by | September 13, 2011 · 3:23 pm

Luck Power Rankings

Qualifiers: Must suck, Must need a franchise QB, Must have Luck!

1- Cleveland 0-1
The Browns are improved, but also seem to find ways to lose. The AFC North is no cakewalk either.

2- Seattle 0-1
Against San Fran the defense was good, the offense was bad, and special teams was ugly. Still think a couple home wins are likely, especially against weak division foes.

3- Cincinnati 1-0
Will the Bengals have a top 10 pick? Will the sun rise tomorrow? The answer is yes to both.

4- Kansas City 0-1
Did not expect KC to be bad following a 10-6 season, but a tough schedule + injuries + regression is a bad combination

5- Denver 0-1
Te-bow! Te-bow! Te-bow! That sums it up.

6- Buffalo 1-0
A week 1 win was unexpected, the blowout fashion was shocking. Still seem destined for a top 5 pick as usual.

7- Indianapolis 0-1
As long as Manning is out, Indy is on this list. Could they pull a San Antonio Spurs and go from Manning to Luck, ala Robinson to Duncan?

8- San Francisco 1-0
Beating the Hawks does not help their case, 1-2 more wins should eliminate the 9ers and Harbaugh’s dream of coaching his college bf

9- Miami 0-1
If the strength of the Dolphins is their defense, Miami could be in real trouble after giving up 600 yards to the Pats. The Henne led offense played better than expected, but AFC East is brutal.

10- Minnesota 0-1
39 pass yards for McNabb. Things could get ugly quickly, Ponder may be called upon sooner than later.

-Dan

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by | September 9, 2011 · 9:13 pm

UW vs. Hawaii Predictions

Another week, another game.  Today’s question: why are Hawaii, Pepperdine, and every school in San Diego not dominant in sports?  Given the choice between Pullman, Lubbock and Hawaii, I know which I’m choosing.

Matt

I expected the Huskies to roll last week, and I was way off.  I thought Sarkisian’s comments this week were fascinating, especially when he talked about the players needing to realize that they can play and can’t be tentative.  Against Eastern, they looked like they did early last season: tentative, unsure of themselves, lacking an identity.  Remember that game against Arizona (might have been in 2009) where Arizona kept throwing bubble screens until the Huskies finally stopped one?  That is kind of how last week was.  Eastern kept throwing and luckily Desmond Trufant finally stopped them.

Most of us assumed, or at least hoped, that the identity the Huskies established at the end of last year would carry over to this season.  In week one, it didn’t.  The physical playmaking was nowhere to be seen.  There’s no reason to think they won’t eventually get it back, unless Jake Locker was just an irreplaceable part of that identity.  I don’t think that’s the case, so the question is when they’ll flip the switch and dominate someone.  Here’s to hoping it’s this week, because they might not win this one otherwise.

UW 37, Hawaii 24

Dan

The last time Hawaii played in the state of Washington, they won. But that was against WSU, and typically the Warriors are awful away from the island. I really don’t see Washington losing this game, but they easily could if the same team that played Eastern shows up. Ta’Amu and the d-line have got to make things uncomfortable for Moniz, and the linebackers have got to disrupt the passing lanes. The secondary gets a boost with Richardson’s return, and having a nickel package all game will help. On offense, UW is going to open things up a bit, and 30+ points seems likely.

I’ll call it Huskies 33, Warriors 24

Joe

All week it has been DEFCON 1 surrounding UW football.  The amount of vitriol toward the Dawgs performance against EWU could fill the Grand Canyon.  No Husky fan in their right mind was happy with how they played last Saturday.  No coach or player, for that matter, was happy with how they played.  The saving grace is the Huskies did indeed survive and salvage a win, which at the end of the day, in sports, is all that matters.  Another saving grace is they get a home game versus Hawaii.  Yes, the Rainbow Warriors (I love to continue calling them that) run the run ‘n’ shoot, which will cause problems for the Huskies secondary, no doubt, but I think the Dawgs come out much more aggressive and focused for this game.  No way they play sluggish and uninspired like they did against Eastern.  I believe coach Holt will continue to dial up defenses to get the players in the right position to make the play.  It’s up to the players to execute, and I believe they will.  It’s a matter of survival at this point.  Step up, or lose.

