Beating the trend

[CatGut]

The goal next year is to get a spot in the CFP. To do that requires having 2 losses or fewer in the regular season (preferably no more than 1). In the past 70 seasons, a UW coach has had back-to-back years of 2 or fewer regular season losses 6 times:

Jim Owens[/b] (1 time: 1959/1960)
Don James[/b] (4 times: 1980/1981, 1981/1982, 1990/1991, 1991/1992. 10-1 in 1984 but couldn’t repeat)
Jim Lambright[/b] (9-2 regular season in 1996. Couldn't repeat)
Rick Neuheisel[/b] (10-1 regular season in 2001. Couldn't repeat)
Ty Willingham[/b] (None)
Steve Sarkisian[/b] (None)
Chris Petersen[/b] (1 time: 2016/2017)
Jimmy Lake[/b] (3-1 in 2020 [COVID season]. Couldn't repeat)

That DeBoer has a realistic shot to do it in his first two seasons underscores what a difference he's made for the program.

* Side notes: only Jim Owens did his back-to-backs following a worse year (3-7 in 1958 vs 4-8 in 2021)

 

[RaceBannon]

Forge the statue

 

[huskyhooligan]

Speaking of beating trends and because I didn't want to start a new thread.

Happy 55th Birthday to[/b] @CFetters_Nacho_Lover

Beating the ever present fading hour glass of time, and what will most certainly be your heart exploding out of your large supple chest and making it to 55 is a substantial accomplishment!

 

[Doogles]

You only get 1 mulligan to make the playoffs, and on the west coast it better be a good one. Next year our "B" OOC game is Boise, which will help with strength of schedule as they are favorites in the MWC and have a shot at being the G5 NY6 team. Hopefully our "A" game at East Lansing ends up looking better with a bounce back season from Mel Tucker, though i'm not hopeful on that.

Need to go undefeated in OOC to have a realistic shot. @SC, @Beav, Ute and the Danimals at home. Gotta save the L for that stretch.

 

[Canadawg]

@ SC is the only acceptable loss for a legitimate playoff contender. If they beat SC then beavs is the only other one that would be understandable if[/b] DJU is legitimate

 

[BleachedAnusDawg]

You only get 1 mulligan to make the playoffs, and on the west coast it better be a good one. Next year our "B" OOC game is Boise, which will help with strength of schedule as they are favorites in the MWC and have a shot at being the G5 NY6 team. Hopefully our "A" game at East Lansing ends up looking better with a bounce back season from Mel Tucker, though i'm not hopeful on that.

Need to go undefeated in OOC to have a realistic shot. @SC, @Beav, Ute and the Danimals at home. Gotta save the L for that stretch.

The least bad loss would be @USC because you get a chance at revenge in the CCG and all is made right in the committee's eyes.

 

[PostGameOrangeSlices]

You only get 1 mulligan to make the playoffs, and on the west coast it better be a good one. Next year our "B" OOC game is Boise, which will help with strength of schedule as they are favorites in the MWC and have a shot at being the G5 NY6 team. Hopefully our "A" game at East Lansing ends up looking better with a bounce back season from Mel Tucker, though i'm not hopeful on that.

Need to go undefeated in OOC to have a realistic shot. @SC, @Beav, Ute and the Danimals at home. Gotta save the L for that stretch.

There is a scenario where we drop a close one to an improved MSU and then run the table. Really unlikely and we would need MSU to be a top 25 skwad and knockoff Michigan or Ohio State, as well

 

[RoadDawg55]

You only get 1 mulligan to make the playoffs, and on the west coast it better be a good one. Next year our "B" OOC game is Boise, which will help with strength of schedule as they are favorites in the MWC and have a shot at being the G5 NY6 team. Hopefully our "A" game at East Lansing ends up looking better with a bounce back season from Mel Tucker, though i'm not hopeful on that.

Need to go undefeated in OOC to have a realistic shot. @SC, @Beav, Ute and the Danimals at home. Gotta save the L for that stretch.

There is a scenario where we drop a close one to an improved MSU and then run the table. Really unlikely and we would need MSU to be a top 25 skwad and knockoff Michigan or Ohio State, as well

We aren’t losing to Sparty. Easy win.

