I understand the concern about overconfidence. But its NOT hype, that would make them overconfident, it is LEGIT expectations, not hype.
1. Plug and Play, system, Air Raid, Leach, good recruiting, evaluation, development, etc.
2. The player talent, skill
3. QUALITY, even the back ups could be starters, if they didnt have even better starting in front of them, DEPTH.
4. #6 WR Corp in nation, Best since 97 Fab Five, and even deeper(6,7,8 deep, instead of 5 deep of Fab 5)
5. Borghi, Notre Dame Transfer RB
6. OL
7. Gage, 2 time Walter Payton Award finalist, was either nominated, or runner up, in the running, etc, for National FCS player of year, at least once. About 10,000 yards passing, led EWU deep into playoffs, beat WSU,etc.
8. Down Pac 12.
Those are LEGIT reasons for LEGIT HIGH EXPECTATIONS, high rankings. So its NOT hype.
Now I understand how that could make WSU overconfident, etc.
There are reasons why that either not a concern, or less of a concern.
1. Leach probably wont allow that to happen.
2. The players will probably still be hungry for winning the Pac 12 north, Pac 12, Beating UW.
3. Competition for playing time
Also why is it that Alabama doesnt underachieve? One would think Alabama's players would get complacent, etc.
Saban wont let that happen.
Also everybody always gives Alabama their best shot, and Alabama still wins.
The thing is that by the numbers, etc, Alabama is usually better.
Well this year, Assuming, and IF Gage is, what he should be, and if, baring LOTS of injuries, LOTS of extreme bad bounces, etc,
WSU should be to the Pac 12, etc, this year, like what Alabama is.
Like Alabama, WSU also:
1. Has the better, best team ON PAPER in Pac 12, by the numbers, math, facts, etc.
2. WSU is UP, compared to a DOWN Pac 12.
3. WSU like Alabama, can, should win despite getting the other teams BEST SHOT.
4. Leach like Saban wont allow complacency.
WSU will win AT LEAST 7,8,9 games
And should win 9,10, 11 games
And could win 11, 12, 13 games
And thats REALISTIC, LEGIT, non hype, assuming baring lots of injuries, Gage pans out.
So tho I understand your concern, there is probably no reason to be concerned.
If this was the Poor Ole Little Ole WSU of the past, concerns would be valid.
But this is not Poor Ole Little Ole WSU anymore.
Things have changed.
So no need to be concerned.
18 ·
Comments
Still more credible than Oregon's off season natty...
Jalen Thompson not only stopped a few potential big running plays near the line from the safety position, He also made the tackle on the other big ones that didn’t go to the house. He also preserved a few close wins during the Season as well with tackles and pass breakups.
I’m not trying to put the dude in the HOF. But we? Don’t have another one of him. A soft OOC schedule gets my? Cougs in a shit bowl.
But No JT and no Boobie is gonna be hard to overcome. It’s gonna be you against Oregon in the North this year. Cal is a sleeper but I’m gonna need to see an offense. They also travel to both Eugene and The pea patch if I’m not mistaken. Cougs will beat a couple teams they prolly shouldn’t not named UW but will drop one that they prolly shouldn’t as well. FYFMFE
Pretty Much Almost Nobody, No Pac 12 team, etc, has LOST(NOT games) as Much EXPERIENCE, and maybe might even Talent, with as LITTLE replacing that, in the last about 2,3,4 years, then the fuskies have since from the end of last year to the beginning of this coming season.
If that had happened to WSU, Ore St, etc, even with a Leach, Peterson type coach, that would be a 3,4,5,6,7 win team for either WSU, Ore St.
And before you say that that happened to WSU this year, That didnt happen to WSU this year.
WSU hasnt LOST(Not games) even close to as much as the Fuskies have this year. And even if it were close, WSU has done a pretty good job of REPLACING what they have lost.
And the fuskies have not done a good job of, and have done a bad job of replacing what they have lost ON PAPER.
And there is a limit to Plug and Play, and Plug and Play will only go so far.
And because of all that, since WSU, Ore St would only win about 3,4,5,6,7 games if they were in the fuskies shoes this season, and since the fuskies, have a traditionally better program, to the point that the fuskies would win about 5,6 5.5 games at minimum, to about 8,9, 8.5 games at maximum, in the situation they are in, instead of the 3 to 7 win range WSU, Ore St would get in their shoes, this season.
So the fuskies winning about 5,6, 5.5 to about 8,9,8.5 games is pretty realistic, based on above.
And WSU winning about 7,8,9, ave 8 wins at minimum to about 9,10, 11, ave 10 wins at maximum, with 6,7 games at worst, with only 4,5 wins almost impossible(.000001% chance), is pretty realistic.
Why?
Because WSU has a better team ON PAPER, then the fuskies this season, and have not lost(not games), as much as the fuskies, and have replaced what they have lost better, and have more TALENT, EXPERIENCE, DEPTH, ETC, then the fuskies do this season ON PAPER.
And when you, others say how can WSU be better when they lost to the fuskies? thats wrong to say, think that.
Doesnt matter in a way that WSU lost to fuskies.
WSU was 11-2 last year. Fuskies won about 8,9 games last year. WSU won their bowl game. Fuskies lost their bowl game.
So WSU was the better team, record wise, talent, etc, DESPITE losing to the fuskies.
And the ONLY reason why Fuskies even won that game is because they GOT LUCKY, SNOW, ICE, etc.
And before anybody says "But the fuskies had to play in that too", everybody should know that playing in SNOW, ICE, FAVORS the kind of team the fuskies have, over the kind of team WSU is, has.
So WSU was the better team last season then the fuskies.
And WSU is the better team then the fuskies, this season, no matter what happens vs the fuskies.
And because of that WSU's win range is 1,2, 2.5 wins on both the low side, high side then the fuskies
So that means that the fuskies win about 5,6, 5.5 games at minimum to about 8,9, 8.5 wins at maximum, and about 7 wins at average
And WSU should win about 6,7, 8, ave of 7 games at minimum, to about 9,10,11, ave of 10 games at maximum, and about 8.5 games at average, which is also their over, under.
Thats realistic, Logical