Season Forecast: Washington/Washington State

This is the 2nd dual feature here, with Arizona/Arizona State being the first one. Today, it’s the forecast for Washington and Washington State.


Washington, Best Case: Jake Locker avenges a heartbreaking loss against BYU from a game a few years back by making sure the refs can’t decide the game, then takes out Syracuse. Nebraska proves to be too much for the Huskies, but after a bye they upset USC yet again. Wins over Arizona State and Oregon State help prove UW is for real, and then they go on the road to beat Arizona. Stanford is a bad match for UW, but they still get a W. Followed up by a loss to Oregon, the Huskies fall to 6-3. But they close the year with 3 straight wins over UCLA, Cal, and WSU to go 10-2. 2nd place in the Pac-10, they win their bowl.

Washington Worst Case: A loss to BYU dampers hopes, but they respond with a win over Syracuse. Semi-expected losses to Nebraska and USC aren’t heartbreaking, and a win over ASU gets them back on track. Locker gets hurt in that game, and the inexperienced backups take up the slack. But losses to OSU, Arizona, Furd, and Oregon bring the season crashing down. They then lose to UCLA and Cal, putting them at 2-9 going into the Apple Cup. They then lose the Apple Cup to go to 2-10 on the year.

Washington Prediction: UW opens with wins against BYU and Nebraska, and the expectations just keep rising. But a home loss to a tough Nebraska defense takes them back to reality. But then they do it again; they take out the Trojans to go to 3-1. A win over ASU takes them to 4-1. “UW is back!” proclaim the talking head. But losses to Oregon State due to some suspect linebacking, and then a loss to Arizona on the road brings them crashing down to earth. A win over Stanford looks nice, but it follows with a loss to Oregon. A Thursday night upset by UCLA brings them crashing down; at 5-5 will they make a bowl? A win at Cal takes care of those qualms, and then a blowout over WSU brings them to 7-5.

Washington State, Best Case: A win over Oklahoma State is a shock; a Big-12 top team losing to a Pac-10 cellar dweller? A win over SMU sends Pullman into shock; halfway to a bowl with 9 games to play? A loss to USC is disappointing but not unexpected, but then WSU shocks the Bruins on the road to go to 4-1. Losses to Oregon, Arizona, and Stanford are expected, but they respond to a tough stretch with another road win over ASU. 5-4 is perhaps the most shocking mark in the entire nation; can this Cougar team get to a bowl? Losses to Cal and Oregon State takes the Cougs to a winner take all Apple Cup. Washington State does all the little things right, and takes out the Huskies to make to a bowl at 6-6. They even win the bowl to go to 7-6, and Wolff gets an extension.

Washington State, Worst Case: Loss to Oklahoma State. Shocking loss to FCS team Montana State. Loss to C-USA team SMU. Losses to everybody in conference leading up to the Apple Cup. It’s already announced Wolff will be fired going into the Apple Cup. UW sends him out the wrong way, smashing WSU 56-3.

Washington State, Prediction: A win over Oklahoma State, who is losing everything, is shocking. A win over Montana State sends WSU to 2-0, the 1st time since 2005. They lose to SMU, which is painful. But still, they believe they can win a game in conference this year. It doesn’t happen. Not all blowout, mind you; but they just don’t have the guns to pull out a close game. A close loss to UW at the end of the season does little to assuage their sorrow, as a 2-10 season is only a slight improvement.