The Monday Morning Wash
by John Berkowitz on Dec 21, 2009 8:44 AM PST
31 comments
It is bowl season and while Washington will be stitting on the sidelines with a 5-7 record a total of seven Pac 10 teams will be in the bowl picture this season. One only has to wonder what could have been after last second losses to Notre Dame, ASU, and UCLA. There is always next year and with the return of Jake Locker, the skill surrounding him on offense, and one of the nation's best recruiting classes the Huskies should have little problem breaking the bowl hex in 2010.
It all kicks off tonight with an entertaining matchup between Oregon State and BYU in Sin City.
Maaco Bowl Las Vegas (December 22)
#18 Oregon State vs #14 Brigham Young
Tonight's game is a going to be a good one between two evenly matched squads and two coaches with Corvallis connections. Both teams feature some of the regions skill players so expect a high scoring game. The Beaver pass defense needs to be on their toes in this one because BYU has the ability to tearm then apart early. The Beav's surrendered 20 TD passes this season and that number figures to go up tonight against the Cougars. The Black Bandits of Benton County will counter that with some offensive fireworks of their own featuring the Rodgers brothers and Sean Canfield.
Beavers by 7
Poinsettia Bowl (December 23rd)
#23 Utah vs California
This isn't the Utah team that thrashed Alabama last season in a BCS bowl game but they are still a pretty good squad that can beat the Bears if they don't show up to play. California was thrashed by Washingon 42-10 in their last game and that signals that the season may be already over in the Bears players mind. Jeff Tedford who was once one of the hottest coaches int he country needs to show he can motivate this squad.
Utah by 7
Emerald Bowl (December 26th)
#24 USC vs Boston College
Southern Cal always finishes the season strong and this season won't be any exception when they face a weaker than usual BC squad. USC simply has a lot more overall strength than the Eagles this year and this shouldn't be much of a contest. Just make sure my wife who went to BC doesn't read this. ; )
USC by 14
Eagle Bank Bowl (December 29th)
UCLA vs Temple
What is better than winning the Northwest Championship? Leading UCLA to an unlikely bowl game in your second year as head coach at your alma mater. UCLA is a terrible football team and the only reason they finished 6-6 was because Sark had brain cramps going on in this one and Jake had a gimpy leg. Temple is an improving program which has finally found a league in which they can be competitive. That being said they do not have the firepower to beat any Pac 10 team other than WSU.
UCLA by 14
Holiday Bowl (December 30th)
#20 Arizona vs #22 Nebraska
I think this will be one of the better matchups of the bowl season and a must watch if you are a college football fan. what we have here are two up and coming programs that play good defense. What seperates the Wildcats from the Huskers in this one is their offense and ability to score points. It will be a close one and the score should be in the low twenties. Think Nebraska defense vs Arizona offense.
Arizona by 3
Sun Bowl (December 31st)
#21 Stanford vs Oklahoma
The is was a forgettable season by Sooner standards. Stanford on the other hand came oh so close to putting it all together to win it all. A crushing late season victory over Oregon tells you everyhting you want to know about this squad. Heisman runner-up Toby Gerhart should go out in style against the Sooners with aroung a buck and a half on the ground.
Stanford by 3
Rose Bowl (January 1st)
#8 Oregon vs #7 Ohio State
The granddady or them all features a great matchup between two conference champs. This isn't a great Ohio State team and the Big Ten frankly was lacking in overall talent this season. Oregon on the other hand was playing some of the best football in the country at the end of the season. The Duck offense is tough to stop unless you force them into repetitive mistakes. I have seen the Buckeyes play a few times this season including against USC and I don't think they can handle what Oregon brings to the table offensively.
A big side note for Oregon fans is playing against Tyrelle Pryor who spurned the Ducks for the Buckeyes which in hindsight was silly because Coach Tressell has no idea of how to use him effectively. If you are a Pac 10 fan breathe a heavy sigh of relief this kid didn't sign with Oregon. He would have been a perfect fit for Kelly's offense and he would have made Oregon very tough to beat in the future.
Oregon by 10
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won't be as good as last year's bowl season
But with youth in this conference wait until next year.
by PandG on Dec 21, 2009 12:41 PM PST via mobile reply actions
Las Vegas Bowl
is tomorrow.
"Anytime, Anyplace"
"Life is hard, it's harder if you're stupid." - John Wayne
Oh well...
