the conference’s affiliated bowl slots. Mix in a 1 loss Stanford team that has also worked their way into the BCS, and suddenly the remaining eligible teams get to fill some pretty desirable bowl slots.
What we know is that in either case, the Huskies would be matched up against a Big 12 opponent—Alamo Bowl (Big 12 #3), Holiday Bowl (Big 12 #5). The Big 12 is no slouch, especially the conference’s top 5 teams. In fact, the BCS rankings have all 5 in the top 20. Oklahoma (#9), Missouri (#12), Nebraska (#13), Oklahoma St. (#14), Texas A&M (#18). Oklahoma faces Nebraska on Saturday to determine who gets the Fiesta Bowl bid. Conventional wisdom says the loser will be rewarded the Cotton Bowl, which is affiliated with the Big 12 #2 team. However, a little known fact is that the bowls actually have a lot of say in who they invite, and lots of factors play into their decision, so it’s tough to predict where each Big 12 team will land.
As for the Pac-10, I thought that if Arizona were to lose to Arizona State, the Huskies would claim the Alamo, until I learned that the bowls get to pick. It seems likely that the Alamo Bowl would prefer Arizona for a multitude of reasons. First, they beat the Huskies. Secondly, they have a better overall record, and were ranked for most of the year. On the downside, a loss to ASU would mean ‘Zona has lost 4 in a row, compared to a hot Washington team. If the Wildcats beat the Sun Devils, their Alamo ticket is sealed. With a loss, and some other factors playing out, it is possible that Washington is selected by the Alamo Bowl. No matter the fallout, I don’t see the Huskies facing Nebraska, because no bowl is going to want that re-match.
The possibilities are endless, but if the Huskies win the Apple Cup, there’s a high probability they end up in the Holiday Bowl, against Missouri or Oklahoma State. If I had to pick today, my guess is a Washington-Missouri matchup.
-Dan
Filed under Huskies Football
The Apple Cup Matters!
With the Huskies getting a dramatic, last second victory Saturday in Berkley, football fans in Washington can say something that they haven’t been able to say in years: The Apple Cup matters!
The Huskies have inched to within one win of a bowl game for the first time since 2002 and, with a win in the Apple Cup, the Dawgs will either be in the Holiday Bowl or Sun Bowl. Needless to say, this would be a huge accomplishment for a program that’s been in disarray since 2003.
While UW has been in the dumps, WSU has since followed in the same path. After a decent run in the beginning of the decade, the Cougars have since fallen about as low as a team can get. For 2 years in a row, they were historically bad (winning 3 games over 2 years). This year looked as if it’d be more of the same, but then the Cougars started to improve. They’ve gotten better every game and finally earned a Pac-10 win in their last game against Oregon State. Was that game an apparition that will be forgotten in a few years, or was it a turning point for the Cougars? A good performance in the Apple Cup would be a huge statement for Wazzu.
The Apple Cup has been a game between two crappy teams the last few years. It hasn’t had bowl implications since 2006. This year, that changes.
Rivalry games are special no matter what. But, when a rivalry game has a little something extra on the line, they become more fun. This game doesn’t just matter for Husky fans, it matters for Cougar fans because they don’t want us in a bowl. Hopefully, this game is a sign of better things to come for both programs. It feels like it is. But, for now, an Apple Cup that actually means something is a reason to celebrate.
Happy Apple Cup week, football fans! Go Huskies!
Andrew
Filed under Huskies Football
Husky Predictions – Cal
I’m getting this up a little bit late, but here it is. This is the biggest Husky game in quite a few years and it’s nice to have a meaningful game in November. Here goes nothing!
Joe
This one is simple: It’s Cal. It’s after Thanksgiving. They will quit. Huskies have more to play for. Yes, Locker is still hurt, but the combo of Polk and Callier will run, run, and run again and again. The defense has played better over the past few games. Cal can’t throw, they will try to run Vereen, but the UW front seven has done a fine job of stopping the run lately. I like the Dawgs.
UW 20 – Cal 17
Dan
For the past couple weeks, I’ve been intrigued by the bowl possibilities that could await the Huskies, if they could get to 6 wins. As a fan, I’m allowed to think weeks ahead, make predictions, and dream a little. I don’t have to take it “one week at a time.” I would love to see UW play as well on Saturday as they did against Cal last year. It would be great to see this team win for Jake, similar to how the basketball team rallied for Quincy Pondexter last year. Unfortunately, I see a Cal victory. Unlike last year, the Bears have as much to play for as the Huskies, and it is not just Senior Day in Berkely, but also the final game at Memorial Stadium. That seems like a lot to overcome, and it’s had to imagine the Huskies stopping Vereen and the Cal running attack. I think the Dawgs play inspired ball, but the talent gap is just too big, and without Locker being 100% still, I see Cal winning 34-17.
Andrew
There’s quite a few reasons to like the Huskies in this game: Cal seems to be in a late season collapse, Locker is healthier, the Husky defense seems to be improving. With all that being said, it’s hard for me to see the Huskies winning this game. I hope I’m wrong but I think we’ll see the good Cal team show up today and that will be just too much for the Huskies.
Cal 35 – UW 24
Matthew
No prediction sent. Slacker.
I am a slacker, but I’m picking Huskies 27-24. We’re only 8 minutes into the game!
Filed under Huskies Football, UW Game Previews
One Down, Two to Go!
Last night, the Husky football team closed out their home schedule with a 24-7 win over UCLA. The defense had their best performance of the season and the team closed out the game like they needed to to get a victory. Over the next two weeks, I plan on writing a few posts on the Husky seniors, but for today I want to address the biggest question left on this season: Can this team make a bowl game?
