See? Everybody’s smiling.

The Prediction: 10th. Meaningless.

The Oddity: One first-place vote for California. The only school other than USC to get that honor. The Golden Bears were fourth in overall voting. Speaking of which, here are the rankings:

1. USC – 389
2. Arizona State – 330
3. Oregon – 295
4. Cal – 274
5. UCLA – 204
6. Oregon State – 192
7. Arizona – 185
8. Washington – 139
9. Stanford – 76
10. WSU – 61

Which means it is about time I offered up my own opinion. So here goes:

1. USC
2. ASU
3. Oregon
4. Cal
5. Arizona
6. UCLA
7. Washington
8. Washington State
9. Oregon State
10. Stanford

Did I mention pre-season rankings are meaningless? Unless, of course, I get this right at the end of the season. In which case I will crown myself as a Pac-10 football guru this winter. That’s just how sportswriting works, folks.

Quote of the Day: “This isn’t a deal where we want to pass first, run second. We want to run the football.” Maybe not the most intriguing sound byte from media day, but certainly the most telling of how the Cougar offense will actually pan out in 2008. And I’m glad. Wulff reminded the media that the new offense is not a spread, rather a hurry-up, and that WSU will look to pound the bound every bit as much as throw it over the top.

This is great news for a few reasons. One, it means there may be some hope for a red zone offense that has been so terrible in recent seasons, I can’t not even describe it with a word. So I am forced to make one up. Craptawfuble. In fact, the goal line portion of the offense has been so craptawfuble that it struggled to score even with the unstoppable force of Jed Collins (occasionally) in the backfield. So, with a solid offensive line this season and Dwight Tardy at halfback, the Cougs should have the ability to run with some confidence. And as the yards on the ground go up, the more the passing game benefits. And the more confidence that Tardy has, the more likely the ball is to actually cross the goal line. It’s science.

The other reason this is good news is for the aforementioned benefits to the passing game. Gary Rogers will be challenged enough this year with a new offense. It would be hard for him to do anything if opposing defenses begin to focus solely on our high-powered passing game. Sometimes the running game can help without even gaining yards. Just keeping the defense honest at the line of scrimmage allows the wide receivers to work on getting open against fewer defensive backs. Since Brandon Gibson is going to be double-teamed a bazillion times this year, we need as many opponents focusing on the running game as possible. Wulff knows this, and knows he has to commit to the running game to make it happen.

Brandon Gibson, Still Awesome: “I believe every time I touch the ball, I want to do something special with it. I think they kind of expect that out of me.”

The last time I believed a player was capable of that statement was Michael Bumpus. Of course, as defenses began to key in on Bumpus or just avoid punting it to him altogether, a lot of the magic was lost. It could be the same problem for Gibson this season. He will be the focus of the defense. If he can still find a way to be a scoring threat every time he touches the ball, then we’re in business.

Losing Bumpus also hurts Gibson’s game, but not as much as you may think. Jeshua Anderson is so ridiculously fast that a lot of teams may consider re-assigning their fastest defensive back to him instead of Gibson. The receiving corps as a whole is also deep enough to be a help. Just hope they stay healthy.

–

That’s all I have for now. Let’s close with the Pac-10 media member motto:

If you’re not sure, rank Washington State last.

I believe it’s engraved on the side of the L.A. Times building.

OK. So I’m not going to take as much offense to this as the Gary Rogers ranking, but here’s where Ted Miller ranks Cougar kicker Wade Penner among his conference counterparts. And yes, it’s only out of ten players:

10. Wade Penner, So, Washington State: Kicker has been uneven, at best, for the Cougars in recent years. Penner showed promise during the spring.

Replace the word “kicker” with “Loren Langley” for a more accurate analysis of the Cougars’ PK struggles in recent seasons. Romeen Abdollmohammodi wasn’t necessarily a solid kicker either, but remember that he was a walk on who had never kicked a meaningful ball through the uprights until college. With that under consideration, I think he did pretty well.