It’s the Holidays….I have more than a few things on my plate.
by John Berkowitz on Dec 21, 2009 6:00 PM PST up reply actions
Sorry, John
I didn’t want to sound like I was knit picking. I guess I failed. Thanks for all the hard work you do for this blog and Husky Nation. Have a terrific Holiday season.
Go Dawgs!
"Anytime, Anyplace"
"Life is hard, it's harder if you're stupid." - John Wayne
Stanford & Oregon
I agree with all your picks John except for the Sun and Rose.
Sun Bowl: I think Bob Stoops HAS to win a bowl game. I think it’s eating him alive that he has failed the last five attempts. Oklahoma should be primed to stop Gerhart.
Rose Bowl: Do the Buckeyes have something to prove? I think they do. I think every member on the roster is high 5ing everybody because they don’t have to face USC again. The Buckeyes will travel 2500+ miles and will have home field advantage in Pasadena. Tressell is not facing Florida, Texas, or USC this go around. With a month and a half to prepare, Tressell should have his defense ready to stop the duck spread. AGAIN this is not the Gators, Longhorns, or Trojans. Tressell does not have to play a team with overwhelming talent. Rather he merely has to focus on scheme. The Pac 10 can’t win every Rose Bowl. This year is the Big 10’s turn.
Sooners beat Stanford and Ohio State beats Oregon.
All I saw was purple
Still thinking with your heart . . .
Buckeye’s don’t have the speed necessary to keep up with Oregon, the ol’ Big Ten is going to be exposed AGAIN as a conference stuck in the past. I hate Oregon, but I just don’t see Tyrelle Prior and the slow Buckeyes beating Oregon. The only way Oregon loses, is if Chip Kelly blows it and turns out to be a bad big game coach, just like Stoops.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
???
Lear – that’s nuts. The Buckeyes are fifth in the nation in total D and have speed in many positions. They recruit from the Ohio and Pennsylvania – two of the most recruit-rich states in the nation and they have an all-world athlete at QB. To suggest that they don’t have the “speed to keep up with Oregon”, especially given the fact that Stanford did, is not a very sensible argument. In fact, Ohio State is a souped up version of Stanford with an extra dash of nasty … and they have seen plenty of the spread option this year (NW, Minn, Mich). I also like the fact that the Tressel has been there/done that before.
I’m also flinching at the idea that Stoops is a bad big game coach. The man has a national championship and a career winning record against Texas. I’d say that is not too shabby.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
Time will tell . . .
We will know for sure on Jan. 2nd. Maybe Tressel just gets out coached in bowl games, but when THE Ohio State plays more athletic teams then they normally see, they get killed.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
Nope- thinking with the ole noggin
You can throw out the Big 10 argument only “if” the Buckeyes are playing superior talent. Everytime Ohio State faced Florida, Texas, and USC, the other guys had top to bottom better talent at every position. Oregon does not have that. All they have is scheme.
Ohio State is more then fast enough to stay with Oregon. How do you beat Oregon? Fellas it’s all about scheme. I don’t see top tier talent on Oregon’s roster. I see a scheme that most haven’t been able to solve. I’m guessing Tressell is looking at the Stanford film quite a bit and I’m sure he’ll look at ways to make Masoli beat him with his average arm. Stop the running game and stop Masoli from scrambling and you’ve got Oregon right where you want them.
It’s not too difficult. Honestly I think this is a down year in the Pac 10. Sure we’ve looked good in non league action. But Oregon really doesn’t impress me much. I see a team that had tremendous motivation to turn things around after the Boise debacle, a team that caught fire soon after, and had enough mojo to get critical wins down the stretch. Over powering? No way! They won by scheme design and young Pac 10 defenses couldn’t stop it.
Want another extrensic variable? This is Ohio State’s first Rose Bowl appearance in the Jim Tressell era- I think he’s going to want to make a good showing and a national statement for next season’s preseason votes. With a Rose Bowl victory, Ohio State would be looking at being ranked anywhere from No.1 to No.3 in the country in next season’s preseason polls. This is a huge game for Tressell.
All I saw was purple
Tressell
Tressell doesn’t do so hot in “huge” games, he gets out coached on a regular basis. If you think that schemes and design are going to make or break this game, I’ll gladly put my money on Kelly and not on Tressell.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
Is it the game or the opponent Lear? Which is it?