Offensively, I expect coach Sark to open up the playbook and throw down field.  The lack of a deep passing game last week was unacceptable, and they know it.  Look for the UW to attack Hawaii deep, while pounding Polk up the middle, with Callier changing the pace outside.  I am fully expecting to see ASJ get targets and passes coming his way.  He’s too talented a weapon to only throw to once or twice in a game.  In the end I am going with UW if for no other reason they are the more desperate team, despite being 1-0.  They must prove last week was a fluke.  There is no other option if they want to go bowling again this year.

UW wins 33-27

Andrew

Last week was an embarrassment, but it was what the Huskies needed to be ready for this week.  It’s been a bit of a strange week around Husky Nation.  The players all seemed to be chewed out Monday afternoon and Sark gave one of the most honest press conference’s I’ve ever seen, even though it was after a win.  Most players then declined to do interviews this week and practice was closed to everyone on Thursday.  The level of intensity has definitely gone up, but will that mean an improvement?  I think so.  Maybe it’s because I never got down much after last week, but I think the Huskies are still an 8 win team in the Pac-12.  An 8 win team in the Pac-12 has to beat Hawaii at home.  Does Moniz (Hawaii’s QB) scare me?  Sure, but no one else on their offense does.  Their defense looked good against Colorado, but Colorado hasn’t won a road game since their Buffalo mascot was born it seems.  Tomorrow at this time I might be kicking myself for buying into all the things we’ve heard about the team being more intense, but for now I think it’ll mke a difference.  In fact, I think the Dawgs win more comfotably than last week.  Go Huskies!

UW 35, Hawaii 27

Go Dawgs!

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by | September 9, 2011 · 6:10 pm

My Brother’s Bold Predictions

My brother, Matthew Long, is one of the smartest people I know.  It’s no secret that he’s the best writer on this blog and he knows about many different subjects, as opposed to me just knowing about music and sports.

I can’t keep track of Matthew’s predictions on here.  I imagine his record is fairly similar to all of ours.  I don’t remember him predicting anything too outlandish or being way off on anything (this excludes the 2010 Mariners but hey, screw you 2010 Mariners!).

Something happens though when Matthew Long gets into the heat of a game though.  I can’t tell you how long it’s actually happened, two times come to mind, but maybe it’s gone back since he started paying attention to sports.  The problem may even go back to the days of him being a toddler but I wasn’t around then to observe.

Last year, the Huskies opened the season against BYU.  About 4 minutes into the game, Jake Locker faked a hand-off, rolled to his right and completed a pass to Devin Aguilar that went for 15 yards.  I’m not sure what overcame Matthew.  Maybe it was the joy of the play and the feeling that came with it.  “This game’s over!” he remarked with a little chuckle of confidence.  I could see where he was coming from, that play really showed the Huskies having the better athletes.  Sure enough, the Dawgs went down the field to score on that same drive and it seemed like this prediction would hold true.  Needless to say, it didn’t.  Yeah, blame Matthew.

Then last week, the Huskies were up by 3 and in trouble.  Eastern had just moved to about the Huskies 30 yard-line on a big pass play with about 50 seconds to go.  Everyone in the stadium was thinking it, but Matthew had the guts to say it, “We’re going to lose this game” he remarked in a sort of frankness that left all who heard (me and my dad) hollow.  On the next play, Desmond Trufant intercepted a pass in the end zone and the Huskies sealed their victory.

We can’t fault Matthew for being bold.  He willingly goes where not many people do, making bold statements on the 1st drive of the game and predicting a terrible loss with 50 seconds left.  It’s the curse he has, but it works out for the rest of us because we know the opposite of what he predicts will happen!  Thank you for putting us before yourself, Big Boi, I don’t know what I’ll do when one of your bold predictions come true.

Andrew

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by | September 6, 2011 · 11:07 pm

History Repeating Itself?