The interesting thing about this is that last I checked, Patrick Rooney was an early favorite to claim the starter’s job. Take that with a grain of salt, though. The competition won’t be decided for certain until fall camp is over. Even then - the winner is a couple of shanks away from conceding the job to the #2. With that in mind, Penner at #10 isn’t too much of a stretch. He has to earn a job first, then a higher ranking.

We don’t know much about Penner’s in-game ability to make field goals. What we do know is that his kickoffs seemed to get a couple yards shorter with every game he played. Now this could mean his leg strength deteriorated, or that Doba’s crew wanted him to get more air under the ball. Regardless, I just pray that the words “squib kick” aren’t in Paul Wulff’s vocabulary. I’m sure Penner would be thankful for that as well.

Back to Ted Miller, who actually doesn’t hate on all Cougs. He ranked Brandon Gibson second among receivers and the O-line fifth in the conference. Still, Miller’s rankings are representative of a general media attitude towards the Cougs. That is, if you’re not sure about them, rank ‘em last.

It’s an attitude we’ll almost certainly see when the media rankings come out Thursday.

[credit: vegascoug123; YouTube]

On January 19th the Cougars were still in the midst of a thirteen game losing streak to the Oregon Ducks. Amazing how in just two months it turned into a three game winning streak.

Hey there, former Seattle P-I and current ESPN.com writer Ted Miller! How do you rank the Pac-10’s quarterbacks for this upcoming season?

[sitting on the edge of my seat]

First, let’s have some background:

This is not a bumper year for Pac-10 QBs. Only three schools are locked at the position: Tuitama, Carpenter and Locker.

There’s a clear leader at four schools — Oregon (Nate Costa), UCLA (Olson), USC (Sanchez) and Washington State (Gary Rogers). But it wouldn’t be shocking if any of the four lost his job at some point this season.

This is what is known in the sports writing world as “covering one’s behind”. I probably would be shocked if Olson, Sanchez or Rogers lost their job. Costa wouldn’t surprise me because he’s a sophomore and hasn’t really proven anything yet. Olson and Rogers are seniors; Sanchez is a junior who used to be one of the most highly touted QB recruits in the nation. So 3 of those 4 are fairly safe.

Meanwhile, competitions are wide open at California (Longshore vs. Kevin Riley), Oregon State (Lyle Moevao vs. Sean Canfield) and Stanford (Tavita Prichard vs. Jason Forcier, Alex Loukas and Andrew Luck).

Excellent. I’m sure we can pencil in sure-fire starter Gary Rogers above any one of those other questionable starters. So - where do you rank Pullman’s laser rocket arm?

10. Gary Rogers, Sr., Washington State: He’s huge — 6-foot-7, 233 pounds — but he’s an unproven guy running a new offense. Helps that he has a solid group of receivers, led by Brandon Gibson.

The only way this could be more absurd would be to rank Gary behind a quarterback who completed just 50% of his passes last year with nine interceptions and five TDs. Oh wait…

9. Tavita Prichard, Sr., Stanford: He beat USC, which is good, but he didn’t do much else. He completed just 50 percent of his passes with nine interceptions and five TDs.

So to sum up:

Fluke win over USC > Backing up a 3 1/2 year college starter who is currently on a NFL roster

He also ranks Gary behind Longshore and Moevao, both of whom he mentions earlier as being in QB races that are “wide open” for the starter’s job. ASU’s Rudy Carpenter is number one, followed by Tuitama, Sanchez and Locker.

But hey, give Miller credit for the attempt. I thought about countering with my rankings for the year, but I don’t have the guts to. There are still races up in the air right now, plus injuries that are sure to happen, and I would be tempted to completely over-rate Gary Rogers. Still, there is no way he’s the worst quarterback in the conference. Especially if you’re into 6′7″, 230 pound quarterbacks…. laser rocket arm… heck, I’ll let Peyton do the talking:

Tentatively: (Source: Pac-10 website)

