Not much longer until Apple Cup

COUGARS

This morning we’ll begin with the weather report, though Ollie Williams has left the area for warmer climes. Don’t blame him. The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for the area and it’s in effect until tonight at 10. The problem is snow, of course, 1 to 3 inches of the stuff. But it is also the ice that built up on the roads overnight after yesterday’s melting. The good news is tomorrow and Saturday look pretty nice, with clear skies and cold temperatures. Fine with me. Just as long as I can get from my apartment to Martin Stadium to cover practice and the game, my life is complete. … Except for being able to run down a whole bunch of stories, which we have on the link. Read on.

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• Washington State: Do you think there is a lot of cheating in college football? I don’t mean the Cam Newton type – isn’t that a kick in the pants that a kid’s dad can solicit payment for his kid’s services, be caught and the kid isn’t punished? Gotta love the NCAA – but the Denver Bronco type . Just wondering because if someone wanted to film the Cougars practicing, it would be pretty tough to stop. There are lots of spots to see what they are doing. … It’s time for us folks in the media to make our picks for the weekend and I did mine . Most weeks, our picks seem to disappear into the future without a trace, but, during rivalry week, you can rile folks up with them. But, really, what difference does it make? Who knows what the future will bring? You can crunch numbers, watch film, talk with players and coaches and guess what, you have no better idea of the outcome than Reginald the Monkey. … We also have our seniors-finishing-their-career story . I’m trying to figure out when colleges started making a big deal out of senior day. Talking to Reid Forrest, whose dad played at WSU in the 1960s, he doesn’t think dad had a senior day. WSU coach Paul Wulff did, so I’ve narrowed it down to somewhere between the late ‘60s and mid-‘80s. … If you want more predictions, here are Christian Caple’s picks . … The Cougars, as we all know, have been hit hard with injuries in Wulff’s tenure. Bud Withers looks at concussions this season. … The Register-Guard has a feature on Logan Mayes. … We told you here yesterday how WSU was clearing the snow from Martin Stadium – today’s forecast might mean trouble for the crews – but here is the news from another source. … A look at the Huskies. There is more below.

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• Around the Pac-10: ESPN.com’s Ted Miller has what to watch this weekend and his predictions . Plus we let him handle the Newton news . … Washington: What is Jake Locker’s legacy ? … The footing at Martin Stadium shouldn’t be too bad, though the fans might have some troubles. … Oregon State: The Ducks are worried about OSU’s deep passing game, which tight end Brady Camp doesn’t play a role . Markus Wheaton, however, has a huge role . … Oregon: John Canzano speculates about Chip Kelly and the NFL. Don’t see it. … Playing football trumping a child’s birth ? Tell me it isn’t true. … Oregon’s owner, er, chief booster, Phil Knight, is happy with the success. … Cal: Season over. … Stanford: Jim Harbaugh has a different reason why college football needs a playoff and he’s right. … More from Harbaugh. … USC: The NCAA’s decision on Newton surprises Pat Haden, but could help the Trojans’ appeal. … UCLA: Rarely has this rivalry game had such little impact. … Arizona State: Dennis Erickson is no longer atop the coaching pyramid in Arizona. … Arizona: Though this year has been a downer , the future looks bright.

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• That’s it for this morning. We’ll be back after practice tonight. Until then …