Washington State and Oregon State have every right imaginable to harbor an unreasonable hatred towards the Big Ten — especially it’s west coast delegation.
When UCLA, USC, Oregon and Washington bolted for the Big Ten, it effectively left the Pac-12 for dead. Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah found a lifeboat in the Big 12, Cal and Stanford were welcomed into the ACC, but everyone seemed content to let Wazzu and Oregon State go down with the conference.
Except, of course, these schools won’t let their rivalry games end. Oregon State will still play Oregon and Washington will still face Wazzu. It’s what the people want.
But what Wazzu wanted more than anything was revenge. On Saturday, the Cougars got it, beating the Huskies, 24-19, at Lumen Field in Seattle.
It’s the first time Washington State won the Apple Cup since 2021. And when it came time to celebrate, the program didn’t just want to point and laugh at Washington. It wanted to mock the entire Big Ten.
It knew just what to do, too.
You know that map commercial Big Ten fans love like it’s one of their own players? Wazzu put it’s own spin on it after Saturday’s win.
Big Win. https://t.co/SBavQfydGU pic.twitter.com/bMYf3USkW5
— Washington State Football (@WSUCougarFB) September 15, 2024
Don’t miss that fine print at the bottom. The one that reads “Available anywhere that has a TV” and takes a direct shot at the Big Ten’s dispute with Comcast that has west coast fans blacked out. Whoever came up with this graphic was absolutely cooking.
Typically we wait until all the games are done before rounding up the pettiest moments of the week, but this one is just too good.
In fact, you almost can’t call it petty. This is more like a small taste of justice — one that will sustain Cougars fans until they line up across from the Huskies again next year.
And what a scene that will be as the game shifts back to Wazzu’s campus in Pullman.
The Big Ten should know where to find it on the map now.