@Maryland: W 38-21 (4-1)
The first cross-country road trip for Washington in 2025, the Huskies should be able to bounce back from an Ohio State loss against a Maryland team that is projected to be one of the worst in the Big Ten.
Washington simply has the better talent and experience over the Terps in this one. Expect a huge game from Demond Williams.
vs. Rutgers: W 28-24 (5-1)
Washington suffered a crushing loss to Rutgers last season in another game that was completely winnable, but unfortunately self-inflicted wounds proved too costly to overcome. This time around, at home, will be different – but not by too much.
The Huskies should be able to come out with a win, hopefully by more than I am predicting, but Rutgers coach Greg Schiano has proven to be able to get the most out of his team.
Every season has one of those ugly wins where you say, “a win is a win”, and I foresee this matchup to have all the makings of one of those games.
@Michigan: L 16-31 (5-2)
Washington and Michigan have had a pretty fun back and forth over the past few years, obviously defined by their matchup in the 2024 National Championship. The Wolverines sadly got the better of the Huskies in that one, but the Dawgs returned the favor with their biggest win of last season against the then-ranked Michigan.
However, round three of the matchup will be played at The Big House in Michigan, which doesn’t bode well for Washington. The Huskies last played in Ann Arbor in 2021 during Jimmy Lake’s tenure as head coach, and they got destroyed 31-10.
I expect it to be closer this time, honestly for most of the game, but Michigan will pull away late to give Washington its second loss of the season.
vs. Illinois: W 34-28 (6-2)
This will be Washington’s defining win of the regular season, but it won’t come easily. Illinois enters this season as the 12th ranked team in the nation, coming off a 10-3, Citrus Bowl winning finish a year ago. They also return the second most starters of all teams in Power Four conferences.
By this point in the season, I predict the Illini will be 6-1 – coming off a close home loss to Ohio State. They also have a bye week in between these games, so they will have plenty of time to think about it.
They’re going to be hungry, and Washington will need to prepare to take a punch early. But if they can do that, then I believe the Huskies will have talent, experience, and home-crowd buff to take down an Illinois team that will likely be ranked highly at this point.