What are your feelings about John Mateer?

[Flatlandcoug]

There were a small number of us who said that, and who pointed to the weaknesses in our game (and in our QB) even when we were 4-0. We were shouted down and called names by people who were blinded by the record and the ranking...and who I have to wonder if they were watching the games.

Unfortunately, we were right.

It's funny how things go. For all of our weaknesses, Arizona, ASU, Stanford and Cal had bigger issues at that time. Who knew that Fifita was that much better than JDL? Hindsight shows that Arizona was way more dangerous than we suspected, but I still don't feel bad for assuming that we should have beaten ASU, Stanford and Cal. Frankly, if our team was playing with any kind of actual fight, I still think that we should have beaten all three and we should be 7-3 right now and feeling good about things.

That said, we are who we are and that's a bad football team. I just hope that we can beat CU and then let this turd of a season die.

 

[CougPatrol]

It's funny how things go. For all of our weaknesses, Arizona, ASU, Stanford and Cal had bigger issues at that time. Who knew that Fifita was that much better than JDL? Hindsight shows that Arizona was way more dangerous than we suspected, but I still don't feel bad for assuming that we should have beaten ASU, Stanford and Cal. Frankly, if our team was playing with any kind of actual fight, I still think that we should have beaten all three and we should be 7-3 right now and feeling good about things.

That said, we are who we are and that's a bad football team. I just hope that we can beat CU and then let this turd of a season die.

I just don't see us beating Colorado this week. I'll be stunned if we hold them under 40.

 

[Stretch 74]

There were a small number of us who said that, and who pointed to the weaknesses in our game (and in our QB) even when we were 4-0. We were shouted down and called names by people who were blinded by the record and the ranking...and who I have to wonder if they were watching the games.

Unfortunately, we were right.

There were some of us out here that were excited about the 4 early wins, but had definite concerns with some of the flaws that showed up during those wins. But while not thinking we would be fighting for the championship of the league, we never imagined such a Hindenburg crash from the team that we have endured. OMG!

 

[How_did_this_happen?]

I think the difference between my take on this season and the average fan is that I didn't jump on the Kool-Aid train when we were 4-0. I knew Wisconsin wasn't an elite team, and they were better than us in the 2nd half. Oregon State allowed us to get off to a dream start and they played way off of our receivers. In the 2nd half, as was the case with Wisconsin, they were the better team and were ripping huge running plays at will.

UCLA was a game we could have taken control of early, and had we done so, I think we would have won. Arizona was a much better team than anyone knew at the time, and we're seeing that now. Oregon is elite, and we played fairly well down there. ASU was a disappointment, but they employed the perfect scheme for us. Do nothing stupid and pound the ball. Stanford was a huge turd of a game. No energy at all. Had we intercepted that pass in the 2nd half, we would have won. Cal was another game like UCLA. Had we not given them so many points early, the outcome could have been different.

Now the season is all but lost, and I expect Colorado to hang 40+ on us this week. UW, following yesterday's court result, may score 70.

I seriously doubt the Huskies will be thinking about a county court decision while they play us. They may indeed score 70+, but that has nothing to do with the legal system outcome thus far.

 

[BiggsCoug]

There were some of us out here that were excited about the 4 early wins, but had definite concerns with some of the flaws that showed up during those wins. But while not thinking we would be fighting for the championship of the league, we never imagined such a Hindenburg crash from the team that we have endured. OMG!

They are who I said they were. The staff did nothing to improve the team since the bowl game against Fresno State. That is who they are.

The season was made or lost against teams that had awful seasons last year. Dick has lost it all.

He was a terrible hire. He was a terrible extension after 10-9. Now what?

Chunk has no 2024 schedule to show the kids. None of them came to WSU to play G5, FCS or NAIA ball.

Black Monday could be coming for WSU.

 

[dgibbons]

They are who I said they were. The staff did nothing to improve the team since the bowl game against Fresno State. That is who they are.

The season was made or lost against teams that had awful seasons last year. Dick has lost it all.

He was a terrible hire. He was a terrible extension after 10-9. Now what?

Chunk has no 2024 schedule to show the kids. None of them came to WSU to play G5, FCS or NAIA ball.

Black Monday could be coming for WSU.

Jenkins is not who you said he was.

 

[CougPatrol]

They are who I said they were. The staff did nothing to improve the team since the bowl game against Fresno State. That is who they are.

The season was made or lost against teams that had awful seasons last year. Dick has lost it all.

He was a terrible hire. He was a terrible extension after 10-9. Now what?

Chunk has no 2024 schedule to show the kids. None of them came to WSU to play G5, FCS or NAIA ball.

Black Monday could be coming for WSU.

I don't think Dickert was necessarily a terrible hire, and frankly, had we hit a homerun hire instead of Dickert, that coach would be actively interviewing as I type. The same is true with the roster. Any legit power 4 athletes are going to be baited into the portal. Whether they jump or not is up to them.