Define huge games Lear. Are you referring to the venue or the opponent? The Rose Bowl Game is a HUGE game. Playing USC, Florida, or Texas are all considered Goliath-type games. Is Oregon in that same category? In my opinion the Ducks aren’t in that room fella. Sure they are worthy of top 25 talk, but they are not on the same playing field as USC, Florida, and Texas.
Looking back to when Ohio State faced USC, Florida, and Texas, will you agree that each time the Buckeyes shared the field with these guys that they were facing the best team in the country during that time? Oregon is not even a top 15 team in my book this season. But when Ohio State played USC they were ranked No.3, Florida was ranked in the top 2, and Texas was clearly a top 2 team as well.
So when you say “huge” game are you referring to the venue or the opponent? Be a little more precise Lear that way we can argue this correctly and avoid any misunderstandings.
Last night a 2nd place finisher in the Pac 10, Oregon State took it on the chin vs. BYU. Is Oregon really that much better then Oregon State? I think Ohio State is a far more superior team then Brigham Young.
I like Ohio State for multiple reasons. Lear likes Oregon. I’m going to give you reasons why I think Ohio State wins and Lear is going to offer reasons why the ducks win. Let’s just get on with it. But a loyal Husky fan should not cheer for the ducks to win this game. Think of the ramifications that go along with winning Rose Bowls Lear. It can lead to tremendously gifted recruiting classes. We can’t have that!
All I saw was purple
Get a life!
That’s all you can say? Just trying to give me crap? Next time, before you try and sound all big and tough, try reading what I said first. Actually, try reading what YOU said, that I was responding to.
I put the word huge in paranthesis, because you said,
This is a huge game for Tressell
YOU SAID THIS IS A HUGE GAME FOR TRESSELL, NOT ME! I said Tressel doens’t do well in “huge” games, I don’t care how much you hate Oregon, the Rose Bowl is a “huge” game. I don’t care if the Rose Bowl was Idaho vs. Buffalo, it’s still a “huge” game to everybody involved. See my reply to Gekko, Tressell gets outcoached when the opposing coach has 4 weeks to prepare.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
Why are you so miffed?
I wasn’t trying to upper cut punch you Lear. I was just trying to see where you were coming from. Yes, the Rose Bowl is the single biggest game in college football- no question.
And playing an opponent like Florida, USC, and Texas are huge games as well. But playing Oregon in the Rose would definitely not be the same if Ohio State was facing USC in the grand daddy. See where I am coming from?
Tressell is not getting out coached in big games Lear. It may seem like he is from an average fan point of view. The problem Lear is that when he has faced Florida, USC, and Texas- those three teams were perhaps the best football team in the country each time the Buckeyes faced them. And I’d put Bob Stoops in w/ Tressell. When Bob Stoops faced LSU, USC, and Florida in BCS national championship games, Bobby was facing a better LSU, a better USC, and a better Florida team. Both Tressell and Stoops don’t lose these games due to their expertise or lack there of. These games have been played on the field and have been lost on the field, each time the winning team has had far more surperior talent across the board.
P.S. Why did you tell me to get a life? I was just trying to get inside your head to see where you were coming from. It’s all good…
All I saw was purple
"Average" fan view point
I’m sorry, I totally forgot, I’m just an average fan. Only superior (Crazi) fans know what they are talking about. Superior fans are so smart they can “shoot from the hip”, and don’t need to support their argument with facts or proof.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
You want facts?
Then I suggest you research the topic. I am not going to provide you with facts- that’s your job. My job is to simply tell you what I think, if I’m wrong I’m okay with it and you can call me out.
How many times do I have to tell you I call it the way I see it? I’m not in this to be right, I love chatting about college football, yet if you want “only” facts then you are chatting with the wrong person.
P.S. I am an average fan too.
All I saw was purple
That's my problem
I’m tired of calling you out.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
Tressell does not get out coached in big games.
… losing in a few big games over the course of several seasons is not the same as getting outcoached in big games. You don’t put up the kind of W-L record he has put up in a major BCS conference for as long a period of time as he has if you can’t coach.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
Stoops is a great coach, don't get me wrong.
