In August, while interviewing new Washington State athletic director Bill Moos for the first time, he told me a story about his 1971 Cougars team.  After suffering several lopsided losses during Jim Sweeney’s first three years of rebuilding the program, the Cougars won a game they weren’t supposed to, shocking a Stanford team, 24-23, that went on to win the Rose Bowl behind quarterback Jim Plunkett. Moos said that victory over Stanford was validation that their efforts were paying off.  And it served as a springboard for the 1972 season, when the Cougars went 7-4 and finished ranked No. 17 in the nation. Saturday’s 31-14 win at Oregon State is the validation this year’s Cougars needed and it could serve as a springboard for a dramatic turnaround in 2011. But this is just part of the reason I believe head coach Paul Wulff needs to be brought back next season/Derek Deis, ESPN Northwest. More here.

Question (from KXLY's Melissa Luck): Did WSU's win over Oregon State save Coach Paul Wulff's job?