In 1988, the Huskies finished 6-5, narrowly missing a bowl game. The following season, Washington improved to 8-4 and capped the season with a win in the Freedom Bowl against the Florida Gators. Expectations were high for the 1990 team, but the momentum from the Freedom Bowl quickly deflated when Washington narrowly beat lowly San Jose State in the opener, 20-17. Sound familiar so far? In week 2, the Dawgs beat a dismal Purdue team, 20-14. UW then rolled through the Pac 10, finished 10-2, and won the Rose Bowl. The next year was a perfect season, and a national championship.

I’m not saying the Huskies are about to put together a 10-2 Rose Bowl campaign, followed by a perfect season. But the similarities are there when comparing the ’88-89 team to the ’09-10 version. I would bet the fan base had a similar vibe following the close win against SJSU to open 1990. But things can change quick in college football, as evidenced by an 0-12 Husky team becoming Holiday Bowl Champs 24 months later.

The Huskies are on the rise, even a non-homer would agree with this, and in the next year or two, some special things may happen at UW. Our team is 1-0, and riding the 6th longest win streak in college football. It’s time to bury the Eastern game, and pray T’Amu turns into Emtman.

-Dan

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by | September 6, 2011 · 8:35 pm

Mariners 2011- What Still Has My Interest

I can’t imagine there are that many people still watching the Mariners on a regular basis.  I’ll turn them on once in a while, but I haven’t watched a full game in weeks.  Still, they’re an interesting team at the moment, just not a terribly watchable one.  I have a few posts in mind I’m hoping to get to before the season ends.  This offseason could be fascinating, so I’m going to try to work through the roster before we get to that point.

First up: what would I be watching for if I were still watching games regularly.  I’ll try to keep these short and simple, because they’re not terribly surprising and if we’re being honest, not that exciting either.

  1. Alex Liddi’s debut.  I’ve made my Liddi love quite clear on this blog, but it’s based almost entirely on his Italian-ness.  His baseball skills are intriguing but incomplete.  He has solid power and reportedly plays an improving third base, but like many Mariner power-hitting minor leaguers, he likes the strike outs.  Nonetheless, he’s joined the Mariners and should make his debut soon, which makes me happy.  He’s not likely to do much, this year or next, but sports are for fun, and Italian baseball players are nothing if not fun.  On a related note, how will Kyle Seager finish out the year?  Can he be the main man at third next year?
  2. The Mariners suddenly have a glut of talented outfielders.  Unfortunately, none of them is close to a sure thing.  Casper Wells and Trayvon Robinson could be starters next year, or they could be trade bait.  Michael Saunders, the forgotten man, is back with the big club, filling in for Franklin Gutierrez and his strained oblique.  Has he finally found a swing that will translate to the majors?
  3. Tom Wilhelmsen.  When Wilhelmsen was sent down early in the season to work as a starter, the move made sense.  He wasn’t pitching well, and starting would give him more innings to work on his stuff, and if they got lucky, he might turn into a solid middle of the rotation guy.  He didn’t seem to get much better in the minors, but then he was recalled anyway, and he’s been okay.  If you haven’t noticed, the rotation is potentially a little shallow next year.  I have my doubts about Blake Beavan and Anthony Vazquez.  If one of them is my fifth starter, I can live with it, but I’d really like Wilhelmsen or Charlie Furbush to bring actual strikeout stuff to the rotation.  I doubt September will give an answer to whether they can, but we might catch some glimpes.
  4. Justin Smoak has had a season from hell.  After a thunderous first month, he fell apart at the plate.  Also, his dad died, his nose got broken and he possibly had a serious thumb injury.  Who knows how much all that influenced his decline, but it can’t have helped.  I’d love to see him get hot this month.  I like the guy, and he clearly has talent.  Here’s to a better September and a breakout season in 2012.  He’s still the key to the future, in my mind.

There are some other things going on, like Ichiro and the young relievers, but this is my list.  What are you watching (or not watching) for?

Next up: a breakdown of where each position stands going into the offseason.

