Stefanie Loh

WSU reporter

The Cougars go into the season with a veteran presence at every position. This is the culmination of the last four years, and it should bring about one of the best seasons WSU has had in school history.

Larry Stone

Sports columnist

If the Cougars can just win their opener – something they’ve never done in five seasons under Mike Leach, with some horrible losses thrown in -- they’re on their way to another solid season that will put them in their third straight bowl game. And if they can pull off an upset or two, it could be an elite one. They have an elite quarterback in Luke Falk, a deep and talented running corps, and a solid offensive line. As usual with the Cougars, it will come down to defense, and with nine starters back, that looks promising, too.

Matt Calkins

Sports columnist

With Luke Falk returning for his senior season, the Cougs are once again brimming with potential. The key for them will be avoiding any pitfalls in the non-conference schedule, which they haven't been able to do over the past couple of seasons. That convincing win over Stanford last year proved how potent WSU's offense could be. Unfortunately, in games that mattered most (Colorado, Washington, Minnesota in the Holiday Bowl) the Cougs didn't show up. We'll see if that can change this season.

Bob Condotta

Quarterbacks are everything in college football and the Cougars have a good and experienced one in Luke Falk that should mean another solid season and decent bowl trip. But the losses late last season to Colorado and UW showed that WSU also still has some work to do build up the all-around roster to get to the point of truly contending.

Scott Hanson

Assistant sports editor

The Cougars will have an up-and-down season that will be highlighted by a home win over Stanford.

Paul Barrett

Sports editor

The Cougars finally will win a season opener under Mike Leach, and end their string of losses to FCS teams. Expect them to contend late for the Pac-12 North title and reach another decent bowl game such as the Holiday Bowl.

Jon Wilner

College sports reporter

WSU plays its first five games at home, and it had better win most, if not all of them. The back end of the schedule is daunting, with five of the last seven on the road. Leach has never started 4-1, much less 5-0, in his Pullman tenure. His best start is 3-2. This year, with all five at home, 3-2 won’t cut it.

Sean Quinton

Sports Producer

The Cougars showed flashes of greatness a year ago, but ultimately came up short when it mattered most. With a veteran squad led by senior Luke Falk and All-American left tackle Cody O'Connell, WSU will be in the conversation for the Pac-12 North title all season. But, can they win the big ones this season?