College Football: 5 most underrated programs in college football history

When people think about the Pac-12 Conference, the powerhouse that instantly comes to mind is USC. The Pacific time zone has been dominated by the Trojans through several incarnations of the conference, from the PCC through the AAWU and the increase from the Pac-8 to the Pac-10 to the current Pac-12.

Washington, though, has almost as impressive a pedigree. The Huskies cannot claim quite as many national titles as the Trojans, but the two they do claim and the three left on the table attest to a lasting quality in Seattle. The program first took off at the turn of the 20th century, with a run of dominance under Gil Dobie that remains among the most impressive in any era of college football history.

From 1908 to 1916, Dobie’s teams didn’t lose a single contest. The Huskies went 58-0-3 over that span, including a 39-game winning streak from the end of 1908 through the middle of the 1914 season. Washington was never awarded a national title during this span, but they played as well as any other team in the country.

The Huskies’ fortunes have ebbed and flowed over the decades. Washington’s 1991 team claims a national title under Don James. The 1990 team could also make a reputable claim on the title. Under Chris Petersen, the Huskies are beginning to return to the powerhouse status they have historically earned.