 

[PostGameOrangeSlices]

You only get 1 mulligan to make the playoffs, and on the west coast it better be a good one. Next year our "B" OOC game is Boise, which will help with strength of schedule as they are favorites in the MWC and have a shot at being the G5 NY6 team. Hopefully our "A" game at East Lansing ends up looking better with a bounce back season from Mel Tucker, though i'm not hopeful on that.

Need to go undefeated in OOC to have a realistic shot. @SC, @Beav, Ute and the Danimals at home. Gotta save the L for that stretch.

There is a scenario where we drop a close one to an improved MSU and then run the table. Really unlikely and we would need MSU to be a top 25 skwad and knockoff Michigan or Ohio State, as well

We aren’t losing to Sparty. Easy win.

I remember saying/thinking the same thing about ASU 2017, Cal 2018, Cal 2019, and ASU 2022

 

[ntxduck]

You only get 1 mulligan to make the playoffs, and on the west coast it better be a good one. Next year our "B" OOC game is Boise, which will help with strength of schedule as they are favorites in the MWC and have a shot at being the G5 NY6 team. Hopefully our "A" game at East Lansing ends up looking better with a bounce back season from Mel Tucker, though i'm not hopeful on that.

Need to go undefeated in OOC to have a realistic shot. @SC, @Beav, Ute and the Danimals at home. Gotta save the L for that stretch.

There is a scenario where we drop a close one to an improved MSU and then run the table. Really unlikely and we would need MSU to be a top 25 skwad and knockoff Michigan or Ohio State, as well

We aren’t losing to Sparty. Easy win.

UW should be favored but it won’t be an easy win. Their fans are dumb and that place will be packed in September

 

[CatGut]

You only get 1 mulligan to make the playoffs, and on the west coast it better be a good one. Next year our "B" OOC game is Boise, which will help with strength of schedule as they are favorites in the MWC and have a shot at being the G5 NY6 team. Hopefully our "A" game at East Lansing ends up looking better with a bounce back season from Mel Tucker, though i'm not hopeful on that.

Need to go undefeated in OOC to have a realistic shot. @SC, @Beav, Ute and the Danimals at home. Gotta save the L for that stretch.

There is a scenario where we drop a close one to an improved MSU and then run the table. Really unlikely and we would need MSU to be a top 25 skwad and knockoff Michigan or Ohio State, as well

We aren’t losing to Sparty. Easy win.

UW should be favored but it won’t be an easy win. Their fans are dumb and that place will be packed in September

Agreed it won't be easy, but UW should expect to win the game. First, because UW should simply be better than MSU. Second, because MSU tends not to enjoy much home field advantage. Their most recent non-conference home games (Power 5 opponents only) are:

2019: Arizona State (Lost 10-7)
2017: Notre Dame (Lost 38-18)
2016: BYU (Lost 31-14)
2015: Oregon (Won 31-28)
2012: Notre Dame (Lost 20-3)

This list is going pretty far back and covers teams having nothing to do with present-day Sparty, so worth noting that they don't really have a lot of home field advantage in conference games either:

2022: 3-2 (excluding Michigan & OSU for extra fairness)
2021: 3-0
2020: 1-2
2019: 2-3
2018: 2-1

 

[HuskyJW]

If UW loses to the Beav. They aren’t making the playoff

ESPN will allow our one loss to be to USC……maybe Utah if beat SC That’s it

 

[haie]

You only get 1 mulligan to make the playoffs, and on the west coast it better be a good one. Next year our "B" OOC game is Boise, which will help with strength of schedule as they are favorites in the MWC and have a shot at being the G5 NY6 team. Hopefully our "A" game at East Lansing ends up looking better with a bounce back season from Mel Tucker, though i'm not hopeful on that.

Need to go undefeated in OOC to have a realistic shot. @SC, @Beav, Ute and the Danimals at home. Gotta save the L for that stretch.

There is a scenario where we drop a close one to an improved MSU and then run the table. Really unlikely and we would need MSU to be a top 25 skwad and knockoff Michigan or Ohio State, as well

We aren’t losing to Sparty. Easy win.

