Maybe if we pick a better name, the rivalry will continue
VANDALS, COUGARS UPDATED 9:45 A.M.; 10:35 A.M.; 2:15 P.M.
Let's get started today with the Battle of the Palouse – no one sent in any suggestions for a new name, so I'm going with a tried and true cliché.
There's a sense this rivalry is winding down, as stories I talked about earlier this week alluded to. But John Blanchette got right to it today, listing all the reasons why this rivalry battle may become less frequent after next year.
If you think this game should stay a yearly occurrence, let me know and I'll pass on your feelings this weekend. Otherwise, if it switches, don't bitch.
Glenn Kasses looked at the defensive effort from last week (it was excellent) and the results (40 points, any questions?). As I said yesterday when talking about Alex Brink, effort and good intentions aren't enough, you have to produce at the college level. As my dad used to say, no one wants to hear about the labor pains, they just want to see the baby.
Glenn also has his picks for the Pac-10 this week. Here are mine:
Oregon State over Boise State in a close one.
Oklahoma over Washington, but closer than people think.
Stanford barely over San Jose State.
Arizona over LSU. The Wildcats are the team to beat this year in the Pac-10.
Fresno State keeps it close, but Oregon wins.
Cal in a romp over Minnesota.
ASU covers over Nevada.
UCLA doesn't cover but still wins handily.
WSU vs. Idaho? I'll say Saturday.
UPDATE NO. 3: Jim Meehan has some interesting things to say about the Vandals' future schedule on his blog.
From outside the area, the Seattle Times profiles Dennis Erickson's return to Idaho and his first 8-mile trek to Pullman.
Tacoma's Todd Milles also did a profile today, this one about Idaho outside linebacker Josh Bousman. Like yours truly, Todd is a former prep writer who covered Bousman when he played at Tacoma Baptist.
UPDATE: Missed this earlier, but Todd also profiled WSU punter Darryl Blunt.
The last Idaho profile of the day comes from the Idaho Statesman. The Boise paper, which covers the University of Idaho a little more than we do Boise State, writes about Vandal receiver Max Komar.
UPDATE NO. 2: Found this while I was browsing for EWU stories. It's a guide to this weekend's WAC games, with some fun information and picks.