(Speaking of wacky predictions, be sure to check out today's column, a quirky yet optimistic look at 2009.)

OK, let's play the game one last time.

Seahawks 24, Arizona 19
Why: In the past five games, the Cardinals are 1-4. As talented as they are, their NFC West reign may not last beyond this season. In Mike Holmgren's Seahawks finale, his team will want to send him out with a three-game winning streak. Look for the Hawks to win a close one and leave Arizona wondering if next season will be different.

Minnesota 20, New York Giants 13
Baltimore 23, Jacksonville 14
Green Bay 31, Detroit 20
Miami 24, New York Jets 22
Dallas 27, Philadelphia 24
San Diego 35, Denver 29
New England 28, Buffalo 14
Atlanta 21, St. Louis 10
Tampa Bay 27, Oakland 14

Last week's record: 7-3
Season to date: 116-54 (68.2 percent)

This column isn't an attempt to woo you back to the league. If you're still upset with Czar Stern and others about what happened with the Sonics, believe me, I'm with you. I still watch portions of NBA games because I love basketball, but it's difficult to truly invest in the league since I'm no longer able to cover the Sonics. Nevertheless, there are some locals worth following.

Usually, during a televised NBA game this season, I peek at a quarter here and there. But last Thursday, I was fully engaged in Brandon Roy's 52-point outburst against the Phoenix Suns. He's a remarkable talent who continues to improve. When you think he's gotten as good as he will get, he adds another dimension to his game. The biggest criticism of Roy used to be that he'll never be a scorer on the level of Kobe Bryant or LeBron James. Well, this season Roy has shown that, when needed, he can put up 30 points. In addition, he's so versatile that he can make an 18-point performance seem like so much more because of his ability to pass, defend and even rebound. He's quickly becoming my favorite basketball player.

(Of course, as my luck would have it, I praised Roy on a day when he had his worst game of the season, a 3-for-11 performance in a loss to Denver. Oh well.)

So, here's the dilemma: Do you continue to ignore the NBA? Or do you support Seattle's finest?

Or do you just need more time?

There's no wrong answer. People grieve differently.

But it's good to know that even though the NBA has taken away the Sonics, it can't stop depending on Seattle basketball players. It just goes to show that the city is -- and always will be -- more important that a single sports league.

Seahawks 21, New York Jets 17
Why: It's Mike Holmgren's home finale, and the Jets have been awful on the West Coast this season. The Seahawks have been playing with tremendous pride of late, and they will leave their fans with a positive Qwest Field memory during a disappointing season.

Pittsburgh 17, Tennessee 13
Miami 31, Kansas City 14
New England 35, Arizona 21
Denver 24, Buffalo 20
Atlanta 21, Minnesota 19
Philadelphia 27, Washington 23
New York Giants 20, Carolina 17
Chicago 28, Green Bay 27
San Francisco 29, St. Louis 17

Last week's record: 6-4
Season to date: 109-51 (68.1 percent)

Seahawks 24, Rams 17
Why: The Seahawks are bad and battered, but they're not beyond redemption. The Rams are. Therefore, expect the Seahawks to control this game on the road even with their makeshift lineup. I see Deion Branch having another big game as he tries to prove he can still be productive.

New York Giants 28, Dallas 16
Atlanta 27, Tampa Bay 14
Green Bay 31, Jacksonville 19
New York Jets 24, Buffalo 9
Arizona 20, Minnesota 14
Pittsburgh 17, Baltimore 13
Carolina 27, Denver 23
Philadelphia 35, Cleveland 10
Kansas City 14, San Diego 13

Last week's record: 7-3
Season to date: 103-47 (68.7 percent)

10. Oscar De La Hoya
Comment: Went down in weight to get pounded by Manny Pacquiao, who practically had to jump into the air to hit him. Here's guessing De La Hoya retires and becomes the next athlete on "Dancing With The Stars."

9. Kevin McHale
Comment: The terrible GM is now the coach. Sounds a lot like the Isiah Thomas route to getting fired.

8. Derrick Rose
Comment: The star rookie point guard has finally done something wrong. He claims he sliced his forearm by -- get this! -- rolling onto a knife while eating an apple in bed. Somewhere, Plaxico Burress is smiling.

7. Dominic Raiola
Comment: He wants to fight Lions fans who have the audacity to ridicule their 0-13 team. The nerve of those fans, eh? Perhaps Raiola, a center, should focus his anger on someone else, like the opposing nose tackle.

