Who Will Be Everyone's Favorite Underdog for 2016 College Football Season?

Imagine, if you will, that you're brand new to college football. This is a difficult concept to grasp, I know, but clear your mind. Pretend for a moment that your memory was neuralyzed Men in Black style and there's this whole new sport you've decided to pick up, like Premier League soccer. 

Which team should you support? Better yet, because nobody likes a bandwagon fan, which underdog is the favorite for the 2016 season?

Holly Anderson, formerly of Grantland, mapped out a case-by-case "Plan B" team for curious minds last year. However, we're going to do the work for you and give you the underdog team to get behind for 2016. 

What makes the perfect underdog? They need to be "on the rise," first of all. This means the chosen team has either a lot of returning talent, got hot at the end of last season or, preferably, both. Put another way, it needs to pose a legitimate threat to the big boys in its division and/or conference. 

Next, this team needs a passionate, but somewhat under-appreciated fanbase. Low bandwagon potential is key here. The support system needs a solid foundation, but it can't be too in your face. Sorry, #FSUTwitter. 

Third, what makes an underdog fun is its individuality. We're talking a quirky head coach or memorable player, a crazy fun offense or a fun rivalry. There needs to be something to which the casual fan can attach itself. There doesn't need to be a rich history and tradition, but some lore is required. 

Finally, and most importantly, there has to be an element of mystery and intrigue. For example, Tennessee is the SEC team everyone is already talking about for 2016. Let's go for something less obvious. Coupling with that, this team needs to have a sense of unpredictability. Safety is for losers. Introduce a little anarchy. For all the criteria that we just laid out, our underdog team needs to be a tree house supported by at least one moldy 2x4 that's ready to give at a moment's notice. You might be fine and enjoy an overnight slumber party with your friends. Or, just as easily, you find yourself crashing down to the ground at 2 a.m. 

With all of that in mind, we've found the perfect fit. Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to your new (second) favorite team: the Washington State Cougars. 

Fly the flag! 

Fanbase 

The flag is as good a place to start as any. You want a passionate fanbase? How about one that appears at every College GameDay site with an accompanying flag waving in the background? It's not obnoxious nor overdone, but rather a firm reminder that, rain or shine, winning or losing, Washington State has a football team. And, for some reason lost in the pulse of Saturday morning crowds, you need to know this fact. 

Generally speaking, fan attendance for home games is solid. In an era of overall declining home game attendance, Wazzu stands strong. According to numbers obtained by Jon Solomon of CBSSports, the Cougars averaged 29,407 fans per home game. Martin Stadium holds just under 33,000, meaning Wazzu's home games averaged about 89 percent capacity. In 2014, Washington State averaged nearly 31,000 fans (home and away) per game, per the NCAA. 

Success

As a program, Washington State has seen the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. In 1997, Wazzu won the Pac-10 and played Michigan in the Rose Bowl back when it could determine national champions. In 2002, the Cougars once again won the Pac-10 and played Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl. Want some big-name players? Quarterbacks Drew Bledsoe and Ryan Leaf had their moments. Washington State isn't overrun by Heisman winners and All-Americans, but there are enough recognizable names. 

Winning has been harder to come by lately, though. The Bill Doba and Paul Wulff eras (2003-11) were miserable by every imaginable angle. There was only one winning season, Doba's first in '03, and no bowl appearances from 2004 to '12. 

The Mike Leach era (2012-present) has rekindled some of the magic Washington State has dabbled in over the years. In 2015, Leach was named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year after leading the Cougars to a 9-4 record. Still, the "bandwagon" potential is invitingly low. The Cougars haven't won a Pac-12 North title since the conference split into two divisions in 2011. However, there was a time last year midseason when, technically, Washington State was in a position to win the division. 

The Leach Factor

On that subject, you can do a lot worse than getting behind a Mike Leach-coached team. Imagine if former South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier and director Stanley Kubrick were biologically meshed into one person in a lab. You'd have Leach. He's a walking quote machine but has an eclectic style. 

This is a man perfectly suited for Pullman, Washington, just as he was a perfect fit for Lubbock, Texas, as Texas Tech's head coach from 2000-09. Leach and small, isolated college towns go together. 

That, and Leach is the most extreme disciple of the Air Raid offense. If you love lots of passing and no punting (or defense), Washington State is your team. Sure, it might lose to Cal 60-59 on a missed 19-yard field goal, but not before throwing for 734 yards. Last season, only Baylor and Purdue attempted more fourth downs all season. Conversely, Wazzu ranked 117th in number of punts. 

Leach will go for it just about any time, anywhere on the field. And bless him for it. 

Quirks

Washington State is, in a word, weird. That's why Leach is such a perfect fit. Nothing encapsulated this weirdness like the '15 season when the Cougars lost in Week 1 to Portland State of the Football Championship Subdivision...and then won six of their final eight games, including a 45-38 victory over Oregon. 

In fact, the most Washington State thing possible was Stanford's Halloween night road trip to Pullman. The Cardinal won 30-28 on a go-ahead field goal, but that was a perfect storm of quirky factors.

Washington State will give you some upsets, or at the very least, some close calls. It'll also do the football equivalent of tripping in a store filled with fine china. There's nothing boring about the Cougars. 

2016 Outlook

Ultimately, this is what matters; the rest is extra. Washington State won't be a preseason pick to win the Pac-12 North, but if there's any year someone can break the Oregon/Stanford reign, this is it. The Cardinal return Heisman finalist Christian McCaffrey but have to break in a new quarterback, offensive line and several members of their defense. Similarly, Oregon is relying on another grad transfer quarterback (Dakota Prukop, Montana State) and had one of the worst pass defenses in the Pac-12 a year ago. 

Granted, Oregon and Stanford have reloaded year after year as well as any two programs in college football, but the North division feels as wide-open as it's ever been. The door is cracked for Wazzu. 

If nothing else, Washington State is going to be a nightmare for defenses once again. Luke Falk is the best quarterback nobody talks about (David Ubben of Sports on Earth wrote this very thing last fall). Last season, he ranked first in the nation in passing yards per game (380.1)—nearly 20 yards more per game than the No. 2 guy, Cal's Jared Goff. 

Nonconference play can be a breeze, but Washington State opens the year against Eastern Washington (no easy task) and Boise State. Frankly, the possibility of the Cougars dropping one of those games is quite real. They could also then make a spectacular run through the Pac-12 and possibly make the conference title game. 

Or, they could finish 3-9. The trajectory of Wazzu's program under Leach is undeniably going up, but the risk of total collapse shouldn't be ignored. What if Falk gets hurt? After all, the Cougars have given up an astounding 76 sacks over the last two seasons. 

That uncertainty is part of the excitement, though, especially if you're not a diehard supporter. Washington State often plays late at night when #Pac12AfterDark gets funky, so pour yourself a cup of coffee and prepare for things to get weird. 

At the very least, following Washington State as a secondary fan won't lack excitement. 

Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand. All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com.