The readers expect to ring in the new year with a Rose Bowl upset.
This year’s Rose Bowl, which takes place on New Year’s Day Tuesday in Pasadena, California, pits the University of Washington Huskies against the Ohio State University Buckeyes. This is Washington’s first Rose Bowl appearance since the 2000 season, and the Huskies are considered significant underdogs against the Buckeyes.
Therefore, this week’s Seattle Sidelines poll asked readers to predict which team will win the Rose Bowl. Here’s how you voted:
POLL: Which team wins this year’s Rose Bowl? Full context, including a look at the matchup, here: https://t.co/p55TwX2t7W
— Nick Patterson (@NickHPatterson) December 24, 2018
Add the two together and 65 percent of the voters — nearly two-thirds — picked Washington to win, while 35 percent stumped for Ohio State.
This prediction flies in the face of conventional wisdom. Ohio State is 12-1 and ranked No. 5 in the Associated Press poll, while Washington is 10-3 and ranked No. 9. The Buckeyes also have plenty of motivation, as this is head coach Urban Meyer’s final game before retiring. Ohio State is a 6.5-point favorite, and I have yet to come across a national pundit who is predicting a Washington victory.
But Washington coach Chris Petersen is used to being a bowl underdog. When Petersen coached at Boise State his teams were regularly dismissed come bowl season because of their mid-major status. Yet the Broncos were 5-2 in bowl games under Petersen, including victories over top-10 teams Oklahoma (2006 season Fiesta Bowl) and TCU (2009 season Fiesta Bowl). That same upset magic hasn’t manifested itself with the Huskies yet — Washington is 1-3 in bowls under Petersen — but Petersen is considered a coach who makes the most of the extra preparation time afforded for bowl games.
And if there’s a matchup that seems to fit Washington, this may be it. The Huskies, and quarterback Jake Browning in particular, have struggled against teams that play great defense. However, Washington’s exceptionally talented secondary means the Huskies have fared well against teams with high-powered passing offenses. What is Ohio State? A team with a high-powered passing offense (No. 1 in the nation in passing yards per game), but a middle-of-the-pack defense (67th in the nation in yards allowed per game).
So maybe the Huskies have a chance. At least that’s what the voters think.
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