The Washington State Cougars have been rebuilt from the bottom up by Mike Leach after his unceremonious ouster from Texas Tech. He is the kooky guy who has the really advanced offense, and that offense is doing something that will help his Cougar team rise close to their rivals at Washington. You may have forgotten that Washington State even had a team, but the home of Drew Bledsoe is a place where you can find some football fury that is ready to come out.
The offense matters
The offense matters at Washington State because they have to have something distinctive that other people will recognize.
You probably are not even aware of what Washington State does from week to week, but the combination of Mike Leach's personality along with his offense makes the Cougars worth watching. They might not win a national title this year, but they can grab your imagination just as much as any other team. That offense could spoil the season for the Huskies at Washington, and that could make the Apple Cup very interesting at the end of the year.
Why is Mike Leach relevant?
Leach is relevant because of his odd personality and the fact that he is probably about two or three decades ahead of his time. We will look back when our grandkids are playing football and realize that everyone does things the way that Leach does them now.
That could be fun to see because we might get more information from our coaches, more scoring, and more fun overall. You and I do not even know how to relate to Leach because he is so weird, but he is leading the way for football to become a bit more open. All the coach speak, and other hiding techniques people use will go away if Leach has his way.
Can Washington State beat Washington?
The Cougars can easily beat Washington, and the Cougars might go all the way to the PAC 12 title game if they play their cards right. This Washington State team is far more dangerous than most people want to let on, and that is partly because they have no Heisman contenders. They might produce some more talent in the years to come, but they are playing solid football right now that has put them in the Top Ten.
Look at the top ten and stand back in amazement. Four of the top ten teams are from Washington and Alabama. If you want to see good football, it is better for teams that are on the fringes of the sport to come out of the woodwork to compete with their more popular brothers. Mike Leach has done a commendable job. Give him a round of applause.
