If the Huskies have quit on this season, you'll see it on Saturday

Donald Butler laughed because, well, that's what people are doing to cope this week. He didn't think the conversation was a funny one. He didn't tell or hear a joke. Still, Butler, the intense Washington linebacker on a listless team, chuckled hard enough to make his glasses shake.

The question: Could the Huskies lose the Apple Cup and then the season finale against California on Dec. 6, finish 0-12 and still claim to have not quit on this season?

"Man, I don't even want to think about that, to be honest with you," he said upon regaining composure. "I'd be speechless."

By now, you've mocked this absurd Apple Cup to a point at which it's barely amusing. By now, you've bemoaned the irrelevance of the 101st meeting between Washington and Washington State, too, while revisiting dignified past contests that had stakes more significant than determining which team is the most repugnant.

By now, you've dissected how this game might possibly play out — A safety for a 2-0 final score? A shootout burdened by nine turnovers? A seven-overtime blooper fest in which the officials make Tyrone Willingham and Paul Wulff switch sidelines to add intrigue? But you still wonder if there's some bit of goofiness that hasn't been covered.

For the Huskies, though, there's no joking about one aspect of the futile showdown.

It will provide the definitive answer to whether they quit on this season.

There's nothing more vulgar to an athlete than the Q-word. It's one thing to lose because you're outmanned or inexperienced or unprepared. It's another — far more despicable and fully unpardonable — thing to stop competing.

For weeks, the Huskies have been accused of this sin. Their response: continue playing spiritless games. Are they just that bad? Or do they have a heart problem to go with their inability to run, pass, catch and tackle?

If the Huskies don't perform against the Cougars, then there's your answer. The playing field is as level as can be. You probably thought the same about the past two opponents, but UW couldn't stay within 20 points of Arizona State or UCLA, owners of a combined eight victories.

Now comes Washington State, which has lost to each of its 10 Football Bowl Subdivision opponents by at least 25 points. The Cougars have allowed 58 or more points six times, including four foes who surpassed 60 on them. And they've been shut out three times to boot.

Out of 119 teams in this division, the Cougars rank 112th in total offense and 118th in total defense. Then again, Washington sits at 110th and 117th, respectively, so we have a game that presents the ultimate conundrum.

What happens when two horrible offenses and two horrible defenses meet? Oh, and both teams have had their share of humiliation on special teams, too.

This game is only missing a blizzard forecast.

But back to the Huskies. They're winless, but they're seven-point favorites on the road. As bad as the Huskies are, the public slapped the Q-word on the Cougars long ago and stopped pretending otherwise. In UW's case, there's a little more uncertainty.

Despite repeated questions about his team quitting, Willingham has managed to deflect those claims without losing his temper. It's pretty impressive because the notion won't go away. On Monday, a reporter asked if the Huskies could rally around this game.

"I don't think this team has quit rallying," Willingham replied quickly. "I don't think our guys have quit trying to win. I don't think they've quit trying to be successful."

Of course, perception is most potent in this situation. Since last month's announcement that Willingham would be forced to resign at season's end, the Huskies have been outscored 122-26 in three games, an average margin of defeat of 32 points per game. The 56-0 loss to USC skews that stat, but it also includes the two easiest games they've played this season, Arizona State and UCLA.

Before the resignation, the Huskies were losing by about 24 points per game. So, you can compare the numbers and take it as evidence of quitting or consider it too small a sample size.

It's tricky business rating blowouts. What's really the difference between losing 44-10 at Oregon and 56-0 at USC? The Huskies got creamed in both games. Sometimes, the final margin has more to do with an opponent's depth, because those contests turn into bench-mob duty.

The same can be said about trying to put the Huskies' scores against the Cougars'. A blowout is a blowout. Bad is bad. They're all thrown into a pile together.

That is, unless one of these teams smashes the other.

"It would be a big statement if we could do that," Butler said. "It's frustrating to have people think that this team, these coaches, quit. I don't think we have. I think that the way I play my game shows for itself."

He'd better make sure his teammates play his game Saturday.

Jerry Brewer: 206-464-2277 or jbrewer@seattletimes.com