8-1

[cr8zyncalif]

I will note that after 30 years of my own b*tching about each SEC team scheduling so many OOC games against such powerhouses as The Little Sisters of the Poor, Bayou Community College and the Corinthian College Fighting Dental Techs, I don't feel very bad about having a somewhat softer schedule this year. I take Biggs point that our overall schedule this year is not what a PAC schedule would have been. Coincidentally, the rest of the old PAC is pretty bad this year. We might be 8-1 with the old schedule at this point, though we could easily have a couple more losses. Really great teams do not play down to the level of competition, and we've done that several times this year. That said, we've found a way to win at the end, and while a different thing than playing down to the competition, it is also legitimately something that good teams do. I also salute the ability to remain focused in a time of real turmoil. That in and of itself is an accomplishment that doesn't seem to be getting much recognition right now.

 

[M-I-Coug]

I'm saying I love JV schedules with a loss to a Top 20 / Top 15 team and that's the only loss.

Boise State did that forever and it put them in a great spot.

Let's go 11 & 1 every year!

Someone on this board, (I can't remember the poster) doesn't like me saying this...

"We will be the USC of the Pac-12". 100%.

Boise will be the UCLA of the Pac-12. And let me add...once Jeanty is gone....sure they'll reload, but this is an exceptional year for them, all because of Ash.

Now, I don't literally mean the 2024 USC, and frankly USC has been irrelevant for what, 20 years, including UCLA!

I mean the image.

We will be and are... 'The USC of the Pac-12', and for the poster who despises me saying this....SORRY!

 

[95coug]

I will note that after 30 years of my own b*tching about each SEC team scheduling so many OOC games against such powerhouses as The Little Sisters of the Poor, Bayou Community College and the Corinthian College Fighting Dental Techs, I don't feel very bad about having a somewhat softer schedule this year. I take Biggs point that our overall schedule this year is not what a PAC schedule would have been. Coincidentally, the rest of the old PAC is pretty bad this year. We might be 8-1 with the old schedule at this point, though we could easily have a couple more losses. Really great teams do not play down to the level of competition, and we've done that several times this year. That said, we've found a way to win at the end, and while a different thing than playing down to the competition, it is also legitimately something that good teams do. I also salute the ability to remain focused in a time of real turmoil. That in and of itself is an accomplishment that doesn't seem to be getting much recognition right now.

That’s kind of where I am. While there’s no doubt that our schedule this year is pretty damn soft, looking at our old conference mates I think that we’d still be doing pretty well if the Pac-12 had stayed together. Colorado, ASU, and Oregon are the only ones that are more than mediocre.

I’d still put down cal and Stanford as wins. We beat UW, and OSU is reeling, which means us and Oregon are the top 2 in the north. I don’t remember who we would play this year or where, but Arizona isn’t good, UCLA is UCLA, and while USC has us beat on talent, they are underperforming badly. I think we’re at least even money against all of them. Utah has been inconsistent, I think if we played them in Pullman we could take them. In SLC, have to favor the Utes. Not sure about ASU either - if we played them early, Skattebo would have run all over us. He’s been more controlled the last few weeks. That just leaves Colorado - who I don’t think we would play this year anyway. They been winning, but they haven’t really been that impressive. Might be a wild one with them, but we don’t have anyone who could cover Hunter. We’d have to be all over Sanders like we were last year…but we don’t have a good pass rush either. Either way…I still think we look like top 4 of the Pac-12, which probably means that our current 8-1 is instead 6-3 or 7-2.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

It would not be nice if fuw had a winning season.

Wtf?

For me....it's kind of a win/win. If UW stinks....it's pretty cool. If UW winning helped us get into the CFP.....that's pretty cool. If we can't get into the CFP.....I'd prefer that they stink. So...there was a nuance to my comment that I failed to convey.

 

[dgibbons]

Willful blindness of what it is doesnt help either.

Biggs is withholding all donations and will not buy tickets until WSU has a schedule Biggs likes.

