PULLMAN, Wash. -- They build programs in their own unique and sometimes quirky ways. Thats what Chris Petersen and Mike Leach have proven through their history at respective stops.And in their latest construction projects, the pair has No. 6 Washington and No. 23 Washington State playing for a tangible reward on Friday beyond bragging rights and a trophy with an apple on top. The winner will claim the Pac-12 North title, a spot in the Pac-12 championship game and at the very least a shot at the Rose Bowl.For Washington (10-1, 7-1 Pac-12, No. 5 CFP), two more wins could mean a spot in the College Ftball Playoff. For Washington State (8-3, 7-1, No. 23 CFP), two more wins would lead to its third Rose Bowl appearance in the past 85 years.Just eight years ago, these schls met in a game that was mocked to the point of being affectionately called the Crapple Cup when winless Washington faced one-win Washington State. Thanks to Leach and Petersen, the 2016 version is being considered one of the most important in 109 all-time meetings.Its competitive. Its hard-nosed. Its fun, Washington defensive lineman Elijah Qualls said. Its intense.Petersen and Leach have developed a unique camaraderie away from the field. They are friends -- well, at least friendly -- each finding entertainment in the idiosyncrasies of the other.Leach refers to Petersen as The Bishop, a nickname that has spread among Pac-12 coaches. Petersen has his own nickname for Leach, but not one hes apt to share.I really like being around him because half the time I dont have a clue what hes talking about and the other half I think is really funny, Petersen said.They are the CEOs of their programs, but lead with a different tact. Petersen is meticulous and watches his words as carefully as he watches over his Huskies. Leach is brash and doesnt shy away from having an opinion.They are opposites in personality, each befitting the side of the state they represent. Leach, the unabashed Pirate of the Palouse, and Petersen, the carefully crafted, even-keeled leader on Montlake. Inside the same state, they are inverse counterparts that have attracted a mutual appreciation for what the other is accomplishing.You know when youre growing up Ive known a lot of guys like him. My parents would say, `Why cant you be more like the Petersen boy? Hes so nice and polite and well dressed, Leach said. Hes the kid that my parents wished theyd had. They wanted Chris, they ended up with me. Well, you dont always get what you want.Earlier this year at Pac-12 media day, Petersen said if he was on a driving road trip hed want Leach as one of his passengers. The pair has spent time together at Pac-12 events the past few years.Wed have a gd time. Hes probably a gd driver t. (Because) I hate to drive because I want to lk out the window, I want to talk, I want to read a bk and I dont get car sick, Leach said. I think hed be a great driver and then about the time I was thinking about doing something I probably shouldnt do hed be a gd influence not to.All joking aside, whichever coach comes up with the best game plan on Friday likely heads to the Pac-12 title game. Heres what else to watch for in the Apple Cup:FALK MUSICIf Washington State QB Luke Falk is given time to throw, he should be able to find gaps against Washingtons stellar secondary. Falk has thrown for 3,935 yards and 36 touchdowns this season. The Cougars offensive line has also been excellent at limiting pressure allowing just four sacks in the past four games.Washingtons pass rush was quiet for weeks, but had six sacks last week against Arizona State.MYLES OF SPACEWashington RB Myles Gaskin has run for at least 100 yards in five of the past seven games. That number is an important benchmark when it comes to the Apple Cup in Pullman. Washington has won five of the past eight games on the Palouse and in four of those, the Huskies had a running back rush for at least 100 yards.ROSS AND MARKSBetween them, Washingtons John Ross and Washington States Gabe Marks have combined for 138 receptions and 27 touchdowns this season. Ross is coming off a 12-catch game against Arizona State, while Marks has eight career games of 10 or more catches. Whichever wide receiver can have more of an impact may decide the outcome.---AP College Ftball Writer Ralph D. Russo contributed to this report.---More AP college ftball: tball.ap.org" target="_blank">www.collegeftball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25. luk.com/" target="_blank">Vans Old Skl Clearance . The deal is pending a physical, assistant general manager Bobby Evans said. Traded from Seattle to Baltimore on Aug. 30, Morse also can play first base and right field to give manager Bruce Bochy some flexibility in writing his lineup. luk.com/" target="_blank">Vans Old Skl Uk Sale . Jon Montgomerys gold medal in skeleton at the Whistler Sliding Centre and his subsequent auctioning off of a pitcher of beer in the village square elevated him to folk-hero status. luk.com/" target="_blank">http://www.cheapoldskluk.com/ . The Canadian squad, skipped by Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg, got on the board first with two in the second end, and followed that with two more apiece in the fourth and sixth ends. luk.com/" target="_blank">Vans Clearance Outlet Uk . -- Claudio Bieler hadnt scored since early September, and not from the run of play since mid-July. luk.com/" target="_blank">Vans Old Skl For Sale Uk . "I wrote 36 on my sheet at the beginning of the game," the Cincinnati