Washington Football: Huskies hope rebound leads to Playoff berth

2018 Washington Schedule and Predictions

The season opener in Atlanta against defending SEC West champion Auburn offers the chance to make a major statement out of the gate. If Washington deals the Tigers a third straight defeat in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, it will go a long way toward pushing the Huskies into the top five and starting to earn first-place votes in all the polls.

Things cool down slightly with FCS North Dakota coming to Seattle the following week, but Pac-12 action commences with a trip to Salt Lake City followed by a visit from Arizona State. BYU’s trip to the Pacific Northwest concludes September action for the Huskies.

Road trips to Chip Kelly‘s current and former stomping grounds kick off October action. Colorado comes to Husky Stadium to conclude interdivisional action, before another away game in Berkeley against Cal. That precedes the big game against Stanford that will likely decide the Pac-12 North, which comes right before Washington’s bye week.

If the Huskies get through that unscathed, a home game against Oregon State precedes the Apple Cup against Washington State in Pullman.

What’s next for Washington?

The biggest knock against Washington’s national title chances in recent years has come down to the strength of their regular-season schedules. Rutgers served as their Power Five opponent each of the past two seasons, dragging down the value of playing a non-conference game against another major-conference school.

This time, the showdown offers the Huskies a matchup against another top-10 team riding hype into the new year thanks to their own returning starter at quarterback. Containing Jarrett Stidham will be critical for the Huskies secondary if they hope to start the year on a high note.

Prediction: 12-0 (9-0 Pac-12)

Auburn will provide a strong fight, but Washington will come out and vindicate their high ranking. The rest of the schedule will fall into place after that as the Huskies go on another long winning streak.

Potential traps lurk in that road swing to UCLA and Oregon. But Chip Kelly’s team is probably a year or two removed from being able to take down the Huskies no matter where they play. And while the Ducks have a shot to make a dark-horse run if Justin Herbert stays healthy, they will need a lot of luck on their side even at Autzen Stadium. Ultimately, though, the division will come down to the Stanford showdown.

Last year, the Cardinal went to the Pac-12 title game thanks to a 30-22 victory over Washington in Palo Alto. This year, the Huskies will return the favor and prevent Bryce Love from a second shot at a conference crown. A win in the Pac-12 championship, especially against a highly-ranked USC or Arizona team, would vault Chris Petersen’s crew into the College Football Playoff without the question marks of the 2016 squad.