Cougars look to win ninth straight in Colorado

Good morning from Boulder. It's cold. It's also awesome, because the bright sun and clear sky of this Cougar Football Saturday bring with them a monumental game between WSU and Colorado. You might disagree, given the fact that, win or lose, WSU will still play for a spot in the Pac-12 championship next Friday. However, a win over Colorado would represent WSU's biggest win this season, and could quite possibly vault them into the Top 15.

Saturday's game presents WSU's toughest test so far this season. This will be the best defense WSU has faced in 2016, and the points will definitely not come as easily as they have the past couple of weeks. Colorado's defense sacks the quarterback once per 11.1 dropbacks. Their overall pass defense ranks 11th nationally, and they give up just 5.5 yards-per-attempt. The Buffs are equally as stingy against the run, where they rank 27th in the country at 3.7 yards-per-carry.

On the other hand, I don't think it's a stretch to say that WSU will present the toughest test for Colorado's defense this season. USC and Michigan may have better athletes over all, but WSU scores north of 44 points-per-game, good for 8th in the country. But you've read all of the analysis, watched all the pregame shows and seen all of the predictions. You don't need me to tell you this is a big game, and it should be a great game. Go Cougs.

Football

Colorado vs. Washington State is suddenly heavyweight bout | The Spokesman-Review
Two years ago, these programs combined to win five games. With two games left in the regular season, WSU (8-2, 7-0 Pac-12) and CU (8-2, 6-1) have decent chances to double that figure by themselves.

2 Minute Drill: WSU’s keys to victory against Colorado | The Spokesman-Review
The Cougars will need the running backs to show up like that against the Buffaloes, who have one of the country’s best passing defenses. If WSU can run the ball effectively on Saturday, it will soften up the pass defense considerably.

Washington State vs. Colorado Prediction & Game Preview | College Football News
There’s a prove-it factor for both. Colorado has the better defense, but Washington State’s offense has the passing attack to pull this off. The Cougars will get yet another big day out of Luke Falk – who’s thrown 18 touchdowns with just one pick over the last four games – in a thriller that’ll go down to the final possession.

Scouting report: Buffaloes vs. Cougars - Buffzone
Like most quarterbacks, Falk's effectiveness is reduced when he's under pressure from the defense. It doesn't happen often, though. WSU has given up 23 sacks, but that's just one every 22.2 pass attempts.

CU Buffs, Cougars have taken similar path to Saturday showdown - Buffzone
As a 12-team conference, the Pac-12 is in just its sixth season of football, and for much of that time, the Colorado Buffaloes and Washington State Cougars have resided at the bottom.

Colorado Buffaloes eager for challenge posed by Washington State’s passing attack – The Denver Post
There may be more gray hair on the 55-year old Leach’s head now than when he made opponents dizzy as the offensive coordinator at Mumme-coached Kentucky nearly 20 years ago, but his Air Raid offense is as dangerous as ever.

Mailbag: Yep, Washington State and Colorado are playoff contenders
And yet if the Cougars win out, not only would their making the playoff be plausible, the case would be compelling.

Basketball

Defensive Swarm Leads The Cougars Past USF - WSUCougars.com | Washington State University Athletics
Behind a swarming defense and a balanced attack the Washington State women's basketball team routed San Francisco, 73-35, on Friday night in front of the Cougar faithful at the Beasley Coliseum.

Creighton dispatches Washington State basketball despite Clifford’s game-high 29 points | The Spokesman-Review
Creighton jumped on Washington State early and the Cougars could never recover.

Beer

Best beer I had this week: Went to Avery Brewing in Boulder Friday night with some other Coug fans. A lot of great beer was served and consumed. There are too many to rank, but my two favorite were Pump[KY]n and the Chocolate Mint Stout.

When Craft Beer Goes Corporate
Anheuser-Busch, known mostly for Budweiser, the "King of Beers," was delving into the craft beer market through its High End division, a line featuring eight breweries it had acquired since 2011, including Goose Island, in Chicago, Elysian Brewing, in Seattle, and Golden Road Brewing, in Los Angeles.

Non-Sports

The Legend of 'Tecmo Super Bowl'

Ok, this is sort of kind of sports, but I can't let Tecmo Super Bowl's 25th anniversary pass without paying homage.