-Matthew

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by | September 5, 2011 · 9:14 pm

Take a Deep Breath

Growing up in a home where sports were always on the forefront, I learned many lessons.  My dad, and brother to a lesser extent, taught me certain truths about game.  Dad passed down the thought that sports are as much mental as they are physical and a hate of zone defense.  One of the lessons he repeated the most was that you never know what is going to happen in the first game of the season.  The game is weird and often not vindictive of a team’s talent level or future record.  With this thought in mind, I would caution my fellow Dawg fans to take a deep breath instead of joining in the insanity that has ensued over Husky Nation.

Don’t take this the wrong way, I’m not happy with the way the Huskies played on Saturday.  It was a pathetic display by the defense and the offensive line.  They were not the team we expected to see this season and if they hope to better last season than they will have to play better (I’ll pick apart what needs to improve after the jump).

But, over the last 2 days I’ve heard irrationality coming from the radio, blogosphere and everywhere else I could hear about the Huskies.  There have been calls for Nick Holt’s job, which is absolutely absurd.  There have been people underselling how well Eastern played, which is strange since everyone under the sun was talking about how the Huskies were in for a battle last week.  There have been players called out who shouldn’t have been.

UW Dawg Pound, which is a good Husky football blog that I follow regularly, said this on Saturday night:

“Alameda Ta’amu played like a big fat pile of goo. He was dominated most of the evening by players who had no business being on the same playing field with him.”

This just simply isn’t true.  I was at the game and watch Ta’amu pretty closely.  No, he didn’t have a monster game but he was himself, clogging up the middle and getting free more than any other D-lineman.  This was with him being double-teamed the entire game.  UW Dawg Pound is a blog that I agree with in most things and a blog that I encourage Husky fans to ready, John Berkowitz is a good writer and has good insight on the Dawgs.  That’s why I picked this example, it’s the kind of blame game that’s going out all over this fan base.

So, should we be upset with the way the team played?  Sure, coach Sark sure was in his press conference today but don’t go blowing things out proportion.  A few players played poorly and the team didn’t play at full speed.  I’m sticking with my pre-season prediction and I imagine the other 3 Good Guys’ are doing the same.  Hey, we’re 1-0 and have the 6th longest winning streak in the nation!  I’m good with that.  Continue reading →

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by | September 3, 2011 · 8:42 pm

The Good Guys’ Husky Season Predictions

We’ve had more posts in the last day than we have in the last month!  This post got up a little late, but we promise that we wrote this before today’s game.  If we hadn’t these posts might not seem so optimistic.  More from the game later tonight or tomorrow.  Anyway, here are the Good Guys’ Husky season predictions:

Joe

It all comes down to the schedule. The Huskies have a tough road ahead, especially after the realignment to twelve teams. Playing in the P12 north means Stanford and Oregon will be on the schedule. Utah, on the other hand, doesn’t play either one. So right off the bat teams in the P12 north are at a scheduling disadvantage for 2011, the UW included. With road games at Stanford, USC, Utah, Nebraska and Oregon State, the path away from Husky Stadium will be tough. I see no real shot to beat Stanford or Nebraska on the road. Utah, USC and Oregon State are all winnable games, but the Dawgs will only get 2 of them. My road record prediction? 2-3.

At home is a different story. Eastern, Hawaii, Cal, Colorado, Arizona, Oregon and Wazzu. I can honestly see them going 6-1 at home. All of the games except Oregon are very winnable, in fact I expect them to win all of them except Oregon. Don’t get wrong, I do think they can win the Oregon game. It’s a classic trap game for the Ducks, the week before the smackdown with Stanford (and the weeks prior to UW they get Colorado and Wazzu, two games that could be blow outs, softening the Ducks senses a bit). So I am really hanging my hopes of beating Oregon on two things: The Ducks look past the Dawgs, and it’s the last game at the old lady, Husky Stadium, before the remodel. Both those intangibles help the Dawgs tremendously. The only thing the Ducks have going in that game, assuming they are undefeated, is to slide by and get to Stanford with no losses. It’s about freaking time the Dawgs beat the Ducks, I’m sick and tired of losing to the Univ of Nike. My heart says Dawgs win, my head says Ducks win. For the sake of my season preview, I’m going 6-1 home record.

