The Anticipation?

Where is one to find comfort in Seattle's bleak major-sports landscape these days? The Sonics are gone, the Mariners were out of contention before the days started getting shorter, and the Storm...well, maybe someone could page them to see how they're doing. Weather notwithstanding, many around here are looking forward to autumn, and maybe not just because the Seahawks are poised to rubber-stamp their next NFC West crown. Could this be the year the Seahawks' college brethren on Montlake turn it around? Their coach better hope so.

The Huskies have started the last two years tantalizingly well. In 2006, they shocked all by jumping out to a 4-1 record, including an upset of then-undefeated UCLA and a nailbiting loss to USC. But QB injuries collapsed the house of cards, and they ended up 5-7. Last year to start, UW thumped Syracuse on the road, then beat ranked Boise State. No small feat, considering the Broncos were fresh off a historic bowl win, stunning Oklahoma (including Clay Bennett, I hope -- although I may not have known I hoped it at the time) and a certain cheerleader. But the following week, the Huskies couldn't hold an early lead and lost to Ohio State. From there, a once-promising season devolved into a 4-9 campaign, lowlighted by come-from-ahead losses to lowly Arizona and Apple Cup foe Washington State. After letting coach Tyrone Willingham twist in the wind for awhile, UW decided not to fire him.

To be fair, the Huskies played what many deemed the toughest shedule in the country; in addition to the aforementioned out-of-conference teams, Washington also traveled to face Sugar Bowl participant Hawaii. The feeling was that the Huskies made strides despite their crappy record. This year, though -- in jockspeak -- UW has got to step it up and get some W's.

Unfortunately for win-hungry fans, Willingham doesn't schedule Directional Tech or Don Bosco Prep: The College Years. Once again, Washington's out-of-conference schedule looks rough: BYU, Oklahoma and Notre Dame. Yet UW needs to go at least 2-1 in its rugged opening trilogy against Oregon, BYU and Oklahoma (The Sonics Bowl?).

Washington has some horses. Talented redshirt sophomore QB Jake Locker is a duel threat, but he needs to rein in his throws. Some publications have rated recent UW recruiting classes in the top 25. And few Pac-10 teams north of Los Angeles seem to be ascendant at this time.

Willingham has always appeared to be a man of integrity, sometimes to his detriment. He turned an unenviable task at Stanford into a Rose Bowl berth for the Cardinal. He did a better job than you remember at Notre Dame, and his unfortunate ouster after three seasons and a 21-16 record sent Jesuit collars flying. Even waist-challenged savior Charlie Weis' record is only one game better in South Bend than Willingham, and his early success came on the backs of his predecessor's recruits. You think the UW-Notre Dame tilt might get some hype?

However, Willingham's unwillingness to get dirty could be his downfall. He seems reluctant to pluck potential talent from junior colleges and his lack of patience for malfeasance appears genuine. Rick Neuheisel he is not.

But in Year 4 -- nice guy or not -- Willingham must win. And the Huskies should win more then they have. UW looks like a middle-of-the-pac Pac-10 team with a shot at a bowl. But that's thanks to a myriad of craptastic postseason games that make teams feel marginally better about mediocre seasons. If Ty doesn't win, he better watch his back. The AD who pushed for Willingham's retention last year, Todd Turner, is gone. Administration and boosters will likely strike a hands-on-their-hips, toe-tapping pose if early losses mount. Basically, UW needs to make a bowl this year, or else. Or else we'll see Tyrone Willingham go the way of the Sonics -- not necessarily stolen from us by Bob Stoops, but sent off to some other place that will probably appreciate him more, at least for a few years.