Phil Steele likes the Cougs

[COUGinNCW]

11 kids on his first~4th team. If he is correct, that should bode pretty well in conference games provided whoever comes out of the QB battle performs.

Abe Lucas named Preseason Fourth Team All-American; 11 Washington State players named to All-Pac-12 teams

Abraham Lucas didn’t return to Washington State for another season to see how many accolades he could collect as one of the nation’s top returning offensive tackles, but the fifth-year senior might have to brace for them anyway.

www.spokesman.com

 

[chugspig]

Having Borghi and McIntosh is a pretty unreal combo. Things shake out right and we could cause issues for a lot of teams.

 

[BleedCrimsonandGray]

High praise from ESPN AND Phil Steele?

Certainly this doesn't bode well...

 

[cr8zyncalif]

Phil Steele is probably the only prediction guru who has gotten the Cougs right more than he has gotten them wrong, and that has been true for a loooong time. I view this as some pretty good validation.

 

[Coug90]

Phil Steele may be optimistic about our chances, but get back to me when there’s consensus from Richard Iron and Jack Shaft.

 

[ttowncoug]

Phil Steele is pretty respected amongst those in the biz.

Just need to solidify the QB spot, and keep injuries limited, and we could be looking ok this fall.

 

[cr8zyncalif]

Phil Steele may be optimistic about our chances, but get back to me when there’s consensus from Richard Iron and Jack Shaft.

I think those guys went to school with Gear Pulley and Muffler Bearing?

 

[COCoug]

It just seems like this will be an especially difficult season to predict, with the short and somewhat meaningless 2020-21 season, players who sat out, and the many many transfers throughout college football. Add in the effect of freshman who may not have played last year in high school, and very seasoned upperclassman who decide to stay for a 5th or 6th or 7th year. I personally have no idea what we got. This year more than any other, I would expect some crazy upsets and improbable contenders, maybe even the Cougs!

 

[cr8zyncalif]

It just seems like this will be an especially difficult season to predict, with the short and somewhat meaningless 2020-21 season, players who sat out, and the many many transfers throughout college football. Add in the effect of freshman who may not have played last year in high school, and very seasoned upperclassman who decide to stay for a 5th or 6th or 7th year. I personally have no idea what we got. This year more than any other, I would expect some crazy upsets and improbable contenders, maybe even the Cougs!

A lot of good points here; thanks, CO. I think it is relatively easy to see that we will be improved; lots of returning people and last fall was essentially an extended, live action spring ball situation with some real opponents. Our massive "unavailable" losses of people to Covid had the unplanned silver lining of a lot of live action game experience for the 2's and even some of the 3's. I have almost zero worries about us. What is hard for me to predict are the other teams. I suspect that the lower down the totem pole the team is in our league, the more they will benefit vis a vis the other teams. A team who didn't do well last year, who is often historically short on depth and perhaps relies more on transfers than other schools might well have benefitted more than a team at the top of the league, who has its best players go to the NFL and will be trying to reload with great athletes who have little experience. The result that I expect to see is that the difference between the top team and the bottom team in almost every league (not just the PAC) will be smaller. That should lead to more upsets...in every league...because being ready to play will be more critical, and very few teams manage to be both technically and emotionally ready to play for all 12 games. Since the free eligibility year means a bit more depth for the lower ranked teams, I think this will be a year when coaching & preparation will matter even more than usual.

This is a year when every good coaching staff really should pull off at least one legitimate upset...and probably every staff of a team in the top half of the league will lose at least one upset game, when they failed to get everybody fully ready. I don't expect any 0 or even 1 league win teams in the PAC. I also expect every team in the PAC to lose at least 2 league games. Any staff that manages to get its team through the league schedule with zero or 1 losses will be worthy of a lot of respect, because more than usual, there will be NO easy games on the PAC schedule this season.

 

[mikalalas]

The game to circle on schedule: The Cal game.

WSU should be either 2-2(Most Probable)(Losses to USC, Utah, win the 2 easy non cons) or 3-1(Win 2 easy non cons, and beat Utah, lose to USC)

Cal is the next game. If WSU loses the Cal game, WSU is likely 2-3, and might probably be 2-4, or just barely by skin of teeth be 3-3, with 4,5,6 wins looking most probable.

But if, when, if WSU beats Cal then they are 3-2, and WSU probably goes to 4-2, 5-2, 4-3, 5-3. From there it would probably be semi easy sailing to 6,7,8 wins from there.

The Cal game could easily make or break, be the linch pin game of the season.

Fortunately the game is against Cal. Yes Cal is no pushover, and has beaten WSU, been a semi struggle at times for WSU. But Cal is a WINNABLE game. Yes could have either had a easier either noncon game, or easier conference game in that spot, but could have also had Oregon in that spot instead of Cal, and been almost guaranteed to be 2-3, with a chance at 2-4.

So the Cal game is probably the make or break game.

With so many RETURNING players, 10 returning starters on Defense, a NFL O line, NFL top 10, 1st round draft pick OL Tackle Abe Lucas, NFL RB Borghi, Deon Mc Intosh, NFL WR Travel Harris, lots of Returning starters on Offense, that with just barely by skin of teeth, semi ok, semi serviceable defense, that is helped by special teams(bo giving up kickoff/Punt TD returns or 55 yard returns), and offense, no 3 and out after 3 and out(Not likely, no lots of interceptions, fumbles, turnovers), this WSU team with Guarantano as the starting QB should win about 5,6,7,8,9 games, and with Cooper as starting QB, should win about 4,5,6,7 games, and with JDL, as the starting QB, should win about 3,4,5,6 games.

So as long as Rolo doesntvmake JDL the starter again, and makes Guarantano the starter like he should, or at least makes Cooper the starter at the worst, then WSU should win about 5,6,7,8,9 wins.

And the schedule is a very favorable schedule as well.

If Rolo cant win at least 5,6,7 games with all that, there is a problem with Rolo as a coach.