coach said, referring the yard line the ball would need to be snapped from. It was another offseason full of change for the perennially contending Chicago Blackhawks, an organization for which salary-cap gymnastics have become a summer rite. The Blackhawks continue to set the bar high in regard to how to stay in the mix, despite dealing with moving parts year in and year out.GM Stan Bowman is among the very best at his job, finding ways to plug holes and keep his team among the elite. In the spring of 2015, he plucked?Artemi Panarin?out of the KHL as a free agent, an asset-free addition, and watched as the Russian winger won the Calder Trophy last season as NHL rkie of the year. It is that kind of move that has kept Chicago ahead of the curve.Still, the salary cap trades this past offseason of Andrew Shaw and Teuvo Teravainen are going to test that formula this year. Chicago enters the season with more question marks up front than weve seen, perhaps, in the entire Hawks run of head coach Joel Quenneville.Did last springs first-round playoff exit after a monster series with the?St. Louis Blues?signal a new, more-mortal era for the Blackhawks?Or was it just time to reset and come back stronger around the talented core led by Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrk and Corey Crawford?-- a quintet Id put up against any group in the NHL?On a different note, I would argue that the Hawks are deeper on defense now than theyve been in a long time.This season will indeed tell the tale. Then again, as Bowman has proven time and time again, the team that begins the season wont necessarily be the same club as the one that will enter the playoffs. Hes as aggressive as any GM in the NHL when it comes to making changes before the trade deadline.Best new facesThe Blackhawks have been t thin on the blue line the past two seasons. They won a Cup in 2015 while largely playing just four defensemen and basically relied on their three top guys last year. Bowman addressed that aggressively by bringing in veteran unrestricted free agent?Brian Campbell on a bargain-basement deal and beating other NHL teams for KHL free-agent Michal Kempny, who played for the Czech Republic in the World Cup of Hockey and shows all the elements of a guy who should be a steady NHL defender.The Hawks are also very high on 20-year-old Swedish defender Gustav Forsling. With a top four of Keith, Seabrk, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Campbell, a decent third pairing of Kempny and/or Forsling with Trevor van Riemsdyk, and depth at No. 8 in Michal Rozsival, Chicago is in much better shape than it was the previous season. Forsling cant be sent to the AHL -- he would have to be offered back to his Swedish team if the Hawks dont keep him on their NHL roster -- so I figure that means he will at least begin the season with Chicago.Theres other orgaanizational depth t, in Viktor Svedberg, Ville Pokka and Erik Gustafsson.dddddddddddd All three will begin the season in the AHL, but with 11 capable defensemen, Chicago seems better prepared to handle injuries and the long season on the back end.Biggest unknownsThe departure up front of Shaw and Teravainen, both salary-cap victims, thins out a top-nine group that had question marks last season. Dont forget that trade-deadline add-ons Andrew Ladd and Dale Weise?have also moved on, as expected.It has been a long time since Quenneville opened the season with so many question marks up front. The Hawks were largely a one-line team last season, albeit a heck of one, as the unit of Artem Anisimov between Kane and Panarin lit up the NHL. Is Quenneville concerned enough about finding Toews some help to follow through on his training camp declaration that he might break up the Kane-Panarin connection? Will rkies Vincent Hinostroza, Nick Schmaltz and Tyler Motte make an impact this season? Richard Panik, a waiver pickup last season, had a lk with Toews in the playoffs. Can he deliver a sustained role?Another unknown: how Keith will fare following offseason surgery on his right knee, which forced him to sit out the World Cup of Hockey. He had surgery to repair the knee last year, but the news that it needed rehabbing had to cause at least minor concern. The 33-year-old is one of the leagues top defensemen, and the Hawks need a healthy season from him to contend again.Sure thingsCrawford is coming off arguably his best NHL season and an appearance in the World Cup in which he backed up Carey Price and got to start a game. Hes rock-solid in net and one of the top five goalies in the world, in my estimation.The 1-2 punch of Kane and Toews up front is why the Hawks always have a chance. Kane is coming off a Hart Trophy season in which he led the NHL in scoring, and he shows no sign of slowing down. Hes an absolute artist on the ice. During the World Cup, Toews showed yet again the kind of two-way beast and clutch player he is.Finally,?Marcus Kruger?is a perfect fit as the No. 3 center. That 1-2-3 punch serves as an anchor around all the other uncertainty up front.PredictionThe Blackhawks are playoff-bound, for sure, but what remains a mystery at this point is whether they can regain their Cup-contender status among the top-five teams in the NHL. They have the kind of questions up front that we havent seen in a long time. Mind you, the blue line is better, and this team is rock solid in goal. Winning the division is never a priority for the Blackhawks. Another Cup run? That wouldnt surprise me.?Third in the Central. ' ' '