Utah gets ‘Welcomed’ Polk-Salad Style, While Colorado ‘Cougs’ it;

This is Officer Lee Groinman; That’s Right, Washington’s Most Satisfied Cop…

But behold, the tide may soon change, easy pickings may soon be nuthin’ more than a distant memory, gone like a warm summer breeze in the midst of October. The Dawgs being a seventeen point underdog to Nebraska? Ten to Utah? Are the Polk-Salad days over?

Chris Polk sings Karen Carpenter’s; “We’ve only just begun”…minus the long gown…

Good Dawg Almighty folks! Where’d that come from? There’s a mind-image that shouldn’t last too long…

Easy pickings? I would think the Dawgs will be around an 8 point favorite to Colorado on the 15th of October. The laugh heard all the way to the bank just got a little bit tougher.

But that’s how it goes, you gotta jump on the early nonsense point spreads and make hay while you can, bet heavy on those, then ratchet it down a notch when Vegas gets its bearings, just like Nick Holt and the Dawg ‘D’ did to the Utes in Salt Lake. Welcome to the Pac 12 Utah, yes you went down hard as predicted here, but maybe it’s a good thing Uncle Larry Scott put you in the Southern Division, you may need all the bennies you can scrape up.

I’m really satisfied that last week is over. How many times did I read about how this was Utah’s ‘Inaugural Pac 12 Home Opener’, or I even liked this one better, this being ‘Utah’s First Inaugural Home Opener’, I wonder if they’ll get a chance for a second inaugural home opener…

And then ya’ got those weather and altitude articles. Ya’ know it’s been so cold in Seattle here lately, and this bein’ a late game, our boys will probably just melt. But you hear these kinds every year. The ‘altitude’? The air is thinner, less resistance, easier to throw and kick the ball…

Seems to me that the boys in red were the ones suckin’ wind…

The notion that bothered me is that Pac 12 commish Larry Scott was in house to witness this home opener for Utah, that’s why I buckled down and did not go hog-wild on this bet. I feared some home-cookin’. Pac 12 officials will still have some proving to do, takes years to clean up an image problem.

And I still have this official ‘image’ problem with the Nebraska game…

That ‘Southern Division’ crap still grinds my beans. But no amount of change will benefit the Dawgs, or so it seems. In marketing these days, they say that ‘retro’ is all the rage. People want to feel safe and secure; like in the ‘old days’, they want to be comfortable in their own skin. That is probably why so many clamored for the ol’ Pac 8 alignment, an East/West division; oh it made so much sense to those of us who actually remember the Pac 8. But no, Texas gave us the two-step, and their dancin’ partner, Texas A+M followed, and we were left with the slight hope of a ‘zipper’ conference.

I think Larry Scott’s zipper goes in the back, and not just from his days in Ladies Tennis…

But no amount of change is worth having Texas in the conference, but that would not stop ol’ Larry. He’d probably go court Notre Dame…

There just is no one else that fits. Every school with an ounce of possibility has a pound of warts. Maybe a rotating conference? Spin it like the ‘Wheel of Fortune’.

Nah, after the dust settles, push for the zipper. ‘Zipper or Bust!”

I’ve written many emails to Scott ‘Born on the Bayou’ Woodward on this very subject. None answered, think ol Scott has me on ‘ignore’ by now, a tough deal, this, and I think Larry Scott sees himself as a zipper-buster…

But how I do digress…

I just watched the Utah game again last night.  Replays are always so reassuring. The ‘addition by subtraction’ theory proved to be true in Salt Lake City. Hau’oli Jamora lost for the year, Semisi Tokolahi just happens to come back. Timing is everything folks. Everrette Thompson back outside, Justin Glenn, proving his doubter wrong, Josh Shirley gets hisself on the field and puts up a sack on Utah’s QB Jordan Wynn, on the very first play from scrimmage, an omen for things to come, as Wynn would not see the second-half. Jamaal Kearse, becoming a star in the making. Are the stars aligning? We came out of Utah healthy…

I fear what might have happened had Tokolahi had not been able to play. I like what Danny Shelton has done, and Sione Potoa’e seems to be getting’ his grove on, his knees getting better, but Semisi is the straw that stirs the drink. Alameda Ta’amu would not argue…

As ugly as that first half was, the Dawgs found themselves in the lead due to Jamaal Kearse’s fumble recovery for a touchdown on the opening kick-off, and Erik Folks end of the half 44-yard field goal. The Dawgs scored on the opening kick-off, and on the end of the half field goal? Scored on the opening play, and the ending of the half play? Not to be out done, Utah scored on the final play of the game.

Basturds…Nick Holt unamused…

Not sure that’s ever happened before. Did nobody score at the end of the third quarter? Better go check the tape…

The second half did my blood pressure some good. Keith Price played ‘Price-Ball’. Chris Polk played ‘Polk-Ball’. The numbers can’t be denied. Look for Keith Price to get some Heisman noise next year. And the Husky ‘D’? I think with Semisi back the fellas thought the boys in red across from them were the fellers from Lincoln and they were back in the Holiday Bowl!

