"Collins Fieldhouse football team 1950," by Seattlest Flickr contributor Seattle Municipal Archives

In an attempt to make sense of last weekend's performance by our local gridiron teams, Seattlest is looking to other sources for inspiration.

“Most great people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure.”--Napoleon Hill

If true, the Huskies and Cougs are on the verge of some seriously mind-blowingly good stuff in the very, very, very near future, because last weekend the teams lost by a combined total of 60 points. However, with both teams returning for their home openers, and with the Seahawks kicking off the NFL regular season, Seattlest is cautiously optimistic for good things this weekend. Our cup is decidedly half-full. (Must be the sunshine!)

This weekend:

Huskies vs BYU (noon Saturday at Husky Stadium, FSN, 950 KJR)
Last weekend, we predicted a Husky loss against the Ducks would result in cries to fire head coach Tyrone Willingham. We were wrong. So poor was the on-field play during the 44-10 loss that, as one pundit put it this week “Tyrone has already lost his job. Now it’s up to him to try to win the job back.” Seattlest can’t really find fault with the logic, no matter how much we love Willingham.

This week, the Huskies face 15th-ranked Brigham Young, who are riding an 11-game winning streak. The Huskies haven’t beaten a Top-20 team in nearly five seasons. Even with the home-field advantage, the Dawgs are a 9-point underdog. Has the team quit on Willingham? This week will tell. Prediction: Joe Smiths 30, Jake Lockers 12

WSU vs Cal (3:30 Saturday in Pullman, FSN)
Wazzu didn’t fare much better than the Dawgs last weekend, looking mostly befuddled against Okla. State, losing 39-13. Cal is coming off a stomping of our green-bleeding hearts last weekend at home. Starting defensive tackle A'i Ahmu is suspended for the first half after a week of hitchhiking to and from courthouses. Our singular hope for the Cougs is that they got around to actually practicing special teams this week. Prediction: Smokey Bears 42, Cats 17

Seahawks at Buffalo (10 a.m. Sunday, Q13, 710 KIRO)
Head coach Mike Holmgren kicks off his final season at the helm of the Seahawks on the road at Ralph Wilson Stadium. (What’s with naming buildings after living people? That’s creepy.) Anyway, clichés abound…it’s hard to win on the road, they want to win one for the coach, the Bills don’t know they are bad yet, etc. Big-Play Babs and Rocky miss the game for being naughty. Seattlest thinks the Seahawk defense is poised for an exceptionally good season, and that’ll be the difference in this one. Prediction: Road Hawks 24, Bison 16

In other area football news this week:

Former Seahawk QB and coach Jim Zorn had a lot of people scratching their heads with his play-calling after last night's loss to the Giants. Some tin-foil hatters even think he deliberately ran the clock down in order to accommodate the GOP convention schedule.

Former Coug QB Ryan Leaf may have been a bust as an NFL QB, but is dang good with his money.

Don't like football? Then check out animated flick Ratatouille at Hing Hay Park in the International District Saturday evening. The event is emcee'd by I.D. lunch bloggers MSG150. (An interview with them is coming soon!)

Oh, and the Yankees are in town.