1. Washington’s seniors finish career by taking Huskies to Rose Bowl
It had been 18 years since Washington last played in the Rose Bowl that is the traditional reward for Pacific champions. The Huskies won the Pac-12 two years ago, but they were selected for the College Football Playoff and were re-routed to the Peach Bowl to face Alabama in the playoff semifinals.
Myles Gaskin finished the game with 71 yards, as he went over the 1100-yard mark for the season but failed to reach triple digits on the ground for the first time since October. Jake Browning was similarly mediocre, going 21-of-33 for 187 yards and an interception. But that didn’t matter, as the defensive touchdown and Peyton Henry’s field goal proved enough to earn the Huskies their second Pac-12 championship in three years.
This senior class is one of the most accomplished in Washington history. The group beat Washington State four straight years in the Apple Cup, twice earning the spoils in a winner-take all showdown for the Pac-12 North title. They have won at least 10 games in three straight seasons, helping turn things around in Seattle as Chris Petersen’s first complete recruiting class.
Now they have a chance to go out with a bang. Eighteen years ago, Washington downed Drew Brees and the Purdue Boilermakers on New Year’s Day 2001 to kick off the new century with a bang. They will look to cap this season with a similar result at whoever the Big Ten eventually sends to Pasadena.