The Pac-10's saddest sack of sad continues to be the Washington Huskies, a backwards, underarmed prgram that benefits only other Pac-10 teams and Notre Dame fans who really didn't need the boost in self-assuredness to begin with. Ty Willingham keeps trying, and God bless him for it, but we're starting to wonder if even he realizes what little good the effort does.The latest sign of impending structural failure comes from today's AP piece where everybody acknowledges that Willingham will be fielding "perhaps the youngest team he's ever put out on the field":
Those youngsters will get a quick initiation in one of the most heated atmospheres in college football when the Huskies travel to rival Oregon on Saturday night. Willingham plans to start 10 sophomores or freshman - including a pair of true freshmen - against the No. 21 Ducks.Three Top 25 games to start the season, and almost half of their starters are underclassmen? Mercy. Sure, Jake Locker's one of those sophomores and talent is talent, but come on. This isn't Olympic China, Tyrone; it's okay to use older players. And for God's sakes, stop forging little girls' passports.
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The reliance on inexperienced players at key positions only highlights how hard the first three weeks could be for Willingham. After opening at Oregon, the Huskies return home for games against No. 16 BYU and No. 4 Oklahoma.
While the Great Washington Youth Movement might be the best idea for the Huskies' long-term success, it seems pretty clear that the "long term" doesn't necessarily include Willingham's gainful employment. Maybe, in some weird way, such selflessness will endear him enough to another school to merit another head coaching job.
What's that? No? Dumb idea? Horrible? Gotcha. Nice move anyway, Ty.