Sat., Nov. 15 Legends Classic (1)
Tues., Nov. 18 Legends Classic (1)
Fri., Nov. 21 Sacramento State
Sun., Nov. 23 Mississippi Valley State
Fri., Nov. 28 at Legends Classic (2)
Sat., Nov. 29 at Legends Classic (2)
Tues., Dec. 2 Idaho State
Sat., Dec. 6 Baylor (3)
Wed., Dec. 10 Gonzaga
Sat., Dec. 13 vs. Montana State (4)
Sat., Dec. 20 at Idaho
Sat., Dec. 27 at LSU
Sat., Jan. 3 Washington
Thurs., Jan. 8 California
Sat., Jan. 10 Stanford
Thurs., Jan. 15 at Oregon State
Sat., Jan. 17 at Oregon
Thurs., Jan. 22 UCLA
Sat., Jan. 24 USC
Thurs., Jan. 29 at Arizona State
Sat., Jan. 31 at Arizona
Thurs., Feb. 5 at Stanford
Sun., Feb. 7 at California
Thurs., Feb. 12 Oregon
Sat., Feb. 14 Oregon State
Thurs., Feb. 19 at USC
Sat., Feb. 21 at UCLA
Thurs., Feb. 26 Arizona
Sat., Feb. 28 Arizona State
Sat., Mar. 8 at Washington
Mar. 11-14 at Pac-10 Tournament (5)
(1) Legends Classic, Pullman, Wash.
(2) Legends Classic, Newark, N.J.
(3) Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series
(4) Seattle, Wash. (KeyArena)
(5) Los Angeles, Calif. (Staples Center)

Home games in bold.

Alright, let’s talk about this. After the jump.

The Legends Classic - The teams are still TBA, but I really like the idea of having the first two rounds of a pre-season tournament played in the friendly confines of Beasley Coliseum. If the Cougs can make it past the first two rounds they head to Newark, NJ - the same general area they could have made it to had they advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in the 2007 NCAA Tournament. The games will be played at the brand new Prudential Center - which aptly enough looks more like a financial center than a sports venue. A very good opportunity for the Cougs to up the RPI early on in the season.

Sacramento State/MVSU - MVSU made the tournament last season, so they’re not the usual tiny-school pushover. Still, these are easier squads placed on the schedule to sell home tickets and give the young guys a chance to gain some confidence. Expect some thunderous dunks from DeAngelo Casto in these games.

Baylor - This should be a great game, especially with Baylor looking to get redemption after the Cougars’ biggest come-from-behind victory last season. Barring a mammoth start from Wazzu this probably will not be a battle of ranked teams. But it should be a lot of fun.

Gonzaga - After Austin Daye’s ACL injury at the LeBron camp, this game suddenly looks a lot more competitive on paper. The Zags are looking to avoid a third straight loss to the Cougars. Five years ago that statement would sound completely ridiculous.

Montana State (in Seattle) - Meh. Should be a lot of fun, though. They serve beer at KeyArena!

at Idaho - I’m coming for you, Mac Hopson. You will be heckled. At a “home” game in Moscow.

at LSU - Finally that big non-conference game against a big non-conference opponent. It’s OK to hate Trent Johnson a little less.

Washington - What can I say about this that hasn’t already been said on the Cougfan boards? It’s a scheduling joke. January 3rd is a full week before students come back from break, and thanks in part to WSU’s policy of closing the dorms whenever possible, the student side may be stretched thin.

But I say so what? The fans that care, the ones who really want to be there, will be there. Better to have 9,000 hardcore Coug fans in attendance than a full 11,500 made up of bandwagoners and “F*** the Huskies” chanters.

My real problem with this lies in the fact that once again the Cougars rivalry week falls at the beginning and the end of the conference season. Which means no Thursday nights off for WSU through sixteen consecutive Pac-10 conference games. That is completely ridiculous. Take Arizona State, for example, who gets two nights off (1/24 and 2/19) right in the heart of the conference season. Making the Cougars play Thurs/Sat every week through the middle of the conference slate is unfair and shows a large amount of carelessness by the Pac-10 schedulemakers. It is the second straight season this has happened.

There is one positive: The Cougars’ second Thursday night break comes in the last week, which means the Cougs have somewhat of a “bye” before the Pac-10 and postseason tournaments. That’s a good thing, especially when your team is exhausted after a long season.

