The Washington Football team won the Pac-12 North division last season enroute to capturing the crown for the Pac-12 championship. Now, the Huskies enter the new year as the favorite in the northern half of the league.
College football is right around the corner. And that bodes well for the Washington Football team, defending Pac-12 champions. But, with the release of the preseason Coaches’ Poll, we get a glimpse at the national media’s favorites in each conference.
Three teams will pose challenges to UW–Stanford, Oregon, and Washington State. Cal and Oregon State are projected to fall near the bottom of the conference and stay well out of the division race.
Pac-12 loaded for NCAA football
The Pac-12 is a major NCAA football conference now, and the outlook for a number of team’s in the Pac-12 are undervalued. The conference boast some of the best quarterbacking talent in the nation, with as many as five programs led by a quarterback who could conceivably end up with the Heisman trophy.
That’s impressive on it’s own, but even moreso when you consider some of the best defensive players in the nation call the Pac-12 home as well. All this rolls up into a difficult road for the Washington Football team. Can they repeat?
In a conference as unpredictable as the Pac-12, here’s a look at the contenders in the North division.
The case for Stanford
Stanford’s 2016 season was a confusing one. The Cardinal finished 9-3 in the regular season and defeated North Carolina in the Hyundai Sun Bowl.
Stanford downed USC and UCLA in the early stages of the season, but dropped its next three conference contests to escape the championship picture. The three game slide began in Seattle, when a top 10 matchup saw Washington trample the Cardinal, 44-6.
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Momentum, however, is on Stanford’s side. The Cardinal finished the year on a six game win streak and ranked 12th in the AP Poll. The preseason Coaches’ Poll slots Stanford in at 14th in the nation.
Mixed bag
When looking more closely at Stanford’s last six games, the streak seems less impressive. The combined conference records of the last four Pac-12 teams that Stanford defeated was 9-27.
The Cardinal closed out the year by blowing out Rice, and finally played some stronger competition in North Carolina.
Stanford has plenty of holes to fill after losing running back Christian McCaffrey and defensive end Solomon Thomas, amplified by a scary quarterback situation. Although the Cardinal defense should return to its dominant ways, the offense makes a Stanford championship seem unlikely.
The case for Oregon
Will Oregon get their revenge tour this season? It seems unlikely that the Ducks can be real challengers in a tough conference, but they will undoubtedly make some noise in the North.
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Oregon fans watched as the Ducks’ 12 year win streak over Washington collapsed on Oct. 8. It was a crushing blow in an unusually underachieving year for Oregon.
The Ducks won’t be quiet for long, though. Oregon brings in the 23rd ranked recruiting class in the nation and has some talented returning pieces on offense.
Solid offense
In his freshman year, quarterback Justin Herbert took over the starting role and performed well. His 19 touchdowns to just four interceptions are an early sign of his poise as a young pocket passer.
Running back Royce Freeman returns once again after a 945 rushing yard season. His numbers dropped off due to a stalled offense, but his 1836 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns in 2015 cannot be forgotten.
Oregon remains incredibly liable on the defensive side of the ball. The Ducks surrendered at least 26 points in every single game last year, allowing 40 plus points in six games.
The real question for Oregon is whether or not the offense will be able to put points on the board fast enough. The Ducks may not be quite ready to rise back to power, but they will be a different team than a season ago.
The case for Washington State
Washington State finished second in the North standings a season ago at 7-2 in the Pac-12. The Cougars’ typical high powered offense propelled them over some weaker Pac-12 secondaries and they were legitimate contenders all the way until the Apple Cup in the final week of the season.
Autzen Zoo
The two teams that defeated the Cougars in conference play also played for the Pac-12 title–Washington and Colorado.
Cougars can score
On one hand, the Washington State University Cougars lose a few notable players on each side of the ball.
On the other hand, the team returns its star quarterback Luke Falk for his senior year. Falk threw for 4468 yards and 38 touchdowns in 2016 and he’s a dark house to compete for the Heisman trophy.
Although Washington State’s defense will be suspect again, its offensive firepower competes with any program in the nation. The Cougars have found a way to win games without slowing other offenses down. And you know those Cougars always find extra motivation to prepare for the Washington Huskies.
The verdict
Thanks to some question marks for both Stanford and Oregon, Washington State may be the best bet to break through the pack to challenge the Huskies again. And that is the last game for the regular season for Washington Football fans. Let’s summarize:
For Stanford, a shaky offense will not be enough to put up championship numbers. The team has some talent, but some talent is not enough to get it done. And while the Cardinals did string together an impressive winning streak, the competition was not stalwart enought to convince me it’s repeatable this year.
Oregon’s defense is abysmal–the team will improve but should be another year or two away from its old self. Until then, look for some shootouts. And as you know, high scoring games are not football skill as much as blind luck as to who has the ball last.
Cougars stiffest competition
That leaves Mike Leach’s Cougars as the next in line. In Falk’s last year, Washington State has as good an opportunity as ever to sneak into the Pac-12 championship and compete for a title. For the second year in a row, the Apple Cup will have massive conference and national implications.
And while many teams plan to coast into post-season play, the Washington Huskies will face their toughest opponent at the end of the regular season. But we know this Washington Football team will be up for the challenge.