Washington Football: Game-by-game predictions for 2017

Things progressively get tougher for Washington in a backloaded second half of the schedule. The UCLA and Oregon games were close, and Stanford could be an even tougher out. After years atop the Pac-12, David Shaw’s team is angling to return to the top of the league. The Cardinal won 10 games again last season, and they get to face Washington at home this year.

Last season, things went ugly quickly for the Cardinal against Washington. It was a showdown of top-10 teams when the duo squared off in Seattle. It quickly became a mismatch. Stanford ran for just 29 yards on 30 carries against the Huskies front seven. The Cardinal were blown out 44-6 for their first of just three losses on the season.

In 2016, the win over Stanford might have been Washington’s best case for the College Football Playoff. The game could prove just as pivotal in 2016, especially as the teams meet much later in the year and will already have a good bearing on where each stands in the divisional hierarchy.

Prediction: Washington 45, Stanford 30 (10-0, 7-0 Pac-12)

Stanford and Washington meet in California on a Friday night after both teams played on the road the week before. The Cardinal travel to Pullman that first weekend of November to face Washington State. The Huskies, as already discussed, will be in Eugene the previous weekend. Bryce Love will get some tough yards against the Huskies, but Vita Vea and the defensive line are going to do a good job containing big plays. Washington will give up some points but move to 10-0.