Outside of that grueling four game conference road trip, I like the schedule. A maximum of 17 home games, quality opponents, and some fluff mixed in to give the freshmen some confidence. It is a “trial by fire” for the young Cougars, but when you play in the Pac-10, what schedule isn’t? Also, a better non-conference RPI will only help WSU if they find themselves on the bubble next season.

Number Notes

0 - The numerical roster is out and Marcus Capers is rocking the zero for the first time in the Tony Bennett era.

1 - This concerns me. Klay Thompson wears the dreaded number one, which was last worn by Stephen Sauls (injured, transferred), then Mac Hopson (transferred), and before that Josh Akognon (transferred). I really hope Klay is the guy who breaks the jinx on the numero uno. And I have no reason to believe Thompson’s choice of jersey number will make him whine about playing time or get knocked out in practice. (Knocks on wood extremely loudly)

3 - Mike Harthun makes a solid jersey number choice.

13 - Fabian Boeke, who hails from my favorite foreign country (Germany), wears my favorite number.

23 - DeAngelo Casto - in terms of dunking, he’s the closest thing WSU will have to Jordan next season.

42 - James Watson gets #42.

44 - Nick Witherill, a smaller guard, chooses #44, normally a big man number. There’s got to be a story behind that.

John Allen, the walk-on guard, hasn’t chosen a jersey number yet. I suggest “00″, as it is awesome, and with a “0″ already on the roster should confuse the heck out of the FSN announcers.

Per Cougfan, Martin Stadium is all set to have a 4,500 pound, $400,000 bronze Cougar sculpture displayed in all its glory by November 8th.

Of course it may not even be “Martin Stadium” by November, with rumors floating around that someone may be planning to pick up the tab for stadium naming rights. Boeing is the name that gets tossed around the most, but at this point it appears this rumor is nothing more than that.

By the way, a note on the “Big Blue Heart”, the atrocity that stands at the corner of Stadium Way (hey, that’s the name of this blog) and Grimes Way. For all you students arriving at orientation over the summer: it hasn’t always been there. You can, and you should, be angry about its existence. In two years I’ve watched as 783 letters to the Evergreen about the heart each week have slowly faded into pure apathy. Don’t give in - with a little help from everyone, we can attack this heart.

As for other Cougar news, well, there’s just not much out there. Arizona recruit Brandon Jennings is headed to Europe - something you can read more about over at WSU Hoops. There are a couple of football recruits in as well - check Cougfan for that. Grippi’s blog has been dead the last week, topics on the Cougfan board have included lame personal attacks on Seattle by OKC basketball fans, and tumbleweeds are rolling across Highway 26 in record numbers. I am struggling to find any sort of material for my Cougfan column; something I hope my editors there can forgive me for.

It is the dog days of summer, but we’ll try to keep it interesting with Offseason Videos of the Week and any late breaking Coug news that seems to fly in. Enjoy the warm weather, folks.

Courtesy kapoleicoug on YouTube

How great is it that Hawaiian newscasters get to wear Hawaiian shirts?

This week’s video is Honolulu’s local television station profiling Derrick Low at the Pan Am Games last summer. Yes, it’s old, but if you’re like me (meaning you didn’t have a chance to see the Pan Am games on TV) you’re seeing these highlights for the first time.

Watching a tape like this makes you wonder why Low wasn’t drafted into the NBA last Month. Certainly he’s not a first rounder, but if you watched WSU closely you know how hard Derrick worked in his career to make himself into the team’s leading scorer. That’s why if I’m an NBA exec I take Low late in the second round, because there’s nothing to lose and everything to gain in terms of upside. He’s not flashy, but he can at the very least distribute the ball and catch-and-shoot with the best of them.

So a gold star goes to Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks, who got a good deal on an underrated player.

Yes, the Sonics are leaving Seattle. Evil defeats good, and NBA owners everywhere get a free pass to hold their own cities hostage for new arenas someday. There’s two things here I wanted to note:

1. The terms of the settlement state that Bennett could owe the city an additional $30 million if the team does not have a new franchise in place within five years. That’s good news for Sonic fans as it puts pressure on the NBA to find Seattle another team if an arena deal gets done.

