Finally ranked in the AP Poll, and now the College Football Playoff rankings, the Washington Huskies are in striking distance for relevant postseason play if they can win out and post an impressive resume. In order to do that, however, the Huskies need to avoid trap games and start to put everything together as a cohesive unit.
We already know that Washington's offense is among the best in college football, but it's the defensive side of things that needs to step up in order for the Huskies to be considered a true upper echelon contender in the sport. It's a group that has high-level talent and athleticism at every position, but has underperformed at times, which has overshadowed its impactful moments.
Tomorrow's contest against the 2-6 Wisconsin Badgers is a chance for that to change, as Wisconsin's offense is ripe for a breakout defensive performance. Through eight games, the Badgers have only scrapped together 12.5 points per game, third-worst in the entire FBS. Their 261.9 total yards per game is second to last, with the surrounding bottom dwellers all belonging to non-power conferences.
Wisconsin has only scored 41 points in its last six games, and went on a streak of 38 straight possessions without scoring a touchdown during that stretch -- which consisted of 14 full quarters of gameplay. The touchdown that broke the streak came late in the fourth quarter during the Badgers' most recent game against No. 6 Oregon, which was also their first points of any kind since playing Michigan three weeks earlier.
Compare that to Washington's offense, which averages 35.5 points per game and 438.6 yards per game, and has scored more than 41 points in one game three separate times this season. Wisconsin has only scored more than 17 points in a game one time this season.
Washington's defense, which is 35th in the nation in points allowed per game, needs to hold the Badgers to or below their averages if it wants any form of praise from Husky fans. Anything less than that expectation would be considered another case of playing down to the opponent, a problem that's been holding back Washington all season long.
Winning every game for the rest of the season is the utmost priority for the Huskies, but beyond that, how they win will be just as important in determining their standing amongst college football's best teams by season's end.
Thus, tomorrow isn’t purely about shutting down a bad offense -- it’s about finding consistency and confidence for the stretch run. From tackling issues in space to lapses in coverage, the Huskies' defense has yet to show dominance that has been held for four quarters. That needs to begin now if Washington wants to be taken even more seriously.