After a season of tasting some success, the Washington Football team appears to be even stronger. Just how good can this 2017 version of the Washington Huskies become?
Winning isn’t everything. But it’s a good indication of the quality of a collegiate football program. As the month of September 2017 draws to a close, the first five games have shown some of the characteristics of the Washington Football team.
On one hand, this is a team with a very strong defense. The front seven appear to be capable of neutralizing opposing running backs at will. Meanwhile the defensive backs have held quarterbacks to under 200 yards passing per game. Combine that with a defense which manufactures turnovers, and you’ve described that Washington defense.
Offense charged
On the other hand, this is a team with a very diverse offense. So diverse is this offense, that ten different players have scored at least one touchdown. Two players (Lavon Coleman and Myles Gaskin) have scored both as rushers and as receivers. The passing game is manned by ever steady quarterback Jake Browning. And while the running game was slow to get on track in the first three games, the team’s rushers are beginning to hit pay dirt.
Browning is not getting national recognition, and that’s due to the fact that his story is a simple one this season. All he does is throw touchdowns. That’s great for the team, but apparently it’s not good enough for national headlines. It’s okay for now.
Husky rankings
The Washington Football team began the season ranked eighth in the nation. That perception has only been partially corrected with the most recent ranking which have the Huskies split between fifth and sixth in the nation. What that tells me is that the Huskies remain undervalued by the ranking system. But rankings mean little at this point in the season. As teams begin to stratify, the rankings should begin to make better sense of the NCAA football pecking order.
The Washington Football team is five games into their twelve game season. With a bye week at week eight, the schedule is somewhat good for the team. To get to the bye, the team must host California. Following that, the team must travel to the desert heat to face Arizona State.
Post bye-week schedule
The team will face their true test after the bye, as the Huskies host both UCLA and Oregon at home, travel to Stanford, and then host Utah (20) and Washington State (11). The season will make or break in the last five games. During that stretch, I predicted the outcomes long before the season began and circled the road game to Stanford as the possible only loss for the team. I don’t think that Stanford is particularly more talented than any other team on the schedule. I simply struggle with the belief that this team goes undefeated in a season.
Second guessing myself, I circled back to each game on the schedule. Is there a chance of an undefeated season this year? You will never get head coach Chris Petersen to admit it, but I believe that there is.
Second verse better than first
The 2016 Washington Football team which made it to the playoffs surprised even themselves in doing so. The team incurred injuries throughout the season which, when facing the Alabama Crimson Tide, were simply too numerous and deep to overcome.
But the 2017 Washington Football team is wiser for the experience. The team continues to win, but key skill players are rotated just enough to keep everyone proficient. Conversely, no one player is overworked by the team so far.
What is the upside of this team? The defense gets better each week. Meanwhile, the offense grows more efficient too. And so….
Next: Washington Football team at 5 in USA, 6 in AP poll
I think the Washington Football team is capable of making it to the NCAA championship game this season. While health will play a significant role as to whether that does or does not happen, the current state of the team is very promising. This team has a very effective offense. But that defense is the best in the Pac-12. Hands down. Coach Petersen will keep the team grounded, and he should. But this team is better than last season.
And most of the players and coaching staff have a lesson from last year to draw upon this year.