Does Pullman have a shot at College Gameday?

First thing's first. I know we’ve talked about this very topic before, and to some of you it may be a tired one. I completely understand. The College Gameday trope has mostly run its course if you ask me. What do I mean by that? At this point, there have been so many teasers from so many people that I’m tired of leaping off the porch and chasing that stick. Don’t tell me how badly you want to visit Pullman, ESPN employees. Just tell me when you’ll be there and I’ll do my best to meet you.

That said, hey everybody let’s talk about whether or not the Cougs have a shot at hosting college football’s premier pregame show this season! The gang over at Awful Announcing dragged me back in to this vortex earlier this week, and there was some WSU flavor sprinkled in. As you might expect after looking at the schedule, WSU’s best shot was rendered moot when the USC game landed on a Friday.

Week 5: Northwestern at Wisconsin Other possibilities: Clemson at Virginia Tech, Georgia at Tennessee This week would have been the perfect opportunity for GameDay to visit Pullman, WA, for the very first time in advance of USC at Washington State, but that game is tragically scheduled for Friday night.

Dagger.

The Cougs are in the “others receiving votes” category for a couple other weekends as well. One comes relatively early, when Boise State visits Pullman in Week Two. The problem? Well, a couple relatively obscure programs with little to no history also face off that week when Oklahoma visits Ohio State.

Do I think the Gameday gang would head to Pullman instead of Columbus? Well, I think there is a better-than-zero shot, and here’s why: Ohio State is going to be really good this year. Penn State should be pretty good, too. The Nittany Lions visit Columbus in Week Nine, so Gameday has at least one other shot at a marquee game in the stadium that used to be a horseshoe but isn’t anymore.

The bigger obstacle that weekend is the fact that there are some other really enticing matchups that could divert the show’s attention, such as Auburn at Clemson (Clemson also has a great shot down the road when FSU visits), Georgia at Notre Dame and Stanford at USC. I’d say WSU’s chance to host Gameday against Boise State is between 5-10%.

Of course, this will would be rendered moot if when WSU wets the bed against a Big Sky opponent in the opener.

Awful Announcing also lists WSU as a possibility for Week 10, but if they have a slim shot in Week Two, their chances in Week 10 are infinitesimal. The Cougs host Stanford that week. You might remember Stanford at WSU as the contest for which Gameday should have come to Pullman in 2015. Either way, WSU’s chances are really low on this weekend because LSU visits Alabama and Oklahoma heads to Stillwater.

The only other game that would have a better-than-zero chance is Colorado on October 21, but both teams would need to have one loss or fewer for it to happen, and that’s a long shot in and of itself.

As I see it, the Boise State game is far and away WSU’s best shot this season, but it will take an opening win (probably by a lot), and a demonstration of whether the suits at Gameday are truly willing to put their money where their mouths are. While former producer Lee Fitting said it was time for a “shift in priorities” after the great Ol’ Crimson scare of 2015, the big orange bus has yet to make its way to the Palouse. If it’s going to happen this season, ESPN needs to make in happen in Week Two.

Football

Pac-12 football training camp preview: Team-by-team analysis
The most significant personnel loss for WSU, one could argue, was not a player but a coach: Joe Salave’a’s move to Eugene.

Kirkland Parker and Hunter Dale in dead heat at nickelback ... and three other position battles to watch throughout WSU camp | The Spokesman-Review
As it stands, the duel between Parker and Dale is a dead heat.

Coach Jeff Phelps gives Washington State a true technician on the defensive line | The Spokesman-Review
Jeff Phelps has plenty of indelible memories from the last bowl game he coached in.

Amway Coaches Poll: Top 25 preseason snubs to watch in 2017 | SI.com
Washington State, the top vote-getter not to crack the list (99 votes), brings back hyper-efficient passer Luke Falk, and the Cougars’ late fade against Colorado and blowout loss to Washington in the Apple Cup makes it easy to forget had a line on a spot in the Pac-12 title game in early November.

Joe Salave'a left Washington State to fix Oregon Ducks' challenge in the trenches | OregonLive.com
"Hopefully they have a horrible day when we play," Leach said. "But other than that, unless we're behind by additional games and we need him to lose more, I hope they do really well."

Beer

Best beer I had this week: Two of my favorite craft brewers teamed up to create a great summer beer. The result of the Funky Buddha/Bruery collaboration was Guava Libre! Imperial Cream Ale. First imperial cream ale I’ve ever had. I plan to have more.

Japan's Sapporo is buying US craft beer maker Anchor for $85 million - Business Insider Sapporo is paying $85 million for entry into the US craft beer market, acquiring San Francisco's Anchor Brewing Company.

Non-Sports

Parents Told Police Their Daughter Is Being Held Against Her Will In R. Kelly’s “Cult”
As the R&B legend tours the country this summer, parents have told police that R. Kelly is keeping women against their will in an abusive "cult" that's tearing families apart.