I had a funny feeling last weekend when I checked the scoreboards. Washington versus an 0-for-the-season Stanford squad. At home. On Senior Day. A game the Huskies should easily win. A game they got blown out in 20-3.

I can't say I was too surprised. This is the essence of a Tyrone Willingham coached team. Win a few games you shouldn't, lose a lot more you shouldn't. Just when you want to believe in the guy after a 4-1 start and near upset of USC, he rips your heart out, stomps on it and then uses his 7-iron to knock it into the rough by losing 6 straight. Haven't we seen this before? Begin career at new school 8-0, lose three of four in an embarrassing fashion to finish the season. Lose to BYU, beat a top-10 Michigan squad. Win the Pac-10, finish the next year around .500.

There's actually a word for when something happens over and over and over again. It's called a pattern. And if you can't see the pattern of a Tyrone Willingham coached team, then you shouldn't be operating heavy machinery.

I really feel bad for Washington fans at this point. They're stuck between a bad coach and a PR disaster. If they keep Willingham, they continue to lose. If they fire him (a la Notre Dame) they will be called "racist." It's a very unappealing position to be in.

On top of the horrible defeat to the Trees, Willingham did not allow several players, including two starters, to gain fifth-year eligibility prior to the game. How does this make sense? It's not like Washington is turning down recruits at the door. They need all the help they can get. Cutting two starters for unspecified reasons seems like a poor decision for a team that is already young and inexperienced.

I still find it funny that so many writers rushed to Willingham's side after he led the Huskies to a 4-1 start. These journalists were so intent on making Willingham look good, they somehow lost sight of the obvious: He isn't a good coach. Never has been. Never will be. I've met the guy on many occasions when working at Notre Dame and he was always nice to me. I liked him. But facts are facts. He's never been a consistent winner. Ever. Not at Stanford or Notre Dame. He was also never a defensive or offensive coordinator, positions that almost every head coach has had at some point during their careers. This is a very important and often overlooked fact about Willingham. Coaches use their learning experiences as defensive and offensive coordinators to figure out how to game plan and scheme for opponents. Almost all Division I head coaches have toiled in the top coordinator positions.

Willingham has not.

Knowing this information, it's easy to understand why Willingham has struggled and been inconsistent. He simply hasn't had the same training as other head coaches. Hasn't learned the ropes. Hasn't been through the game-planning wars. Therefore it's unreasonable to think he can out coach most Divison I head coaches. In hindsight, it was unfair for Stanford to hire him without coordinating experience. He wasn't ready. Still isn't.

Now Washington fans are the next group to cope with the roller coaster tendencies of a Willingham coached team. And in a year or two, the fan base, players, and administrators will be tired of the poor execution, questionable decision-making and mounting losses. Sure, Ty might pull out a nine-win season one year to save his job for a little longer, but the success won't last.

How do I know?

It never does.