Impact on WSU's bottom line: $0.00.

 

[Coug90]

Anyone that thinks its amazing needs their eyes checked.

Take the wins? Yes.

Refuse to see the talent drain, the piss poor coaching and weak schedule? Nope.

Delusional if you think any team in the top 40 couldnt accomplish the same 11-1 record.

Piss poor coaching would have this team at 4-5 not 8-1 dumbass. Ask Oregon State if they’d trade places with us.

 

[UberCougars]

Edited

Biggs posts just showed up for me.

Biggs: people can sober up. People can wake up. What you got? … hey, sorry, buddy.

From now on, anyone found picking on Biggs has a problem with me. Even Biggs deserves to feel safe here.

 

[moxeecoug]

Willful blindness of what it is doesnt help either.

I guess you should be looking in the mirror when you talk about willfull blindness and even being obstinate.

 

[Coug90]

FWIW SOS factored into wins/losses

 

[Coug90]

I guess you should be looking in the mirror when you talk about willfull blindness and even being obstinate.

Biggs looks in the mirror and sees a hall of fame coach because he played a few snaps at a JC and has ascended the coaching ladder to high school JV. Talk about delusional. He’s literally the 3 Year Letterman Twitter character in real life.

 

[BiggsCoug]

I guess you should be looking in the mirror when you talk about willfull blindness and even being obstinate.

And you should be honest about your low standards and how obstinate and determined you are to tolerate poorly coached football.

WSU football, in fact no football program, will get better by removing any and all standards, accountability and honesty.

If anyone should be looking in the mirror it is you.

 

[UberCougars]

And you should be honest about your low standards and how obstinate and determined you are to tolerate poorly coached football.

WSU football, in fact no football program, will get better by removing any and all standards, accountability and honesty.

If anyone should be looking in the mirror it is you.

Since WSU is clearly improving, is it safe to believe Dickert found a mirror?

 

[Flatlandcoug]

And you should be honest about your low standards and how obstinate and determined you are to tolerate poorly coached football.

WSU football, in fact no football program, will get better by removing any and all standards, accountability and honesty.

If anyone should be looking in the mirror it is you.

How has WSU removed "any and all standards, accountability and honesty"? What actions should they have done this fall that they haven't done?

 

[KRUSTYtheCOUG]

How has WSU removed "any and all standards, accountability and honesty"? What actions should they have done this fall that they haven't done?

Exactly! Biggs probs meant to say the fan base. That's being the most generous. That's all I have to say about that.

 

[KRUSTYtheCOUG]

I must say, if you'd told me that on November 12, I'd be tuning in to espn to watch for the latest CFP rankings for the COUGS, I woulda been thrilled.

A team with no conference (for this season) and no TV deal. Yet here we are in the national conversation amongst just 24 others and ahead of 7 of them.

As a fan, isn't THIS all you can ask for? Especially one whom is the most remote? Taihtsat

 

[BleedCrimsonandGray]

You’re free to criticize 8-1 and how it isn’t really success, all you want. I’m not gatekeeping anything.

And obtuse as well.

You're batting 1.000.

 

[BleedCrimsonandGray]

FWIW SOS factored into wins/losses

View embedded media

Is SoR the same as SoS?

 

[Loyal Coug1]

Is SoR the same as SoS?

I assume it is basically the same thing, except updated to reflect actual game results as opposed to pre-season hype?

 

[Flatlandcoug]

Is SoR the same as SoS?

According to ESPN, "Strength of Record" reflects the chance that an average Top 25 team would have that team's record or better, given the schedule. According to ESPN, the Cougs have the following rankings:

FPI: #53
SOR: #21
SOS: #102
Game Control: #44

So, we've done pretty well in winning games against our crap schedule, but we are barely above average when it comes to controlling the games and we are right in the middle of FBS in terms of how we would perform on a neutral field against all of FBS.

Sounds about right.

FWIW, our remaining strength of schedule is #114. The lowest Power 4 team above us is Florida State at #91