Before we get on to Bill Moos talking about the new Pac-12, I wanted to first make you aware of something we're going to be doing tomorrow 60 minutes before kickoff.
If you were around the site last spring, you might remember that we did a special feature on signing day where we used CoveritLive to both pass along news as it broke (such as when each letter came in) and also for questions and answers about WSU's incoming recruits. It was a big hit, and we've been trying to figure out ways to use it that make sense.
Well, we noticed Bob Condotta using it on his Husky blog for pregame chats, answering questions about the upcoming game, and we figured ... why not us? After all, Brian is at the home games in the press box, and I don't have anything better to do most of the time. So, we'll be launching one of these at 1 p.m. tomorrow.
Brian will pass along any news he hears during pregame, and you can submit specific questions about the matchup that we'll do our best to answer. (If you want to see how it works, go to the signing day page and just play the CoveritLive widget. It will re-create the whole chat.) The comments below will be for general community discussion, just as it was on signing day.
If you guys like it, we'll keep doing it. Now, on to actual news.
Bill Moos joined Brock Huard and Dave Grosby on ESPN 710 this morning in the Seattle area and spent about 10 minutes talking about the Cougs and where the conference stands in trying to make its revenue and division decisions. You can listen to the entire interview via the widget after the jump (it starts at about 2:00), but if you're stuck in a place where you can't listen, Cougfan did a nice job writing up a summary.
Most interesting? Moos said they came out of the revenue sharing conversation "unified, all 12 schools." And what were they unified on?
Moos didn't use the words "equal revenue split," but he did say the model they all agreed on was not going to be based on participation anymore, so I don't know how else to interpret that other than as an equal revenue model -- unless they're just going to outright give some schools more money than others, which I'd have a hard time believing.
He also said they were moving toward a North/South split that would put the Bay Area schools with the Northwest schools. This is all positive news for WSU.
On to the links! There are lots of them, since I didn't do a post yesterday. If there's only one thing in there that you read, make sure it's Vince Grippi's interview with Reggie Moore. Good stuff.
WSU Football News
WSU freshmen on upward career path - Spokesman.com - Oct. 7, 2010
The paths Sekope Kaufusi and C.J. Mizell followed have been different, but their joint destination is getting closer by the day. The Washington State University freshmen – Kaufusi a redshirt; Mizell a first-year – could each see their first starts at linebacker on Saturday when the Cougars host No. 3 Oregon at Martin Stadium.
Scout.com: Can Oregon offense be stopped? Here's one way
T’S A HERCULEAN task facing the porous Cougar defense this week. Stop -- or at least slow -- an Oregon offense that hasn’t been stopped or slowed all season. So how might Washington State go about it?
WSU football: Pac-10 picks, including the Cougars | Moscow-Pullman Daily News Blogs
We’ll call it Oregon 66, Washington State 20. Ducks will score as many points as they want.
Scout.com: Carpenter adjusting quickly to life at safety
Anthony Carpenter, now back at safety from the corner spot, is making his presence known over the back 40, and turned in the hit of the day on Wednesday. Meanwhile, three freshmen were in running with the 1’s at linebacker, but will that be the case Saturday? And oh by the way, let’s not forget about the offense.
Pac-10 football: Moos looking to give WSU a familiar facelift | Bill Moos hopes to build up athletics at Washington State the same way he did at Oregon — with ‘sizzle’
"I loved his character and what he’s about," Moos said. "He’s a quality individual and he’s an alum and a former player, and my advice ... was that if it’s equal across the board, you’ve got to take a good, hard look at Paul. Because when he gets things going, if he does, he does not want to be anywhere else. "He had a huge hole to dig out of, and now we’re at ground level with an opportunity to start building. I’ve been really impressed with how hard he’s worked and the success he’s had recruiting."
Youthful WSU prepares for Oregon - SportsLink - Spokesman.com - Oct. 7, 2010
No new injuries to report, but Alex Hoffman-Ellis returned to practice and went full speed, so he should be good to go Saturday. … Tight end Andrei Lintz is still out as in Chima Nwachukwu, who won’t be able to go against Oregon. Mike Ledgerwood suited up but mainly watched again.
WSU Football Friday on Thursday - Quack Attack Edition - WSU Football Blog
WSU football: Ducks can afford to be more aggressive defensively | Moscow-Pullman Daily News Blogs
Interesting thought was raised by WSU coach Paul Wulff earlier this week, when he said that Oregon’s defense can take more risks and show more different looks because of how unstoppable its offense is.
A character guy emerges | WSU Cougars - The News Tribune
Washington State sophomore Tyree Toomer may be the only starting defensive back in college football who began playing the game as a center – and got cut by his first team.
Other WSU News
Scout.com: Bone sees Cougars in top half of Pac-10
BONE SAID THE most significant factor in determining how the Pac-10 race shakes out will be which teams finish games. That was a concept the Cougars struggled with last year as they finished last in the conference with a 6-12 record and were 16-15 overall. In conference play, WSU was just 2-7 on the road. And the Cougars led at halftime in three away games -- Washington, Stanford and California -- that they ended up losing.
Cougars | Rewind: Chat with WSU basketball coach Ken Bone | Seattle Times Newspaper
If you missed the chat, you can see it here.
A conversation with WSU's Reggie Moore - SportsLink - Spokesman.com - Oct. 7, 2010
Moore: "I love throwing the ball and my teammate getting a dunk out of it. Or Klay hitting a 3. It’s just the ultimate effort, the team concept. I don’t know, I’ve liked it ever since I was little. In high school I only averaged about 15 points and everybody wanted me to drop 30 or 40 or something. But I had really good teammates, just like I do now."
Basketball to Hold Midnight Mayhem to Kickoff Dad's Weekend - WASHINGTON STATE OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE
The Washington State University men's and women's basketball teams will hold Midnight Mayhem for the second-straight year to celebrate the official start of the 2010-11 season. Festivities will begin Friday, Oct. 15 at 8 p.m. at Bohler Gym.
Cougar Swimmer Has Bond with Her Grandma - WASHINGTON STATE OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE
As part of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Washington State University Athletics Department is hosting a Wear Pink Weekend, Oct. 22-24. The Cougar volleyball, swimming and soccer teams will wear pink uniforms at special home events during the weekend.
Cougar Soccer Hosts Desert Schools to Open Pac-10 Play - WASHINGTON STATE OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE
Washington State (5-6-0) opens the Pacific-10 Conference portion of its schedule hosting Arizona State (6-2-2) and Arizona (4-5-2)...Cougars and Sun Devils meet at 2 p.m., Friday, Oct. 8.
Pac-10 News
Pac-12 format? Outlook hazy | John McGrath - The News Tribune
Pac-10 expansion: Updates from the league meetings | College Hotline
Monte Kiffin hurting over USC's struggles - Pac-10 Blog - ESPN
Go 2 Guy will be loving purple and gold on Saturday
Since 2007, this is the one game a year that a devout Coug roots for the Huskies. And I won't just root for them, I'll root hard for them because I want Arizona State coach Dennis Erickson's team to be trampled. ... Few things in life bother me anymore, but when someone big-times someone else the way that Erickson did to Idaho, it's unforgivable.
Other Stuff We Like
College Football Buffet, Week 6: Alabama vs. South Carolina, LSU vs. Florida Are Must-Eats - SBNation.com
Previewing all of the big Week 6 college football games, including LSU vs Florida and Alabama vs South Carolina.