Fall heat wave: Sports staff’s hottest pre-season predictions

Sports Staff

Before the season starts, expectations can run wild. Every team is undefeated. Championship aspirations are unfettered. We asked our staff for the hottest takes they had about this season of fall sports at Washington University. These are their responses

Women’s cross country national title

I was going to predict something like “women’s cross country to finish in the top three at NCAAs” because it is a really reliable prediction so I would have seemed very smart at the end of the season when people looked back at this, but then I was told to go with a hot take. So, I decided to really go for it. And why not? Women’s cross country has finished in the top five at nationals for the past four seasons, and they were ranked No. 2 in the preseason rankings. After spending the past few years being great but not quite winning the biggest prize, this will be the year they win it all. — Jon Lewis, Associate Editor

Dual championships in volleyball and soccer

The volleyball team is returning two All-Americans and number of experienced players from last year’s playoff run. They’re one hot streak away from claiming the title. The women’s soccer team was a favorite to repeat last season despite losing their star goalkeeper and leading scorer. They return a number of key contributors to last year’s team. They’re my odds-on favorites to win a championship of any Wash. U. team this semester. Both the women’s soccer team and volleyball team begin their season ranked 10th. Both teams will end their seasons ranked No.1. — Dorian DeBose, Senior Sports Editor

8+ wins in football

The common refrain from the football team last year was, “we have the hardest schedule in the nation.” This didn’t excuse that they took more L’s than a dictionary last season, but they had a point. This season, they’ll play a schedule comparable to University of Chicago’s, who they beat by three scores last year, but who won three more games than the Bears. With an easier schedule and a chip on their shoulder, the football team will lose less than three games and win their conference. — Dorian DeBose, Senior Sports Editor

The football team’s new motto will be about colonization

Every year, the football team’s captains come up with a yearly motto to inspire and motivate the team. I don’t know if this year’s leaders have come up with their next creation, but I have a strong suspicion that it will vaguely reference colonization. I present Exhibit A: Two years ago, the motto was “burn the boats.” In the Wikipedia entry for the phrase, it says it “alludes to certain famous incidents where a commander, having landed in a hostile country, ordered his men to destroy their ships so that they would have to conquer the country or be killed.” OK, let’s unpack this. A “hostile country?” What, in a Washington University context, is a hostile country? The University of Chicago? Exhibit B: Last year’s was “plant the flag.” I’m getting even stronger colonization vibes from this one. It conjures up the image of a seafaring explorer proudly planting a Wash. U. flag on someone else’s land. Sidebar: I don’t know much about football, but aren’t flags bad? Like don’t players not want them? Why are we suggesting we aim for penalties? Regardless of their intended message with these, it seems like a classic case of needing to consult someone in public relations before unleashing the brainchild of college students on the world. — Aidan Strassmann, Managing Editor

Every team makes the playoffs

I won’t be as bold as predicting a national championship. Titles take precision, a perfect confluence of events climaxing in the ultimate event. They also take immense luck. That’s just the truth. So, I’ll leave that to those above me.

But Wash. U. doesn’t rely on luck. Wash. U. has 22 championships not because it is perennially dominant, but because it is consistent. It is reliable. It is always in the hunt.

It is, in some regard, the St. Louis way. The Cardinals have done it for years—always in the mix, rarely the best team. But you don’t need to be the best team to win a championship. In fact, the best team often fails to come out on top. The Redbirds, for example, failed to win it all during 100-win seasons in 2004, 2005 and 2015. But they did scale the mountain in 2006 and 2011–as an 82-win team and a Wild Card, respectively.

That is what lies at the heart of the philosophy for long-term success. It’s hard to maintain a dynasty for more than a few years. Maintaining above-average performance for decades—that may be even tougher.

But Wash. U. has done so, and will continue to do so. Be good enough, and hope that once in a while, you play the cards just right. And that’s what I think the fall sports teams will do this year. The women’s soccer, volleyball, football and men’s soccer teams will all qualify for their respective tournaments. And while the postseason is a crapshoot, Wash. U. will have four rolls of the dice. —Rohan Gupta, Senior Sports Editor

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