Washington State Football: 2017 season preview, predictions

Washington State football had a nice eight-win season in 2016, but the Cougars want more in 2017.

Mike Leach has been at Washington State for five years now. The head coach has engineered a 29-34 record, but many are expecting him to get his overall mark to just about .500 following the 2017 season, and it’s very possible.

In fact, he’s been putting together quite the turnaround for the Cougars after two 3-9 seasons in his first three years with the program. When he took over, things looked grim, but the program has finally come together and things are looking up.

Washington State had been a Pac-12 bottom-dweller for years, but he’s won at least eight games in each of the past two seasons, including an 8-5 record in 2016. He has one of the best quarterbacks in the country to thank for the recent success.

Still, there’s more to be done. If Washington State wants to compete for Pac-12 titles, it needs to rely more on the other aspects of the game — not just quarterback. The Cougars have talent, but they just need to prove it.

Entering the 2017 season, there is plenty to be excited for in Pullman. The Cougars are coming off a solid season, but there are even higher expectations this year. Can Washington State live up to the high expectations from fans or will the Cougars crumble under pressure?