Yup, timing is everything…

So what’s up with the other new kids on the block? The Colorado Buffaloes, or Beef-aloes. Are these guys the new Cougs? Well they sure did coug-it against those pesky cougs. They give up two TD’s in the final five minutes to grasp defeat from of the jaws of victory…

They ‘Buffed’ it? Better not buff-it much longer Colorado, it gets cold there and soon!

I was actually rootin’ for Colorado over the Cougs there in Boulder. Don’t know why, with what  happened last year on Letter-of-Intent day. I do Hope Paulay Asiata played just to burn his redshirt. But the Cougs are that way with me, never know what they’re gonna get. Paul Wullf may get a contract extension? I don’t think so, the sledding gets a bit tougher from here on out. The Beaver-Coug game this year could be a classic, wonder if Larry has got it scheduled…

Speakin’ of schedules, I see the Bowl projections are starting to come out. The Huskies, as in most years not coached by Tyrone Willingham, are projected by the experts to be in the Sun Bowl. Once again. How original…

In over thirty years the Huskies have been in El Paso, thrice. But these smucks feel like El Paso is our official home-away-from-home. I was at the 1995 Sun Bowl, the 38-18 drubbin’ by Iowa. One of the coldest day games I can remember, a 32 degree day with what seemed like a 42 mph wind, with blowin’ grit.  Wonder if it was too cold for the Huskies…El Paso has that elevation thing too, just seems colder. We all just wanted to get home. Lite a fire. Even the beer kegs had ice caps…They didn’t sell much, lines kept freezin’ up. Lack of movement…

Nah El Paso, been there done that…

But these experts are really just a reflection of some dawg fans I see on the message boards. Complete threads where the topics are what games we aren’t going to win. I wonder if it’s a Seattle thang and maybe a vitamin D deficiency, probably so. I take 50,000 units of vitamin D before writin’ this stuff…

Momma always said; ‘if ya’ got nuthin’ good to say, just keep your pie-hole shut’.

I think it’s more of it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. Callin’ out a guy for listing games as games we could win is over the top. I’ve never gone to a game where I said;

“Gee, this is a game we absolutely cannot win. Won’t this be fun?”

Well the 2001 Miami game could be an exception, playing that game after 11 straight weeks without a bye, traveling across the length of the entire country, the season was really over, the Apple Cup already played, Thanksgiving, longest road trip to date…

And I was there…

Brilliant!

The Huskies are now 4-1. Some fans are surprised, others point out that some teams played are cupcakes. It takes all kinds. I planned on being 5-0, so chalk me up on the disappointed side. I never plan on losing, but you can’t plan on Nebraska home-cookin’. Looking back on California, Tedford and the boys must be spooked, losing the last two Husky games on the last play. This year thanks to the Dawg ‘D’. Last year’s game was the last game in Cal’s Memorial Stadium. Yup, our last game in the old Husky Stadium will be against the ducks come November 5^th.

The ducks do not win this year in Husky Stadium. Who do you think we are, the Cal Bears?

Gonna be a classic. For those of you who missed the ’91 SC game, get your tickets NOW!

Colorado? Many memories there, some good, some bad. This will be Colorado’s second inaugural Pac 12 road trip as they play Stanford on October 8^th. I hope they don’t bring that Ralphie, their mascot here. Heard he’s not even house-broke yet, first Pac 12 season and all…dude can make a helluva mess…just like the team. But respect your opponent…

GO DAWGS!!

This week being the bye is gonna be great. The fellas could really need the time to rest up and heal over. I try and usually do something special on a bye, like get married or wash the truck. This time I’m gonna catch the Coug and Ucla game. Some folks ask if you’re gonna root for the Cougs to beat Neuheisel and powder blue boys. Don’t really know, this is one of those games where you can derive pleasure from whichever loser…

GRUMBLINGS; I saw where one feller wants to honor Amanda Knox at a Husky game. Some folks just have too much time on their hands. Try this if you’re lookin’ for something to do and somebody to honor. Write Scott Woodward at huskyad@washington.edu  Tell good ol’ Bayou Scott that you support the efforts to honor legendary coach Gil Dobie and his players with a suitable memorial. We’ve got a statue of a dawg for cryin’ out loud. Speakin’ of dawgs…

GOOD NEWS DEPARTMENT: CASH, our featured dawg for the Utah game has been adopted! Seems both CASH and myself cashed in last week… But there’s more where he came from folks!

MEET KANOOSH, CHINOOK, and KINLEY, OUR FEATURED DAWGS OF THE WEEK! A Triple-Header!

  

KANOOSH.                                     CHINOOK.                                     KINLEY.

Don’t think we’ve ever had three stunningly good lookers and wonderful animals like these all at the same time. KANOOSH and CHINOOK are both young males while KINLEY is a beautiful young female. These three charmers and their pals can be seen at www.wamal.com  Ready for adoption now!