A Grip on Sports: It’s time for the Cougars to putt for the bowl game dough

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Ever compete in match play golf. Or even watch? There is an unassailable rule in the game. If you have a chance to end the match, do it. Don’t let it linger. Close the door. If you don’t, bad things happen.

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• We thought about that this morning as we began reading stories concerning this Saturday’s game in Pullman. The Cougars host Arizona State, which is one of the Pac-12’s also-rans mainly because of issues off the field. There is a lot of talent in Tempe.

The Sun Devils are 3-6 on the field but that record reflects an offseason of turmoil and a season marked by transfers and turnover. ASU is one of two Pac-12 schools that have already made a head-coaching change.

And yet, with a change at quarterback, Arizona State has become a threat. Maybe not an overpowering one, but a threat nonetheless.

At least a threat to Washington State’s hope of becoming bowl eligible. Which brings us back to match play. Think of this way. The Cougars are one-up with three holes to play. Win Saturday and a .500 mark is assured. That also means they will go bowling.

But lose and the road is tougher. The next two games are, in order, at Arizona and against Washington in Pullman.

The Wildcats are not the pushover they were last season, not with Jayden de Laura at quarterback and an offense that has caused every opponent fits. Add in de Laura’s desire to stick it to Washington State and that assignment seems tough. Especially if the bowl pressure is added to it.

That’s because no one wants to add that ingredient to the Apple Cup stew. It rarely, if ever, makes it taste better.

Pressure does funny things to college football players. It’s part of the game’s charm. Heck, if the Cougars win Saturday, it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise if a then-loose group rolled to two more victories. Lose, however, and the muscles tighten, the task looks even more daunting and the season could end poorly.

Our advice? Ram home the 8-footer this weekend Cougars. Celebrate a bit. And see what happens the rest of November. It could be memorable.

• There was an election Tuesday. And another one, of sorts, in college football. The second playoff rankings were released. Guess what? The Pac-12 still has a legitimate chance of sending a team to the four-team invitational.

Oregon is the conference’s frontrunner, of course, with its 8-1 mark and sixth-place spot in the rankings. But USC (eighth) and UCLA (12th) still have varying degrees of hope.

The Ducks’ path isn’t easy but a tough final stretch also gives them opportunity. Washington this week. Utah. Oregon State. All respectable opponents. Then either USC, UCLA or Utah in the Pac-12 title game. One more challenge. One more resume builder.

If Oregon wins out, they are almost assuredly in the playoffs despite their 49-3 season-opening loss to Georgia.

The only locks above them in the rankings are top-rated Georgia, even with an SEC title game loss, and the winner of No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Michigan. Oh, lest we forget, fourth-rated TCU, if the Horned Frogs win out. The Ducks’ stretch run, if navigated successful, should be enough to vault them past Tennessee.

If USC wins out, there is also a chance for the Trojans to be in the final four. They will have topped UCLA, Notre Dame and Oregon down the stretch. It might be enough.

The Bruins have a tougher path, even with four wins. There is a lot of ground to make up, ground that became unsettled years ago when Michigan pulled out of a nonconference game this season. The lack of a powerful substitute doomed UCLA’s nonconference slate to mediocrity.

That could haunt the Bruins.

Then again, the way the Pac-12 has played out the last half-decade or so, all of the contenders will probably drop a game they shouldn’t sometime this month, destroying the conference’s hopes. And have us all waiting for playoff expansion.

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WSU: Trenton Bourguet has made a big difference for the Arizona State offense since interim coach Shaun Aguano inserted him into the starting quarterback role and began calling plays that fit his skill set. Colton Clark covers that and more in this first look at Saturday’s 12:30 p.m. game. … Of course this John Canzano story comes out of Pullman. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12 and college football, Jon Wilner was busy yesterday. In the Mercury News, he looked at the reasons behind the late-night schedule for Nov. 19, put together his bowl projections and once more attacked the media rights deal. … Washington sometimes utilizes a giant fullback. … Oregon seems to be healing up going into the showdown with the Huskies. … The Beavers need better quarterback play no matter who it is. … USC’s Caleb Williams will present a challenge for Colorado. … Utah probably has its quarterback of the future on the roster already in Nate Johnson. … USC is getting healthy at receiver. … UCLA is not at running back. … Arizona will try to contain Dorian Thompson-Robinson on Saturday. … In basketball news, how good is Washington? … Oregon State enjoyed an incredible comeback in the opener. … The more Colorado shared the ball, the better it was the other night. … UCLA is lucky to have its star healthy. … Arizona’s win impressed by the numbers.

Gonzaga: We were impressed by Malachi Smith’s strength Monday and how the transfer from Chattanooga used it when caught on switches with North Florida’s bigs. Jim Meehan must have been as well as he delves into Smith’s role with GU in this story. … The Zags received some good recruiting news yesterday and it came from Australia. Theo Lawson has this on their latest commitment. … The women open the home season Thursday. Utah transfer Brynna Maxwell won’t be in the starting lineup. But she’ll be on the court quickly. Jim Allen explains why. … The Athletic’s Dana O’Neil believes Gonzaga belongs in another conference, with the Big 12 a fit in a lot of ways. … Elsewhere in the WCC, the BYU women struggled on the defensive end in their opener.

EWU and Idaho: Around the Big Sky, the Northern teams play, with Northern Arizona traveling to Northern Colorado this week. … Montana seems awfully proud of its rout of woeful Cal Poly. … Weber State might be undefeated if it snapped the ball better. … In basketball news, Montana folded in its opener at Duquesne.

Preps: Volleyball took centerstage Tuesday night, with Dave Nichols covering the District 8 playoffs. Mead clinched a State spot.

Chiefs: Ken Daneyko, who has roots in youth hockey in the Spokane area, will be honored by the New Jersey Devils. That information leads off the S-R’s local briefs column.

Marathons: Tekoa native Susannah Scaroni not only won the New York Marathon last weekend, she set a wheelchair record.

Seahawks: We mentioned Pete Carroll’s wristband comment yesterday morning. It picked up a bunch of traction after that. … Playing in Munich? Hawks’ fans are all in. The players have a bit more trepidation.

Mariners: Seattle won’t offer Mitch Haniger a qualifying offer. But they will try to sign the soon-to-be free agent. … The M’s also will be looking to sign other free agents.

Kraken: Another game, another win. Just how good is Seattle? Right now? Really good.

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• You know what happens Monday? High school basketball in Washington begins. It already has started in Idaho. The weather seems basketball-season-like, that’s for sure. Until later …