Washington State Cougars must win this season
As the college football landscape continues to evolve, it’s more important than ever for the Washington State Cougars to become a football power.
It has to be disheartening for Washington State Cougars Nation to watch what’s gone on recently with conference realignment and know that the Cougs aren’t even in the conversation. Well, the story is still being written, and all hope is not lost. Wazzu still has time (not much) to force the issue, but it has to start ASAP.
Force Relevancy
Beginning with 2022, Washington State must make themselves relevant. At the least, they need to be in the Top 25 by the end of the season. That’s the minimum and a stepping stone. By 2023, they need to be around the Top 10 and play in the Pac-12 Championship game. Not only do the Cougs need to get to that level, but they also have to stay there.
If the Pac-12 exists five years from now, there are no guarantees it will look close to the same. Washington State could be the conference standard bearer.
Conversely, should the Pac-12 fade from existence, Wazzu has to be in a position to make a conference decision on their own terms, not settle for what scraps remain. Top conferences would be hard-pressed to pass on a perennial Rose Bowl team.
Sending a Message
Pac-12 Mainstays USC and UCLA have already defected. They join the Big Ten beginning in 2024. And while they haven’t left yet, Washington and Oregon are attractive candidates if the conference decides to expand again. Additionally, the Pac-12’s “Four Corners” schools, Utah, Arizona, Arizona State, and Colorado, are being courted by the Big 12.
It would be humbling to all of those schools if the Washington State Cougars started putting a beatdown on them. In effect, saying, “You want to leave us, we play good football in Pullman, Washington, and here’s the proof. Now take your loss.”
Carrying the Weight
The Washington State Cougars’ fate is in the hands of a rookie head coach. Jake Dickert begins his first full season as an FBS head coach in a must-win situation. He has to become the West Coast version of Georgia’s Kirby Smart. A fantastic leader with solid Xs and Os, and a tireless recruiter.
Since he got the Washington State job on November 27, the stakes are much higher. Not exactly an ideal situation for either Dickert or the Cougs. But it is what it is.
The 39-year-old Dickert (a year younger than when Smart took over Georgia) must rise to meet a very difficult challenge. He has no time for an adjustment period.
The Few Principle
If the Washington State Cougars need inspiration, look no further than Spokane. Gonzaga is a small Jesuit school with less than 5,000 students. Despite their size, they made themselves NCAA relevant by becoming a college basketball power behind head coach Mark Few. Not only do they run one of the top programs in the country, but Gonzaga has also been at or near the top for the better part of two decades.
Do you believe the Washington State Cougars must be in a win-now mode? Let us know in the comments section below.