2008 Washington State Cougars College Football Predictions

2008 Washington State Cougars College Football Predictions Courtesy of Alex Smart, An Expert College Football Handicapper featured on Touthouse.com. If you are betting college football this year, be sure to buy Alex Smart’s college football predictions each week and guarantee a winning season!!

Washington State Cougars (5-7, 3-6 in 2007, 8th place in Pac-10)
For the first time in four seasons, the Cougars will come into the season without having Alex Brink as their starting quarterback. Brink was a very sharp 305-503 for 3818 yards and 26 touchdowns against 15 interceptions in 2007, and left Pullman as the campus’ all time leading passer. This year new HC Paul Wulff takes over for Bill Doba, who was unable to record a winning campaign in the last four seasons as head coach at Wazzou.

Offensive Outlook: Without Alex Brink, a gaping hole emerges at the quarterback position and the question will be who can fill it? None of the candidates have any real experience, so the Cougars might find themselves in the middle of a quarterback carousel in 2008. Whoever does win the quarterback job though will find himself a very talented target to throw at in 1st Team All Pac-10 WR Brandon Gibson who caught 67 balls for 1180 yards and nine touchdowns last season.

Defensive Outlook: The Cougars allowed a Pac-10 worst 32.4 PPG last season but eight returning starters from 2007 are out to prove that those numbers they surrendered last season were an aberration. Indeed, five of the twelve teams the Cougars faced smoked the defense for more than 40 points. With only one underclassmen projected to start, this is one of the most experienced groups in the Pac-10.

2008 Outlook: The Cougars will play a thirteenth game this season instead of the usual twelve when they head to the Big Island to take on Hawaii at the end of November. The other non-conference games on the schedule include a tough virtual home game, in Seattle, against Oklahoma State, a road game at Baylor, and a home game against I-AA giant killer Portland State. Back to back road games against middle of the pack Pac-10 teams UCLA and Oregon State will be a midseason test of where the program’s at.

2008 will be a success if… The Cougars can show improvement under new HC Paul Wulff and possibly find a way to get the six wins needed to attain bowl eligibility. This is easier said than done however with a brand new quarterback and head coach.

Prediction: 2-10, Last in Pac-10