6. Tyrone Willingham
Comment: He's currently soliciting job offers from downtrodden programs.

5. Jim Zorn
Comment: His wonderful start is yielding to a nightmarish finish. And now his best player, Clinton Portis, is mocking his "genius." Can you see irrational owner Daniel Snyder inching his finger closer to the eject button?

4. Auburn officials
Comment: A contingent of the fan base is upset that they forced coach Tommy Tuberville out and lied about it, claiming he quit. Surprised? Sounds like typical Auburn business to me.

3. NFL layoffs
Comment: When the NFL cuts 14 percent of its staff, you know we're in an economic crisis.

2. O.J. Simpson
Comment: What's worse: That he went to jail for being so stupid? Or that ESPN televised his sentencing? May we never hear about Orenthal James Simpson again.

1. Gov. Rob Blagojevich
Comment: In addition to trying to sell Barack Obama's Senate seat, the Illinois governor wanted to use the Cubs sale as leverage for better editorial treatment from the Chicago Tribune. A candidate for the "Powerless" Hall of Shame, for certain.

"He's a new manager, but he's not inexperienced," Jack Z said, citing his yeoman's work in various coaching jobs throughout baseball. "Don't discredit what he's accomplished just because he hasn't had the top job."

The words were appropriate coming from a man who waited until age 57 to get his GM gig. And those words can be applied to the new Husky football coach, Steve Sarkisian.

I know he's only been around for one press conference, but I think he's going to be a hit.

For certain, Sarkisian will have an adjustment period as a first-time head coach. It's a different world being in charge of everything, instead of just the offense. We will see his weaknesses, especially early on, but ultimately I believe he will grow into an incredible success here.

My picture is just about all that needs to be said.

Oh and 12.

Never thought I'd see this when I moved to Seattle.

Tyrone Willingham moonwalked with the program in his four years. When he was hired, the biggest fear was supposed to be that he'd only make the Huskies mediocre. Well, surprise, surprise: Turns out he could do a lot worse than mediocre.

To recap some of the lows of this season, which closed Willingham's four-year Husky record at 11-36:

-- The Huskies achieved a Triple Crown of bad defense: Most yards per game allowed, most points per game allowed and most total points allowed in school history.

--They averaged 263.2 yards on offense, the lowest in 41 years.

-- First 0-12 team in Pac-10 team history.

-- Lost nine of 12 games by 20 points or more.

-- Average score this season: 39-13.

After a year like this, after being booted from two straight jobs, you'd think Willingham would want to sit out a season, but he seems adamant about finding another head-coaching gig.

Good luck, bud.

The resume is not looking so hot these days.

California 38, Washington 13
Why: It's not so much a game as it is a goodbye. Or rather, a tossing overboard. Tyrone Willingham is off the ship after this one, and Steve Sarkisian has already been tagged his replacement. At least the hope for a better day will obstruct the humiliation of going 0-12.

Florida 27, Alabama 21
Oklahoma 49, Missouri 35
USC 45, UCLA 17
Arizona State 37, Arizona 35

NFL picks

New England 24, Seahawks 3
Why: The injuries just won't stop, but the schedule continues. The Seahawks display their worst offensive showing of the season -- which is saying something -- and the Patriots win a game in which they're never threatened.

Dallas 24, Pittsburgh 19
Baltimore 21, Washington 17
Miami 24, Buffalo 13
New York Giants 21, Philadelphia 20

Last week's record: 8-2
Season to date: 96-44 (68.7 percent)

If you hate the pick, you could be right. If you love the pick, you could be right. Athletic director Scott Woodward chose Steve Sarkisian on the strong feeling of what he could become, not what he is currently.

Who is Sarkisian? He's the 34-year-old USC offensive coordinator, a coach who's learned under some of the finest minds in college football (Pete Carroll and Norm Chow in particular). He knows what championship football looks like. Sometimes, he's performed to mixed reviews as the Trojans offensive coordinator, but USC has a very good offense. He's done a solid job in that role, not as spectacular as Chow, but Sarkisian is a good offensive mind.

The hope is that he's an even better head coach. I'm excited about this pick. The upside for Sarkisian is incredible. But without question, he's a risk, too.

Sometimes, you must be willing to take that risk to be great.

