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THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: The extended view from the recliner

| December 8, 2024 1:20 AM

Having had a little more time to watch sports on TV at home lately  – certainly not by design – you tend to see things a little more clearly than just catching snippets as you sit in the office and try to produce a Sports section. 

Such as ... 


FOOTBALL GAMES between Washington State and Oregon State and the good Mountain West schools. 

As much as WSU and OSU felt like they were left behind by those who defected from the Pac-12, what has proven out this year is that WSU, in particular, is slightly better than most of the Mountain West teams in football – but still capable of losing to them, as the Cougars’ games with New Mexico and Wyoming – a pair of sub-.500 teams – proved. 

WSU got worked only by Boise State, which is the class of the Mountain West, and thinks it can play with anybody in the country, as we’ll find out soon. 

In the future, when the new Pac-12 debuts in 2026, Boise State and Washington State should be the two teams battling for the conference title. Oregon State is kind of the wild card – the Beavers tend to follow up a really good season with a clunker. 

WSU just seems to have a few more athletes than most of the Mountain West schools, who have their share of athletes, just not as many as the Pac-12 schools do. 

Whether that changes or not with WSU getting less TV money in its “new” league, that will be worth watching. 


AS FOR Boise State, the only big-time team the Broncos played this year was current No. 1 Oregon, a winnable game BSU ended up losing 37-34 in Eugene. 

But the Broncos will get the chance to prove they belong in the 12-team College Football Playoff where, with the right matchup, advancing to the semifinals is not out of the question. 

It would be cool if Ashton Jeanty, Boise State’s beast of a running back, won the Heisman. But I would guess most of the national folks will vote for Colorado’s two-way star, Travis Hunter. 


WATCHING THE Zags, it’s interesting to watch their reaction when games they play in tournaments – like the recent one in the Bahamas -- are called differently than games they play at home, and in the rest of the West Coast Conference. 

Physical stuff that gets called at home and in the WCC doesn’t get called in tournaments – not every little bump brings a whistle. 

The locals froth over the “murderous” nonconference schedule the Zags play – anybody, anywhere. 

But the reality is, the Zags HAVE to play those games, to get used to how much more physical and athletic the teams they will face in the NCAAs are. 

You may not like how rough those games are, especially after watching the Zags stroll through the WCC. But that’s the way it is, so adapt ... or else. 

That said, this could finally be the Year of the Parade in Zagland. No one seems to have the depth, or offensive firepower throughout the lineup, as Gonzaga. 

Notice the number of offensive threats the Zags have – nearly everyone can shoot it, making it hard for teams to key on one or two guys. Other teams might have a couple of offensive weapons, and a couple other guys who would struggle to make a shot if you left them in the gym alone. Those teams are much easier to defend.

What makes it work is the Zags bring in all these guys that can score, then teach them how to play terrific team defense. So they get it done at both ends. 

And that combination could lead to a little community gathering for the Lovables in early April.


Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 208-664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @CdAPressSports.