He is a great coach, but when the opposing coach has 4 weeks to prepare for OSU it normally doesn’t end well for OSU. One week between games is completely different than 4 weeks between games, Tressell gets out coached when the opposing coach has too much time to game plan.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
Stoops/Tressell
Oopps, I’ll try and keep the two straight, but in this case they are quite similar.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
Preparation has nothing to do with it
Look at Ohio State and Oklahoma’s rosters and compare them to the rosters of Florida’s, USC’s, Texas’, and LSU’s. Each time the Buckeyes and Sooners lost in these big contests it was lost on the field. Talent wins out if you can dominate. Dominate talent is the only thing that can trump scheme. And when you’ve watched Ohio State and Oklahoma in these contests, were the Buckeyes and Sooners not being dominated?
Talent is the only trump card over scheme and it can be flipped in reverse. But when you have a total domination of talent then scheme is trumped 99% of the time [see 92 Rose Bowl Game for results].
All I saw was purple
Then why do coaches do any preparation??
Yes, talent can be a trump card. Ohio State and Oklahoma use it all season long, just over power the opponent. BUT, it doesn’t work when the talent gap isn’t so wide, like bowl games. In bowl games the talent level tends to be more even, hence forth, preparation becomes a HUGE factor, and that is why Tressell gets outcoached. He’s use to running through opposing teams, when that doesn’t work, he’s as lost as a white golf ball in a snow field.
Tell Chris Petersen and Boise State that preparation means nothing, how do you think they beat Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
Sounds like a Pac 10 homer
and I hope you’re right. If you don’t want to be know as the “USC plus 9” conference, then these bowl games are important. I don’t have the numbers in front of me, but it seems like USC has only lost one game outside of the conference (Texas, national championship) during the last 7 years or so.
Last year was a terrific bowl record, and another one would be great for the Pac10. Has USC lost a step? Kicking BC’s butt will show that USC is still good, but they are only mid level in this conference.
And you don’t have to cheer for the Ducks, but it is good for the conf if they beat Tosu. That would mean that the Big 10 champ is 0 for 2 with the Pac, one at home and the other at a neutral field.
I want Ohio State to crush Oregon!
At this particular point I don’t give a [bleep] about the perspective of the conference. We are competing with Oregon for northwest recruits. This is all about recruiting. How the league is percieved right now is not a real concern for us. If Washington is going to get better talent and more depth, we have to out recruit all the northwest schools. We’ve been losing too many recruiting battles lately.
I’m looking at the big picture. I am a Pac 10 homer, just as much as the next guy. But my loyalty is and will always be with Washington. I don’t want Oregon winning this Rose Bowl period. Currently we are ranked No.8 in recruiting classes. That’s good and all, but we still have to win the northwest recruiting battles, and Oregon has become a major player. Want Washington to win Pac 10 championships, Rose Bowls, and compete for national championship again? It starts with beating Oregon on the recruiting trail. And Husky fans everywhere should be pulling for Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.
Go Luckeyes! WOOF!!!
All I saw was purple
OSU
If the Beavers are any indication the PAC-10 will get their clock cleaned. How did Washington ever lose to this team?
The Beavs didn't show up last night
They played like a team that didn’t want to be there. No way you come out with a victory under those circumstances. I don’t think for a secons that BYU is better than OSU…but last night they were.
BYU had a much better game plan and some kids who showed up to win.
The game reminded me of our last bowl appearance against Purdue.
by John Berkowitz on Dec 23, 2009 8:55 AM PST up reply actions
Don't remind me of that
We took our obligatory El Paso trip that year (my cousin says he will never go again)…that game started off well and boom we quit…they didn’t.
I’ll have to talk hard and fast to get the wife to go back to the Sun Bowl when we get invited…my cousin says he won’t go no matter what when I asked him again.
Juarez isn't safe anymore
So that takes most of the potential fun out of it anyway. If Washington went next season though it would be hard to not go. I really wouldn’t mind going to San Antonio…great town and a great trip.
by John Berkowitz on Dec 23, 2009 11:12 AM PST up reply actions
SUN BOWL
v. TEXAS was one of the best games ever, to balance the comments. After much Texas boasting about the PAC-10 pansies if I remember the final score was 14-7 Huskies.
But the clincher was at the end Texas was forced to pass and the QB was sacked four straight plays by four different Huskies. Talk about excitement.
This is the kind of game you will see when the SARK/HOLT HUSKIES get to bowling.
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