Despite the tone of the headline, which I didn't write, the message of the column is a hopeful one. I'm simply saying this: If the big-name coaches balk at this job because the Huskies are winless, that's OK. The reality that the Huskies may have to take a chance on a coach just might open the door to find the right candidate. A fresh face (coordinator) or an established head coach leading a non-BCS program might wind up being the best hire.

It's been a weird coaching market so far, and this coach-in-waiting trend isn't doing the Huskies any favors. Two good candidates, defensive coordinator Will Muschamp of Texas and Chip Kelly of Oregon, were eliminated because their schools promised them the head job in the future. And, of course, Jim Mora has the biggest coach-in-waiting situation that hurt the Huskies. This new trend is just another layer that makes finding a coach more difficult. It's making it near impossible to get the best assistants in the game, especially if the head coach has been around for a while.

Nevertheless, I'm still hopeful the Huskies will make a good hire. It won't be a sexy hire. It won't be someone that the public immediately knows will win, but I think that athletic director Scott Woodward and president Mark Emmert have a good feel for what the program needs and will make a sound decision.

Now that Mike Leach is out of the running, I'm leaning toward favoring USC assistant Steve Sarkisian for the job. If anyone wished the Huskies had pursued Lane Kiffin, think about this: Kiffin wasn't a candidate for the Oakland Raiders job until Sarkisian turned it down.

Hate to use Al Davis logic to make a point, but he certainly considered Sarkisian a better candidate than Kiffin at first. If Sarkisian had taken that job and failed like Kiffin did, no one would be talking about how inexperienced he is.

So, if you were intrigued by Kiffin, you should be just as intrigued by Sarkisian. He might even be better. And Kiffin was good enough to land at Tennessee. I think Sarkisian is a legitimate, solid option for the Huskies.

But even if he doesn't get the job, expect someone like Sarkisian, someone that you have to look at based on potential, to get the job. It seems there's no surefire, big-name choice available. But it doesn't mean the Huskies are out of good options.

I'm optimistic this will work out.

Our weekly tracking of the 10 most hapless stories in sports:

10. Andre Miller
Comment: There's an ankle breaker, and then there's what Derrick Rose did to Miller last week. In this YouTube era, Miller will never be able to live it down. (Be sure to listen to the color analyst; he's hilarious.)

9. UW coaching search
Comment: You nervous yet? Right now, the way some sitting coaches are gluing themselves to their current jobs, it's hard to know who Mark Emmert and Scott Woodward will try to present as a savior.

8. Tracy McGrady
Comment: By now, his middle name should be Out For Three Weeks.

7. Allen Iverson
Comment: PRAC-TISS?!?! We're talkin' about PRAC-TISS! On Thanksgiving? No thanks.

6. Stephon Marbury
Comment: And to end the NBA gauntlet, presenting the most overpaid, do-nothing in sports.

5. Texas Longhorns
Comment: Whipped Oklahoma in October; whipped by the BCS rankings in December. Computers are so darned strange.

4. Greg Robinson
Comment: If only Willingham would go out in this manner, telling the media a children's story. If only! Check out Robinson, the outgoing Syracuse coach, defending himself with "The Little Engine That Could."

3. NFL players and diuretics
Comment: Six players, including Minnesota defensive lineman Kevin and Pat Williams, have been suspended for using a diuretic, which sometimes doubles as a veil for steroids. Sadly, it's not even the most unfortunate NFL story of the week.

2. Sean Avery
Comment: The NHL suspended the bad boy for making a raunchy joke to the media about other players falling for girls he'd dated. Two words: pompous idiot.

1. Plaxico Burress
Comment: Hate it when my gun goes off in my sweatpants. Just hate it.

Now, how about some prognostication to go with your cranberry sauce?

NFL picks

Dallas 27, Seahawks 17
Why: Despite all their drama, the Cowboys are starting to get right at the right time. Terrell Owens will have a big game against the smaller Seahawks cornerbacks, and the Seahawks' offensive woes will continue.

Philadelphia 34, Arizona 28
New York Giants 19, Washington 10
Pittsburgh 20, New England 17
New Orleans 27, Tampa Bay 23

College picks

Hawaii 38, Washington State 28
Why: After a double-overtime victory over Washington, the Cougars will play loose in their season finale. But Hawaii quarterback Greg Alexander, who has thrown for at least 200 yards in three of the last four games, will continue his steady play. In the end, the Cougars defense just isn't good enough to get a victory.

