Washington State Football: 2013 Schedule Best Case Scenario

The Pac-12 released the 2013 schedule for all 12 teams last week and we haven’t had a chance to dissect it at all. While we’re not going to go into it too much right now, I would like to give you hopefully some sort of realistic best case/worst case scenario to chew on. There are a million variables to this, so we may have to revisit this closer to the season after recruiting classes are finalized and starters are identified, etc.

• W @Auburn: My honest to goodness opinion is that Auburn is losing this game, even at home with a sold out crowd behind them. This is a team coming off of a season with a record equal to that of WSU at 3-9, but they will also be breaking in a new coaching staff. I think we all saw how the new coaching staff thing went in game one of the Leach era. Much like Wazzu in 2012, people are going to be putting Auburn back into the 6-8 win category far too early, and I think this game will be a reality check for the Tigers, as well as a building block for the Cougs. Cougs by 9.
• L @USC: I want to believe so badly that this game can go the Cougs’ way as well, but unfortunately even in my best case scenario right now I don’t want to be too hopeful. Marquise Lee is still there and even the freshmen Qb’s at USC seem to do pretty well when they have go-to receivers. Both Wittek and Browne are highly touted and can sling it and the O-line of USC is going to be more experienced and powerful than the young Cougs’ front 7. On the other hand USC’s defense is losing a good portion of talent on what was a highly disappointing group in 2012, so if Halliday hits his stride, WSU could out-score the Trojans. In the end though, I really think Lee and co. wear out the still young Cougar defense and win by 17. There’s simply no-one in our secondary that has the ability to cover him as he scores 3 times.
• W vs Southern Utah: Cougs score 50 and steamrole SUU.
• W vs Idaho: The Vandals aren’t very good either. Cougs win by 28 and really pick up momentum going into full conference slate.
• W vs Stanford (in Seattle): That’s right, the Cougs pick up their first “home” win over a Pac-12 team in Seattle game. The Auburn win put people on the bandwagon and they showed up in droves to support the Cougs, who ride the energy to a 13 point victory. Remember the last time the Cardinal were here wasn’t their most impressive performance.
• L @ Cal: I know, I know, Cal is not as good as Stanford, so what’s up? Do you remember the last several times the Cougs traveled to the Bay Area to face Cal? Sonny Dykes and friends put the Cougars’ newly acquired North title hopes on ice with what will look like an upset victory at the time. It’s also a bad loss for the Cougars to take, but they take it by 11.
• L vs Oregon St.: Has Halliday learned his lesson against the Beavers (who are still very good by the way)? No, he turns it over too many times and the Beavers waltz out of Pullman with an 8 point W.
• L @ Oregon: Now the bowl hopes are starting to wane a little for WSU. Oregon crushes WSU in atypical Duck fashion by 28.
• BYE: Thank God! A chance to refocus and prepare for ASU!
• W vs Arizona St.: As bad as WSU is at Tempe, the Devils often seem to return the favor in Pullman and it’s that way again this year. ASU simply gets outplayed by a hungry Cougar squad at home. 15 points.
• BYE: New hope and renewed energy is carried to the second bye in three weeks.
• L @ Arizona: Cougs come close but Zona just simply outscores WSU by 3 in a crimson heartbreaker.
• W vs Utah: Leach gets the troops fired up for their redemption shot at Utah. Cougs by 14 in a shocker nationally.
• W @ Washington: There is no better way to end the season than by putting the second straight Apple Cup into Cougar paws against a very good Husky team. Cougs win in OT for the second straight year, except this time UW made the FG and Halliday marched us into the endzone for the victory.
• W @ Bowl Game: Cougars rep Pac-12 in their bowl game!