The Huskies were determined to find a leader for their football program that could replicate the success of Don James. For anyone to achieve the level of success that James did at UW (153-57-2 record, 15 bowl games in 18 years, 6 Rose Bowls, and a 1991 National Championship) would be difficult. After conducting interviews with Fresno State Head Coach Pat Hill and Texas Tech Head Coach Mike Leach, UW hired USC Offensive Coordinator Steve Sarkisian. The University of Washington Head Coaching job is a tough first assignment for a rookie head coach. But after just 6 games as head coach, it looks like the UW athletic department hired the right man to lead the program.

Going into the 2009 season, most prognosticators pegged UW to win 3 or 4 games. After 6 games, the Huskies have already won 3. A bowl game seemed like too much to expect for a team that went winless a season ago, was breaking in a new head coach, and had to compete in the Pac 10 Conference. But Steve Sarkisian has instilled a new attitude with these Huskies. One year ago, there was no fight left in these dogs. In 2009, one could see this would be a different team in the first game of the season, and this new fight in the Huskies was no more prevalent than in this past weekend’s game versus Arizona. Down 33-21 with less than 3 minutes left, UW came back to score 2 touchdowns in 18 seconds and held on to win 36-33.

With half the season left to go, has a good opportunity to reach the 6 win plateau and reach a bowl game for the first time since the 2002 season. Other than an almost certain win versus Washington State in the Apple Cup, though, the rest of the remaining schedule is not a cakewalk. The next four games will be a test to see where the Huskies can finish in 2009. There is only one home game, a visit from rival Oregon, in the next four games. Winning two of those games would go a long way toward helping the Huskies reach a bowl game. That might seem like a tall task to achieve, considering the Huskies have yet to win a game outside of Husky Stadium in 2009. But with Jake Locker at QB, and the new confidence brought to the Huskies by Steve Sarkisian’s staff, I wouldn’t bet against these Huskies.

Toomer was a 13 year veteran and the Giants all time leading receiver with 580 receptions. While never really a “#1″ receiver in the true sense, Toomer was the Giants “Go-To” player at the position for many years when the focus was the running game, first with Rodney Hampton and then with Tiki Barber. The Giants also got some help from now New Orleans Saints Tight End Jeremey Shockey while he was here in the pass catching department. The Burress Story has been told countless times already, so i won’t chronicle it here again. It does seem worth mentioning that Plaxico was one of the vocal leaders of the offense, even more so since Tiki Barber’s departure after the 2006 season.

Now the veterans in the receiving corps are David Tyree, going into his 7th season in the NFL, followed by Sinorice Moss and Dominik Hixon, each with 4 seasons in Pro Football. While the offensive game plan may not change too much, which receivers get called for which plays might change somewhat. Surely Tyree makes the team again after his injury absence simply because of his veteran status and what he does on the specials. Then Steve Smith, because of his inside game, and his big play contributions since the second half of the 2007 season. Assuming that both Nicks and Barden have spots on the squad already because of their draft status, that’s already four of the six active roster spots. So you have Moss, Manningham, and Hixon. Three players going for the last two active roster spots. Seemingly Moss seems to be on the bubble here, given his overall lack of production last year. Unless someone gets hurt this summer, it might be a wrap for Santana’s little brother in Giants Blue. You will continue to see the “Bigger Guys” stretch the field with deep routes (Hixon, Barden & and Kevin Boss from the TE spot), while Smith, Nicks, and whomever survives between Moss and Manningham running the underneath routes.

On the Defensive side of the ball, the difference here will be the new defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan. Although he was promoted from within, Coach Sheridan has a long history as a college defensive position coach. This will be his 28th year in the coaching profession, but only his 4th in the NFL, and all 4 with New York. He was also promoted over defensive secondary coach Peter Giunta, who was the defensive coordinator for the Super Bowl XXXIV champion St. Louis Rams.

I was a bit surprised to see Coach Sheridan get the nod as “DC” but if you looked at the sidelines the last three seasons when former “DC”  Steve Spagnoulo ran the show, Sheridan was usually next to him.

Sheridan has said he won’t make too many changes to the defensive game plan, but the Giants have “reloaded” their defensive front 7 with free agent arrivals Rocky Bernard and Chris Canty at the defensive tackle spot and Mike Boley at Linebacker, plus draftee Clint Stintum also at the linebacker spot. This will allow the defense to continue with it’s “whole line rotational concept” weather veteran Fred Robbins remains a Giant or not.

How much of these slight changes will you really see? RB Brandon Jacobs told us at the EA Sports NFL Draft event that the “Giants are a team built to win and ready to win now, not in 2010 or 2011.” It could just be possible that the biggest changes for the Giants could only be in the actual players and coaches, and not the playbook as much.