Coe: Predictions for Huskies as they enter a new era

Published 11:05 am Friday, August 30, 2024

A dramatically different Washington football team will walk out on the Husky Stadium turf Saturday night.

New coaches, new starters, new conference, and a wide range of what they might accomplish are factors this season, which begins against Weber State.

Two things are clear: UW won’t go back to the national championship game, and they won’t finish 0-12.

Just about anything else seems possible. I see them as a team that will most likely finish with around five to eight victories after perhaps the wildest offseason since the program began in 1889 with a 20-0 loss against the “Eastern College Alumni” that was played in the school’s baseball stadium.

In case you missed it, UW lost to Michigan in last season’s college football championship game. Head coach Kalen DeBoer took off for Alabama. Most of the starters scattered to the NFL and other colleges while most of the Pac 12 programs fled to other conferences.

Since then, Jedd Fisch was hired by athletic director Troy Dannen, who left for Nebraska after a few months on the job.

Fisch, who finished 10-3 at Arizona last year, seems to have done a marvelous job of picking up the pieces and putting together an solid roster for a team that will dive headfirst into the Big 10 this season.

The Huskies appear strong in many areas: Will Rogers, who compiled the second-most passing yard in SEC history while at Mississippi State, will provide a stable, veteran presence for the offense. Fisch brought some players from Arizona, including stout running back Jonah Coleman, whose aggressive running style could make him a fan favorite this season. Cal transfer Jeremiah Hunter and 6-foot-4 sophomore Denzel Boston look to be a promising receiving duo for Rogers. The defense, led my linebacker Carson Bruener, should be above average.

But, the offensive line?

Not many people outside of offensive line coach Brennan Carroll can name the starting o-line for the Washington Huskies. Gone is the group that won the Joe Moore Award — given to the nation’s top offensive line — last season.

Enter a group of transfers and 2023 backups who must find away to give Rogers and Coleman room to work.

I think that group will determine whether this team struggles to 4-5wins or surprises with eight or nine. Until I see it, I’m not believing it.

Looks like a 7-5 team to me. Here’s a look a each game:

Weber State, Aug. 31, Seattle: This is the soft landing the Huskies needed this season. The Wildcats, who finished 4-4 in the FCS Big Sky Conference and 6-5 overall in 2023, beat teams like Idaho State and Cal Poly. They won’t pull a shocker like Montana did in 2021 and upset the Dawgs.

Prediction: UW 44-20

Eastern Michigan, Sept. 7, Seattle: EMU, not to be confused with the ostrich-like creature in the insurance commercials, finished 6-7 last season and 4-4 in the Mid-American Conference. The Eagles lost five of six the road, and will struggle with this trip — though Husky fans might be grumbling as they hit the stadium exits when the score is closer than expected.

Prediction: UW 27-17

Washington State, Sept. 14, Seattle (Lumen Field): Yes, you read that correctly. The Apple Cup will be played in September in an NFL stadium. A Big 10 team against one of the two teams remaining in the Pac 12. The emotions will be interesting here. Will the Cougs walk on to the Seahawks turf feeling bitter and left behind by their state rivals? I believe they will, but that emotion will only carry them so far. The Huskies will have found some level of cohesion with all the new pieces. And, let’s be honest: The Cougars have not beaten a decent UW team that had something to play for very often.

Prediction: UW 24-20

Northwestern, Sept. 21, Seattle: The Wildcats surprised some by finishing 5-4 in the Big 10 West (8-5 overall) after head coach Pat Fitzgerald was fired. A closer look, though, shows that Northwestern played only two ranked teams and lost both by more than three touchdowns.

Prediction: UW 26-16

Rutgers, Sept. 27 (Friday), Piscataway, N.J.: Rutgers is not known as a powerhouse, but Greg Schiano has the Scarlet Knights headed in the right direction. The Huskies, meanwhile, will get a heaving dose of travel while heading east to face a decent opponent. Schiano had winning seasons at Rutgers six times in his last seven seasons during his first stint at Rutgers, and went 7-6 last season.

Prediction: Rutgers 20-13

Michigan, Oct. 5, Husky Stadium: Michigan should still be a strong team despite losing its head coach and 13 players to the NFL. The emotions of this one will be interesting. Though there aren’t many UW players still around from the loss to the Wolverines in the championship game, I think the travel and some overconfidence could spell trouble for Michigan in this one.

Prediction: UW23-21

Iowa, Oct. 12, Iowa City, Iowa: The Hawkeyes scored 20 or less points in five games that they WON last season. They have a new offensive coordinator, but the defense should be nasty again. I expect the Huskies young offensive line to struggle in this one.

Prediction: Iowa 13-6

Indiana, Oct. 26, Bloomington, Ind.: Curt Cignetti takes over the helm for the Hoosiers, who finished 3-9 last year. It’ll take the new staff time to improve the talent in the program, and Indiana will challenge for the bottom of the Big 10 this season.

Prediction: UW 31-20

USC, Nov. 2, Seattle: The Trojans disappointed last year and fired defensive coordinator Alex Grinch. I think they’ll struggle at times defensively this year as well, but they should have enough offensive firepower and defensive talent to edge the Dawgs this season.

Prediction: USC 34-30

Penn State, Nov. 9, University Park, Pa.: The Nittany Lions chose UW for their annual white-out game. This could be a blackout for the Husky offense as Penn State will likely be angry after a loss to Ohio State the previous week.

Prediction: Penn State 31-7

UCLA, Nov. 15, Seattle: Chip Kelly left his UCLA head coaching job to be the offensive coordinator at Ohio State. Enter DeShaun Foster, a legendary Bruins running back who is unlikely to be remembered as a legendary UCLA coach. The Bruins could be 2-7 at this point in the season without anything on the line.

Prediction: UW 37-17

Oregon, Nov. 30, Seattle: The Ducks might lose a game or two this season, but they will be motivated after three straight losses to the Huskies. If UW enters this game with six wins, they’ll have clinched a bowl and have little to gain with a win at Oregon. Meanwhile, the Ducks will be seeking revenge and potential college football bye or first-round home game. This talent and emotions heavily favore Oregon this time. Look away, Husky fans, this won’t be pretty:

Prediction: Oregon 42-13