In the end, the Huskies will be 8-4. I know that sounds very “kool-aidish”, but just look at that home schedule and tell me how they don’t go at least 5-2. The key is the road, they must get 2 wins this season away from Seattle if they have any dreams of another bowl appearance.

Dan

The 2011 Huskies have the most talent of any Washington team in the past 10 years. Pair this fact with a momentous end to last season, and another solid recruiting class, and expectations are high at Montlake. Not championship high, but close. The Huskies won 4 games last year by a touchdown or less, but their average margin of loss was 26.5 points. Given this, achieving 7 wins was a minor miracle last year. I doubt we see as many blowout losses, and I’d be surprised if the Huskies weren’t better, at least to the eye this year. Whether this improvement equates to a better win-loss record, we will have to wait and see. Looking at the schedule, 6.5 seems to be a fair line for wins. Most fans will probably say 7 or 8 wins, but I tend to think 6 is more likely, especially given the top to bottom strength of the conference. I think the Huskies are still 1 year away from championship contention, kind of like every other local team!
Andrew
Last time we saw the Dawgs they were celebrating in San Diego.  It seemed like Husky football was back.  The strong defense, power rushing team from the early 90’s showed up in late November and December and gave Husky fans reason to dream.  I think it’s clear that this program is on it’s way back and the 4 game winning streak to end last year proved that.  With that being said, this year is crucial for the program.  The Huskies lost their star quarterback and best player on defense.  It’s time for Sark to prove that his recruiting will make UW take another step forward.
I believe there will be some bumps along the road this year.  A new QB and a relatively young team will prove that.  But, I also believe that this team is the most talented team we’ve seen in Seattle since the wildly inconsistent 2002 team.  Are we going to be playing for a championship at the end of the season?  Probably not.  But, anything less than 6 wins and a bowl game would be a disappointment.
I don’t remember much from the early ’90’s since I was roughly 1, 2 or 3 years old during the Huskies best run.  I’ve read, heard, and learned about those teams and how nasty they were.  How they’d run the ball down opponents throats and suffocate teams with the purple-reign defense.  I’ve never seen much of that football at Husky Stadium.  This year, they’ll take another step to becoming that team and it will be a special year.  It seems fitting that this style of play will be back for the final year before the renovation.  I’m looking forward to the memories, because I think this year will bring a few of them.  No, we aren’t all the way back but we’re getting there.  The Dawgs scratch and claw their way to an 8-4 record (6 wins at home and 2 on the road) and Seattle will start dreaming about 2012 Pac-12 championships once the season is over.
Matthew
I touched on my general thoughts about the season the other day, but I’m going to look positively at this season. I’m tired of saying, the Huskies should be good, but I can’t quite bet on them to do it yet. That might still be true, but I’m going to expect big things anyway. Or slightly bigger things, anyway. I’m saying an 8-5 season. I can see them winning 7 or 8 in the regular season. If they win 7, they should have a very winnable bowl game. If they win 8, I’m not so sure about the bowl game, so 8-5 seems like a good guess.That said, I could see them edging their way to 9 or even 10 wins. To do that, they’ll likely have to beat one of the big three (Oregon, Stanford, Nebraska), and they’ll probably need a few of the Pac-12 teams on the edge to really fall apart. I’m looking at you, UCLA, Cal, Arizona and OSU. Let’s make it happen!

Individually, I think Alameda Ta’amu will be considered one of the three best defensive players in the league by the end. I expect Sean Parker to join the ranks of great Husky safeties. Kasen Williams and Austin Seferian-Jenkins will have the most impact of any offensive true freshmen since Reggie Williams. And that’s all I’ll write for now, because we’re on our way out the door for the game!

Go Dawgs!

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by | September 3, 2011 · 11:16 am

Osweiler’s Catastrophic Charlie Horse

I love this description, the exaggeration is terrific.

Later in the quarter, Osweiler hit Aaron Plfugrad on the right end of the endzone, bringing the score to 38-0. During the throw, Osweiler’s right leg seized up and appeared to swing around to the front of his body, and Osweiler collapsed.

Teammates grabbed his leg and attempted to stabilize it, which gives us the opinion that Osweiler experienced a rather severe charley horse on the play.

-Dan

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