Arizona thoughts

by John Berkowitz on Oct 4, 2008 6:05 AM PDT

This is one of those games that most people give Washington zero chance of winning. Everyone feels that there is simply no way the Huskies can keep up with Arizona's vaunted offense. A sane person would agree but for some reason I have jumped the broom to insanity this week by predicting a Washington victory. Here I am out on a limb with Coach Baer.

This is the type of game that Mike Stoops loses.
Willingham is 2-1 against Stoops.
Washington under Willingham has played its best football when their backs were up against the wall.
Washington will be running a power offense today similar to the one they ran against Cal last year. You remember what happened that day don't you?
Arizona lost to New Mexico for crying out loud.

I admit there is a big difference between this years and last years Washington team. Last years team was good enough to go to a bowl game but coaching and performance in the fourth quarter didn't allow it to happen. This years team with the exception of BYU hasn't given us that glimmer of hope.

Most of my friends figure that this one will get ugly early and the axe will fall on Sunday night. I'm not rooting for that per se at this point because I always want the Huskies to win even though I am in favor of a leadership change. I think it would be good for this team no matter who the coach is to win a conference game on the road.

I am going to be gone most of the day but will be back before kickoff. Have a great day watching college football and Go Dawgs!

Backtalk with JohnnyB

Nathan Ware and I get together each week in his Seattle PI Blog to discuss what happened the previous week and what is going to happen this coming week.

We are both are in dig extremely deep mode right now. It is so tough to stay positive about an 0-4 team that is on it's way to potential slaughter in the desert tonight.

John: How does Washington attempt to slow down the Arizona offense?

Nathan: Pray! Pray a lot! Washington's best defense will be their offense. The more UW can keep their offense on the field with long, sustained drives, the better chance they have. And, the way UW football works is right about the time that we think we have them figured out, they'll do something that surprises us. So, maybe, we're in for a shocker this weekend. Who knows?

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An AZ sports columnist today

http://www.azstarnet.com/sports/260705

I guess you’ll have to cut and paste to read it. He says shed no tears for tywillie.

A great quote from Mike Stoops BTW about coaching pay vs expectations

by T9ODawg on Oct 4, 2008 7:58 AM PDT reply actions

Gameday

I won’t go as far as to change my prediction, but the more I hear the UW can’t win, the more I agree with John and think they will, or more so that Arizona will lose the game. Although I don’t agree that our offense will be better. Sounds like they still plan on using the spread, just not QB runs.

Don’t get your hopes up! Willingham isn’t getting fired this weekend. There seems to be some idea that because of a bye week Willingham could get canned, it isn’t going to happen. Woodward and Emmert are smart, they need to give Willingham more time to fire himself. Meaning, fire Willingham now and it looks like you didn’t give him the “full” season to perform. Fire him after the Apple Cup when the Huskies are 1-10, and nobody, not even the NAACP, will be able to say Woodward and Emmert are wrong for firing him. That being said, I would have fired him last year, and would have fired him after the Oregon game!

by Lear Pilot on Oct 4, 2008 9:54 AM PDT reply actions

I'm not...

looking for tywillie to get fired next week, I’d take it though, my point was; not every sports writer/columnist is buying into the Seattle media PC crap and I think the Stoops quote makes a great point.

by T9ODawg on Oct 4, 2008 11:00 AM PDT up reply actions

Aimed at John

My comment was aimed at John’s comment that the axe could be coming on Sunday. He more than deserves to be fired. He has failed miserably!!!

The UW Adminstration will let him have most of the season. The ony good thing about an in season change is the headstart on the coaching search. Coaches know we will be looking. The longer they wait, the smaller the PR issues.

by Lear Pilot on Oct 4, 2008 11:14 AM PDT up reply actions

The coaching search

has been started as I understand it, feelers are out, I expect a formal anouncement of Tyrone’s pending unemployment to happen after the Apple Cup at the earliest.

I’m with you that I don’t thik it will happen next week although Woodward did create some wiggle room for himself last week with his comment to one of the Seattle writers.

by T9ODawg on Oct 4, 2008 11:38 AM PDT up reply actions

the Search

I have no insider info, but I have to agree with T90. There is no secret that the UW job is in play and I expect that not only is UW putting feelers out, but the line of interested coaches is forming outside the door. This is still a very high paying major BCS program, in a major urban city, with a national title in its recent past and a very fertile recruiting pipeline. I would expect that a very healthy cadre of mid-major headcoaches, hotshot coordinators and retreads feeling the itch have put out feelers of their own.

All of this will happen while Ty finishes out the season. There is ZERO reason to fire him. To do so would reak of panic and make the administration look unprofessional to a group of new coaches that they’ll be trying to recruit. The only way Ty is leaving is if he pulls himself out.

Shake that hand that shook the hand of Hustlin' Hugh

by Minny C on Oct 4, 2008 8:54 PM PDT reply actions