UW should be favored but it won’t be an easy win. Their fans are dumb and that place will be packed in September

It was packed with them this year. Their coach is a mess and they're desperately trying to fix their lines.

 

[PostGameOrangeSlices]

If UW loses to the Beav. They aren’t making the playoff

ESPN will allow our one loss to be to USC……maybe Utah if beat SC That’s it

Disagree. 11-1 conference champ UW gets in no matter what

 

[CFetters_Nacho_Lover]

Speaking of beating trends and because I didn't want to start a new thread.

Happy 55th Birthday to[/b] @CFetters_Nacho_Lover

Beating the ever present fading hour glass of time, and what will most certainly be your heart exploding out of your large supple chest and making it to 55 is a substantial accomplishment!

Huh?

 

[RoadDawg55]

You only get 1 mulligan to make the playoffs, and on the west coast it better be a good one. Next year our "B" OOC game is Boise, which will help with strength of schedule as they are favorites in the MWC and have a shot at being the G5 NY6 team. Hopefully our "A" game at East Lansing ends up looking better with a bounce back season from Mel Tucker, though i'm not hopeful on that.

Need to go undefeated in OOC to have a realistic shot. @SC, @Beav, Ute and the Danimals at home. Gotta save the L for that stretch.

There is a scenario where we drop a close one to an improved MSU and then run the table. Really unlikely and we would need MSU to be a top 25 skwad and knockoff Michigan or Ohio State, as well

We aren’t losing to Sparty. Easy win.

UW should be favored but it won’t be an easy win. Their fans are dumb and that place will be packed in September

UW will score a bunch points and Peyton Thorne and their offense sucks until it doesn’t. I don’t see Michigan State being too much better.

 

[ntxduck]

You only get 1 mulligan to make the playoffs, and on the west coast it better be a good one. Next year our "B" OOC game is Boise, which will help with strength of schedule as they are favorites in the MWC and have a shot at being the G5 NY6 team. Hopefully our "A" game at East Lansing ends up looking better with a bounce back season from Mel Tucker, though i'm not hopeful on that.

Need to go undefeated in OOC to have a realistic shot. @SC, @Beav, Ute and the Danimals at home. Gotta save the L for that stretch.

There is a scenario where we drop a close one to an improved MSU and then run the table. Really unlikely and we would need MSU to be a top 25 skwad and knockoff Michigan or Ohio State, as well

We aren’t losing to Sparty. Easy win.

UW should be favored but it won’t be an easy win. Their fans are dumb and that place will be packed in September

UW will score a bunch points and Peyton Thorne and their offense sucks until it doesn’t. I don’t see Michigan State being too much better.

Agree to disagree. Anyone thinking about the trip—if you’re a golfer, I definitely recommend it and spending a few days in northern MI on either side of the game. There’s some pretty nice courses in the EL area, too.

 

[FireCohen]

UW lost to ASU on the road, would not be surprised if our morons fucked up on the road

 

[no_uh]

For the last 20 years+ (maybe longer for the historians and old people) UW has lost on the road to worthless team. ASU says hi. DeBoer hasn't broken the curse. I have BWS and expect the L against MSU but also like LIPO.

 

[Kingdome_Urinals]

You only get 1 mulligan to make the playoffs, and on the west coast it better be a good one. Next year our "B" OOC game is Boise, which will help with strength of schedule as they are favorites in the MWC and have a shot at being the G5 NY6 team. Hopefully our "A" game at East Lansing ends up looking better with a bounce back season from Mel Tucker, though i'm not hopeful on that.

Need to go undefeated in OOC to have a realistic shot. @SC, @Beav, Ute and the Danimals at home. Gotta save the L for that stretch.

There is a scenario where we drop a close one to an improved MSU and then run the table. Really unlikely and we would need MSU to be a top 25 skwad and knockoff Michigan or Ohio State, as well

We aren’t losing to Sparty. Easy win.

UW should be favored but it won’t be an easy win. Their fans are dumb and that place will be packed in September

It was packed with them this year. Their coach is a mess and they're desperately trying to fix their lines.

It will be annoyingly difficult. UW should have a better RB though, so they can actually lean in to that a little bit. Helps Penix, and is a good strategy on the road (see Alamo Bowl).