I hear what you're saying about Dickert. The jury is still out on him, and he's one more bad season away from the hotseat, but in hindsight, he might be the perfect coach to navigate us through the transition. Young, positive, upbeat, and not carrying a budget-breaking salary. By the end of next season, we'll have a lot more clarity on the direction of the program.

I posted before that if WSU walks away with some decent settlement money, after the debts are paid, we need to create a coaching fund with some of the cash. The new PacWest conference isn't going to be on par with the SEC and B!G, but the head coaching jobs will still be coveted. We need to able to salary up and go after guys like Jeff Tedford (Fresno), Rocky Long & Brady Hoke (SDSU), Craig Bohl (Wyoming), etc. There are experienced coaches out there who would view the WSU job as a great gig.

 

[CougSinceBirth]

They are who I said they were. The staff did nothing to improve the team since the bowl game against Fresno State. That is who they are.

The season was made or lost against teams that had awful seasons last year. Dick has lost it all.

He was a terrible hire. He was a terrible extension after 10-9. Now what?

Chunk has no 2024 schedule to show the kids. None of them came to WSU to play G5, FCS or NAIA ball.

Black Monday could be coming for WSU.

"None of them came to WSU to play G5, FCS or NAIA ball."

This is across all WSU athletics too. It will highly impact soccer, volleyball, and WBB too (and I'd argue soccer and volleyball have been the most consistent programs since the late 2000s).

Imagine recruiting: "Hey we're WSU...we used to be P5, but now we're essentially a G5 athletic program, but it's the same thing..."

 

[CougPatrol]

"None of them came to WSU to play G5, FCS or NAIA ball."

This is across all WSU athletics too. It will highly impact soccer, volleyball, and WBB too (and I'd argue soccer and volleyball have been the most consistent programs since the late 2000s).

Imagine recruiting: "Hey we're WSU...we used to be P5, but now we're essentially a G5 athletic program, but it's the same thing..."

Who's going to recruit with that message? How about this instead.

"Hey, we're WSU. The best college town in the West coast competing in the best West Coast athletic conference. If you get offered by SC, UCLA, Stanford, UW, or Oregon, more power to you, but apart from those programs, you'd be crazy to go anywhere else."

 

[BiggsCoug]

"None of them came to WSU to play G5, FCS or NAIA ball."

This is across all WSU athletics too. It will highly impact soccer, volleyball, and WBB too (and I'd argue soccer and volleyball have been the most consistent programs since the late 2000s).

Imagine recruiting: "Hey we're WSU...we used to be P5, but now we're essentially a G5 athletic program, but it's the same thing..."

This is a huge hit. Maybe fans are fine with it. Maybe some kids will be too. But there are athletes that did not come for this. They are leaving.

 

[CougEd]

This is a huge hit. Maybe fans are fine with it. Maybe some kids will be too. But there are athletes that did not come for this. They are leaving.

Yep.. guess what … people were coming after them if we are 7-4 and we are still in same conference .

Francis Maigoa and Trey Brown left. Imagine how much better our second level would look with them on the field ?

Stribbling left…

who were our best backers due to come back ? Brown and Maigoa …

Our best Wr ? Stribbling ?

And i would be surprised if nothing changed if Hicks and Wade were coming back .

I would have. even surprised if ward came back .

We are the farm team for others .

 

[CougPatrol]

Yep.. guess what … people were coming after them if we are 7-4 and we are still in same conference .

Francis Maigoa and Trey Brown left. Imagine how much better our second level would look with them on the field ?

Stribbling left…

who were our best backers due to come back ? Brown and Maigoa …

Our best Wr ? Stribbling ?

And i would be surprised if nothing changed if Hicks and Wade were coming back .

I would have. even surprised if ward came back .

We are the farm team for others .

At the end of the day, we have to figure out a way to compete in the glorified G5. Boise State did for years. So did Cincinatti, Fresno State, Tulane, SMU, Memphis, and SDSU. Hell, even Wyoming won at Texas Tech this year.

This is going to be a giant chit burger for a couple of years, but moving forward, we have to move on. I've been to just about every MWC campus, and WSU's is better than all of them minus maybe SDSU. Whether we like it or not we have to play the hand we're dealt.

 

[CougSinceBirth]

Who's going to recruit with that message? How about this instead.

"Hey, we're WSU. The best college town in the West coast competing in the best West Coast athletic conference. If you get offered by SC, UCLA, Stanford, UW, or Oregon, more power to you, but apart from those programs, you'd be crazy to go anywhere else."

Athlete: "Do you play against the best West Coast schools on a regular basis? No? Okay, well thanks."

 

[CougSinceBirth]

This is a huge hit. Maybe fans are fine with it. Maybe some kids will be too. But there are athletes that did not come for this. They are leaving.

100% this.

