Projecting The Preseason Top 25: Did The Hawkeyes Make The Cut?
By Dan Vasta
8) Washington Huskies
Key Player: QB Jake Browning
The offense was simply bonkers last year for UW and Chris Petersen has had his way with productive signal-callers. Browning is one of the ten best in the country and with continued success it would not be a shock to see him in New York. Losing John Ross will be a challenge, but there are plenty of pieces for this offense to be even better in 2017.
Key Stat: History Repeats?
Prior to last season, the last time UW won 12+ games in a season was in 1991, when the Huskies won a split national title. Another season with 12 or more wins should allow for another special season.
Key Game: 11/10 at Stanford
Winning by 38 points last season surely gave UW the North division without much of a challenge. This season will be tougher if they seek for perfection. The winner of this game is not a lock to appear in the Pac-12 title game with tough slates for both of these two, but this could be the victory that the committee really pays attention to late in the season.