Three Bold Predictions for WSU’s 2019 football season

Good morning Coug fans. This week, college football media and pundits around the nation alerted us to the fact that Week Zero is 100 days away. Don’t get too excited—100 days is still a long time. Plus, summer is a time to relax and bank some time spent with your family. You’re going to need those credits once football season comes around.

But while we’re on the subject of college football, let’s look forward to the 2019 season. Theo Lawson of The Spokesman-Review provided five predictions for the upcoming season, and you definitely need to read it because, among other things, there is an interesting note on Calvin Jackson Jr.’s shot at starting over Tay Martin.

Done reading it? Good.

Theo’s predictions got me thinking about my own predictions I make before each football game. Sure, I only hit on one prediction all season (thank you, Skyler Thomas), but that’s why I call them Bold Predictions.

So with that, here are my Three Bold Predictions for the 2019 season. I get to update these as the season grows closer, just so everybody knows the rules.

Here...we....go.

1. WSU is featured on ESPN’s College GameDay for the second season in a row. This time, WSU will be the road team.

Remember when Coug fans everywhere would try and figure out which weekend would give WSU the best chance to host College GameDay? We were so innocent then.

Theo’s fifth prediction was that WSU and Utah would both be top-15 teams heading into their Sept. 28 matchup. If that’s the case, let’s assume both teams are undefeated. After glancing at the other games around the country that weekend, it’s definitely possible ESPN would take a hard look at this game as a GameDay location.

It’s no slam-dunk, of course. USC-Washington is also that weekend, and if the Trojans can get through Fresno State, Stanford, BYU and Utah, ESPN could head to Seattle. Of course, UW needs to beat Cal, first.

Ohio State visits Nebraska, and if Scott Frost can turn the Cornhuskers around quickly, that could be another challenger. A trio of SEC games (Ole Miss-Alabama, Texas A&M-Arkansas and Mississippi State-Auburn) are always ones to keep an eye one, because SEC (and Alabama).

A lot can happen between now and then. But keep WSU-Utah in mind when it comes to College GameDay.

2. WSU will score at least 170 points in its first three games combined

Those three games are against teams with bad to very bad defenses: New Mexico State, Northern Colorado and Houston.

3. WSU will win the Apple Cup

This is the year. I know it.

Mike Leach addresses Pepperdine graduates

Leach was recognized as the Pepperdine School of Law’s Distinguished Alumnus this year and got to suit up in one of those fancy flying squirrel suits.

Links

Football

Five predictions for Washington State’s football team in 2019 | The Spokesman-Review
With more than 100 days until the opening kickoff of Washington State’s season, we play the guessing game and use what we learned during spring camp to make five predictions for the 2019 Cougars.

Pac-12 strength of schedule rankings: Bye week placement makes for tall orders from USC, Stanford - CBSSports.com
Ranking each Pac-12 team by their projected strength of schedule in 2019.

100 Days Out: Counting down 100 things to get you ready for the 2019 college football season - CBSSports.com
The Pac-12 will make the College Football Playoff.

100 days to college football -- Everything you need to know | ESPN.com
In just 100 days, the 150th season of college football will kick off with a Miami vs. Florida showdown. Here's a complete primer to get you ready.

Mike Leach Interview (Ep. 689) - Sports Gambling Podcast
Leach reached into his bag of quotes and used this one in this interview: "On Sunday, I don’t know if we can beat Pullman High School, by Friday, I’m pretty convinced we can beat the Patriots. This is not a game or a sport for rational people and I’m not a rational person."

Basketball

Report: D.J. Rodman, son of former NBA star Dennis Rodman, signs with Washington State | The Spokesman-Review
A 6-foot-6 forward from JSerra Catholic in San Juan Capistrano, California, Rodman only had a few other Division I offers, from Cal State Fullerton, UC Riverside and Sacramento State, according to 247Sports.com and VerbalCommits.com.

THE WORM II: D.J. Rodman, Dennis Rodman's son, is WSU-bound
The Worm Part II touching down in Pullman?

Baseball

Block Impresses But Utah Rallies for Win - Washington State University Athletics
The series wraps up Saturday at 10:30 a.m. (PT).