Happy Football Friday on a Thanksgiving to you Cougar Nation!

Can you believe the 2011 Apple Cup is barely 48 hours from kickoff? It seems like I was just sitting in the bleachers at Martin Stadium for last year's thriller, and now we're back at it again.

This year's edition will be played at Century Link Field in Seattle as Husky Stadium is undergoing a massive renovation as we speak. This marks the first time since 1980 the game hasn't been played in Pullman or Seattle, and is the first Apple Cup in Seattle to be played at a site other than Husky Stadium in something like 85 years!

Lots is at stake in this one. In particular bowl position for the suddenly reeling Huskies, as well as the status of our Head Coach, Paul Wulff. The only comment I have on Wulff's coaching status, is that I think as long as we are competitive or win, he will return. I also believe if Wulff is to return, you will see a one or two year extension, in-which he will have the same salary, but a contract loaded with incentives. Other than that, I will not comment further until Bill Moos announces his decision. Last year, he announced Paul Wulff's retainment less than 24 hours after the Apple Cup was completed.

Taking a look at our Pick Em Leagues, before jumping into our picks for this weekend. In League One, The General leads the way with 257 points, followed by St Pete Cougs at 252 and Jbobsalo at 246. Over in League Two, you will find How We Do a-top the standings at 49-28, followed by Hawaiian Hentai at 48-29 and C White & Softy Makes Me Puke tied at 47-30. Keep up the good work folks!

Click the Jump for this week's picks!

Happy Apple Cup Week, Cougs (and any stray mutts that might be checking out the site this week). Apparently we've taken Apple Cup 2011 to be "Keep Your Enemies Closer Week" here at the WSU Football Blog. Prior to UWJasonUW's guest appearance yesterday, I'd already started an email exchange with My Buddy Korey The Husky Fan (heretofore known as MBKTHF) with the intention of running the results on This Here Blog. I hope you can tolerate one more day of reading the wit and wisdom of a Husky fan. I figure, what the hell, the Apple Cup is mere days away. You probably don't want to read about the shows I'm watching and beers I'm drinking anyway. You want to talk and read Cougars and Huskies, so let's do it...after the Daddy Mack Will Make Ya Jump Jump...

Good Afternoon Cougar Fans.

This is your favorite UW commenter UWJasonUW. Last night LC asked me for some of my thoughts on this weekend's game, as well as some of the strengths and weaknesses of this year's UW squad.

Without further ado, please click the Jump for more! no comments

Good Tuesday morning to you Cougar Nation and a Happy Apple Cup Week as well!

Today I am going to take a look at a few key areas that our Cougs need to execute, in-order to be competitive and possibly this weekend's game.

Before doing so, a couple of housekeeping items.

It was reported last night, although I cannot find the link, WSU QB Connor Halliday is out of the ICU and in Stable Condition. As you likely know, Halliday suffered a Lacerated Liver late in the first half on Saturday against Utah. Thoughts and prayes to Halliday and his family as he looks to recover from this internal injury. Isaiah Barton will also join Halliday on the sideline as he is out for the year after suffering an ACL injury on Saturday as well. Barton was having a great Senior campaign coming out of the Slot for us, and hopefully can heal in-time to impress NFL Scouts this spring. Walk-on WR Bennett Bontempts replaced Barton on Saturday. What does that say about Gino Simone's future at this position?

In other Pac 12 news, last night the Arizona Wildcats introduced former Michigan and West Virginia HC Rich Rodriguez. Rodriguez will likely bring his Spread Option offense and 75-48 career record (15-22 in three seasons in Ann Arbor) to the desert. The initial reaction to this hire talking to some of my Arizona friends was nothing to exciting.

Click the jump for my keys to the Apple Cup.

Yes, that is Marquess Wilson catching the football.  Yes, that is the goal line.  No, it wasn't a ruled a TD.  And no, they didn't review it.  Damn. 

With so much on the line for both programs (remember Utah is battling for the Pac-12 South title, and if they hammer Colorado next weekend while USC beats UCLA, they are now in the Pac-12 title game!), shouldn't they stop the game and take another look!?!?  And hey, let's say they do look at it again.  At least if they did take a second look, the time to go over it would have given the team a little extra time to contemplate going for the win or kicking the field goal? 

And for what it's worth, and this is in total overreaction Sunday/hindsight mode, but, Victory Bell says GO FOR THE KNOCK OUT.  If it is just a couple of inches, take your chances and go for the win.  If you lose and come up short, at least Wulff can take the podium, look straight into the camera and claim that they were going for the victory, period. 

The so-called coaching "book" says that in that situation, more times than not you go for the tie and OT.  You know, because you are at home, and you are the team that has the momentum by staging the comeback, all that stuff.  And I know that Utah has some behemoth d-tackles, so even asking for a couple of inches might have been difficult.  But on a slippery track, who's to say your 6-4 1/2 inch QB can't reach out over the goal line in the scrum? 

And getting to OT, didn't that actually play into Utah's favor?  They were the ones with the power running game that was starting to do some damage in the second half with their workhorse running back, as the Coug D was starting to tire under the weight of the turnovers by the offense and the loss of Adam Coerper.  Utah was the team with the kicker who had nailed a 45-yarder in the blizzard earlier in the fourth quarter.  Wasn't Utah better suited to win this thing if it did in fact get to OT? 

I guess if you can't get a couple of inches with the game on the line, maybe you don't deserve to win....and you don't deserve a bowl?

On to the video highlights (and watch the non-reviewed play at the end, a little after the 13-minute mark.  OUCH.):