Washington is ready and poised for a big season next year, and the expectations are high. Especially after Jedd Fisch is known for always elevating teams year after year. The Huskies won nine games last season, and fans are eager for more. However, there's a bit of offseason drama with Demond Williams Jr. The hope is that's irrelevant by the season opener.
The schedule is set up for a 10-win season, but let's go through game by game and predict how it goes, on first blush, after the release earlier today:
Sept. 5 - Washington State - Husky Stadium - WIN
Starting with the Apple Cup is nowhere near as fun as it is at the end of the season, but it keeps the tradition alive and allows Washington to be ready for week 1. When other programs are playing, FCS schools.
Sept. 12 - Utah State - Husky Stadium - WIN
It's week two, where Washington gets a little bit of a clean-up game. Whatever was exposed against the Cougars can be tightened up against Utah State.
Sept. 19 - Eastern Washington - Husky Stadium - WIN
This is another game that the Washington Huskies will and need to win. Cruise on through.
Sept. 26 - Minnesota - Husky Stadium - WIN
The Golden Gophers are the sneaky upset team in the Big Ten. They aren't great, but they have been known to beat teams that aren't paying attention. Remember Wisconsin last year? The good news for the Huskies is that this game is at home.
Oct. 3 - USC - Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum - Loss
The first major test for Washington should be this game. If all things go according to chalk and the plan, USC is the team that is first circled on the calendar. It's a game in which I think Washington has their first wake-up call of the season. It will help galvanize a winning streak after it.
Oct. 10 - Iowa - Husky Stadium - WIN
If this game were on the road, it would be the Wisconsin game from last year, and it would be scary. However, I think playing at home will ensure a decent showing from the Huskies. It's another win.
Oct. 17 - Purdue - Ross-Ade Stadium - WIN
Purdue is one of the worst Big Ten teams in football every year. It has a bit of a trap game feel to it as the bye week is after it, but it shouldn't be hard, and the Huskies should roll through.
Oct. 31 - Nebraska - Memorial Stadium - WIN
This one is a bit scary on the schedule. There's no doubt Nebraska will have some juice next season, but the Huskies should and need to win this one. However, if there is a road loss up to this point, it's this game.
Nov. 7 - Penn State - Husky Stadium - WIN
Can't trust the newly built Penn State team in year one, and the Huskies get to play at home. This isn't going to be easy, but it feels like a win.
Nov. 14 - Michigan State - Spartan Stadium - WIN
There's nothing that scary about the Michigan State Spartans next season.
Nov. 21 - Indiana - Husky Stadium - LOSS
The defending national champs, even with a bunch of new players, will be tough to beat, and Curt Cignetti is going to look to run it back. Would love to see this one flip to the Huskies, but on first blush, it smells like an L.
Nov. 28 - Oregon - Autzen Stadium - WIN
Not going to do it, even though the Dawgs lost to Oregon last year. You're reading a Husky site, Oregon losses.
That puts the Huskies at a whopping 10-2. Which is better than last season and may even be enough to have some College Football Playoff consideration. The dawgs could go higher than this, but it's hard to predict much more than this. Let's be real, this is already a tad optimistic as it feels like a 9 or 10-win season.