The Washington Huskies represent the Pac-12’s best chance at a College Football Playoff spot in 2018.
After a strong playoff run the season prior, the Washington Huskies were a team in a bit of a transition in 2017. Things started off hot for the Huskies as they boasted an impressive offensive display and won their first six games of the season.
Then an unexpected seven-point offensive output in a loss to the Arizona State Sun Devils on the road proved to be the first roadblock in what was a good but not great season by their standards. They wound up finishing second in the Pac-12 North thanks to a head-to-head loss with the Stanford Cardinal.
While those losses kept the Huskies out of the Pac-12 Championship Game and they did not make a return to the College Football Playoff, they earned a spot in the Fiesta Bowl against Saquon Barkley and the Penn State Nittany Lions. The Huskies would make a comeback after falling behind, but would still end up on the losing side of things, 35-28.
That helped cap off one of the most disappointing bowl seasons for the Pac-12 Conference. The good news is that in 2018, the Huskies are expected to be a powerhouse and have a great chance of reviving the Pac-12 name under head coach Chris Petersen.
On the offensive side of the ball, Jake Browning is back under center for the Huskies. The senior quarterback is one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the nation and has played in several big games, including one of the College Football Playoff variety. Having him back is huge for the program.
The big names they’ll have to replace are a couple of his weapons. They lost wide receiver Dante Pettis and tight end Will Dissly to the NFL Draft. Pettis had speed and could stretch the field, along with making special teams plays.
The Huskies as has become the norm, lost talent from the defensive side to the NFL as well. After all, the Huskies had the conference’s top defense in 2017. The biggest, no pun intended, being defensive tackle Vita Vea. He was one of the most impressive athletes because of his monstrous size and the way he could dominate an opposing offensive line. Now they’ll have a big gap to fill up front, along with replacing linebacker depth lost with Azeem Victor and Kieshawn Bierria being drafted as well. Senior defensive lineman Greg Gaines will be called upon to fill those shoes left empty by Vea.
The best case for the Washington Huskies in 2018 is that they go undefeated and represent the conference in the College Football Playoff. They have a great chance at a signature victory to begin the season, with a huge non-conference battle on the road against Auburn. If the Huskies can pick up a win over their SEC foe, then they’ll have plenty of ammunition as for why they should be in at the end of the season.
Best-Case Scenario
- Sept. 1 at Auburn – W
- Sept. 8 vs. North Dakota – W
- Sept. 15 at Utah – W
- Sept. 22 vs. Arizona State – W
- Sept. 29 vs. BYU – W
- Oct. 6 at UCLA – W
- Oct. 13 at Oregon – W
- Oct. 20 vs. Colorado – W
- Oct. 27 at California – W
- Nov. 3 vs. Stanford – W
- Nov. 17 vs. Oregon State – W
- Nov. 23 at Washington State – W
The absolute worst-case scenario for the Huskies is losing the season opener to Auburn and then dropping two conference battles to their biggest rivals, Oregon and Stanford. They still can get in with one loss and losing to Auburn wouldn’t end their chances. However, falling short of winning the Pac-12 North and not representing in the conference championship game would be a major disappointment.
Worst-Case Scenario
- Sept. 1 at Auburn – L
- Sept. 8 vs. North Dakota – W
- Sept. 15 at Utah – W
- Sept. 22 vs. Arizona State – W
- Sept. 29 vs. BYU – W
- Oct. 6 at UCLA – W
- Oct. 13 at Oregon – L
- Oct. 20 vs. Colorado – W
- Oct. 27 at California – W
- Nov. 3 vs. Stanford – L
- Nov. 17 vs. Oregon State – W
- Nov. 23 at Washington State – W
Petersen is building a powerhouse in Washington and has them primed to be a College Football Playoff Contender in 2018. If they can handle their business in conference and not fall for any trap games on the road, much like the one against Arizona State last season, this should be a promising season for the Huskies, who have a loaded roster.