Men Of Troy Might Have Their Hands Full

This very well could be the biggest game of Paul Wulff's career so far. His Cougar team hosts USC at Martin Stadium this Saturday and Cougs from near and far will be watching this one with a keen eye. Will his team compete and show the improvement that is needed for him to retain his job?

There are a lot of people in the WSU fan base that have had enough. Die-hard Cougs that would just as soon see him go. On the other side of the coin, there's also a lot of other coaches out there watching just as closely as the dying WSU fan base. Paul Wulff has slowly built a foundation that has not succeeded with wins on the field, yet. The team still believes in him and the morale is still high. If there's one thing he has done well it is keeping this team focused on the task as hand. He is confirming with his team the positive things that are happening, even though they are few and far between. The Cougars finally competed for 60 minutes last week on the road against SMU. If by chance Wulff is not retained, whoever takes over the job can be a hero in a heartbeat. Winning five games in their first year might just catapult them into an even bigger job, like say, Weber State or Ball State for that matter.

When the Cougars take the field on Saturday you can expect all the "wrinkles" will come out of Paul Wullf's playbook. Maybe a flea flicker on the first play instead of the patented dive play we've seen the first three games of the season. We all know the Cougars don't have the talent or experience that the other teams have so why not throw the entire kitchen sink at the opposing teams and see what happens. The fan base is dying and this just might be what they need to get some excitement generated again in the cougar nation.

USC is on probation and they aren't as big and talented as year's past. They've struggled early in the season. I expect them to come out flat on Saturday. The brash and cocky Lane Kiffin will have a really hard time getting this team up for Washington State. They have nothing to play for.

I chose Pullman over going to Lake Chelan this weekend. I chose football over wine tasting and hanging out at my favorite place?

For some reason I have a funny feeling I made the right choice. Look for the Cougs to cover.

What a thrill that would be.

A Great Day In Pullman

Sometimes you learn a lot from your significant other, in this case my wonderful wife Kathy. It was hard getting her to go to the WSU-Montana State game on Saturday, given the current situation with the Cougar Football Program. She started to 'buy in' to some of the things she's been hearing from her die-hard Cougar friends, many of them abandoning ship and giving up on coach Paul Wulff and his staff.

As the Cougs fell behind in the second quarter and later at halftime, I gazed around at the 26,000+ fans who showed up for the non-conference game with the Bobcats. It was a perfect day for football. My friend Jim, a loyal MSU fan and graduate, sat next to us with his two young sons. It was huge for them and a great bonding experience. For a Montana State fan, this is big time football. Earlier in the day, his oldest ran 45 yards for a touchdown in a grid kids game.

I appreciated how great it was to be back in Pullman again. My wife and I met there and it will always be a special place for both of us. We also enjoyed watching Emily Walden (former coach Jim Walden's daughter who we went to school with) lecturing some guy next to her for not supporting the coach. Knowing her, I'm sure she got the best of him in this one. He left a short time later.

Despite the lackluster performance by the Cougars, and the nay sayers that continue to haunt Paul Wulff and his program, I found the day real enjoyable even before the Cougars came back to take the lead. My wife summed it up best. "Thanks for buying the season tickets hon", she whispered in my ear.

She couldn't have said it any better.

Another Embarassing Loss by Cougs

On the first play of the game the worst possible thing happened setting the tone for the rest of the game. It was not what Paul Wulff or his Cougars needed. James Montgomery never got the hand off from Jeff Tuel and Oklahoma State recovered. The Cougars never recovered after that. It sounds like a broken record doesn't it?

It very well could be a long season again, given the 65-17 drubbing this time to Oklahoma State. WSU was once again outmatched in every aspect of the game. The only improvement I saw was punt coverage, it was pretty strong. Nowadays, if you want to head to the NFL from Washington State, you best try out for punter, you will get a lot of looks.

What was the worst part of the latest debacle? Tackling. There was none. In 43 years of actively watching college football, that very well could be the worst tackling (or lack thereof) performance I have ever seen. It comes down to fundamentals.

When Paul Wulff arrived at Washington State one of the first things he noticed was the team's lack of fundamentals. He said it would change. Was it poor tackling or were the Cougars matched up against a team with much more strength and athleticism? I think it's probably a little of both.

Wulff and his team need to show significant improvement this season, not so much in wins but being competitive in each game if he is to retain his job. The Montana State Bobcats are next on the schedule and the Cougs need a win badly.

