First-year coach Paul Wulff will face tough challenges this coming football season.
According to experts, analysts, and fans, Washington State has the thinnest football roster, in terms of depth, in the Pac-10. If you're looking for an argument to that assertion here, forget about it.
Is there any reason to rationally believe that the Cougars will win any games this year?
The answer is an emphatic, "You betcha!"
For that answer to have any grounding in the real world, there has to be a reason. Maybe even a reason or two?
A couple of stories from the sports world yesterday, June 17, 2008, lead us into reasoning that WSU is going to win football games this year.
If you are a Boston Celtic fan, watching the sixth and last game of the NBA Finals last night was Christmas-come-early. The Celtics ended any debate over what team was the best in the league this year. Boston was the best. Debating that point is nothing short of foolishness and just plain silly.
Were the Los Angeles Lakers the second-best team in the NBA this year? Though coach Phil Jackson's team made it to the Finals, there's no disputing they were NOT the second best team in the NBA if you base the ranking on talent.
Sure, Kobe Bryant is the best player in the league. But the overall roster talent of the Lakers just barely places them in the Top FIve.
Coach Jackson managed to instill a level of focus, intensity, and desire in his players to lead them into the Finals. Arguing that the talent of the Lakers was as good as anyone else still leaves the question unanswered as to how they made it to the Finals.
The Lakers players knew they could win. They wanted to win. It looked as though they were going to win a championship until they went up against a team that equalled their focus, intensity, and desire while besting them in overall talent.
The Celtics hustled, banged, sacrificed bodies, played through pain, and mauled their way to a championship. About midway through the second quarter of the sixth game last night, Boston broke the will of the Lakers players, opening the way for their superior talent to completely dominate play.
So you're probably wondering where Tiger Woods comes into this.
Prior to the Celtics victory last night, news broke that Tiger will miss the rest of the PGA Tour this season.
Yes, the guy who just won his 14th major title by besting the field in our country's golf championship, the U.S. Open, over 91 holes of play, did so while contending with a couple of serious injuries.
Tiger will undergo reconstructive surgery to repair his ACL. On top of that, he has a double stress fracture of his tibia.
Let's take a moment to review the ACL and tibia.
The ACL is the most important ligament connecting bones in the knee joint. In golf, efficient and effective transition of body weight during the swing is controlled by the left knee.
Tiger's left knee has been weak since he injured it jogging last July. Last July, folks! Arthroscopic surgery couldn't repair it properly, necessitating reconstructive surgery.
The tibia is that shinbone thing in your leg. It helps support your weight when you walk. Tiger's double stress fracture in his left leg weakens his ability to support weight at the foundation of his golf swing.
Oh yeah—it will affect the way he walks around 91 holes of golf en route to a tournament victory and major championship.
Tiger's win at the U.S. Open comes after diminishing his athletic talent to something comparable with every other professional golfer.
Three things led to Woods' U.S. Open win. Focus. Intensity. Desire.
The challenge of winning football games this coming season for Coach Wulff and the Cougars can be met if they excel in three areas: focus, intensity, and desire.
Each and every time the Cougs run onto the playing field this coming season, they will have a roster that is less talented than their opponent. Yikes! It pains me to concede that point, but that's the way it is.
Coach Wulff and his players will maximize their performance if their strength is grounded in those three coachable areas: focus, intensity, and desire. If winning a game comes down to outmatching their opposition with athletic talent, the Cougs will fall short.
How did Stanford beat USC last season on the Trojans' home field?
How did WSU beat Texas in the 2003 Holiday Bowl?
You know the answer.
Can Coach Wulff teach that to his players?
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3 months ago
I can hear "eye of the tiger" playing in the background.
Adriannnnnnnnneeeeee!!!!!
from 3 months ago
Are you saying that all the Cougs home games will be played in Philadelphia?
Lew
3 months ago
they may lack depth but they still have some great athletes on offense and in that front 7
from 3 months ago
Hey Doug,
No question about some great athletes on offense. If Anderson does make the Olympic team, they will have a legitimate world class speedster at wide out. If Tardy returns to the form he had prior to his injury, the Cougs will have a top running back. Those are the ify's on offense. Otherwise, the Cougs are definitely going to score some points this coming year.
On defense, can't say that I share your judgment on the front 7. Excellent linebacking corps, but the D-line may not scare anyone.
At this point, it's all guess work. That's what makes it fun! After a couple of weeks in fall practice, we'll know more about all the conference schools.
Lew
3 months ago
This was great! The Cougs can go nowhere but up! Their biggest problem is D, as usual. Pullman is a &%& to recruit from...it's like Mars there. I honestly think they will be near the bottom of the pac-10, but better than Stanford and Washington. They will surprise someone this year. Beautiful article...5 stars! Pa-louse!
from 3 months ago
Hey Lisa,
Could be a year of shockers in the Pac-10. Projecting the Cougs to finish last is nothing new. Not gonna happen this season though. They will compete. They will definitely represent.
Thanks for the props.
Cougar Lew
3 months ago
Smells like school spirit to me. Be sure to add Cougar Pride...to focus, intensity, and desire. It will take all of that and more, but the Cougs will be a surprise to many this year. I'm as much concerned with the "health" of our first stringers as I am to their determination. The players know more than any of us that they're coming in as underdogs. If Wulff can inspire them to overachieve with what they have...and if they can stay healthy...we should have a memorable season from this young core of talent. Be ready to be surprised.
Go Cougs!
from 3 months ago
Hey Geoff,
Depth will be a real challenge for Coach Wulff and his staff. Then again, it seems that is the case year in and year out for the Cougs. This year is thinner than usual though.
You're right about Cougar Pride Geoff. Took that for granted as it's pretty hard to live in Pullman for more than two weeks and not have crimson and gray running through your veins.
Lew
3 months ago
brandon gibson worries me, hope he doesn't go "jason hill 05" on the bears this season
from 3 months ago
Hey bowlbasaur,
Gibson is a special receiver. He will worry a lot of coaches this coming season. His effectiveness will be tied to whether or not Anderson is ready to go this fall. It's looking more and more like Anderson will be on the Olympic team, missing all of fall practice at a minimum. Since Coach Wulff is putting in a new offense, that's going to make it tough on the sophomore.
What's important about Anderson? He's the only other legitimate deep threat on the roster at this point.
How do you think your Bears are going to do this season? You've got experience at QB, but defense?
Lew
from 3 months ago
Bears go 9-3 this season, L @ usc, @ zona and @ ore st---> holiday bowl, maybe sun bowl depending.
The defense should actually be the strong point early in the season with 9 returners and switching to the only 3-4 base in the league. If the Bears can finally find a pass rush for the first time since 04 the D will be top 2 or 3 in the league, but thats a big IF with too many fat ass samoans on the DL.
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