2. Don’t hold any ill will toward Oklahoma City or their fans. They’re good people who just wanted a sports team. Yes, it is ugly how they got it, but it isn’t their fault. They’d prefer the Hornets, but between Katrina and Clay Bennett the Sonics became the only option. It is still absolutely fine to dislike Bennett.

A Cougar Uniform note: Cougfan.com reports Paul Wulff is going with the ‘Cougars’ script helmets at home, and the Crimson and white Coug head helmets on the road. As a fan of the Coug head on the gray helmets I have to say I’m disappointed.

Kyle Weaver (left) with new teammates Alexis Ajinca (center) and D.J. Augustin (right)

The NBA Draft was, without a doubt, a benchmark evening for Pac-10 basketball. Five of the first eleven picks belonged to the conference, seven were taken in the first round (a draft record), and twelve players in all were selected. The Pac-10, regarded as possibly the best conference in the land prior to last season, regained some of the notoriety it lost following a disappointing showing at the NCAA tournament for some of its teams. The top three (UCLA, Stanford and WSU) performed well, but the remainder of the conference representatives were duds, leaving some national pundits to mark the Pac-10 as overrated.

So, with all of the picks in, how did the NBA do in evaluating talent from the “conference of champions”? I’ll take a look at each individual pick from the draft, and then tell you if I thought the player was underrated, overrated, or “just right”. Let’s start near the top of the draft board, with the third pick and the Minnesota T-Wolves.

#3 - Minnesota Timberwolves (traded to Memphis) - OJ Mayo, G, USC - With all the superlatives being tossed around about Mayo by ESPN’s draft crew, not once did I hear the most glaring criticism available. Nope, it took another Coug blogger, WSU Hoops’ Jeff Nusser, to uncover Mayo’s dirty secret earlier this season. He can’t get to the free throw line. In a league where Kobe Bryant lowers his head and charges down the lane with no hope of getting a basket, the NBA makes it an emphasis to bail players out with the whistle. And if Mayo wants to become the player people seem to think he is, he’ll have to learn to be a little more aggressive driving to the basket. Seeing as how he was the #1 prospect before the season started, Memphis gets good value making the trade for number three. Result: Just Right

#4 - The Seattle Supersonics of Oklahoma City Basketball Club/Litigation Firm - Russell Westbrook- G, UCLA - Whoa, whoa, whoa. Nothing against Westbrook, who is a fine player and lock down defender, but he’s not even the best player on his own college team. Of course this is part of Seattle’s master plan to ensure that no fans are in the seats when and if the team remains in the Emerald City in 2008. Make the team awful, with no star players (except for Durant, who is your franchise’s financial future) and sneak the team out of town in the cover of darkness. This is what being a robber baron is all about. Unless they know they will win the lawsuit and move the team this fall, in which case this is just a bad pick. Westbrook belongs in picks 8-12 and the Sonics reached for him at four. Result: Overrated

#5 - Memphis Grizzlies (traded to Minnesota) - Kevin Love, C, UCLA - Thank goodness. Now that he is free from drawing invisible fouls from Aron Baynes, I can no longer hate Kevin Love. Love was the face of the team the Cougars needed to beat this year, and I couldn’t stand it when we lost. Twice. Granted, he’s nowhere close to the level of hatred I hold for Brook Lopez, but now I can appreciate his ridiculous outlet passing and fundamentally sound skills. Result: Just Right

#10 - New Jersey Nets - Brook Lopez, C, Stanford - I hate Brook Lopez so much I won’t even waste my time with analysis of him (or at least not until we discuss Ryan Anderson). I must still be honest here: he should have been a top five or six selection. Result: Underrated

#11 - Indiana Pacers (traded to Portland) - Jerryd Bayless, G, Arizona - For 7-8 picks lower, Portland gets a much better offensive player than Westbrook, and a much better foul-line getter (is that a word?) than O.J. Mayo. Remember, he was #4 on Portland’s draft board, and they got him at #11. That stuff never even happens in your fantasy league drafts. I really do love how the Blazers are getting set up to murder the rest of the league in the 2010s. Result: Underrated

