National rankings treat Washington Football team like Vanilla Ice, a one-hit wonder

Which team led the Pac-12 in offense and defense in 2016, competed in the NCAA playoffs, but dropped to seventh from a fourth place finish? The Washington Football team, of course

Sometimes, the Washington Football team gets about as much respect in the NCAA as the late great comic Rodney Dangerfield. Despite playing lights out football last season, winning the Pac-12 title, and competing in the NCAA playoffs, the 2016 fourth ranked Washington Huskies enter the 2017 season ranked seventh by USA today.

I would remain silent if it made sense. But the same rankings have hoisted the USC Trojans to number four in the nation and Penn State University to number six.  Now, don’t get me wrong. Both schools have good football programs and put up one-heck-of-a-scoring-clinic in last year’s 52-49 slobberknocker.

Huskies offense still loaded with talent

But neither team has a top ten defense. And while the Washington Huskies competed to the top four with an injured quarterback, the team is not looking for any grading on the curve.  And last time I checked, a football team which must put up 45 plus points to win a football game is really not at an elite level.

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Perhaps I do have a kool-aid hangover.  But when I examine this team, I don’t see any huge holes from the wake of NFL draft decimation.  The team’s offense is virtually intact.  With Dante Pettis and Chico McClatcher as wide receivers, Myles Gaskin in the backfield, and a surgically repaired and healthy Jake Browning under center, this offense will be even more explosive this year.

Folks, what about defense?

But the Washington Huskies defense is just as terrifying. While the team sent three defensive backs and pass rush specialist JoJo Mathis to the NFL, the team gets Azeem Victor back to full health this season.

The team sends Vita Vea and Greg Gaines back into the trenches.  Behind them, the team lines up Azeem Victor and Keishawn Bierra, likely the best inside linebacking duo in the NCAA.  In fact, this team is just as loaded on defense.  And now, they are discovering that the nation considers them a one-hit wonder. No, NCAA.  The Washington Huskies are not Vanilla Ice.  This is not some one-hit wonder which will face back into the darkness.

Like it or not, it all becomes motivation.

The worst thing that could possibly happen to the other Pac-12 schools is happening. The nation is discounting the Washington Football team. Like it or not, that disrespect is simply adding fuel to an already quite motivated team.

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I’m not truly certain how anyone can consider the Washington Huskies worse off than last season, but perhaps I should be happy about it.  That energy will find its release soon enough. And perhaps seventh ranked is not as bad as I make it seem. But this story surfaced on the same day as a story ranking the Washington Huskies as the most overrated NCAA football team.  If I seem to be on the defensive, it’s been an off-season of being placed there. And there will be more downplaying the Washington Huskies and promoting the USC Trojans. In the end, ESPN gets their strong USC and UW.  USC wins the preseason hype.  And UW wins the Pac-12 championship again on the field.