Buy in or Leave!

A story that lurks around Cougar Lore is when Billy Newman and Jason Gesser stood in front of the team during summer work outs and proclaimed Buy in or Leave!!!  We all remember how that season turned out for that bunch of Cougs.  It is also important to note that those Cougs were built around the 1998 Rose Bowl recruiting classes.

Fast forward to this season and you get a different sense from our Cougs.  These kids have bought in and they are leaping forward.  When Wulff first arrived at WSU the program was just entering its third year of a recruiting drought.  It has taken time to get that same amount of talent onto the field.  It is here now and the players know it. 

The pieces are in place for us to have the same time type of season that Gesser led the Cougs into in 2001.   We have a solid quarterback with great leadership skills in Jeff Tuel.  We have a stable of quick running backs in Mitz, Galvin and Winston.  We have an arguably better receiving corps in Barton, Karstetter, Wilson, Simone, ect.  We have serious speed at linebacker in the form of Mizell, Sekope, and Hoffman-Ellis.  We have a young and powerful safety in Buccannon.  We have a schedule that will allow us to get out of the stable quickly with a couple of wins.  We are coming off a season were we finally got competitive towards the end of the year.

Stir it all together and we have a beautiful brew of Cougar Football in the making.  What is missing?  The game tomorrow and the fans in the stands.  The Cougs will be better this year and could have the opportunity to do something special.  What it needs to push us over the edge is the fan base behind it.  After we start 2-0 the Cougs will be tested by a battle ready SDSU.  If the Cougs can continue the momentum we will have a winning record heading into the Stanford game.  The key ingredient will be a sold out Martin Stadium to welcome the trees. 

It is time for the casual Coug fans to Buy in or Leave.  It might sound dramatic but anyone who has had the opportunity to talk to the players know they believe in themselves.  It is time for us to jump on the Bandwagon and believe too.  I hope to see everyone at the game tomorrow!