#15 - Phoenix Suns - Robin Lopez, C, Stanford - By the way, have you ever heard two tall people with more ridiculous speaking voices than the Lopez twins? My biggest pet peeve of the draft is that now everyone is raving about Robin’s offense. Really? Jay Bilas kept making the excuse that he was somehow thrown off by Brook being the #1 option on the team. And the worst part is that other analysts agreed with this crap. If that’s the case, why wasn’t Robin dominating in the post when Brook was on the bench? When Brook was too much of a moron to hit the books at Stanford, why wasn’t Robin dropping 22/10 on inferior, out-of-conference opposition? Robin is the defensive/shot-blocking twin, not the one with the dominating offensive skills. As impressive as his 8 points in 35 minutes against Siena were, I think Brook might just be a little more polished. Still, it’s not too much of a reach at #15. Result: Just Right

#21 - New Jersey Nets - Ryan Anderson, F, California - Apparently my Pac-10 sleeper in the draft was also New Jersey’s. So here’s what is interesting: By making the Yi trade, New Jersey continues to clear a ginormous amount of cap space for 2010, when guess who (I’ll tell you: LeBron) is available. What we are seeing now is the core that the Nets want to put around LBJ when they make the move over to Brooklyn. And let me tell you, it’s intriguing. First there’s Lopez, a tall, screaming, chest-pounding lunatic in the post. Then there’s Anderson, another tall guy, but instead a lights out perimeter shooter. Perfect role players for King James, if everything goes according to plan. By the way, if I’m a Cleveland fan, I’m preparing to disown the Cavaliers and never watch basketball again. NJ still could have grabbed Ryan later in the first round. Result: Overrated

#37 - Milwaukee Bucks - Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, F, UCLA - Besides having the best name ever, LRMaM was earlier projected to be a first-rounder. Good value move for the Bucks. Result: Underrated

#38 - Charlotte Bobcats - Kyle Weaver, G, WSU - Enjoy the Kyle Weaver era, Charlotte. You are blessed. Result: Severely Underrated

#48 - Phoenix Suns - Malik Hairston, G, Oregon - Hey, remember that one time when Aaron Brooks took three f-ing steps, passed the ball to you and you drained a game winner against the Cougs?? Yep, I still hate you. [impersonating Stephen A. Smith] HOWEVA, you’re a good second-round selection. Result: Just Right

#50 - Seattle/OKC Sonics Law Offices/Hoops Firm - DeVon Hardin, C, California - Thoughts of being a lottery pick two years ago; now drafted behind Weaver and Malik Hairston in the second round. That’s cold as ice, man. The second round is for taking chances, so I like the pick. Result: Just Right

#54 - Houston Rockets - Maarty Leunen, F, Oregon - This pick is like getting a 50% off deal on Ryan Anderson. What is it about the Rockets and former Ducks players? Last year they took Aaron Brooks, now they take the King of Clutch Free Throws, Mr. Leunen. Dickie V would’ve loved this guy if he ever glanced at players outside of the state of North Carolina. Result: Underrated

Enjoy your abbreviated work week, Cougar Nation.

Cole Morgan is transferring to Western Washington University, as reported by the Seattle Times on Saturday.

What does it all mean for Cougar football? Well, not much. Quarterback is one of the few positions on either side of the ball this year where there will be depth. This certainly solidifies Gary Rogers as the favorite to take the ball in 2008, with Kevin Lopina and Marshall Lobbestael in line for the future.

The good news for Cole is that he can play right away at Western, because it is a lower division school and therefore has no transfer penalty. The Times suggests he will challenge WWU Senior Adam Perry for the starting job there. My prediction is that Morgan will win the job - he still has a gifted arm and good enough poise in the pocket to do well at any level of college football.

Jeshua Anderson fell just shy of Beijing in the 400m hurdles at the U.S. Olympic trials in Eugene. He placed fifth in the a semi-final heat where only the top four were set to advance. The silver lining is that Anderson will still be blazing past defensive backs this fall for the Cougar offense (which takes the field in just 60 days).