Are the Cougs ready for Utah?

Following their win over Arizona, the Cougars have a golden opportunity to become bowl eligible. Now, we find out if they can take advantage.

This season has been full of ups-and-downs, ranging from upset road victories over Pac-12 rivals to humiliating blowout losses on national television. Today is either going to be the highest-high or the lowest-low of the season.

WSU can still become bowl eligible even if it loses today, but that would require going on the road and beating Washington in the Apple Cup. While the Cougars could pull that off, if this program is really taking the strides we hope, winning today needs to happen. At some point WSU has to show up for a game against a Pac-12 opponent they are expected to and favored to beat and take care of business.

Today very well may be that day. We'll find out in a few hours.

Football:

It's senior day and 18 seniors will play their final home game in Martin Stadium. I took a closer look at their careers on Friday.

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Improved WSU O-line faces tough task against Utah - Spokesman.com - Nov. 22, 2013
After the Washington State football team’s 24-17 victory at Arizona last weekend both quarterback Connor Halliday and coach Mike Leach praised the offensive line for putting together one of its best games.

Vince Mayle Granted Additional Year of Eligibility - Washington State University Official Athletic Site
Washington State University senior football student-athlete Vince Mayle has been granted an additional year of eligibility by the NCAA, the university announced today.

WSU vs. Utah: 2-Minute Drill - SportsLink - Spokesman.com - Nov. 22, 2013
The Cougars are gearing up for a critical Pac-12 matchup against Utah. Our 2-Minute Drill covers four things the Cougars will need to accomplish to be successful.

Utah football: Utes’ bowl eligibility on line at WSU | The Salt Lake Tribune
Technically, the Utah Utes must win their final two games to be bowl eligible. But as far as the team is concerned, Saturday’s game at Washington State is its own version of a postseason playoff affair. As in, win and move on, lose and go home.

PULLMAN, Wash.: Washington St seeking to become bowl eligible | WSU Cougars | The Bellingham Herald
Washington State has not been to a bowl game in a decade, but the Cougars will become eligible if they beat Utah on Saturday.

Q&A: Washington State Cougars offensive lineman Elliott Bosch - ESPN
The Washington State Cougars are on the verge of bowl eligibility. With a victory Saturday over Utah, the Cougars could go to a bowl game for the first time since 2003. But they need to figure out a way to win a conference game at home. WSU center Elliott Bosch took a few minutes this week to catch up with the Pac-12 blog about the state of the Cougars, their bowl aspirations and what he’ll take away from playing for Mike Leach.

Football recruiting:

I rarely link to a subscription article, but this one is excellent. Britton Ransford broke down WSU's offers in the 2014 class by state. It goes into huge detail over where the offers are going and a change in strategy by the coaching staff. If also answers some of the Texas questions that have popped up recently.

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WazzuWatch.com - Success in unfamiliar recruiting territories
A quick look at the numbers from 2013 compared to 2014 shows that the staff is already well ahead of their offer pace during this cycle. The staff handed out a total of 199 known offers to 2013 prospects and just under halfway through the 2014 cycle the staff has offered 161 prospects.

Basketball:

TCU Travels to Washington State Sunday - TCU Horned Frogs Official Athletic Site

The TCU men's basketball program hits the road this weekend when it travels to Washington State Sunday at Beasley Coliseum. Tip-off is set for 5:00 p.m. CT and will be shown live on Pac-12 Networks with Rich Waltz (Play-By-Play) and Lamar Hurd (Color) calling the action live.

Cougars Host Horned Frogs Sunday - Washington State University Official Athletic Site
COUGARS CLOSE OUT NOVEMBER HOME ACTION SUNDAY: Washington State University men’s basketball (2-1) will host its final home game of November, Sunday, Nov. 24, when TCU (1-2) comes to town for a 3 p.m. tipoff at Beasley Coliseum.