Oklahoma 49, Oklahoma State 21
Florida 50, Florida State 28
USC 42, Notre Dame 17
Oregon State 35, Oregon 30

Last week's record: 5-5
Season to date: 88-42 (67.9 percent)

So the Seahawks are 2-9 and trying not to make a turkey of themselves on Thanksgiving Day, huh?

And you think that's as low as it can get?

Well, check this out. Notre Dame played so poorly in its home loss to Syracuse last Saturday that fans threw snow at the team. Here is an excerpt:

Fans at first threw snow in the air, but then quickly switched to tossing snowballs toward the Notre Dame sideline. Defensive lineman Ian Williams got hit in the helmet, defensive end Ethan Johnson was struck on the left cheek and a St. Joseph County police officer on the sideline looking into the crowd got hit in the chest. An NBC camera man also was a frequent target and several snowballs reached the field, although none landed near where play was occurring.

I poked fun at the Cougars fans who stormed the field after beating the winless Huskies, but you know what? I'll take that kind of exuberance over turning against your team any day.

Being upset over a bad performance doesn't give a fan the right to turn into an idiot. I have no problem with booing, but Irish fans are supposed to be better than maniacs who hurl objects at unsuspecting people.

Yeah, yeah, I know: A tiny percentage of the crowd -- a few bad apples among thousands -- participated. But that's enough to damage the reputation of the whole.

So, now I can appreciate the excitement of Washington State fans who got lost in the joy of a thrilling comeback victory -- regardless of their team's record or the opponent's record. I still chuckle a little at the thought, but I respect their passion.

And I leave bereaved Seattle sports fans with my weekly reminder: Life could be worse.

10. Koren Robinson
Comment: Mr. Drop's much-discussed second chance with the Seahawks might be coming to an end soon. With all the errors Robinson makes during a game, why not just lean on the young wide receivers? It's not like the Seahawks can avoid a losing season anymore.

9. Eddie Jordan
Comment: If you still care about the NBA, then let it be noted that Jordan, after leading the Wizards to four straight playoff berths, was only given 11 games this season. The hot seat is a vicious animal.

8. Rich Rodriguez
Comment: First, RichRod told rabid Michigan fans last week to "get a life." Then he lost to Ohio State by 35 points Saturday to conclude a 3-9 season. If he doesn't improve dramatically next season, Wolverines fans will be saying, "Take a hike."

7. State of Michigan athletics
Comment: Speaking of Michigan, the state is fast becoming Washington's competition for futility. Michigan football just finished its worst season ever. The Detroit Lions are 0-11. And the auto industry is struggling so much that General Motors Corp. can no longer afford Tiger Woods. What's next? The downfall of the Pistons? Well, they did lose by 26 to Minnesota at home Sunday.

6. Matt Hasselbeck
Comment: He's entering bless-his-heart territory, which is no place for a competitor to be. Clearly, he's trying to grind through his back problems. It's quite admirable, but you fear he might never get back to his Pro Bowl level.

5. Charlie Weis
Comment: Syracuse? Really, Syracuse? Even Tyrone Willingham could handle the 'Cuse. Here's guessing Weis won't be around past the 2009 season.

4. Tyrone Willingham
Comment: Washington State? Really, Washington State? Here's guessing Willingham won't be getting any head-coaching offers after he leaves the Huskies.

3. Bad field-storming etiquette
Comment: Not to belabor the point (OK, who am I kidding?), but c'mon, who storms the field after beating a winless team? I can't get over that. I'm sorry. Just can't.

2. Donovan McNabb
Comment: No doubt, his Philly career needs to end after this season. Eagles coach Andy Reid, his most steadfast supporter, benched him Sunday. There's no turning back.

1. P.J. Carlesimo
Comment: He was stopped before he could board the team plane Friday night and told he was fired. Clay Bennett is now 2 for 2 in awkward firings. Remember when he canned Bob Hill on the same day he had surgery? You'll be better off with having to deal with Bennett, P.J. Trust us.

This is a not-so good videotaping of a television showing the end of the Apple Cup. I'm only posting it because it captures Paul Wulff's goofy, galloping celebration at the end. He acted like he had just clinched a Rose Bowl berth.

And I still can't get over the students storming the field after beating a winless team. After improving to 2-10, for that matter.

I've seen it all now.