The Stanford Cardinal have won the Pac-12 North Division in three of the past four years, and have established themselves as the team to beat in the division. In 2016, the Washington Huskies are a sexy pick to overtake the Cardinal, but it will be a tall order.
Last season, head coach Chris Petersen started a true freshman at quarterback, and it was a great decision. Jake Browning had his share of mistakes, but he was without play-maker John Ross for the entire season. Browning is the best quarterback in the North Division, and should be even better in Year 2.
Not only did Petersen start a true freshman at quarterback last season, but he also gave the keys to the running back position to Myles Gaskin. Gaskin, who is a Seattle-native, rushed for over 1,300 yards last season, despite only starting six games. Both Browning and Gaskin will have the benefit of playing behind a huge offensive line, so the Huskies offense may be tough to stop in 2016.
On defense, the linebacker corps are not great, but they have a stout defensive line. In addition, their secondary is the best in conference, as safety Budda Baker and cornerback Sidney Jones were both first-team All-Pac-12 selections in 2015.
The Huskies will get a shot at Stanford on September 30, as the Cardinal head to Seattle for a primetime game. The Cardinal will have an inexperienced quarterback, who will be throwing into an elite secondary. If the Huskies shock Stanford, they will be in the driver’s seat in the Pac-12 North heading into October.
Prediction: The Huskies are pretty solid across the board, and their star freshmen from a year ago now have a full year under their belts. Browning could become a star, while Gaskin has the kind of talent to rush for over 1,500 yards. If coach Petersen can figure out the linebacker situation, this could be a ten-win team in 2016.
Next: 2. UCLA Bruins