Given what I saw on Saturday, It's not going to be easy.

Two Guys With A Lot In Common

I knew I had a lot in common with Fred Couples. Both of us grew up playing junior golf in the Seattle area. Neither of us wear a glove when we play golf. In addition to golf, both of us played soccer and baseball growing up as youngsters. But the biggest thing we have in common is both of us have had blow ups on that darn par 5 second hole at Sahalee.

In the Father-Son golf tournament years ago, I chunked four balls in the water and took a 13 on the par-5 hole. It was that same hole that cost Fred Couples the 2010 US Senior Open. After choosing to lay up from the right side after his tee shot, Fred proceeded to chunk a lob wedge into the lake that guards the green. He finished with a triple bogey, and it was that mistake that cost him his first major as a senior player.

On a much smaller scale, my Dad and I finished second that year in the Father-Son. Maybe I should have gone for the green too. It still eats at me to this day.

Northern Ireland Here I Come

I'm headed to Northern Ireland. Hopefully, sooner than later.

After watching Graeme McDowell win his first major, it makes me want to go to his homeland and see what it's like. He was so impressive the way he handled himself in one of the toughest set ups in all of golf. I knew early he was the guy to beat.

Unflappable, he rarely missed a fairway on this day. While Dustin Johnson was shooting himself out of the US Open early, McDowell continued to hit fairways and leave himself in the right spots to win a major. Phil was being Phil with those common errant shots, bad decisions, and just being the Phil we've all grown to love. No wonder he hasn't won a US Open yet. Tiger isn't in form, which kind of breaks my heart. Ernie Els is getting closer but still seems a bit tentative in his game. But this day belonged to Graeme, short in stature but obviously carries a big heart, and savvy smarts to go with it. In all his interviews he just seems to say all the right things. Just think how much fun he would be in one of those pubs in Northern Ireland. Maybe he'll give me a blow by blow of his stellar round at Pebble Beach.

I can't wait.

Pac-Something Poses Some Interesting Questions

Now we know why Pete Carroll took the Seattle Seahawks head coaching job. The writing has been on the wall for some time now and came to a head today. USC will be punished with a two year ban, and more importantly, 10 scholarships for the next three years. This definitely levels the playing field for others in the Pac Ten, especially Colorado, who just accepted an invitation to join the Pac Ten. Others are soon to follow like Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State. When USC can only recruit 10-15 players per year for the next three years, that is a huge boost for others in the Pac-Something. It also puts a scar on the Pete Carroll era. Yeah Pete, the Seahawks job wasn't about the money was it? Things started to stick so you needed to go. Hello Seattle.

So what does this mean for WSU and UW Fans? For the loyal Cougs, it means it's time to step up. If you haven't helped your school lately now is the time. I really think WSU may be at a huge advantage, given the latest circumstances. Who would you rather go see play, Colorado or Idaho? Texas A&M or Baylor? Oklahoma or San Diego State? Some of those schools were on the non-conference schedule but you get my point. Some of these new schools in the conference will mean a huge spike in ticket sales for Martin Stadium. This is why the stadium expansion is so important. Let me correct myself, this is why we HAVE to expand Martin Stadium.

For UW fans, well I won't even go there. They already entertain some of these schools and as hard as it is for me to admit it, Seattle is a big attraction and always will be, specifically Husky Stadium. I can say that because I grew up there. I saw the likes of Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Michigan, Michigan State, and Miami, just to name a few. If you want me to name some of the players I can do that too. When it becomes a conference game it's an even bigger draw.

So buckle up, there's some big news a comin'. The new schools will have to make adjustments to travel schedules, new recruiting territories, new surroundings. For Husky and Cougar fans they are already in place.

My name is Tom and I'm a Cougar. I like what I'm seeing.

The Best Of The Best

I was fortunate to be a part of the last coach to beat legendary coach John Wooden. It was in 1975 when Marv Harshman's Huskies knocked off UCLA 103-81 in Hec Edmundson Pavilion. Up in the rafters I was sitting behind a post. It didn't matter, I was experiencing history and loving every minute of it.

We lost the best of the best. There's nobody better and never will be. John Wooden taught the fundamentals of life and basketball better than anyone. There was a reason why he made his players use the backboard. There was a reason why he taught them the right way to put on their socks. There's a reason why he won so many games.

But the one game he excelled in more than anything was the game of life. And what's more important than that.