The pick: Why Washington will beat Washington State

PULLMAN – In a two-day span, Washington State coach Jimmy Rogers threw just about everyone for a loop.

On Monday, he told reporters that the Cougars would hold a quarterback competition to determine the starter for Saturday’s Apple Cup against rival Washington. It could be third-year sophomore Jaxon Potter, who started each of the team’s first three games, he said. It could be fifth-year senior Zevi Eckhaus. It could even be redshirt freshman Julian Dugger.

But, Rogers said later this week, he had already selected the starter on Sunday. Apparently, the Cougs did not hold the kind of competition that Rogers described. It was the latest installment in what has become a confusing saga for WSU QBs.

Here’s predicting that will not matter much when Saturday’s game begins. Washington State might need Patrick Mahomes to play QB to take down Washington, which is a 20.5-point favorite, a reflection of the talent gap between the two teams, which will help the Huskies reclaim the rivalry game trophy.

The Cougs’ defense has largely been sharp this fall – because of tough field position, giving up 59 points to North Texas last weekend wasn’t as incriminating as it might seem – but they haven’t faced a quarterback like UW’s Demond Williams Jr. They haven’t faced receivers like Denzel Boston and Dezmen Roebuck. They haven’t needed to penetrate an offensive line like Washington’s.

In time, it’s entirely possible WSU could develop the kind of talent to win the Apple Cup again. But that is a tall task in Rogers’ first year. There are 74 newcomers on this WSU roster, many of them still adjusting to FBS competition. That’s just the way it goes sometimes. But it’s no way to topple a prolific offense like UW’s.

The pick: Washington 31, WSU 14.