 

[Scarlet Matador]

Neither Texas QB on roster will be back next year!!

 

[BleedCrimsonandGray]

At the end of the day, we have to figure out a way to compete in the glorified G5. Boise State did for years. So did Cincinatti, Fresno State, Tulane, SMU, Memphis, and SDSU. Hell, even Wyoming won at Texas Tech this year.

This is going to be a giant chit burger for a couple of years, but moving forward, we have to move on. I've been to just about every MWC campus, and WSU's is better than all of them minus maybe SDSU. Whether we like it or not we have to play the hand we're dealt.

AF is pretty kick ass. Its a 1B to Pullman's 1A, and honestly Pullman only gets that from me because I have emotional ties to the campus as a former student.

 

[CougPatrol]

Athlete: "Do you play against the best West Coast schools on a regular basis? No? Okay, well thanks."

Yup, we're going to lose out on athletes good enough to play Power Conference football. Of course, we've almost always lost out on athletes good enough to play for other power conference schools.

Since 2010, here's the tally of NFL drafted players by some MWC teams vs. WSU:

Boise State 31 players drafted into the NFL
SDSU 24
Fresno State 15
Utah State 13
Wyoming 11
Colorado State 10
Hawaii 8

WSU has had 15.
Oregon State has had 25

 

[CougSinceBirth]

Yup, we're going to lose out on athletes good enough to play Power Conference football. Of course, we've almost always lost out on athletes good enough to play for other power conference schools.

Since 2010, here's the tally of NFL drafted players by some MWC teams vs. WSU:

Boise State 31 players drafted into the NFL
SDSU 24
Fresno State 15
Utah State 13
Wyoming 11
Colorado State 10
Hawaii 8

WSU has had 15.
Oregon State has had 25

This has larger implications than just football. Soccer and volleyball, two of the most consistent and wildly successful programs at WSU...same argument. WBB, finally on the up and up...same argument.

 

[CougPatrol]

This has larger implications than just football. Soccer and volleyball, two of the most consistent and wildly successful programs at WSU...same argument. WBB, finally on the up and up...same argument.

Women's sports will hit a bump like all of our programs, but once the conference issue sorts out, we'll still be an attractive destination for female athletes. Pullman has one of the better game day atmospheres for Volleyball and Soccer on the West coast.

 

[CougSinceBirth]

Women's sports hit a bump like all of our programs, but once the conference issue sorts out, we'll still be an attractive destination for female athletes. Pullman has one of the better game day atmospheres for Volleyball and Soccer on the West coast.

And I'll go back to this:

Athlete: "Do you play against the best West Coast schools on a regular basis? No? Okay, well thanks."

Volleyball has a recruiting leg up because having Bohler as volleyball only is huge, but that isn't going to make up losing P5 status. Soccer facilities are also nice, but game day atmosphere isn't going to make up for not being a P5.

Those female athletes will look elsewhere now.

 

[CougPatrol]

And I'll go back to this:

Athlete: "Do you play against the best West Coast schools on a regular basis? No? Okay, well thanks."

Volleyball has a recruiting leg up because having Bohler as volleyball only is huge, but that isn't going to make up losing P5 status. Soccer facilities are also nice, but game day atmosphere isn't going to make up for not being a P5.

Those female athletes will look elsewhere now.

Of course they will in the short term. Once things mellow out, I disagree that game day atmosphere won't matter.

 

[PeteTheChop]

We are the farm team for others .

ED, keep your head up. 😎

For every starter or top backup who looks into the portal, a player who's just as good or maybe even better may be looking WSU's way.

Gotta figure CJD and his staff have a good plan going forward

 

[BiggsCoug]

ED, keep your head up. 😎

For every starter or top backup who looks into the portal, a player who's just as good or maybe even better may be looking WSU's way.

Gotta figure CJD and his staff have a good plan going forward

Like the plan they had after last season that led WSU to 1-6 in league play this year?

I’d love to see their plan.

If WSU finishes 1-8 in league play fire them all. Enough excuses.

 

[Loyal Coug1]

Women's sports hit a bump like all of our programs, but once the conference issue sorts out, we'll still be an attractive destination for female athletes. Pullman has one of the better game day atmospheres for Volleyball and Soccer on the West coast.

Coach/Recruiter: Hey come to WSU for the quality small town atmosphere and a packed stadium/filed to compete in/on.

Young woman athlete: Anything else?

Coach/recruiter: Well we do have a troublesome alum who has a thing for long legged sexy young women with long flowing hair. But no worries - local police are constantly on the prowl for that dirty old man.

Young woman: well hell is he cute, and does he have any money? And is it thin and short?

Coach: well hell yes and yes. Oh and yes.

Young woman: Where do I sign?

Sincerely the mighty Loyal one. And for the hundreds of young ladies constantly prowling this site, I'm totally kidding. Except for the "is he cute" part.