The Huskies sit at 4-6 right now with two games remaining. Obviously, the Huskies have to win the next two to assure themselves a spot in the post-season. They can do this. They play an inconsistent Cal team and then a Cougar team, that is improving but is still the worst team in the conference. Last night was a good team effort by the Huskies but I’m still not feeling very confident in our chances. These things have to improve:
- The defensive line needs to continue to improve. Last night, the Dawgs d-line played their best half of the season, in the second half. Ta’amu and Jamora made 12 tackles combined and there was some penetration. Yes, UCLA’s offense in the second half was absolutely terrible but some of the credit has to go to the Huskies defense for that. These lineman have to keep getting better and cause penetration. They face a tough task next week against Cal and Shane Vereen but expect the gameplan for the defense to be much like it was against UCLA, forcing Cal to throw.
- Keep the Rushing Attack Going. If the Huskies run for over 250 yards in each of their next games, I like their chances. This will especially be essential against WSU, in a freezing game that will be all about running the football. Sark needs to make a commitment to running the football often over the next 2 games, much like he did in the second half. Also, as Locker gets more healthy I think they need to let him run more. These are the last 2 games he has. I think he would agree with me here.
- Converting 3rd and Shorts. This was the most frustrating part of the game yesterday. I don’t know how many third and shorts the Huskies had but I can only think of them converting on one of them. It’s probably more but it didn’t feel like it. The play calling needs to be more creative on 3rd and short and the players need to execute better.
- Colin Porter needs to start. This is the most questionable of these points, but, in my opinion, the offensive line is clearly better when he’s in the game. He was in most of the second half when the running game really got going and was in the game on the first touchdown drive also. Christine is a leader and gives an all out effort, but Porter is just better. It seems like this has been the case all season.
Surely, there are other keys but these are the ones I can think of without getting extremely obvious. That’s all for now, have a good weekend and thanks for reading!
Andrew
Filed under Huskies Football
Pac-10 Bowl Update
In a dog eat dog conference, earning 6 wins is proving to be a tough task for everyone except Oregon, Stanford, and Arizona. USC is of course out of bowl discussion, as is Washington State and Arizona State. That leaves California (5-5), Oregon State (4-5), UCLA (4-5), and Washington (3-6) fighting to earn 6 wins. As it stands nows, the Pac-10 bowl picture looks like this:
Tostitos BCS National Championship Game: Oregon vs. BCS team Rose Bowl Game: Stanford vs. Big Ten Valero Alamo: Arizona vs. Big 12 Bridgepoint Education Holiday: California vs. Big 12 Hyundai Sun: No team MAACO Las Vegas: No team Kraft Fight Hunger: No team
Remaining Schedules:
California: vs. Stanford, vs. UW
Oregon State: vs. USC, @Stanford, vs. Oregon
UCLA: @UW, @ASU, vs. USC
Washington: vs. UCLA, @WSU, @Cal
Oregon State is all but dead in this discussion, as is UCLA. The Beavers would need to win 2 of 3 against the top 3 teams in the conference. UCLA could very well get 2 more wins in their final 3, and sneak into the Sun Bowl, however, a loss to Cal earlier makes a Holiday Bowl bid impossible assuming Cal wins 1 more game. If Cal loses to Stanford and beats UW, which is the most likely scenario, they will play in the Holiday Bowl assuming Stanford goes to the Rose Bowl. Ironically, if Cal beats Stanford and UW, they will most likely end up in the Sun Bowl, rather than the Holiday because Stanford would be knocked out of Rose Bowl contention. Finally, Washington has the most simple route to a bowl game. They must win all 3 of their final games to be bowl eligible. And the reward for doing so would be terrific. Here’s why…
If UW beats UCLA and Cal, and Oregon and Stanford handle their remaining games, the Huskies will be playing for a Holiday Bowl bid in the Apple Cup on 12/4. Believe big!
-Dan
Filed under Huskies Football, Pac-10 Outlook
Brutal 7 Game Stretch Over, Is Hope Alive?
As frustrating as the Dawgs have been to watch the past 3 weeks, it is easy to forget that they are just coming off a 7 game stretch in which 6 of the opponents were ranked at the time. The one unranked opponent, ASU, was obviously no gimme either.
I wonder if any other team has had a murderer’s stretch like that this season. UW went 2-5, which is about what I’d expect. Here is a look at these brutal 7 games with the ranked teams in bold.
Sat, Sept 18 vs #8 Nebraska L 56-21 1-2 (0-0)
Sat, Oct 2 @ #18 USC W 32-31 2-2 (1-0)
Sat, Oct 9 vs Arizona State L 24-14 2-3 (1-1)
Sat, Oct 16 vs #24 Oregon State W 35-34 2OT 3-3 (2-1)
Sat, Oct 23 @ #18 Arizona L 44-14 3-4 (2-2)
Sat, Oct 30 vs #13 Stanford L 41-0 3-5 (2-3)
Sat, Nov 6 @ #1 Oregon L 53-16 3-6 (2-4)
It gets easier starting next Thursday, and with 3 winable games upcoming, 6-6 is still within reach. So, can the football team repeat what the basketball team accomplished last year? Remember how low that team was after a home loss to USC, which dropped their conference record to 7-7? I sure do, partly because I was at that game. Then remember them reeling off 9 wins in a row after that? I realize the football Huskies are a far cry from the basketball Huskies, but I have a funny feeling this season has a long way to go.
-Dan
Filed under Huskies Football
Way to Go Dawgs!
I have no illusions it’ll continue, but the beleaguered Husky defense just held the Ducks scoreless in the first quarter for the first time all season. That’s what everybody needed to see. Now they just need to pick up a first down. Go Dawgs!
-Matthew
Filed under Huskies Football
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